Meeting Notes September 2

 Meeting Notes September 2

There was a good turn out to our September meeting, Iris brought some home made cookies which went down well. Peter reported back on the York Players but unfortunately there was not much to find. There was a book written in the 1930's but nothing to note on Google. Peter has found some images and will post them shortly but it looks like we will have to do some more digging, the modern term is 'data mining !!.'
We had quite a few topics that we discussed. We talked about the miners who had worked abroad prospecting for gold, (see John's letter further down).

Link to John's article

We also talked about the Fenwicks and wondered if Alderman Fenwick was any relation to the modern Fenwicks. Dave replied to this and a query on what was on the site of the Civic Centre before it was built.

'With regard to the site where the Civic Centre now is this was housing and an eye hospital.'

'Alderman Fenwick is no relation to Fenwicks of Newcastle.'

I do have further information about both these subjects and will bring it to the next meeting I can attend.

 

David

There was a story which is posted in the blog about Lady Margaret Fenwick (Meg of the Moneybags) from a book written By Joan Morgan called Tales of Northumberland. You can get it from the City Library on loan or buy through Amazon for £2.70. If you are doing the search remember to type in Joan Morgan as you will get Robson Green's rather limp DVD from the BBC TV show Tales from Northumberland. Further down the blog is an extract of Megs story follow the link below.

 Megs Storey


It came out in our discussion that you can access Ancestry UK on the City Library computers. Joan has done a lot of research using this and with a little persuasion could give us a little demo at the library. Other areas we discussed for research was Find My Past, The Discovery Museum and Newcastle Historical Society any help would be welcome.

We mentioned a possible trip out to Woodhorn Colliery  Museum. There are buses from Newcastle which take you to Ashington and you can then get a taxi from the bus station to the museum. It takes around 15 minutes to get there and the cost is around £5 so for four people round trip from Ashington to the museum and back should be around £2.50 each. or we could do a car share. The staff would give us a tour but they need to be informed in advance of us coming. Let us know how you feel.

 Link to Woodhorn Museum

 It was suggested we could do our own self programming 10 week course with a hired tutor. Eric mentioned that Freda Thompson was running a history course at Brunswick  for £40, it might be possible to hire the chapel and get our own tutor. Caroline has still not come back with any information on setting up a self financing course through Adult learning. The cost of hiring one of the rooms in the Chapel is as follows:

 Upstairs room £32 for 3 hours either 9-12pm or 1-4pm
(upstairs room has lift access and tea and coffee facilities)
Downstairs room £26 for 3 hours either 9-12 or 1-4
 (no tea and coffee facilities)
If we were to do a 10 week course self programming without a tutor the cheapest it would cost us would be £260 which for 10 people attending would cost £2.60 each per week.

Rooms Available for Hire


Its worth giving it a thought, we all might be happy with just the monthly meeting, let us know.

175 years of medical education in Newcastle

Val has obtained an interesting article/walk which is called 1834-2009 A Stroll Through Time, it celebrates 175 years of medical education in Newcastle. You can download a readable version of this from the link below:

A Stroll through Time

If you have any problems I can e-mail you a copy.

Is is not remarkable how when we come together we can learn so much more. If you have anything to share such as research you have done or any past research you have done please pass it on for us to see on the blog the e-mail address is:

nlhgroup1@gmail.com

Next Meeting 

There are a few of us who are on courses on Thursday, Wednesday and Tuesday through September to December and a few of us will not be able to make the meetings but for most people the first Wednesday of the month seems to be available so our next meeting will be October 7.

David will not be able to attend the next meeting on 7th October.  He is  doing a Highlights Walk from Central Arcade at 10.30 a.m. and it would lasts about 90 minutes ending on the Quayside. If you are interested in this walk instead of the meeting let me know and I will inform David. I know there may be a few of us who could not do this walk due to its duration but I will still be at the Hancock to meet up with those of you who just want a coffee and chat.

Sign up

Remember you can sign up for updates to the blog. The boxes like the ones below (example only) are on the right hand side of the Blog page; by typing your e-mail address in the box under Follow by E-mail and then click the Submit button, this send you a link to the blog as soon as it gets updated.

Mr. F.A. Rochfort of Woodlark Island

John let us have access to a letter belonging to one of his relatives which relates to mining and prospecting in Kulumadau, Woodlark Island Papua.

