Graves in the Blackwood Cemetery. 

By Margot Hitchcock, Historian for the Blackwood & District Historical Society.       

CHRISTOPHER KELLAWAY GUPPY and family

 Christopher Guppy was born 21 January 1822 and and married Elizabeth Dommett Paul, born 22 November 1822 at Coombe St. Nicholas, Somerset, England.  They came to Australia from Liverpool on the ‘Athlone’ and arrived at Port Phillip (Melbourne) in March 1853.  They had two children with them, Mary Guppy born 7^th February 1847 and Tom Guppy born 13^th March 1849. They arrived as unassisted immigrants and Christopher Guppy was listed as a Gentleman.

Other children born in Australia were John Guppy born North Melbourne on 13^th March 1854, Ellen Guppy born Blackwood 14^th Feb 1858, Walter Guppy born Blackwood 30^th June 1859, and Henry Guppy born Blackwood 3^rd May 1864.

Christopher Guppy lived at Back Creek, in Simmons Reef, Blackwood.  His son Walter Guppy born 1859 was the father of Elizabeth Guppy, who was married to William Matthew Sweet, and who died in 1977 age 87 yrs.  Elizabeth’s Sweet mother was Minnie Potter.   Elizabeth in her later years lived with her son Walter (Wally) and Barbara Sweet in Blackwood.  The late Wally Sweet loaned and donated some old photos belonging to his mother Liz Sweet, to the Blackwood District Historical Society which the Historian copied off for the Society’s records. Liz Sweet was born at Back Creek, Blackwood.

Christopher K. Guppy was a farmer and horse dealer who died on the 17th December 1891 from drowning after falling down a miner’s hole.  His horse came home without him, and his body was found with his arms pinned down beside him so that he was unable to get his head clear of the water.  His occupation on his death certificate and his Coronial Enquiry into his accidental death listed him as a farmer.

Christopher Kellaway Guppy, died 1891 at Garlicks Lead, age: 69, Inquest Ref: 1586.

Cause: Accident drowned.  In the Digger death records his parents were named as Chris Kalway and Ann Kalway, died at Blue Mount, age 69 yrs in 1891. Reg. Number: 13739.

The Argus Wednesday 23 December 1891 – Deaths – Guppy- On the 7th Inst, at Newbury, Blackwood, accidentally drowned, Christopher Kellaway Guppy, native of Malstock, Dorset, England, aged 70 years.

Further information was found on the accidental death of Christopher Guppy in TROVE – N.L.A)

Bacchus Marsh Express – Saturday 19 December 1891 – BLACKWOOD. (From our own Correspondent.) The sad death of Mr. Christopher Guppy caused quite a thrill of regret throughout the whole of Blackwood and neighbourhood. Mr. Guppy went to Trentham on business last Monday, and left that place at 8 o’clock p.m. He took a near cut from Trentham to strike the main road to Blackwood, but on nearing the main road he turned to the right instead of the left, which caused him to lose his way in the darkness of night, and coming to a fence he followed that, leading his horse; after coming to a log he passed that, and just at the end of the log there was an old digger’s shaft completely covered with grass, into this he stepped, it was 20 feet deep and had five feet of water in it. Here the unfortunate man met his death. Mr.Guppy was about the best known man on Blackwood since ever it was a goldfield. He never followed mining, and when he came to Blackwood he said he did not care about working in muck. He had been a drayman on the wharves at Melbourne, and brought his drays with him. He continued to do dray work, and in later years he farmed at Green Hill, but always kept a home at Simmons Reef. He was a grand judge of horses, and did business in the horse coping line largely. The place where Mr. Guppy meet his death was a quarter of a mile from the main road, near Garlick’s. An enquiry touching the cause of death was held by Mr. Norton, J.P, at Garlick’s on Thursday, and Guppy’s body was conveyed from there on Friday and buried in the Blackwood cemetery. A great many vehicles, horsemen, and persons on foot followed the remains of the respected old gentleman to his last resting place where the burial service of the Church of England was read by the Rev. Mr. Buchanan. Mr. Guppy would have been 70 years of age in January next.  From what transpired at the magisterial enquiry it appeared that Guppy fell into the old shaft at about 11 o’clock p.m. on Monday night, but his body was not found before Wednesday, although a great many persons had been searching for two days previous.

Information on children of Christopher Guppy from research done is –

Mary Guppy born 7^th February 1847, married John Andrew and had 5 children – Mary, Elizabeth, Frank, Nell (Ellen), and Walter Andrew.

John and Mary Andrew’s son Frank Andrew, died at the age of 2 yrs as a result of an accident.  Their children went to school in Greendale about 5 kilms away and walked to school every day.  Mary taught her daughters to be good cooks and housewives.

