G is for GOLDMINER

Someone who looks for gold can be described as a goldminer or gold-digger. They can mine, dig or pan for gold in a gold field, not many are successful!! There are several gold-diggers in my family tree including members of the Jennings and Ponting families.

Robert and Eliza Jennings arrived as immigrants from England and by the mid-1840s were settled in Araluen, near Braidwood. By the early 1850s gold was discovered along Araluen Creek and the village expanded with hundreds of people wanting to strike it rich.

John Jennings was a son of Robert and Eliza. He resided in Araluen with his family and when he was 19 years old, he was recorded as a gold miner. He was obviously working his claim, in the vicinity of Upper Araluen. when he was "crushed by the falling in of a bank of earth" one of the dangers of mining. The Kiama Independent reported the accident on the 14 November 1867:

FATAL ACCIDENT - the Araluen correspondent of the Braidwood Dispatch states that a frightful and fatal accident occurred at Upper Araluen, to a man of the name of John Jennings. The deceased was excavating a bank, and while doing so a portion fell upon him before he could get out of the way; the quantity that fell was small, not above two or three wheelbarrow loads, but it jammed him up against a solid wall of granite, and caused such inward injuries as to produce death in about two hours, during which period deceased suffered the most excruciating agony. Dr. Redhead was in attendance, but pronounced the case hopeless. The deceased was between nineteen and twenty years of age, and was much respected.

There was a Coroner’s Inquest held on 31 October 1867, before Mr J. G. Pattison at Araluen. John was buried in the Araluen Cemetery, possibly close to his younger brother Charles who died in 1859 aged 10 weeks. There are no headstones 

John Jennings death certificate, 1867  

This is my contribution to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (#AtoZChallenge)

Charles Jennings' wooden leg - Trove Tuesday

My father, Ernest Charles Nichols 1932-2004, often spoke about his mother's father, Charles Robert Jennings 1867-1936. One of the stories he told was about his Grandfather's wooden leg.
 



Helena and Charles Jennings, Nichols family archive

In the early 1920s, Charles Jennings was sent from Wyong where he lived with his wife, Helena and family, to Richmond. He was to assist with the establishment of the Sawmill located near Richmond Railway Station. His family followed soon arriving in Richmond in August 1921 and they settled into March Street, Richmond. Family knew that Charles was involved in an accident and was rushed to Windsor Hospital. His leg was amputated and it was a miracle his other leg was saved. He wore a wooden leg for the remainder of his life. However no-one in the family knew the exact details until recently that is.

Some keen searching on Trove, the digitised newspapers revealed a small article about the circumstances and also provide a date. The article from the Hawkesbury Herald 1 December 1921 states: The unfortunate accident which happened at Goldsmith Bros & James'
saw mill, resulted in Mr Jennings losing
his foot. 

It also mentions that this was not his first accident,apparently Charles was most unfortunate in the following of mill work, having lost a thumb, and a couple of fingers. Another article in the Hawkesbury Herald (same issue) confirms that Charles had his left foot amputated at the ankle.  

After his recuperation the family decided to move to Riverstone and a property of 6 ¼ acres was purchased in Hamilton Road. There the family established a poultry farm and had about 500 hens which were sold to the Egg board. The family also had about four or five pigs, a couple of cows for milk, cockerels and fruit trees. Charles died 26 August 1936 and Helena died 24 March 1943. Both are buried in the Church of England (Anglican) section of Riverstone Cemetery.

Charles Robert Jennings 1867-1936, was the son of Robert Jennings 1844-1885 & Lucy Jessie nee Havens 1845-1913. If you want to find out more about Charles, you can check him out in the family tree.




Sources:

Charles Robert Jennings - Local and General. (1921, December 1). Hawkesbury Herald (Windsor, NSW : 1902 - 1945), p. 2. Retrieved January 4, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66367248
District Illnesses. (1921, December 1). Hawkesbury Herald(Windsor, NSW : 1902 - 1945), p. 2. Retrieved January 4, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66367261
Interviews with Florence Nichols nee Jennings, Ernest Charles Nichols & Geoffrey Alan Nichols
Death certificate of Charles Robert Jennings and Helena Bridget Jennings