I started out writing about Bendigo and then got side tracked making this collage in Gimp. I’ve cheated a bit in the younger generations because not everyone has had a son. Left to right is James Wigley, Charles Robert Wigley, Richard Henry Wigley, Charles Thomas Hardy (changed his name), James Richard Hardy, Charles Richard Hardy, Michael Willison, Geoff Green and Douglas Willison. Eight generations.
Anyway back to writing about Bendigo. 🙂
James Wigley moved his family from Burra in South Australia to Bendigo in Victoria in about 1853. Charles Robert Wigley married in Burra and Richard Henry Wigley (pictured above) and his older brother William Henry were born in Burra.
James Wigley was a miner in Bendigo, Charles Robert Wigley an engine driver, and Richard Henry Wigley was a miner and later a mine manager.
Richard Henry Wigley, my great, great grandfather was in a mining accident in 1881. This newspaper clipping contains quite a grissly account of the accident in which another miner, George Jenkin, was unfortunately killed.
The Goldfields Research Centre in Bendigo is a terrific resource!! The people there were extremely helpful too. I spent many hours there and will be going back again in April next year.