Some family history of interest – Mary Guppy’s husband John Andrew was born in Gloucestershire in 1834 and after completing a indenture to a shopkeeper in Gloucester he sailed for Australia on the ‘Donald Mackay’ in 1855 when he was 21 yrs old.  On board the ship with John Andrew were some of his relatives – James, farmer  b 1835, Phillip, farmer b 1825, Caroline b. 1815, Matilda b. 1845 and Jane b. 1852.

John Andrew’s father, James Andrew was born about 1808, in possibly, St. Stithians Cornwall, England (but no proof of record has been found as yet).  James Andrew was a lay reader in the church in Painswick, Gloucester. The father of James Andrew was John Andrew, as stated on James’ marriage certificate for his second marriage to Thirza Wyndow on  17^th July 1837 . also  a note of spelling – Tirza, Thirza, Terza, Therza & Terzah Andrew (Nee Wyndow)..    James Andrew was first married to Sarah Fisher, on 26^th October 1831. They had four children by this marriage, Sarah Ann b 1832, John, b 1834, Joseph b 1835 and Grace b 1837.

Joseph Andrew travelled to Melbourne and married Eliza Serle in Melbourne in 1859. Joseph died in 1863 aged 27.

John Andrew established himself on land in Greendale in between Ballan and Blackwood. He called his property ‘Hayslope’.   John Andrew ran his property as a mixed farm and sold quite a lot of produce to the miners at Blackwood.  He used to take his bacon, butter and cheese to Blackwood on horseback and it was not uncommon to see a Chinaman from the diggings in Blackwood call at ‘Hayslope’ to buy a fat pig, tie a string to its hind legs and walk the pig back to Blackwood, through the bush, some 15 kilometres distance.   (Info Mary Wormald and Wendy Abey))

John Andrew was a good farmer, and his property was always a model of tidiness, even though in the early days the fences consisted only of rows of fallen timber.

Mary Guppy prior to her marriage to John Andrew lived with her parents Christopher and Elizabeth Guppy on selected land in Blackwood and as a young girl and later as a pioneer farmer’s wife Mary had to work hard with a husband and children to care for.  In addition to the routine farm chores she made most of the children’s clothes and many of the drapes and soft furnishings for the house.  (Info Mary Wormald )

Tom Guppy moved to Queensland and had a farm near Townsville.

John Guppy born 1854.  John Guppy married Ellen Jane Merrifield born 14^th July 1856 at Blackwood who died 14^th July 1950 at Nagambie hospital age 94 yrs.  She was a widow for 52 yrs.  John Guppy married Ellen Jane Merrifield 8^th July 1880 at the Church of England in Blackwood by Rev. John William Henry L’Orti.  John and Ellen Guppy lived at Blackwood where John worked as a carter with his father Christoper Guppy at Back Creek until 1885.  John and Ellen Guppy had 7 children – Henry Guppy born Blackwood 1881, Edwin Guppy born Blackwood 1883, John Guppy born Blackwood 1884, Mary Ellen Guppy born Bailleston 1886, Walter Guppy born Bailleston 1888, Elizabeth Jane Guppy born Nagambie 1889, and Ellen Pauline Guppy born 1893 at Nagambie.

Ellen Guppy born Blackwood 1858 married William Andrew and had 3 children. Jack (John Percy) Andrew who lived in a farm in Ballan, Bill (William John) Andrew and Tilly (Matilda Elen) Andrew whose husband was a channel guard.  Ellen Guppy died of cancer age 77 yrs at Werribbee in 1935. .

Walter Guppy  born Blackwood 1859, married Minnie Potter and they lived in Green Hills.  Their children were – Walter (Bob) Guppy, Mary Guppy, Elizabeth Guppy (Mrs. Sweet) and Ted Guppy.

The site of the Simmons Reef Wesleyan was a church grant of one acre on top of the hill above the stone house at the ‘Garden of St. Erth’, and the land was sold to the late Tom Garnett, the previous owner of the ‘Garden of St. Erth’.  Tom and Penny Garnett bought the land after the Methodist church had obtained a title about 1975 and unearthed the foundations of the church.  Mrs. Elizabeth Sweet (nee Guppy) (mother of the late Wally Sweet) was brought to the area to verify the site of the church before the title was granted.

