I read about the Trove WordPress plugin on the Australian Genealogy Facebook group this week. This is what it looks like when you use the plugin to display a Trove newspaper article. In this case it is displaying the whole article however it is only the first paragraph I’m interested in. For context’s sake though it is probably just as well that it displays the whole article.
James Francis Heeps was my 2x great uncle.
[trove newspaper=57940093]
Sorry I haven’t written much of late. I’m helping my daughter prepare for motherhood, my first grandchild is due in October. Also I haven’t been well which doesn’t help for clear thinking blog writing.
Here are some photos of my Dad’s cousin’s property at Modbury Heights, South Australia. The land has been saved from housing development but the house had to be taken down because it was unsafe and it would have cost the council too much to restore it.
De-constructing the house
De-constructing the house
De-constructing the house
De-constructing the house
Here are the previous posts I’ve written about this;
https://blog.kyliesgenes.com/2010/05/farm-may-be-culled-leader-messenger-willisons-farm/
For some unknown reason I’ve never really explored RootsWeb much until today. I’ve been on the South Australian RootsWeb mailing list for several years but hadn’t looked much further than that into what RootsWeb offers.
Today I added the four main surnames I am researching to the RootsWeb Surname List.
Roots Web Surname List
The first step is to search and see if your ancestors are already listed. If they are not, then you can go ahead and add them. On RootsWeb you use a Name Tag and a Password to access or edit the Surname List. Below are the details for creating a name tag. This is different from your RootsWeb login.
RootsWeb First Time Users
Fill out the form
Read all of the section titled Part II Your Surname Information.
Enter your surname information as instructed.
It’s a good idea to add any alternate spellings for your surnames that you know of.
Now people searching the RootsWeb Surname List can contact me about the people I am researching.
Here are some other references I’ve found to William;
A biographical register of early colonial Australian musicians: C-D
Violinist, orchestral and band leader, cornet-a-piston player, viola player
http://www.graemeskinner.id.au/biographicalregisterC-D.htm#CHAPMANwill
The letter carriers burst upon the streets as the ‘Scarlet Runners’, clad in scarlet coats cut like morning dress, piped with blue and crossed and crowned with splendid gilt hats adorned with a circle of gold. They were fit for a king and the small boys of the town followed Robert McCulloch and William Chapman on their rounds, basking in vicarious splendour.
But the regalia had its disadvantages, for it made the postman easy marks for unchained poodles, terriers and mastiffs and Mr Watts informed them that ‘where ferocious dogs were allowed to be about the yards or gardens they were not expected to go upon the premises to risk being bitten.’
They had a meagre time traversing the town in summer beset with dust and in winter hampered by mud and, in 1852, when half the population rushed off to the Victorian goldfields, they were dismissed at an hour’s notice. However, instead of slackening, post office business increased and after harassed clerks had worked around the clock for three days of indescribable confusion, the carriers were reinstated.
from Geoff Manning’s Insight Into South Australian History
State Library of South Australia
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/adelaide/entertai/theatre.htm
William’s son George (my great, great grandfather) kept extensive diaries from 1872 to 1926.
http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=601281277926000;res=IELLCC
Taylor, Betsy. George Chapman diaries [online].Southerly, Vol. 64, No. 3, 2004-2005: 32-53. Availability:<http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=601281277926000;res=IELLCC>ISSN: 0038-3732. [cited 12 Jun 12].
“There was not a ball or dance of any consequence for which he did not supply the music” (The Advertiser).
Horse Drawn Hearse
William Chapman‘s funeral is described in this newspaper article from The Advertiser 4 Jan 1897. This is a transcript.
THE LATE MR. WILLIAM CHAPMAN.
THE FUNERAL.
By the death of Mr. William Chapman the colony has lost one of its oldest colonists, one of its best musicians, and one of its most respected citizens. He was employed in the General Post Office for 39 years, and was known as the father of the postmen, while his great abilities, either as an instrumentalist or as leader of an orchestra earned for him a reputation of which any man might well feel proud. Therefore it was only to be expected that his funeral should have been largely attended on Sunday afternoon. The various musical organisations of the city were well represented, and a band of 33 was chosen from them under the conductorship of Mr. Heath to play the “Dead March in Saul.” A splendid effect was produced, the different instruments blending well, and almost the whole way from Angas street east, where the deceased gentleman’s late residence is situated, to the West-terrace cemetery, the band played the solemn strains.On either side of the hearse marched the pallbearers, Messrs. John Lee, W. Mitchell, D. Mahony and J.W. Williams, and then came the mourning coaches, the members of the Adelaide Lodge of Oddfellows, of which Mr. Chapman was a member, Brothers A.J. Radford, R. Morphett, secretary, and R. Richardson, deputy provincial grand master, walking in front.
