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Fifth
born child & fourth daughter Mary McLachlan was born on the twenty third
day of December 1858, at "Sorn Bank", the fifth child & fourth daughter
of Daniel McLachlan & Jane McPherson. She was named "Mary" after the
female ancestry on the maternal & paternal sides of her father' s
ancestry.
Mary nee McLachlan Sherringham - headstone
Molong NSW
There was ... Mary McDonald, the paternal grandmother of
her father, Daniel McLachlan; & Mary Smith, the mother of Martha
Livingston-McLachlan, her own maternal grandmother. As well as that Mary
McLachlan born in 1858, had an Aunt Mary back in SCT born @! "Hareshaw
Hill" in 1827 & baptized in the Parish of Avondale. She was the sibling
after Daniel McLachlan, the father of the new baby. Mary McLachlan, the
aunt in Scotland, was born in the same year as baby Mary's mother, Jane
McPherson.
When baby Mary was born, it seems that the parents were
expecting another little girl as they were ready with the name of ...
"Mary". A lady by the name of "Mrs Turner" was the witness of the
birth & the birth was registered by the father, Daniel McLachlan on the
eighteenth day of February 1859 at Bathurst.
Baby Mary very soon gained the diminutive of "May", a
name that was used all her life. Many of her nieces & at least two great
nieces were to receive that diminutive in memory of her. The first to do
so was the second born daughter of Agnes McLachlan-George. Although
Agnes' baby girl was named Mary Emma, she was known as ... "May" all her
life. Then there was Lillian May in the Daniel & Marie McLachlan family;
there was May McLachlan in the John Angus family; & there was Alice May
Buckley in Martha's family.
As baby Mary grew to be a toddler she too joined the
mother's "helper- brigade"; but possibly she was able to rely upon the
eldest sisters to shoulder the greater part of the workload that was
extensive in those days & especially in the pioneer times of the colony of
New South Wales. By family anecdote it has been recounted that from
babyhood, Mary McLachlan born in 1858, was her father's favourite child.
Thus if she had not been "pulling her weight" at any time, it would
appear that Daniel, the father, would not have reprimanded her.
Joseph Sherringam - brother of Robert
Sherringham - Mary McLachlan - bro in law
As the years went by, Mary McLachlan joined in the
schooling provision by tutors; & "struck up a friendship" with a girl
of a neighbouring homestead, who was born in the same year as Mary. This
lass was called "Marie Spenser". When Mary McLachlan & Marie Spenser
were in their early teens, Marie Spenser was to meet Daniel McLachlan,
Mary's older brother. There is the distinct possibility that Mary
McLachlan & Marie Spenser might have been involved in some girlhood
pursuit when Daniel met them both & was subsequently introduced to the
neighbouring teenager.
At this point in time, of course, these remarks are "pure
conjecture"; but only a few years later, Marie Spenser was to set off on
her life's journey with Daniel McLachlan, the son born in 1852 at "Sorn
Bank". In later years, Marie nee Spenser-Dwyer McLachlan was to always
speak lovingly of Mary McLachlan as did her husband, Mary's brother,
Daniel McLachlan.
On the occasion of the tragic death of Mary's mother, Jane
McPherson-McLachlan, Mary could have been with her two eldest sisters when
they found their mother's lifeless body in the inn's well. This is being
mentioned because in 1881, Mary McLachlan, herself, was to die very early
in her own marriage of what could have been related to the distressing
scenes on the twelfth September 1871.
When Daniel McLachlan, the father, went off to
Yullundry-Cumnock to establish his property of "Avondale", Mary McLachlan
was one of the small part of his family that travelled with him & joined
him in setting up the "house & home" at "Avondale". Doing the same
thing at about the same time in that district was a close friend of Daniel
McLachlan who was setting up a family property also. This was the
patriarch of "the Sherringham family" & his property was given the name
of "Norwich".
Daniel McLachlan, the father, arranged the marriage of Mary
McLachlan to one of the several sons of Henry Sherringham, by the name of
Robert Sherringham. The marriage occurred at St John's Church of England
in Molong on the twenty fourth April 1879. The ceremony was conducted
according to the rites of the Church of England, by the officiating
minister, F.M. Dalrymple. The place of residence of each of the marriage
partners was mentioned as ...the hamlet of Yullundry; & it was stated that
Robert Sherringham was a farmer by occupation.
By this time, Martha McLachlan & her husband, Edmund
Buckley were farming on "Avondale" as well, so they would have been
present with their eldest son, John Angus Buckley. John Angus McLachlan
born in 1864 at the inn at Mitchell's Creek, who had returned to
"Avondale" with his sister, Martha, was there as well.
Also the eldest brother, Daniel McLachlan born in 1852,
was there as his name is written as one of the witnesses of the marriage
ceremony along with the name of the daughter of the Sherringham patriarch,
by the name of "Phoebe Sherringham". Family anecdote recounts that the
McLachlan patriarch & the Sherringham patriarch had their hearts & minds
set on a marriage between the son, Daniel McLachlan, & Henry
Sherringham's daughter, Phoebe Sherringham.
Elizabeth Sherringam - sister of Robert
Sherringham - Mary McLachlan - sis in law
Mary nee McLachlan Sherringham had a baby son, born later
that year on his parents' property of "Burrawang". He was called
"Daniel" in honour of his maternal grandfather & great grandfather
"McLachlan", & also in respect for his grandfather's maternal
"Livingston", that is one of his own great great grandfathers, Daniel
Livingston, & so on.
Little Daniel Sherringham was born on the 19th August
1879. The birth was registered in the district of Yullundry on the 29
September 1879, by his father, Robert Sherringham.
