Another Child Lost, 1859

This photo gives a view of the old part of the Beechworth Cemetery in about 1875.  Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria Collection.  H2005.34/515; H2005.34/515A.

George and Susan lost their little fellow George at the age of 7 months and 1 week, on 2 October 1859.  The certificate states that the death occurred at Silver Creek, and he was buried on the same day at Beechworth.  There are no extant burial records for the Beechworth Cemetery in this period, so it is impossible to say whether he was buried with his older brother Edward George, or popped into the grave of an adult being buried that day. 

The doctor John C Dempster gave the cause of death as acute hydrocephalus, from which the children had suffered for one week.  The symptoms would be headaches, vomiting, sleepiness and seizures.  In infants the head could swell because of the buildup of fluid.  The cause may have been congenital, or acquired by disease or injury.  The available records don't allow us to know the cause.  Dr Dempster had last seen the child the day before its death.  Dempster was based in Beechworth, and it is possible that the child was brought from Chiltern to see him, which would explain why the death occurred at Silver Creek.  They would probably have had friends there.

The witnesses were W R or W K Lyon, and C Bennett, and the service Church of England.

Susan and George returned to Chiltern with their little girl, now aged just over two years.

Birth and death on the goldfields, 1855-56

"The Harp of the Valley", by William Stewart Ross in  Illustrated Handbook of Victoria, Australia. British Library HMNTS 10492.f.22

While George was busy with concerts in Beechworth, Susan was delivered of a boy, on 14 April 1855 at Wangaratta. They named the babe Edward George.   Susan registered the child at Beechworth on 23 May 1855.  She signed with her mark.   As usual when Susan was the informant, the surname was rendered as "Griffiths", but George always used the spelling "Griffith".

Ten months later, on, 24 Feb 1856, the infant died of cholera infantum,  also referred to as 'summer diarrhea', a contamination exacerbated by swarms of flies, and the insanitary conditions on goldfields.  The death was certified by Thomas Crawford.  The Ovens Directory 1857 described Crawford as MD, JP, and residing in Camp St, Beechworth.

The baby boy was buried at the Beechworth Cemetery, which had been surveyed in February 1854 and divided into rectangular denominational compartments. In I856 a Cemetery Trust was formed and the cemetery was in operation in January the same year.

The Minister Thomas Dowell of the Church of England presided, and the witnesses were William Haydon and Octavius Folkard.  These two gentlemen were involved in a courtcase against each other in the Beechworth Police Court on 30 March 1857, but the case was dismissed as neither party appeared.  Octavius Folkard later obtained a Refreshment License for Indigo in 1859.