Buried in the Blackwood Cemetery – Mrs Maggie Gelletly (nee Sweet), wife of John Gelletly.
She has a marble tombstone in the Blackwood Cemetery with the inscription –
“Oh think of me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, So will you be, Prepare yourself to follow me.”
Died age 25 years. Also buried in the same grave is her brother John Sweet, who died age 13 months in 1873.
A report in the Bacchus Marsh newspaper – 24th June 1893 states – Death of Mrs. J. Gelletly, Golden Point, after childbirth of a daughter. (Mr. Gelletly, a Blacksmith). Mrs. Gelletly, eldest daughter of G.Sweet. Married three years, leaves one child, 18 months old.
So sad for a mother to die so young.- records show Maggie was named Margaret Sweet and married John Gelletly, (born in Glascow), in 1890 when she was 22 yrs old. Margaret and John Gelletly had one other child recorded as born in Blackwood – David John Sweet Gelletly born 1891 and George James McAusland Gelletly was the baby born in 1893 when she died in childbirth. So the newspaper seems to have got it wrong, as Maggie did not die after the death of a daughter, but her son born 1893 when her youngest son David was 18 months old.
Digger death records have her name as Margaret Gelletly with parents – George Sweet and Catherine Toomey, died age 25 years at Blackwood in 1893, and born in Blackwood in 1868.
In the next grave are her parents, George and Catherine Sweet.
(photos courtesy of Margot Hitchcock) ©
Then records show that John Gelletly remarried in 1896 to Jane Matilda Bourchier and they had two children born at Birregurra, John Bertram Gelletly in 1901, Constance Jean Gelletly born in 1904.
Jane Matilda Bourchier died in 1951 at Colac age 77 yrs with parents listed as Isaac William Bourchier and Jane Stuart Tods.
John Gelletly died in Birregurra, age 88 yrs in 1954, with parents John Gelletly and Agnes McCausland.
George James McAusland Gelletly married in 1917 to Agnes Janet Stobart and they had a daughter – Jean Margaret Gelletly born in 1918.©
© 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
