John Lynch, Wollombi NSW, 1852

[Waitabit]

Philippa, have you found the death in newspapers or NSW Police Gazettes,? (a minefield of info I've found) as suicide was a Police matter,..perhaps who-ever had the strings of the inquest info recorded it as 'supposed' death time. Even so, one would expect it to be within the 1851-1852 time slot for the death. Depending of course when he was found.

[Philippa_Harvey]

Wendy, I've done a cursory search on Trove for mention in the local papers, but no luck so far.

The Gazettes had crossed my mind but I'll have to wait until I can drive again before I can check those at the N Library.

The very absence of a registration in view of all the official stuff is a huge mystery.

I have also toyed with the idea of approaching the NSW BDM people to see if they have any ideas.

I think I'll go and watch a spot of Poirot to take my mind off this for tonight and then head for bed. Sleeping on the problem might just help me see things more clearly tomorrow (or at least through a thinner veil).

Thanks for your suggestions - definitely worth taking notice on board (as always).

Philippa

[spison]

Hi Philippa and Hugh, I think that the problem is because this was before compulsory registration and there would have been no further obligation, requirement or whatever it's called at this time to inform any other authority. I also think that the remoteness of the area is also an issue. Mind you I have seen lots of errors in these NSW BDM records as they are almost all TRANSCRIPTIONS of the original records. Could you view the original register? Philippa it would be in the Newspaper Room at the NLA in the SAG records? All the Catholic Records are in the St Mary's Archives reels from memory - if the burial is there (and this may be a reason you can't find it!) Alternatively you could look at the NSW BDM 'V' reel and see if the James Lynch burial (it's not a registration) was from a Wollombi Catholic register. I will probably only have an age and an occupation for him but it will have a date of death and burial. These reels are part of the ARK and I think are also down in the Newspaper room but on the open shelves.
Keep well you two (and keep warm Phillipa)
Jane

[Tony Moore]

Dear Phillipa,
John LYNCH's death record ## IF ## he died in 1852 would normally have been a ## CHURCH ## record (a registration number with prefix V ), that is if it was recorded at all. Compulsory civil registration registration was not in force then, and if you collate all the LYNCH deaths say 1850 - 1860, you will see what I mean. Some civil records, even after compulsory registration, still had a "V" prefix. Many Church records did not survive. The priest or minister while travelling on horseback may have lost it or he had some kind of mishap, and it may have fallen in the river or got waterlogged etc. etc, etc. (That even happened to British census results too!). When the original wooden St Mary's Church Sydney (later rebuit as a Cathedral) There were diaries burnt beyond recognition or too fragile to open. There's a multitude of reasons why no records exist, after all, Wollombi was not exactly down-town Pitt St Sydney in that era. If the priest visited more than once a year you were extremely lucky.

In 1852 Wollombi and surrounds were right in the centre of the gold-rush area (start 1851)! Law & Order... government records .. yuk!
The coroner and local JP might have been simply have been his next door neighbour. Technical skills ???. Consider yourself lucky that you have found as many records as you have found so far.

Even though he may have taken his own life with resulting family shame, and as the "inquest" found, the death record should still have been recorded, as a "church" record, so it does suggest that something may have happened to the priest's diary and it did not survive.
Having visited the archives at St Mary's Cathedral, some time ago I do know that there was at least one diary that was "lost"

Sorry to be the bearer of sad news,

Tony Moore
(Castle Hill, NSW Australia)
tony-moore AT bigpond DOT com

[Philippa_Harvey]

Hi Jane.

Sorry I've been so long in replying but I've had what's best described as a "fuzzy" week - hopefully the think bits are now back in action.

I'll definitely check the records you mention at the NLA on my next visit. I'm priming up for one in the very near future. Thank you for the suggestions.

I think my main problem with this death (apart from the fact that I'd completely forgotten it was pre compulsory registration) is that I can't get my mind around the fact that with an inquest into his death the registration wasn't an automatic function, even without the "requirement". Since registrations were occurring at that time it just seems logical that it would follow, rather like night and day.

My enquiry about the inquest file has revealed that it most likely hasn't survived but I'll find out for sure this week. Damnation. That was one thing I thought would be a certainty. I've gone through TROVE until I've become cross-eyed with effort and not a trace can I find of any report on the inquest. Double damnation. I don't know of any papers in the area at the time other than the Maitland Mercury, but I did a full search for entries over all papers, gradually narrowing them down from the year to the month but nothing. My next hope is the probate file - but knowing my luck it won't have survived either. After that - I guess it will go into the files marked "no solution".

It hasn't been too difficult to keep warm so far, mainly because so much of my time has been spent under the covers. Getting back to a normal lifestyle will no doubt change that. Top of 12 (and rain) today, officially day 2 of winter, and the worst is yet to come.

