Person Page 3,455
William John Reed
b. 1858, d. 7 October 1865
Birth
William John Reed was baptized in 1858 in Sydney, New South Wales.1 He was born in 1858 in Sydney.2,3,4,1
Parents
| Father | John Benjamin Reed (b. 1832, d. 15 September 1881) |
| Mother | Eliza Jane Green (b. 1832, d. 23 November 1879) |
Residence information
They migrated with from to about 1862. "James' and Frances' obituaries in the 'Western Herald' are quite specific that the family moved to Bourke in 1862... The year is significant because it marks the beginning of land selection under the provisions of the Robertson land acts. For several years there had been severe unemployment in Sydney and agitation for land reform, that is, to allow small selectors to move in on the great holdings of the squatters, was vigorous. Provision was made for Crown lands to be selected 'at a price of £1 per acre, with an initial payment of 25 percent and the remainder within three years'."
"From 1860 it was possible to travel as far as Penrith by train, by Cobb & Co. coach to Dubbo, then by whatever transport was available (frequently horseback) for 400 miles to Bourke. It is likely that the Reeds had to organise their own transport to carry household goods and the women and children"2,5
"From 1860 it was possible to travel as far as Penrith by train, by Cobb & Co. coach to Dubbo, then by whatever transport was available (frequently horseback) for 400 miles to Bourke. It is likely that the Reeds had to organise their own transport to carry household goods and the women and children"2,5
Death
William John Reed died from drowned in the Darling River on 7 October 1865 at age ~7 in Bourke. He had been staying with his grandparents in Bourke for six months. He is the fourth person on record as having drowned at Bourke. Two drowned in 1863 (Empire Newspaper 23/2/1864) and Charles Banks drowned in March 1865 (Empire Newspaper 21/3/1865). The newspaper article must be mistaken about the identity of his parents. It states that his uncle James Reed was his father, but the baptism records clearly shows that his parents were John Reed and Eliza J. This is confirmed by the newspaper article about the later death of his sister, Frances Eliza Reed.3,4,6,7
Citations
- [S1390] NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages, Index to NSW Births and Baptisms, (Registry of BDM), William John Reid, 1422/1858 Sydney, father John, mother Eliza J.
- [S303] "Research Report: Reed family facts", 1986, Robert Luxford; Fleming Family History Archive, Sydney.
- [S679] volumes 1 - 13, various, History of Bourke Journal (Bourke NSW: Bourke and District Historical Society, 1966-1992.)
- [S1629] "," Empire, Sydney, ; online image, Trove (https://trove.nla.gov.au/ : accessed ), Newspapers and Gazettes., Boy Drowned; News article; 24 October 1865; online; 27 January 2022; National Library of Australia
- [S1634] "," The Western Herald, Bourke, ; online image, Trove (: accessed ), Newspapers and Gazettes., Death of Mrs M A Farrell; obituary; 9 July 1934; page 4; http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141971352; 10 February 2022
- [S1632] "," Maitland Mercury, Maitland, ; online image, Trove (https://trove.nla.gov.au/ : accessed ), Newspapers and Gazettes., Bourke; News; 22 July 1875; page 3; online; 1 February 2022
- [S612] NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages, Index to NSW Deaths, (Registry of BDM), 2454/1865 Bourke.
| Last Edited | 2 February 2022 |