Arthur William Appleton (1872-1924)

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Arthur William Appleton (1872 - 1924)

Spouse : Charlotte Warren (1877 - 1910)

Arthur William Appleton

Birth

Father

Mother

Marriage #1

Spouse #1

Marriage #2

Spouse #2

Siblings

Death

Age at Death

Buried

1872 in Daylesford, Victoria

John Appleton

Mary Ann Garland

1901, April 17 in Christ Church, O’Halloran Hill, South Australia

Charlotte Warren

1916 in Victoria

Louisa Amy Wood

1. Leonard John Appleton (1862 – 1878)

2. Alice Margaret Appleton (1863 – 1920)
3. Richard James Appleton (1865 – 1943)
4. Dora Sophia Appleton (1866 – 1919)

5. Francis Herbert Appleton (1869 – 1959)

6. John Alfred Appleton (1870 – 1873)

7. Harry Pemberton Appleton (1873 – 1955)

8. Violet Louisa Jane Appleton (1876 – 1965)

9. Lilly Maud Appleton (1878 – 1963)

1924, January 3 at Kyneton, Victoria

52 years

Stratford Cemetery, Stratford, Victoria

1872 – Birth – Arthur William Appleton

Arthur William Appleton, born about 1872 in Daylesford to John Appleton and Mary Ann, nee Garland.

Name:                                                   Arthur William Appleton
Birth Date:                                         Abt 1872
Birth Place:                                       Daylesford, Victoria
Registration Year:                        1872
Registration Place:                       Victoria, Australia
Father:                                                John Appleton
Mother:                                              Mary Ann Garland
Registration Number:                8383
Source Information : Ancestry.com. Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922
1872 - Birth Registration, Arthur William Appleton, Daylesford, Victoria

He was also known as “Artie”. He was a keen cricketer and excelled at bowling. He and his brothers, Harry and Richard, played for the local Stratford cricket team. Many of their scores are recorded in the local newspapers of the time.

1901 – Marriage – Arthur William Appleton

Arthur married Charlotte Warren in 1901 in South Australia.

Arthur and Charlotte moved from South Australia to Victoria to take up settlement farming in Gippsland in Narang where Charlotte and Arthur’s two children, Leonard and Doris Elizabeth, were born in the following two years.

Arthur’s father, John Appleton had already leased 342 acres of land back in 1883 in Narang and his sons, Arthur William and Richard John leased land adjoining their father’s block around the turn of the century. Arthur leased 320 acres.

The deal was with leased land under a settlement scheme that certain improvements needed to be made to the land each year over the period of the lease. Documents viewed at Victoria’s Public Record’s Office revealed Arthur’s land was heavily timbered with red gum, box, stringy bank and scrub and that Arthur cleared his total acreage of trees by either ring barking or ‘scrubbing’.

He also built a good-sized dam and fenced the entire block with fence posts and 3 strands of wire.

He did not build a house on this block of land because he lived about 2 ½ miles from the block on an adjoining block.

Occupiers of blocks next door were C.W. Hempel (to whom he eventually sold in 1920), his brothers Richard James Appleton (1865-1943) and Francis Herbert Appleton (1869-1959).

In 1897 the Valuer had appraised the valued of the land at 2d. per acre.

Unfortunately, Charlotte’s mental instability soon became obvious by 1904 and she was institutionalised. I believe it was at this time that Charlotte’s sister, Bertha, came to live in Narang with the Appleton’s and Bertha and Arthur visited Charlotte where she was housed.

Charlotte, still lingering in mental institutions where she had been admitted suffering from dementia, died in August 1910.

Arthur’s father, John Appleton, at 80 years of age was unable to continue to work his land, so transferred his block to Arthur in 1911. Arthur ran 400 sheep and 46 head of cattle on his block and described himself as a widower with 2 children at home.

1913 - Larceny

Whilst Arthur was conducting his grazier business, in 1913 he became involved in a larceny in which one of his workmen stole several articles of property from him whilst Arthur was away from home.

LARCENY CHARGE
Constable Nolan charged Alexander Norris with stealing a watch and several articles of jewellery, etc., the property of Arthur Appleton and valued at £5. Superintendent Fowler conducted the prosecution and accused was undefended.

Arthur Appleton, grazier, residing at Narrang, deposed : “I know the accused, whom I employed on 23^rd September last. He worked for me for about four weeks and slept on the premises. Only he and I were living on the premises on the 20^th October.

On that date I saw accused about 8 o’clock in the morning. I told him I was going into Stratford and would be back that night. When I left there was no-one in charge of the house. I returned home about 5.30 pm. I went into the house to look at the time and found my watch had gone. Accused had also disappeared, and with him a silver watch and chain, a gunmetal watch and chain, a rolled gold watch, a breech-loading gun and a water-bag. I value the whole of this property at about £7. The articles produced are my property.

The gun and the water-bag, also a silver chain are not among the articles recovered by the police. I did not authorise the accused to take the articles. The accused had £3 due to him for wage out of which he had had goods to the value of 23 shillings.”

Constable Nolan, stationed at Sale said ; “On 26^th October I went to Rosedale in accordance with instructions received. I met Constable Brown of Rosedale and we went to the yard of the Exchange Hotel, Rosedale where we saw accused. I asked his name and he said “Norris.”

He accompanied us to the police station. He told us he had been working for a man named Appleton at Narrang before he came to Rosedale. Constable Brown asked him if he had any jewellery on him and he handed over the articles produced. I then arrested him on a charge of larceny.