There was a large attendance of the general public. At the grave the Rev. A. Wilson read the burial service of the Unitarian Church, and Mr. Radford conducted the Oddfellows service.
The chief mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. William Chapman, Mr. and Mrs. George Chapman, Messrs. Charles, Alfred, Frank, Bernard, and Frederick Chapman (sons), George W. Chapman, Harry Chapman, H.M. Chapman, P.E. Chapman,and Harold Chapman (grandsons), Misses Mary Chapman and Hilda Chapman (granddaughters), E. Weller and Tom Weller (nephews), and Mr. and Mrs. John Patten.
The General Post Office and the suburban officers were represented by Messrs. A.J. Wright, (chief clerk), J. Conigrave, C.G. Schedlich. J. McDonald, J. O’Halloran, S. Boer, E.L. Virgo, W.H.Button, E. Bacon, S. Suckling, A.J. Arrowsmith, E. Niebuus, J. Mahoney, J. Lee, Mr. Black, A. Hubble, W.S. Doucit, J. Williams, W.A. Mitchell, J. Oatey, R. Gillman, V. Gurr, J. Moloney, W. Maley, John H. Maddern, E.J. Conlon, W. Condon, M. Collins, J.P. Pearson. J. Ottaway, P.F. Smith, S. Ramsay, S. Kidman, E. Short, A. Hamlin, H.B. Wilson, W.G. Wallace, and C. Graham.
The band was composed thus: — Eastern Suburban — Messrs. C. Schraeder, T. Stephens, S. Leaney, F. Stephens, J. Harrison, E.L. Gill, H. Hill, J. Shapter, C. Smith, J. Sullivan, W. Piercey, H. Coombes, A. Piercey, D. Pratten, J.J. Craig, and F. Grunicklee. Loco. — Messrs. J. Bermingham, W.Bermingham, S. Graves, K.J. Carne, W. Thorne, and W. Hooper.
Fitzgerald’s Circus — Messrs. F Bowles, A. Beane, C. Geyer, H. Bush, and T. Sexton.
Theatre Boyal orchestra —Messrs. F. Saltmarsh, J. Sparbier, and A. Heath.
South Australian Military — Messrs. F. Ingerson and J. Stephens.
The music profession was also represented by Messrs. A.C Quin, P.A Howells, James Shakespeare, C. Rosenbain, F. James, J.H. Fray, T. Grigg, and C. Cawthorne.
Among others at the grave were Messrs. James Lucas, F.F. Smith, M.W. Brooks, E.Everett, Mr. Shrosbee, James Perry, W.T. Oke, H.M. Addison, John Rowe, George Pullman, W. Nairne, C.W. Dyer, G. Beare, A. Warhurst, J.E. Gooden, H. Delaine, J.E. Kippist, J. Fabian, W. Collins, T. Smith, W. Lithgow, C. Molton, J. Williams, A Robertson, J.V. Duckmaster, R. Hutton, T. Tunstall, B. Earnshaw, S. Moore, B. Chapman, J. Fitzsimmons, R.C. Mitton, E. Bleumel, R.Buring, W.F. Giffen, C. Giffen, J. Foggo, William Gordon, B. Davis, A. Proctor, C. Williams, G. Hackett, C. Schrader, J.Duncan, A.E.P. Tomlin, C.G. Dibbin, J. McCabe, and. H. Barnett.
Wreaths were sent by the employees of the General Post-Office, Mrs. William Kay and the Misses Kay, Mr. Robert Kay and the Misses Kay, Mrs. Giffen and family, Mr.and Mrs. John Collins aud the Misses Collins, Mesdames M. McFie, C. Williams, O’Brien, Brooks, and May, Messrs. W. R. Pybus, and C. Cawthorne.
Apologies for non attendance were received from Sir Charles Todd, the Rev. J.C. Woods, and Mr. F. Basse (president of the Liendertafel). Messrs. Pengelley & Knabe carried out the funeral arrangements
Mourners At Re-enactment Of JL Monck's Funeral
Can anybody help me identify any of the people listed above who were at William’s funeral? Other than family the only other names I know are: Number one- Rudolph Buring my 2x great grandfather whose son Oscar Rudolph Buring married William Chapman’s granddaughter Nellie Blanche Chapman (my great grandparents). Number two- R.C. Mitton who had a school in Pultney St. Adelaide. Number three- Rev. J.C. Woods the Unitarian minister.
Were any of your ancestors there?
This is the music which played throughout the funeral procession, The Dead March by Handel.
William Chapman Snr was my maternal 3x great grandfather. He was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, England on 10 Aug 1820 and died in Adelaide, South Australia on 1 Jan 1897. Before coming to Australia William was an apprentice tailor. The day before Christmas 1843 William married Julia Wigzell in Halstead, Kent. With their four sons, William and Julia came to South Australia in 1849 on board the Asiatic.