Then on the 17th day of October, 1881, at the property of
"Burrawang", Mary nee McLachlan Sherringham died from an illness that was
reported to have been troubling Mary for "nearly two years". Thus the
illness could have been something associated with "post natal blues"
(depression).
The doctors were ... Dr Ross & Dr Codrington & Dr
Cranington. (By the look of that array of doctor's names it would appear
that Daniel McLachlan spared nothing ... "left no stone unturned" ... in
his efforts to have his daughter regain her health & live to a "ripe old
age").
The last visit by a medical attendant was on the seventh
day of October 1881, by Dr Cranington. On the death certificate of Mary
McLachlan-Sherringham, it was recorded that the "cause of death" was an
"Ulcer on the brain". Very possibly, it was the same illness that had
caused the death of Mary's mother, & Daniel's wife, Jane nee McPherson
McLachlan, in 1871, at Mitchell's Creek. (It is probably much too far
in the past to be investigated in the year 2003).
Mary McLachlan-Sherringham was buried in the cemetery at
Molong on the nineteenth October, 1881. The ceremony was conducted by the
Reverend F.M. Dalrymple ( the same gentleman who had conducted the
marriage ceremony of Mary & Robert in April 1879. The witnesses at the
funeral were ... the husband, Robert Sherringham & the undertaker,
William Gadd. (William Gadd was possibly the brother of Annie
Gadd-Butler, the future mother-in-law of Duncan McPherson McLachlan).
Daniel McLachlan, the father, is reputed to have ... "a
broken heart" ... from this incident. It might be said that this
happening was ... "the straw that broke the camel's back" ... with regard
to all the close family tragedies as well as the more commonplace
difficulties of the pioneer's everyday life.
In any case, on the first February, 1882, Daniel McLachlan,
the father, was dead too, from ... "catching a cold while sinking wells
on his property". This cold developed into pneumonia overnight. Always the
intensely hard-working man, Daniel McLachlan, the father, was probably
also in a very health run-down state as well as being fragile emotionally
following all the close family tragedies of his life. As has been
recounted, the death of Mary nee McLachlan Sherringham, was just too much
for Daniel McLachlan to bear on top of all else that had happened. He was
buried in the cemetery at Molong with his beloved daughter, Mary, on the
second day of February 1882.
Very sadly, there was another tragedy in relation to Mary
nee McLachlan Sherringham. On about the twenty sixth day of August in
1884, the five year old youngster, Daniel Sherringham, was scalded then
sufferred convulsions before his death. For seven days the little boy,
Daniel, lingered enduring excruciating pain until death claimed the tragic
little boy on the second September, 1884. The medical attendant was ...
Horace McCord & he last saw Daniel Sherringham on the twenty seventh day
of August 1884. The informant of the death of Daniel Sherringham was his
uncle, Henry W. Sherringham of Cumnock.
Flowers for - Mary nee McLachlan Sherringham -
headstone Molong NSW
Five year old Daniel McLachlan-Sherringham was buried
somewhere in Molong. Possibly he was interred in the grave where are his
mother & grandfather; but the headstone does not mention the name of
little Daniel Sherringham. Daniel was buried on the fourth day of
September, 1884, by the Reverend W. Keith Forbes of the Church of
England. The witnesses were ... H.W.Sherringham & Sarah Jane Townsend.
The undertaker was Henry Farr.
The story of Mary McLachlan is indeed a sad one. She was
not quite thirteen years of age when her mother passed away; & she was
not yet twenty three years of age when she died herself. From what
anecdotal data that is available, it would seem that Mary was patient &
forebearing of all the vicissitudes that she was experiencing throughout
her young life. Also from anecdotal information, it was said that
Mary/May was greatly loved & subsequently greatly missed when she was
gone, probably especially so by her little son, Daniel.
"Avondale" @ Yullundry-Cumnock NSW
Scene no. 1 ...
is of the road coming towards " Avondale"
from Yeoval & Wellington & thence Dubbo.
This leads on into the village of Cumnock &
thence into Molong NSW.
N.B.
This photograph has been taken from the
gateway of the driveway that once led into
"Avondale" farm.
Photograph taken ... 1995
"Avondale" @ Yullundry-Cumnock NSW
Scene no. 2 ...
The road from Yeoval crosses over the creek that
used to border the "Avondale" property.
N.B.
The photographer is standing inside what once was -
the property of "Avondale". This location is at
Yullundry-Cumnock near Molong NSW.
Photograph taken ...1995
"Avondale" at Yullundry-Cumnock NSW
Scene no. 3 ...
The creek that runs by the property that once existed as ...
"Avondale".
N.B.
The photographer is standing inside what once was -
the property of "Avondale". This location is at
Yullundry-Cumnock near Molong NSW.
Photograph taken ... 1995
"Avondale" at Yullundry-Cumnock NSW
Scene no. 4 ...
From a distance ... the farmhouse of the "Avondale" property ...
similar to 1995.
N.B.
The photographer is standing just outside one of the present
fencelines of the present property & farmhouse of the homestead
of "Avondale". This location is at Yullundry-Cumnock
near Molong NSW.
Photograph taken --- 1995
"Avondale" at Yullundry-Cumnock NSW
Scene no. 5 ...
A dam or well on the property of "Avondale" at Yullundry-
Cumnock near Molong, possibly "sunk" in 1882.
N.B.
Daniel McLachlan of "Avondale"was "sinking a well"
when he "caught a cold" on the last day of January
in 1882. This developed rapidly into pneumonia &
he died the next day, the 1st February 1882. He is
buried in the cemetery at Molong with his favourite daughter.
Photograph taken --- 1995
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