Morpeth Moments

Send us Fan Mail Bush graves - From the Murray to the Macintyre, from the coast to the Barrier and Grey Ranges, on hill sides and in gullies, by running streams or away out on those plains which scarce know creek or river, are scattered the graves of men, women and children, singly or in small groups, where human life has gone out before there was any appointed God's acre accessible for buria...

Send us Fan Mail On the 8th August 1853, a most cruel and outrageous murder was committed by a man named Daniel Gardiner, at the Rocky River, on the body of his wife, Catherine Gardiner nee Winkworth. The report was brought forward shortly after the occurrence, where a young child witnessed the dreadful tragedy. Daniel Gardiner alias Thomas Gardiner, on Tuesday the 4th April 1854, was executed at...

Send us Fan Mail on the 18th October,1916, the dead body of a married woman names Ada Murray, was found floating in the Paterson River near Tocal. At the Coroner's inquest, it was found that she died from the results of hemorrhage as the result of a miscarriage, she was then thrown into the river. No charges were laid due to insufficient evidence. Mrs. Mary Ann Hughes' name was mentioned...

Send us Fan Mail Why do people tell ghost stories at Christmas? This story was written by a member of the St. Mary's Men's Society, West Maitland in 1866. References: Trove: https//trove.nla.gov.au Lone Harvest, This House & Deck the Halls A: By Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Soundbible.com - free...

Send us Fan Mail Paterson Mystery. WOMAN'S IDENTITY SOUGHT. The body of the unknown woman which was found in the Paterson River about one mile from Tocal Homestead yesterday under circumstances which strongly indicate that she was murdered. Deceased was 5ft 5in in height, and was of medium build, with a complete set of sound natural teeth. The features were almost unrecognisable. Was It Murde...

Send us Fan Mail Thursday 12th August 1886 Attempted Criminal Assault in a Railway Train. On Monday evening last a most determined attempt was made to commit an outrage upon a young lady in a railway carriage while on the journey from East Maitland to Morpeth. Fortunately the screams of the intended victim were heard the signals made to stop the train were observed, and the stopping made with such...

Send us Fan Mail This episode contains information of the 5th hanging at Maitland Gaol, NSW. Michael Collihane was charged for the rape of Mrs. Ann Milsom, at Aberdeen, NSW, on 10th May 1851, and hanged thereafter at Maitland Gaol on 2nd October, 1851. Michael Collihane obtained his Ticket of Leave with Passport, which allowed him to work on squatter's runs and so enabling him to obtain work...

Send us Fan Mail This episode contains two reports from the devastating floods in the Hunter Valley in 1893. One is of the description of its effects in Maitland and the surrounding area. The other is an extract from the log book of the S. S. Maitland, whilst anchored at Morpeth from the 8th to 13th March, 1893. Following these reports, is the recount of the 1955 flood at Morpeth, NSW as told by M...

Send us Fan Mail The tendency of the Hunter River to overflow its banks has always been a source of anxiety to the residents in its vicinity. This episode tells 3 stories of its many flood occurrences. One on 1864, one in 1870 and the other, the aftermath as told by a witness, of the 1955 flood at Maitland. Included, is the story of Tiddalick, based on a traditional Aboriginal Dreamtime story and...

Send us Fan Mail William Hayes was indicted for the willful murder of Benjamin Cott, at Dagworth, on the 13th November, 1850, by beating and wounding him with a certain blunt instrument, whereof the said Benjamin Cott instantly died. William Hayes was hanged at Maitland Gaol on the 25th April 1851.... but there is more to this story. References: Trove newspapers - https://trove.nla.gov.au Poverty,...

Send us Fan Mail This is the second episode in the series - Maitland Gaol Executions by Hanging. The first two hangings were Melville and Long Harry, executed on 16th September 1843. George Waters Ward was hanged at Maitland Gaol on 19th March 1849, for the wilful murder of Richard Connolly, otherwise known as Richard King. I would like to thank my son Brennan, for providing the voice of George Wa...

Send us Fan Mail This episode covers the life of Patrick John Kelly, who was for a short time affiliated with the bushranger Frederick Wordsworth Ward, better known as Captain Thunderbolt. In 1865, Fred joined up with Patrick John Kelly and Jemmy the Whisperer and went on a bushranging rampage in the north-western districts. Trove: https://trove.nla.gov.au Lone Harvest; Breaktime: By Kevin MacLeod...

