CHAPTER FOUR Western Victoria:- Arrival of the Featherbys

The seven children of William and Jane accompanied them on the voyage:- Hannah (14), Sarah Jane (12), Frances (10), Eleanor (8), Henry (6), Eliza (3) and Mary-Ann (1). 1 Of these, the three older girls were recorded as being able to read and write, whilst apparently the younger children and their parents were only able to read. The "Flora McDonald" carried 301 passengers and was under the command of Captain Peter Smith. On arrival in Portland, William was recorded as being employed "on own account" but at the time of the birth of his daughter Betsy on July 28th 1854 at Wattlehill near Portland, his occupation was given as "carter". Subsequently another daughter, Maria, was born. According to a family tradition, Maria was supposedly the first white child born at Hamilton (V), a claim that would seem rather doubtful in view of the date. 2

1850's Map of Portland

It would perhaps be appropriate here to mention some other traditions that were preserved in the family concerning the Featherbys - traditions for which I have been unable to find any supporting evidence, and which in some cases would seem to be of dubious accuracy. Firstly a Featherby Hall supposedly existed in Middlesex - it is difficult to see how it can be tied in to the above, but one never knows. Secondly the Featherbys were supposed to be strict Methodists and had some connection with John Wesley who was born in Lincolnshire. Yet according to the shipping records William and Jane were both C of E, which ties in better with another tradition that a Father Copland, a relative, became a foreign missionary, or as others would remember it, it was a Bishop Copland who was the relative.

A much stronger tradition was that the Featherbys "came out with the Hentys". This cannot be strictly true as the Hentys first settled at Portland Bay in 1834 and there were no Hentys aboard the "Flora McDonald". It is more likely that the family came out on a ship that was sponsored by the Hentys who did obtain workers for their properties in this way. 3

Whether or not the Featherbys arrived with the Hentys there is one piece of evidence that at least links the two families. An advertisement appeared in the "Portland Guardian" on August 17th 1854 which read as follows:- "stolen or strayed on the night of 15/16th July, from Minogues Creek, Wattlehill, a bay mare. A reward of 5 pounds for conviction of thief if stolen, 2 pounds will be paid to anyone if mare is delivered to John Henty or William Featherby, Wattlehill." This information was supplied by the Portland town historian Mr J. Wiltshire who went on to point out that probably the two were partners as at that time John Henty was not in any position to be able to afford to employ anyone, and in fact it was shortly afterwards that he deserted his wife and family and went to Western Australia.

Finally an interesting and seemingly reliable tradition concerns Betsy's older sister Eleanor, or more particularly two of Eleanor's daughters. One of them, Elizabeth, married a certain Francis John Tumbull son of a woman who as a seven year old girl known as Jane Duff had attained fame throughout the colony by ensuring the survival of her two brothers, Isaac and Frank, when lost in the bush near Horsham for nine days in August 1864. A second of Eleanor's daughters, Christina (Chrissie), married Isaac in 1903 thus ensuring a two-fold connection to this celebrated event. (In fact Isaac and Chrissie were married at Nhill in March 1903 and it was at their wedding that Elizabeth first met Francis Turnbull. They were married in Dec of that year.) The incident is well known to many Australians as the story was featured in one of the Victorian Education Department Readers used in most schools throughout the state at some time. The story was made into a film and a monument to commemorate the episode stands beside the Natimuk - Goroke road near Duffholme. Jane lived until 1932 and is buried in the Horsham cemetery. 4

Jane Duff memorial

Both of William's parents were well advanced in years at the time of his departure for Australia. His father, David died a few years later at Snitterby on July 19th 1856. His age was given as 75 yrs, his occupation as "cottager" and cause of death as "old age". His wife Betty was recorded as being present at the death. Betty herself died at Snitterby on April 18th 1860, her age was recorded as 80 yrs and the cause of death was again given as "old age". 6 The birth of William and Jane's daughter Maria, at Hamilton has already been noted. Quite possibly the family was already living on a farm at Croxton East about 17 kilometres to the south east of Hamilton at this time, if not they must have taken up residence there sometime prior to March of 1869, for it was at the Croxton East farmhouse that Jane died suddenly on the night of March 12th of that year. The unexpected nature of the death resulted in an inquest being conducted the following day by the local coroner Alexander Learmonth. All the relevant documents relating to the inquest are held at the Public Records Office where I was able to inspect them, and the various depositions of the witnesses are reproduced below as they give brief glimpse of the family at this time.