I'll leave this for a moment or three and come back again soon.

Thank you again for your suggestions - greatly appreciated.

Philippa

[Philippa_Harvey]

Tony - thanks for adding a bit more to this awfully frustrating enquiry. I'll be taking a bit of a breather now but will be back to answer in full soon.

(Reason for my being slack and idle in the response to Jane).

Philippa

[spison]

I've gone through TROVE until I've become cross-eyed with effort and not a trace can I find of any report on the inquest. Philippa

There are indexes to the Maitland Mercury which I will look at for you next time I am at NFHS - although as you have a date I'm surprised that you haven't found it so it may be missing. Using the index was the only way I found one of mine as the OCR scan was dreadful for the name. (Mine was Tasmanian and there were three inquests and no burial! Looking forward to a short trip to Tassie to do my own digging! -maybe spring.) I don't know if there was a different local paper. They may know at the NLA. I'd have thought the MM was it!

Jane

[Philippa_Harvey]

Hello Tony.

Many thanks for your detailed reply. I do appreciate it.

As I mentioned before I had forgotten that John's death was pre compulsory registration. Had I remembered that it would have saved a lot of angst and I could have gone direct to the church records to see what they had archived. I do have a number of transcriptions of V prefixed records, but for some reason or other the thought didn't enter my head. I have not yet been back to the National Library but will check the records as soon as is humanly possible. The frustration of not being able to get there is really driving me up the wall at the moment, but hopefully that will change soon.

At the time of John's death the Catholic Church at Wollombi was firmly established. In fact his daughter Margaret (my direct ancestor) was one of the first baptised in that church. The priest was also John Lynch, but I've set that coincidence aside for possible investigation later simply because the name was not at all uncommon at the time (probably even now).

I have to get in touch with the people who record cemeteries online to find out if John and Sarah really are buried in the General Section of the Wollombi cemetery and if their graves are adjacent. It seems that there are two separate headstones, both in row U, but if they WERE buried together (as I'd always thought) why two headstones? Will check that out.

If they were in the General section instead of the Catholic part then I'm sure it was because of John's suicide, so maybe the CofE records are the ones to look at in depth. I'll check both if I can find them. Anything to put this wretched thing to rest.

I do realise that records were lost or destroyed for many reasons, but live in hope that somewhere this particular record will be available.

Thank you again for your interest, and my apologies for appearing to be slack. Totally unintentional I can assure you.

Philippa

[Philippa_Harvey]

Hello again, everyone. Hopefully this post might put the problem to bed for a while, at least until I find my next piece of the puzzle.

After a lot more digging and a lot of careful reading I have discovered that John Lynch died in Wollombi on 18th August 1852. The inquest into his death was held on 24th August, not the 18th as I’d previously recorded.

The actual inquest files for the period have not survived and all that is left is the index, so there’s no hope of any more information there.

From the Cessnock Council Office today I discovered that John, his wife Sarah, two sons and a daughter are all buried in adjacent lots in the Catholic Section of the Wollombi Cemetery. It really seems that the church overlooked the fact of the suicide and took a more compassionate view, allowing him to be buried in consecrated ground. The Australian Cemetery Index shows at least John and Sarah and one son buried in the General Cemetery in Row U. I wonder why.

I was also given the name and phone number of an historian in Wollombi, and was told that if anyone knows where the burial registers from St Michael’s Church are held he will. I tried to call today (twice) but no answer. I’ll call again tomorrow and see how I get on. The number I have is probably his home phone and I know he does work as well as spend time at the museum and the historical society. I’ll just have to keep calling until I strike it lucky.

While I’m back driving again I’m no closer to getting to the NLA than I was last post. Over the last few months a lot of things have come up that need attention and now I have to take care of them first. My research offline has had to remain on the back burner until everything on the list is crossed off. I’ve not given up on it and still intend checking out Jane’s ideas as soon as possible.

I have a copy of John’s probate file now and, to me, the wording of his will explains why John took his own life. He states that at the time of making the will he was “weak in body but of sound mind”. I’m guessing it was just ongoing bad health that made him take that drastic step and I can fully understand his actions. If life ceases to be life and becomes mere existence it can seem there is no hope at all and death becomes preferable.

Hey, not me, just a personal observation from things I’ve seen in recent years!!! I'm fine, honest and true!!!

John left his family reasonably well provided for including about 430 acres of land plust stock etc. which he asked to be divided up in varying amounts amongst his wife and surviving children.

I think I’ve just about exhausted all avenues here now, but I’m more than satisfied with what I’ve discovered with the help of great people here. I just need the date of burial and to verify that it was held at St Michael’s and then I’m done.

Thank you all for your help and encouragement and suggestions. It is all greatly appreciated.

Philippa