Send us Fan Mail Maitland Gaol is in East Maitland, NSW and this location was first used as a gaol in 1843, even though incomplete. In the same year, two prisoners were hanged for murder. Sixteen executions by hanging were carried out at the Gaol at the front gates and at the rear corner behind the old kitchen. The hangings took place between 1843 and 1897 - all for rape or murder. First being Mel...

Send us Fan Mail This episode relates the story of the Wollombi Ghost as reported in The Maitland Mercury in 1857 by Mrs Laskett who lived on the Quorrobolong Estate owned be Mr Edward Charles Close (Jnr.) at the time. Was it a true recount? Did the overseer have something to hide? Trove newspapers: https://trove.nla.gov.au Lone Harvest & Investigation by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative...

Send us Fan Mail Violence against women is one of the world's most intractable problems. Historically, Australian society has told men they need to be physically and mentally tough, which normalised male aggression. During the 19th and 20th century, housewife manuals routinely instructed women, as the 'gentle sex', that it was up to them to manage the moods of the men around them. W...

Send us Fan Mail Sarah Keep and Mary Ann Burton were severely charged for that they, on the 27th day of November, 1883 did murder one William Henry Keep by poisoning. This episode continues with the court case and the depositions of various witnesses. It also has information of what follows after their sentence in April, 1885 and some details of what happened to them. Felons of the most notorious...

Send us Fan Mail I found this story by accident. I initially looked at the case where a woman, Mrs Mary Ann Burton and her step-granddaughter, Sarah Louisa Keep, poisoned the younger woman's husband William Henry Keep. While researching this story and as I turned the pages and looked at further newspaper reports, I was left aghast. It was hard to believe that these two so called respected mem...

Send us Fan Mail A partnership that that refused to be broken - In the early 1840's there lived at Mulberry Creek, near Maitland, on the farm of Thomas Cutt's, with his family - three other people - John Thornton, Mary his wife, and Joseph Vale. The crime of Joseph Vale and Mary Thornton was of a most heinous description and fully entitles them to receive that measure of punishment, whic...

Send us Fan Mail Situated about midway between Maitland and Singleton (not to be too precise as to locality), on the Main Northern Road, Bamboo Gully opens its gloomy mouth to the traveller's view - black and dismal blotch on the surrounding land, and a spot that is shunned even in the broad light of day by those who know, from local tradition, the horrors that haunt its gloomy shades. Back o...

Send us Fan Mail John Tawell was a successful and enterprising man. At the age of 61, Tawell and his second wife Sarah Cutworth, both took part in a superficial 'Quaker lifestyle', in which they were often seen a around the area where they lived at Berkamsted, wearing Quaker clothes and conversing in the Quaker way. Tawell believed himself to be so honourable, he thought himself above th...

Send us Fan Mail Henry Wilson was indicted, for that he did on 9th April 1863, at Warland's Range, feloniously and willfully kill and murder one Peter Clarke. Wilson had begun his bush-ranging career. Who was he? He was hung at Maitland goal for his crime. Trove online newspapers: https://trove.nla.gov.au Lone Harvest & Long Road Ahead: By Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: B...

Send us Fan Mail This story is a tragic one, involving two very respectable families, where the patriarchs worked hard to provide for a better life and lay the foundations for their descendants to prosper and be happy. It involves Alfred Johnson Pettit's and Arthur Grimley's family history, and the murder of Annie Pettit and suicide of Charles Grimley at Morpeth, NSW in 1882. References:...

Send us Fan Mail This is the second part of the story of Henry Bishop Butler and his son Oswald Henry, who were committed for trial at the Circuit Court Maitland for the murder of Cecilia Butler, on 11July 1865. Henry Bishop Butler and John Anlaby, held the licence for a short while, for Morpeth Hotel in 1836. Trove: https//trove.nla.gov.au Lone Harvest & Darkest Child by Kevin McLeod: YouTube...

Send us Fan Mail This episode tells the story about Henry Bishop Butler and his son Oswald, who were committed for trial at the Circuit Court Maitland for the murder of Cecelia Butler, on 11th July 1865. Henry Bishop Butler held the licence for the Morpeth Hotel along with John Anlaby, for a short while in 1836. Trove: https//trove.nla.gov.au Lone Harvest & Folk Round by Kevin Macleod: YouTube...

Send us Fan Mail In 1892, George Morton, aged 19 years, was charged with murdering his step-father Edwin Tricklebank at Morpeth on 10th October at the Central Criminal Court, Sydney - before his Honour Judge Murray and a jury. Trove: https//trove.nla.gov.au Music: Lone Harvest, Folk Round & Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licence http://creat...