William completed his apprenticeship in England before coming to Australia and worked as a tailor in South Australia for G Barclay & G White. One of his sons, George Chapman, my 2x great grandfather, was also a tailor. William worked for the Postal Service as a Letter Carrier from June 1854 until his retirement in May 1893 only 4 years before his death at 76 years old. He was known as, “the father of the post men”.
William Chapman With His Violin
“worthy of a place in any orchestra in the world”
The Advertiser 17 Feb 1936
This is a transcript of William’s death notice which appeared in The Advertiser on 2 Jan 1897.
THE LATE MR WILLIAMCHAPMAN.
The death is announced at the age of 77 years of Mr. William Chapman, who was well known in the city as “the father of the post-men. ” Some years ago Mr. Chapman had an attack of influenza from the effects of which he never recovered, and he died at his residence, Angas-street, on Friday. Mr. Chapman was born at Sevenoaks, Kent, England, on August 20, 1820, and was educated at the local school. He was afterwards apprenticed to the tailoring trade at Sevenoaks, and worked at the trade for some years in England, and also in South Australia with the late Messrs. G. Barclay and G. White. He arrived in the colony by the ship Asiatic on December 26,1849, and had resided in Adelaide ever since, with the exception of two visits to the Victorian diggings in 1852 and 1853, though with little success. He entered the Government service as a letter-carrier on June 1, 1854, and held that position up till May 31, 1893, when he was compelled to resign owing to failing health, having completed 39 years in the Post-Office. Mr. Chapman was very fond of music and received his first lessons on the violin when only seven years old. He played with the celebrated Jullien’s band in London in the early forties. For many years he was conductor of one of tbe first bands in Adelaide, being connected with the late Herr Carl Linger as leader of the choral society, which first produced the now well-known “Song of Australia.” He was in possession of a certificate from the Handel Commemoration Festival, given for services rendered at the first production of the “Messiah” and “Alexander’s Feast,” in this colony. The certificate is signed by Mr. E. W. B. Glandfield, chairman, Herr Carl Linger, conductor, Mr. J. W. Daniel, choralmaster, and Mr. William Chapman, leader. There was not a ball or dance of any consequence for which he did not supply the music, being famed for accenting and timekeeping, and he was also a member of the Philharmonic Society which was instrumental in getting the beautiful organ now in the Town Hall.
Chapman’s Band was likewise well known at the flower shows and concerts, Victoria Theatre and operas. He could also play the cornet and viola when required to make up a part if short of a man. He was a life member of the Adelaide Leidertafel. Mr. Chapman was a Freemason, having been a member of the Lodge of Harmony No. 3. He was a member of the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows from the time he arrived in the colony, and for some time he was a trustee of the Adelaide Lodge. His wife, who accompanied him from England, died five years ago. Besides four sons who came out with him he had eight children born in the colony; nine of the twelve survive him. The eldest son (Mr.William Chapman) is now No. 1 letter-carrier, having been in the public service for 34 years. The deceased also leaves 25 grandchildren. The funeral will take place at the West-terrace Cemetery tomorrow afternoon.
The cortege coming into the cemetery, thanks to Tanya Saint for this photo
Sunday I went to the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority and Victoriana Society of SA‘s re-enactment, at West Terrace Cemetery Adelaide, of John Luke Monck‘s funeral in 1880. With a lot of pomp and ceremony the horse drawn hearse made its way up West Terrace and into the cemetery.
Mournful mourners following the hearse
Mourners following the hearse
The horse drawn hearse
I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the crowd, it was a good turn out of several hundred people, even though it threatened to rain. Thankfully there was only a light shower after the funeral.
Funeral Card
Funeral Card
Funeral Card
The mourners and family members gathered around the grave, with the crowd looking on. A traditional funeral service was held, the committal spoken as it would have been in 1880, we all sang the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy and then there was the closing prayer and benediction. If you’re not familiar with the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy you can listen to it here http://youtu.be/PCnRYj3lMlQ
The coffin in the grave
Lovely people from the Victoriana Society who were happy to pose for photos
The patient horses and their driver
I had mentioned in the Australian Genealogy group on Facebook that I would like to go to this event and so did another Adelaidian, Tanya. We hadn’t met before but we ended up catching the same bus to the cemetery and chatting as we crossed the road. It didn’t take long to work out who each other was and we had a great time watching the funeral and talking genealogy!
My 3x great grandfather William Chapman died on the first of January 1897 and had a large funeral cortege. This re-enactment gave me a bit of an idea of what William’s funeral might have been like. My next post will be about William Chapman and his funeral.