Family stories - Living in the times of Bushrangers

Crossing the Clyde River on Punt at Nelligen - circa 1962

As a small child I loved to hear the stories that were passed down through the generations and one that fascinated me most was the "Capture of the Clarke Brothers".  When we caught the punt across the Clyde River at Nelligen, we would all jump out of the car as we crossed the river and peer over the edge of the punt at the conglomeration of jelly fish as they blobbed past and under the punt.

My dad would lean over with us, and reminisce on time's past when as a small child he lived a little further up the Clyde river with his Grandmother on "The Farm". As we crossed the river, he would point out an old tree on the opposite side of the river and tell us " Back in the olden days, that is where the bushrangers  - the Clarke Brothers, were tied before they were taken by boat to Sydney for their trial". 

He would then relate the stories from his childhood, told to him by his grandparent. They were young children in the times of the gold-rush and lived with the ever present threat of bushrangers.  My great great grandparents Thomas and Emma Lee (nee Weston) lived and ran the local store in Nelligen, at the time of the Clarke Brothers capture and shipment to Sydney. They would have experienced first hand, the sigh of relief from the community, knowing they would be a little safer when travelling between the colony settlements. 

Clarke Brothers - Thomas and John 

The Clarke Brother's were among the most notorious of the bushrangers that held the goldmining communities to ransom during the late 1850's through to the 1870's.  They became known as the "most bloodiest" of all the bushrangers, even considering, Ben Hall, Frank Gardner and Ned Kelly. They were part of a gang that included their uncles and other relatives and friends and were well practised in the art of cattle duffing and horse stealing.  As the areas of Araluen, Braidwood and Majors Creek boomed with the discovery of gold the Clarke gang moved into holding up stage coaches, inns, banks, storekeepers, local farmers and travelers.  It was reported that they were responsible for over 36 hold ups and the murder of five policemen.

Following their capture Thomas and John Clarke were shipped from Nelligen to Sydney where they faced trial and were hanged on the 25 June 1967.  Their deaths marked the end of Bushranging in Australia. 

Anyone who follows my blogs Family Stories, Photographs and Memories, would know that my fathers side of the family were settlers in the gold mining district of Araluen and Braidwood, as farmers, gold miners and overland transporters. All branches of this family would have lived through the time when the Clarke brothers and other bushrangers ran rife in the district.  Another branch of my family who worked the goldmines in the district were the McGregor's. Last year when I was looking through some research notes made by another family researcher, I was fascinated by a letter by one of my great great Aunt Jessie McGregor that talked about her father James McGregor having a run in with the Clarke Gang! Fascinating!

Then after little searching on Trove.  I found what I was looking for!  A small article in The Tumut and Adelong Times, which gives details of the Araluen coach being held up by the Clarke Brothers, "One of the passengers, McGregor, had about 40 pounds; (quite a bit of money for then, I would think), he gave Tommy (Clarke) one coat containing 14 pound, and stated that was all he had, whereupon the knight of the road very liberally returned him 7 pounds". 

So my great great grandfather James McGregor seemed to have escaped this incident with out losing a large sum.  I did however, find the journalist's comment at the end of the article quite amusing, "It serves people right if they will carry money about them, where for the sake of a few shillings they could easily secure the safety of it by procuring a draft".

I often wonder if any other of my relatives who lived in this district during this era knew or meet up with the bushrangers?  Would it be great to hear their stories! No wonder my dad loved to relate the tales that were passed down to him as a young child.  Did any of your ancestors brush shoulders with the other side of the law?

Bushrangers holding up Coach 

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Resources.
1. The Clarke Gang, Our Town Our People,  http://ourtownourpeople.com/www.ourtownourpeople.com/32._The_Clarke_Gang.html, viewed 9.3.2015. 
2. The Bushragers of Araluen, http://www.goldrushcolony.com.au/australian-gold-history-culture-info/bushrangers-araluen, viewed on 9.3.2015.
3. O'Sullivan, J. (1973), The Bloodiest Bushrangers, Rigby, Adelaide.
4. Colonial Summary." The Tumut and Adelong Times (NSW : 1864 - 1867; 1899 - 1950) 4 Feb 1867: 3. Web. 9 Mar 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article144774022>.