Hannah Featherby:- "The deceased was my mother. My father's name is William Featherby, he is a farmer at Croxton East. Last evening deceased was in her usual health and in very good spirits. After tea I went out with a neighbour leaving my mother alone in the house with Henry Hutchins, there was nothing to indicate a change. I returned in about 75 minutes and found the deceased lying on the floor. I turned her head and called to her but she never spoke. She gasped twice and expired. Her eyes were closed. My father was away from home. She was laid in the bed where the jury first saw her body"

Henry Hutchins:- "I work on Mr Featherby's farm. I knew Mrs Featherby. Last night after Hannah had gone out Mrs Featherby sent me to tell the girls to come in quick, she was then walking up and down the floor nursing the baby and seemingly quite well. I went out and fetched Hannah first, when I got to the house I heard her (meaning Hannah) sing out 'She's dead!'. I did not go into the house but went after another daughter. I did not see the deceased alive again."

Charles Ritter:- " I am a brewer's assistant I knew the deceased. I stayed at the house last evening. I had tea with the family. The deceased seemed in good health and good spirits. I went out with Miss Hannah Featherby and a neighbour. We were walking when Henry Hutchins came and told her that her mother wanted her. She left us to go home. I went after Hannah to the house, when I saw deceased lying on the floor and Hannah saying 'Oh! my mother's gone, gone"'

William Henry Jenkins a doctor from Hamilton performed a post mortem and his deposition is also included among the inquest papers. He concluded that Jane had died from disease of the heart, a verdict that was accepted and endorsed by the twelve members of the jury who considered the various depositions. The Croxton East area would seem to have attracted a large number of settlers from Germany, judging from the names of those who formed the jury: John Grant Turner (foreman), Heinrich Kiefel, Matthew Schiltz, Martin Verszt, William Gill, Samuel Howard, Martin Matuschka, August Borzelt, Harman Koltkaungs, Ernst Muller, Freidrich Fragrk and Charles Hafekorn. Jane was buried in the Hamilton cemetery on March 14th, the Rev Charles Lane, a Wesleyan clergyman, conducting the burial service. 7

How long William continued to live on the farm at Croxton East is not known. At the time of his wife's death William would have been about 57 years of age and his youngest daughter would have been 11 years old. Shortly afterwards tracts of land to the north around Horsham were opened up for selection. It is difficult to imagine William wanting to make a fresh start at his age, although that may have depended on how successful or otherwise he may have been at Croxton East. A William Featherby is listed among the original selectors at Nurrabiel, a district south of Horsham, but this could have been the son of his older brother Hewitt who was also named William. 8 Perhaps William was the selector in whose name the land was taken up - he may have taken it up with the intention of farming it himself or he may have expected his son Henry, by then in his early twenties, to do most of the work, or perhaps William moved to the area later to live near his nephew and his family. Whatever the reason, William and at least some of his children must have been living in the Nurrabiel area by 1877, as it was about this time that Betsy Featherby married another recent arrival in the district, the young selector by the name of Charles Henry Bond. 9

William Featherby died of pneumonia at Darragan on April 2nd 1882. He had been ill for eight days. His occupation was given as farmer (it is perhaps significant that he was not described as a retired farmer, and presuming that he died at home the fact that his place of death is given as Darragan whilst the residence of the informant Alex Sinclair is given as Nurrabiel, suggests that William may well have lived and worked independently of his family up until the time of his death.) He was buried in the Nurrabiel cemetery on April 4th with the burial service being conducted by the Rev John Lee a Wesleyan clergyman. A headstone marks his grave. 10