Accused made a statement admitting having taken the articles produced. He said he took the articles because Appleton would not give him any wages. I locked him up and he has been under arrest ever since. Accused, who is 23 years of age, admitted having stolen a macintosh at Morwell and 6^th June last. On that occasion he was sentenced but the sentence was suspended.”

The P.M.: “What am I to do with you Norris? I gave you a chance at Morwell and you have not taken advantage of it. I don’t like sending you to gaol. You are far more use to the community outside”. (To Mr. Appleton) “Would you take him back into your employment?

Appleton: “No, sir I could not trust him.”

The P.M. “Well, Norris, I cannot overlook this offence, which is your second one. You will be sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment in the Sale gaol.”

Costs amounting to 25/- were allowed against the accused.

Figure 9: Transcript of Newspaper Report, "Stratford Sentinel & Briagolong Express", November 7, 1913

1913 – Death – Son, Leonard Appleton

Also, in 1913, his son, Leonard, contracted diphtheria. He seemed to be recovering well, but then he was struck down with a lung infection from which he could not recover.

Name:                                                 Leonard Appleton
Birth Year:                                        abt 1902
Age:                                                     11
Death Place:                                   Stratford, Victoria
Father's name:                              Appleton Arthur Wm
Mother's name:                           Charlotte Warren
Registration Year:                      1913
Registration Place:                    Victoria
Registration Number:               7333
Source Information:Ancestry.com. Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985

DEATH NOTICE – APPLETON

We regret to record the death of Mr. Arthur Appleton’s only son, Leonard, which occurred on Friday last, at his father’s residence, Dargo Road.

Deceased, who was 11 years of age, was just recovering from an attack of diphtheria, when he contracted congestion of the lungs which proved fatal.

Great sympathy is expressed for Mr. Appleton in his sad bereavement. The remains were interred in the Nuntin cemetery on Saturday last, the burial service being conducted by Mr. A. Smith (Church of England).

Transcript of Newspaper Notice, "Stratford Sentinel & Briagolong Express", 1913

Leonard is buried in the same grave as his mother, Charlotte at Stratford Cemetery.

1916 – Re-Marriage

After Charlotte, also known as Lottie, and his son, Leonard’s deaths, Arthur eventually remarried in 1916 to Louisa Amy Wood

Name:                                                    Arth Wm Appleton
Spouse Name:                                  Louisa Amy Wood
Marriage Place:                               Victoria
Registration Place:                        Victoria
Registration Year:                         1916
Registration Number:                  7791
Source Information    Ancestry.com. Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950

1917 – Birth – Son, William John Appleton

A son was born from this union – William John Appleton in 1917.

Name:                                                              Wm Jno Appleton
Birth Registration Date:                         1917
Birth Registration Place:                       Victoria, Australia
Father:                                                             Arth Wm Appleton
Mother Maiden Name:                         Wood
Reference Number:                                11748
Source: The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Victoria, Australia, Birth Records

1917 – Enlistment

Shortly after his marriage Arthur enlisted in the A.I.F. to join the forces in WW1.

At 40 years of age, Arthur embarked from Melbourne on the HMAT A9 “Shropshire” on September 25, 1916. Also, on board was his brother-in-law, Edward Campbell, who was married to Arthur’s sister, Dora. Both men returned to Australia after their service, Arthur returning on December 14, 1918

1920 – Mental Asylum – Daughter, Doris Elizabeth Appleton

The insanity that had plagued Arthur’s first wife, Charlotte, showed itself again when his daughter by Charlotte, Doris Elizabeth Appleton was admitted to a mental asylum.

1920 - Doris Elizabeth Appleton, Register of Voluntary Boarders, Mt Ida Licensed House, Victoria

                   Date of Reception              7 . 7. 20
                               Name in Full           Doris Elizabeth Appleton
                                                Sex              Female
                                               Age              17
      Condition as to Marriage        Single
                                Occupation          Home Duties
                                       Address          Glenfern, Stockdale via Stratford
        Form of Mental Disease      Mania
                                   Causation         Hereditary
                   Physical Condition      Good
Period of Residency Agreed      1 month
                                      Remarks          Certified & Transferred to Royal Park 12. 8. 20
1920 Transcript of Register of Voluntary Boarders (1906-1928) Admissions to Mt. Ida Licensed House

1921 – Sale of Lease-Holding

By 1921, Arthur decided to hang up his grazier’s hat and sold his total land lease-holding in Narang and moved to Kyneton in Victoria.

1920 Newspaper Article, Arthur William Appleton of Stratford, Victoria

Transcript: The Stratford and Munro Cricket Clubs will sustain a great loss by the removal from the district of Mr. Arthur Appleton, who has sold his property to Mr. Hemple.

1924 - Death – Arthur William Appleton

Arthur had been badly affected by his exposure to chlorine gas during the war and as a result, he died at a relatively early age of 52 years.

No doubt the tragedies that befell him after his marriage to Charlotte Warren – her death, the death of his son, Leonard, and the institutionalisation of his daughter, Doris Elizabeth – weighed heavily on him and helped him to an early grave.

DEATH NOTICE – APPLETON

On the 3^rd January, 1924 at Kyneton hospital Arthur William Appleton, of Lockard Park, East Kyneton (late of the 22^nd Battalion) beloved husband of Amy and loving father of Doris, Billy, Lennie and Frank

Transcript of Newspaper Notice, "The Argus”, January 5, 1924

1924 - Wills & Estate, Arthur William Appleton, Victoria

Arthur Appleton left his estate of real estate £1,000 and personal property of £5,613 to his widow and children.