Other Inquest records found were –

 Edwin Guppy, died at Blackwood 1863, Inquest Ref: 93, Suffocated Accident, occupation – Miner.  In the Digger death records his parents were named as John Guppy and Eliza Jule.  He was age 30 yrs and he was born (1833) in Shep…(not sure what this stands for, but contact with a fellow researcher, Kenneth Webb,  thinks it could be Shepton, Mallett,  Somersetshire, England)  Reg Number: 535.    ©   see below research he found-

MARRIAGE found in the Argus 19 October 1861 GUPPY—BUTT.—On the 15th inst., at St. Andrew’s  Church, Brighton, by the Rev. Moor, Edwin Guppy, of Mount Blackwood, second son of John and Eliza Guppy, to Mary Elizabeth Butt, daughter of the late William and Mary Butt, both of Shepton, Mallett, Somersetshire, England.

So the above research shows that Edwin Guppy married Mary Elizabeth Butt in 1861 and two years later age 30 yrs, Edwin died in an accident in a mine in Blackwood, but from Diggers records searched there were no births found to Edwin & Mary.

(Some information from Mary Wormald, great grand-daughter of Christopher Guppy, and Wendy Abey, granddaughter of Mary (Polly) Andrew married to James Lidgett.)

Researched by Margot Hitchcock from her forthcoming book ‘The History and Pioneers of Blackwood’, hopefully to be published soon.

For help with information on Blackwood ancestors contact Margot Hitchcock – email – margothitchcock@bigpond.com 

Information on children of Christopher Guppy is –

Mary Guppy born 7^th February 1847, married John Andrews and had 5 children – Mary, Elizabeth, Frank Nell, and Walter Andrews.  Of interest Mary Guppy’s husband John Andrews, who came from Cornwall, sailed for Australia on the ‘Donald Mackay’  in 1855 when he was 21 yrs old.  John Andrews established himself on land in Greendale in between Ballan and Blackwood. He called his property ‘Hayslope’ John Andrews ran his property as a mixed farm and sold quite a lot of produce to the miners at Blackwood.  He used to take his bacon, butter and cheese to Blackwood on horseback and it was not uncommon to see a Chinaman from the diggings in Blackwood call at ‘Hayslope’ to buy a fat pig, tie a string to its hind legs and walk the pig back to Blackwood, through the bush, some 15 kilometres distance.

Mary Guppy prior to her marriage to John Andrews lived with her parents Christopher and Elizabeth Guppy on selected land in Blackwood and as a young girl and later as a pioneer farmer’s wife Mary had to work hard with a husband and children to care for.  In addition to the routine farm chores she made most of the children’s clothes and many of the drapes and soft furnishings for the house.  Her children went to school in Greendale about 5 kilms away and walked to school every day.  Mary taught her daughters to be good cooks and housewives. (Info Mary Wormald)

Tom Guppy moved to Queensland and had a farm near Townsville.

John Guppy born 1854.  John Guppy married Ellen Jane Merrifield born 14^th July 1856 at Blackwood who died 14^th July 1950 at Nagambie hospital age 94 yrs.  She was a widow for 52 yrs.  John Guppy married Ellen Jane Merrifield 8^th July 1880 at the Church of England in Blackwood by Rev. John William Henry L’Orti.  John and Ellen Guppy lived at Blackwood where John worked as a carter with his father Christoper Guppy at Back Creek until 1885.  John and Ellen Guppy had 7 children – Henry Guppy born Blackwood 1881, Edwin Guppy born Blackwood 1883, John Guppy born Blackwood 1884, Mary Ellen Guppy born Bailleston 1886, Walter Guppy born Bailleston 1888, Elizabeth Jane Guppy born Nagambie 1889, and Ellen Pauline Guppy born 1893 at Nagambie.

Ellen Guppy born Blackwood 1858 married William Andrews and had 3 children. Jack Andrews who lived in a farm in Ballan, Bill Andrews and Tilly Andrews whose husband was a channel guard.  Ellen Guppy died of cancer.

Walter Guppy  born Blackwood 1859, married Minnie Potter and they lived in Green Hills.  Their children were – Walter (Bob) Guppy, Mary Guppy, Elizabeth Guppy (Mrs. Sweet) and Ted Guppy.

Other Inquest records were –

 Edwin Guppy, died at Blackwood 1863, Inquest Ref: 93, Suffocated Accident, occupation – Miner.  In the Digger death records his parents were named as John Guppy and Eliza Jule.  He was age 30 yrs and he was born (1833) in Shep…(not sure what this stands for)  Reg Number: 535.   ©

 (Some information from Mary Wormald, great grand-daughter of Christopher Guppy)

Researched by Margot Hitchcock from her forthcoming book ‘The History and Pioneers of Blackwood’, hopefully to be published soon.

For help with information on Blackwood ancestors contact Margot Hitchcock – email – margothitchcock@bigpond.com