THE QUALTROUGH FAMILY

The greatest majority of today's descendants in Australia owe their presence to James Qualtrough age 24 from the Isle of Man, who left Liverpool on 25th Feb 1854, and arrived in Melbourne on July 13 1854, on the JAMES CARSON - 1853

Master: Captain J. Rainey

Rigging: Ship; sheathed in yellow metal in 1851; partly fastened with iron bolts

Tonnage: 1,134 tons using old measurements and 1,189 tons using new measurements

Construction: 1851 in Québec

Owners: Dunn & Sons Port of registry: Belfast Port of survey: Liverpool Voyage: sailed for Australia

 

‍ Eleventh in line of Joseph & Agnes' children James Qualtrough, was baptised 16 January 1832 at Lonan. James attended King Williams College leaving in 1848.

 

‍ Like his brothers, James went to Melbourne and took up land at Diamond Creek, north of the colonial capital. He met and married a widow Lydia Thorburn (nee Howe) who already had 2 children by her first marriage. James and Lydia had 2 daughters prior to their marriage in 1863 then proceeded to have six more children. There are many descendants of James and Lydia living in Victoria,

 

‍ James, who was originally a Minister of Religion, lived in Collingwood. He eventually married Lydia Howe-Thorburn, born 1832 in Cambridge, Cambs., England. They settled in Wattle Glen where they worked as orchardists and market gardeners.

 

1932 Approx map of the Qualtrough Property in Watery Gully Road, Wattle Glen (Click on the image to expand)

 

Lydia had first been married to Alexander Thorburn on the 5th of March 1849 at St James Church in Melbourne. and they had three children, William,Agnesand James. They may also have had another child, Jane who died in 1853 Three of Agnes's daughters had the middle name Jane as well.

 

‍ See also Lydia's Death

 

‍ In 1854 Alexander Thorburn died, and presumably Lydia went to live with James Qualtrough in 1859. Lydia later married James Qualtrough at St Marks, Fitzroy on the 5th of July 1863. They were both living in East Collingwood at this time. On the Marriage Certificate it also states that her husband had died on the 9th of March 1854 and that she was a widow. They then had eight more children.

 

MARY QUALTROUGH, b. 1859, Victoria, Australia.

EMMA QUALTROUGH, b. 1862, Victoria, Australia.

AMELIA QUALTROUGH, b. 7 October 1863, Diamond Creek, Vic, Australia.

HENRY QUALTROUGH, b. 1864, Diamond Creek, Vic, Australia; d. 1943.

FRANCES EMILY QUALTROUGH, b. 1866, Diamond Creek, Vic, Australia; d. 1934, Collingwood,Melbourne, Vic Australia.

EDWARD JAMES QUALTROUGH, b. 1868, Diamond Creek, Vic,Australia; d. 1932, Nillumbik, Vic, Australia.

ALICE JANE QUALTROUGH, b. 23 November 1869, Diamond Creek, Vic,Australia; d. 1901, Narrandera, NSW, Australia.

LYDIA QUALTROUGH, b. 8 December 1872, Diamond Creek, Vic,Australia.

 

‍ The Melbourne Argus Newspaper on 11th February 1893 reported that: James lost everything in a fire that raged through Diamond Creek in February 1893

 

‍ "A drive through the Upper Diamond Creek district revealed some very sad spectacles. The house of James Qualtrough, a man who is incapacitated from work, was destroyed. The fire crossed the road from the north, rushed along an acacia hedge, burned the pigsty and roasted a pig. Then it attacked the house and devoured it in a very short time.

 

Mr. Edward Qualtrough's house, which is situated in the next paddock, escaped, though the grass was burned all around it, and not more than a stone's throw distant a cottage owned by Mr. Evans also escaped, though the fire raged about it."

 

- Death of Lydia Qualtrough (Howe Thorburn)

 

‍ The following is an extract of entry from an investigation into the death of James's wife Lydia, on the 15th May 1898.

 

‍ "With my Grandparents on the 15th May 1898 at 8 O'clock pm I went to bed. I sleep in bed with my Grandfather in the front bed room. My Grandmother the deceased and my Grandfather the last witness was in the sitting room when I left to go to bed. I saw my Grandfather get up about 7 O'clock the following morning. Shortly afterwards he came into my bedroom and told me that my Grandmother was dead, and for me to get up. I got up and looked at the deceased. She was lying dead in her bed. I am ten years of age.

 

‍ "Signed Henry Qualtrough."

 

‍ Statement by William Henry Swanwrick Police Constable Diamond Creek 17th May 1898

 

‍ About 10 O'clock am on the morning of 16th May 1898 James Qualtrough called to the station and informed me that he had found his wife the deceased dead in bed about three hours previous. I accompanied him to his residence at Watery Gully. I saw the body of the deceased in bed in a room at the back of the house. She was lying on her side with her eyes closed as though asleep. The body was not quite cold and was in a very emancipated condition, the lower part of the leg between the knee and the foot was badly ulcerated, the flesh was rotted away from the bone and the stench from it was very bad. The bandage and clothing about the leg was saturated with a recent discharge of blood partly clotted and apparently from an artery. The deceased appeared to have died peacefully, there were no marks or bruises on the body.

 

‍ Statement by James Qualtrough

 

‍ The deceased is my wife. Her age is sixty six and nine months. At 7.30 O'clock 15th May 1896 she went to bed. She slept in a room by herself. At 9.50 pm I retired to bed. Between 12 midnight and 5 O'clock the following morning I heard her coughing. I got up at 7 O'clock am and made the fire. I went into her room and asked if she was asleep. She was in bed at the time. I got no reply. I pulled the bedclothes back and put my hand on her to shake her then found she was dead. The body was warm.

 

‍ I then went and informed my son and daughter-in-law who reside about a quarter of a mile away. I also informed my daughter Mrs G. Mills (This isEmma Qualtrough) my wife was deceased, and my Grandson Henry Qualtrough and myself were the only persons who slept in the house that night.I went into Diamond Creek and informed Constable Swanwrick of the death that morning about 10 am.

 

‍ I returned to the house with the constable and I noticed that when he was examining the body that the bandages and the bedding were soaked through with a recent discharge of blood from her bad leg. She had been suffering from an ulcerated leg for the last five years and she has been suffering from diarrhorea for the last five or six weeks. She did not go to see a doctor for either of the complaints although advised by my son to do so,

 

‍ Statement by Elizabeth Qualtrough

 

‍ The deceased is my mother-in-law. I last saw her alive on Friday morning the 13th May 1896, I reside about a quarter of a mile away from her residence. On Monday morning the 16th or shortly after 7 O'clock am my father-in-law James Qualtrough came to our house and informed my husband and myself that he had found the deceased dead in bed. I got up and went down to the house. My sister-in-law Mrs Mills was then there, We waited until my father-in-law and the constable arrived before we looked at the body of the deceased. I noticed that her eyes were closed and she lay on her side and that the bandages and part of the bedclothes were saturated with a recent discharge of blood from her bad leg. She had been in a weak state lately, and for the past five or six weeks on and off had been suffering from diarrhoea. She informed me on Friday that the diarrhorea had left her and I advised her to go to the doctor about her leg. She said "No Bessie, if I saw a doctor he would take my leg off. I would sooner die with my leg on." She has been suffering from a bad leg since I have been residing here about one year and six months, She refused to allow anyone to see her leg.

 

‍