History

The island has a long history of gold mining dating back to the late 1800’s with records showing an estimated pre World War II gold production, including alluvial sources, of about 220,000 ounces of gold.  The island has been extensively logged for ebony which has always been an important cash economy to the communities on Woodlark Island since the 1970s.  A significant part of the Project has been logged for ebony in the past, however, some ebony trees are still present.
Modern gold exploration was initiated on Woodlark Island in 1962 with the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) undertaking surface geochemistry, limited geophysics and diamond drilling during 1962 and 1963 at Kulumadau.  Woodlark Island, has been subject to 40 years of mostly continuous modern exploration without sufficient Resources being established to warrant investment in a mining operation.
Exploration in the past concentrated around the old historical mining centres of Kulumadau, Busai and Boniavat, with the early exploration strategy being heavily dependent upon surface geochemistry, geophysics and geological mapping.

History and maps taken from:

 kulagold.com.au

Photo Taken from:

Geology of Woodlark Island 


Johns Relatives Letter transcribed from an original Supplied by John

TERRITORY OF PAPUA.

30/1932.                                                                                               Assistant Resident Magistrate’s Office,

Kulumadau, Woodlark Island,

Papua.

18^th June, 1932.

I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 15^th February last, asking for particulars of the death of your brother, Mr. F.A Rochfort.

Mr. F.A Rochfort died on 26th October 1931, at his home at Kulumadau, Woodlark Island. When I first met him in November 1927, he use a crutch ta assist him when walking. He was of the opinion that the condition of his leg (which was growing smaller) was due to the many attacks of fever he had suffered from during his residence in this country. He was however, able to get about and supervise the work of his three native labourers. The leg gradually became worse and he spoke of the other being affected. For about a year before his death it was his custom to he carried in a chair to and from his workings. About a month before his death he ceased visiting his workings, and was confined to his house. This was as much due to general weakness as to his leg.

On 17th October 1931, he told me that pains in his ears caused him sleeplessness. I was able to remedy, this, but it was apparent that he was in low health, as he had difficulty in breathing and would lapse into a state of coma at times. He gradually grew worse and passed away, without pain, at 2 pm, on 26th October. He was buried in the Kulumadau Cemetery on 27th October. There were 7 white residents (all that were in the vicinity at the time) present and 7 wreaths were sent. The Burial Service was read by myself as there is no Clergyman on the Island.

Mr Rochfort had a very good friend in Mrs. 0’Dell of Kulumadau who sent him little delicacies to try and temp him to eat and keep up his strength. The Hon. J.G. Nelsson was another who often visited, and was of help to Mr Rochfort in many ways. Mrs Rogerson and myself did what we could and I have spent many pleasant hours listening to your brothers stories of his life in England, Australia and Papua. Mr. Rochfort was an enthusiastic grower of flowers, and sent two bunches a week to Mrs. Rogerson during the 4 years we knew him an action that we appreciated very much and now miss greatly. Your bothers death was regretted by all on the Island, including the natives with whom he had come in contact with during his residence here. His pride was that, in 34 years, he had never had a complaint made against him by a native labourer. I enclose a cutting from a Sidney Magazine that will be of interest to you.

So far as the estate is concerned, I am afraid that nothing much if anything, can be expected from it.  Mr Rochfort had only been working in a small way, and the claim he was working was evidently not a good one. The receipts from it paid his labourers wages and his own wants were satisfied by a pension of £2, per week from the Local Government. I am trying to get a local native to clean up the workings. If we get anything, some will be required to pay a small balance owing to accounts. If there should be a balance, doubless you will be communicated with by the Public Curator, Port Moresby, who is in charge of the estate, but it would be best to take it that there will be nothing.

I trust that the particulars given will be of help to you, if you require anything further, do not hesitate to write.

Yours Faithfully,

H.W. Rogerson

Acting A.R.M

SYDNEY MAGAZINE

Late Mr.F.A. Rochfort,

of Woodlark Island, Papau

-------------------------------------------------------

 Another old pioneer, explorer and gold-digger passed away an October 26th, F.A. Rochford  aged 79, still working his gold claim on Woodlark Island right to the end . He arrived with the first band of gold-diggers in Papua, 35 years ago. Mr. F.A. Rochfort belonged to an old Northumbrian family. He and his brother came to Australia when little more than boys a capital of £125,000 stg., which they invested in station property. Owing to the seven years drought they lost all their capital.

Frank Rochfort was in every sense of the word a highly cultured British gentleman of a bygone age, holding the highest principals, who scorned a lie and never broke his word. Too independent to accept a position an wages or salary, and always following up the gold fields, he worked by himself and for himself. He was a fine type of the courageous, independent band of explorers and settlers that are now alas, almost extinct.

Vale Frank Rochfort.

 

An interesting member of the Fenwicks

While talking about the Fenwicks of Northumberland at our last meeting, I came across a story by Joan Morgan from a little book called Tales of Old Northumberland which tells a tale of Meg Selby who marries Sir William Fenwick to become Lady Margaret Fenwick (1594). She is better know as Meg of the Moneybags, more information can be found here:

Meg of the Moneybags