What Did Your Ancestors Do? – Shepherd Family Carriers in the Braidwood District

Lynn Shepherd III Bullock Team in the Main Street of Braidwood taking boiler to Araluen

In my last post "Visiting Past Connections- a Reflection on the Influence of the Gold Rush on our Family History" I mentioned that my father’s family were involved in the carrier business in the Braidwood district. Last week, quite by coincidence,  I received a phone call from a cousin who advised me that Braidwood was celebrating their “Back to Braidwood 175 Years”.  Deciding that this was too good an opportunity to miss, I made plans to return to Braidwood for the celebrations.  Seven generations of the Shepherd family have lived and worked in the Braidwood District since the late 1840’s and it was a good chance to catch up with relatives and follow up on some family tree research.

Braving a cold wet drizzly day, my sister and I set out to join the community to celebrate 175 years of the old gold mining town of Braidwood.  We had a wonderful day watching the parade which featured modes of transport through the times, even a bullock waggon hauled along by  a band of very content cattle.  During the parade there was a re-enactment of the  local bank being held up by a band of whip cracking bush rangers on horseback.  However, the display that really caught my attention was organised by (coincidentally) another distant cousin in the old Braidwood paper shop.  This display featured over 500 large photos of local families and their connection with local industry.  The Shepherd family featured strongly in this display with amazing pictures of the family members and their involvement in the carrier industry. Photos and a description of my return to Braidwood can be found in my recent post "Thankful Thursday - Back to Braidwood 175 Year Celebration".

A little back ground history on the Shepherd family.  (This is very abridged as the Shepherd Family branches now spread far and wide).  Lynn David Shepherd(I) (1795-1845) came to Australia with his wife Elizabeth Mariner and family in 1825 as a member of the Veteran Corps. When he retired from the regiment he was given an allotment of land at Bongbong.  Following Lynn Shepherd I’s death the family moved to the Araluen a gold  mining settlement in the Braidwood district. Elizabeth Shepherd remarried Richard Chappel in 1848 in Braidwood and they continued to live in the Araluen district until their death.  Initially the family were attracted by farming and mining for gold, however they soon recognised that there was an opportunity to provide carting services within the community and out to other centres such as Goulburn and Nelligen.*  

Lynn and Elizabeth's sons, followed by their grandsons worked together, helping each other in the carrying and logging business, transporting wool, gold, timber, mining equipment and stores between the various settlements, gold fields and even as far as Sydney.

The carriers played an important part in supporting and establishing the economy of the district carrying goods to the mining settlements and in later years the timber cutting industries, carrying produce such as timber, wool to the commercial hubs of Goulburn or to Nelligen for shipment to Sydney as well as the transport of mining equipment and boilers between mining centres.  This was a tough way to make a living, camping by the side of the road and travelling on substandard roads that were no more than dirt tracks.  The road over the Clyde Mountain from Braidwood down to Nelligan was particularly hazardous, with many horse teams coming to grief over the side of the mountain. 

Shepherd Brothers resting before taking their teams over the Clyde Mountain

The horse teams and bullock waggon teams were critical to the survival of the early settlers in the remote outlying areas of this area. They travelled along the tracks through all types of weather, some coming to grief as they traversed the precarious roads. One such incident is described "On the evening of October 11th, 1915, the 11 horse team of Johnny Rogers went over the precipitous side of the Clyde Mountain road, near Cabbage Tree Creek.  In the morning all except for 2 horses were found dead.  Such a tragic accident was nothing new in the history of the district, as the steep mountain ridges and flooded rivers and creeks had been a danger and a barrier since the first days of settlement."** 

They travelled through dust, snow and floods with mud up to the axle of their waggon.  One of these hazardous journey's is described in my blog about Angus Shepherd "Angus Shepherd - A story from TROVE"

Searching through TROVE  there are numerous articles that mention the exploits of the Shepherd Family  and other carriers of the district, describing their arduous journey's, pulling extremely heavy loads and providing much needed supplies for those in the outlying areas.

There are many many stories to tell about the escapades, hardships and adventures that were experiences generations of the Shepherd family in the Braidwood district. They lived in a colourful and exciting time, a time of bush rangers, gold mining and discovery.  They along with the other carriers of the district played an important and pivotal role in the settlement of the district.  

I am sure others have some interesting stories to relate about their ancestors and the industries and work they were involved.  It would be great to hear some of these tales!!!

Waggon fully laden with sSupplies at Nelligen on the Clyde River - ready to make the journey over the Clyde Mountain to Braidwood.

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* The Shepherd Book, (2001) compiled by Helen Jamieson.
**Braidwood Heritage (1983) Historical Photos and text by Netta Ellis, p.46.