Family History Notes - Morgan

MORGAN, William gentleman Mt Gambier for several years before returning to England in January 1854.  'He brought a box about 3 feet long and 2 feet square …  A travelling trunk, one that would a copule of good suits of  clothes - it was a wooden box with a lock and key to it …  A document was in the box … He opened the document and said that, my dear sister, is the conveyance of my land'.  He went to live with his sister and her husband, Ann Lydia DIKE (formerly Ann Lydia BRYDON [former husband William Brydon] nee MORGAN widow) and William Henry Dike leather cutter 51 George Tce, Chelsea, Middlesex.  They married in 1841, after which William Morgan wrote occasionally, sometimes once a year and sometimes once in 18 months and sometimes longer.  William Morgan cab driver died 14/3/1857 St George's Hospital (three quarters of a mile from his home), of fractured ribs and lacerated lung, 8 days after he fell with a cab (he was driving) into building ground in Sussex St, the horse running against and breaking down temporary railings, aged 43.  Jewell the undertaker buried him in the Brompton Cemetery, for £7/7/6.  WH Brydon said 'His clothes were all that he left there, I had his body put into the coffin and brought to my place, and his clothes were brought there, and I have the bill to show what was the expense of that.'  He died intestate, his estate going to his sister Ann Lydia Dike, as heiress at law.  She died 4/7/1858 21 Blenheim St, South Chelsea, of 2 years' general debility, aged 52, leaving her two surviving daughters, Anne Emily Dike born 8/7/1842 South Chelsea and Rhoda Dike born 20/4/1845 South Chelsea, to inherit their uncle's estate (the western moiety of Section 10 Hundred of Blanche; he had taken his half share with his partner Dr Wehl on the eastern moiety.  This had happened in 1851, after which Morgan went to the Victorian diggings).  5 children had died in infancy, from her two marriages.  William, Ann Lydia (born 1806) and their 12-year old deceased sister Mary (1823) were children of William Morgan and Mary Thomas, who married Lewisham, Kent 13/5/1804.  William and Mary Morgan baptised at home by a Welsh Baptist minister, whose chapel had long disappeared by the 1870s.  Mrs Dike could not write, and had to get someone else to write to the Agent-General for Crown Colonies 5 Cannon Row, Westminster in June 1857, 'and an answer is expected in about 12 months from this date, when it will be duly sent to you'.  By late Sept 1857, GB Scott Inspector of Police at Penola had made his report on Morgan's Mt Gambier land 'a piece of very good property, and I should say worth at the least £5 per acre'.  The Agent-General wrote back to Mrs Dike in Jan 1858.  She died later that year and her husband appointed George Godwin CROUCH and James FEATHERS bankers Portland Vic to act concerning his interests in the land, on behalf of his two daughters.

6/9/1859  An Ellen ELLIOTT [Mrs William Powis Elliott] wrote to Mrs Dike, not knowing that she was dead, asking to have the lease of the land 'I live in Mt Gambier.  My husband went to the diggings about 6 years ago and has never yet returned. I want to make you aware that my husband was intimate and ? with your brother William many years at home and abroad.  I beg to inform you that he was as good as a father to my William …  When Mr Morgan left for England, he leased the land to a man of the name of Rock … to Dr Weil … Dr Weil said to me that Mr Morgan gave the deeds of his land to a landlady of his and it was no use to write to his sister respecting it now.  I am informed that Mr Morgan is dead and you administered his property.  If your brother is dead, would you be kind enough to inform me …  Mrs Dike, it is whispered about here that William Morgan is not dead, but is reported he is married and you heard on the sly it was another Morgan …

Letter 2/4/1860 to WH Dike  'I have already taken possession of the acre of ground given to my son William and for which I have Mr Morgan's writing and testified to by a witness on Mt Gambier the deed of gift is dated 12/7/1853, and another acre which I am making use of is one that he reserved for himself, the remainder of the half section is in possession of Dr Weil …  I am sorry to say that a great deal of the said land is worthless for agricultural purposes, as it is as full of sorrell as to form one vast sheet of red appearance more resembling a scarlet drugget than anything else extending nearly over half the land and is used by Dr Weil for keeping a few horses in it.  It is nearly 3 years since any of it was cultivated as it would not pay, but still the back part is clear for any purpose, but it wants fencing to part it from Dr Weil's.  However as it is adjoining where `i live, I am willing to rent it for until your daughter comes of age or longer as it best suits you …  Dr Weil is very harsh to me.  Last Christmas, he defied me to take a morsel of wood for the fire and I feel it more acute from the knowledge that poor Morgan's intention was that we were welcome to anything of the kind and I have four children 2 boys and 2 girls.  My oldest girl I have obliged to take from school and send to service.  I had sewed one acre of wheat to get me some flour when Dr Weil's horse broke the fence and destroyed nearly half my crop and would make me no recompense …  A Mr ROCKFORD a gentleman saved from the wreck of the Admella steamer has bought the adjoining section to yours … rented by Mr J DAVIS for £5 per acre all fenced in and of course in the main road …

Letter 27/9/1860 to WH DIKE.  I have seen Dr Weil about the land and he tells me that he declines to give it up; his reasons are that you will not trouble to come out, and that I am not in a position to take proceedings to get it …  The Doctor and myself have been on I may [say] the worst of terms for the last five years, trying to do me and my children all the injury that he possibly can …  I am struggling with the world and the land lying I may almost say idle, only a few head of cattle and horses and I am obliged to pay £3 a head for mine to another person …  I sent to a man and family who lived a hundred miles away to come up and he has now sold his house and everything and is now nearer.  I have let him 2 rooms for the present - I have also let him a bit of land on Billy's acre to build a house upon a lease of seven years - to open an eating house.  Now you see that if I had the paddock I would get easily enough for paddocking horses and bullocks with the rent … and improve the property for the benefit of your children when they grow up.  As the Doctor has got land all round him and is now a JP, he thinks that he can do as he likes …  The Doctor says that you hold no proper deeds and cannot claim any rent unless he chooses to pay you, so you need not be flattered by anything he may write and tell you, but I told him that your solicitor was a man who had travelled through most of the colonies and knew all particulars about the property …

1/5/1861  I am sorry you have not settled about the letting of your ground, but would strongly advise you to be sure and not to agree to sell by any means as ground is getting very dear particularly in the part of the town where your ground is situated.  Dr Wehl has just cut up his ground into small allotments such as half and quarter acres and has realised about £900 for 30 acres; it was not more use for farming as it was full of thistles and docks … but still very valuable for building purposes from its situation, it being in the main street of the town and not far from the new main line of road to McDonnell Bay … only opened about 12 months it is only 17 miles from the Mount and it is being used continually by the farmers and others to ship the wheat etc for before this bay was known and opened, the farmers had to cart their produce 90 miles …  The population is increasing wonderfully and thus building allotments is greatly wanted by tradesmen and others …  A Mr Thomas MUST … a merchant of many years' standing in Portland Bay, … is going to build a wholesale store at McDonnell Bay and another at the Mount and he bears a most excellent character for uprightness

25/7/1862  I beg to state that I went to Portland and saw Mr Crouch and I showed him your letter when he told me he would write to Dr Wehl about it, but you must bear in mind that the Doctor and a Mr WA Crouch a storekeeper on the Mount are very intimate and in fact, I think they all work into one another's hands …  It cost me from 6 to 7 pounds to go to Portland about the affair which I can ill afford to bear, and in fact they just laugh at me.  Richard TAYLOR … has already a section near the Mount and a growing family and is a very persevering steady man …  Dr Wehl several times has offered to do anything for me if I would only hold my tongue, but Morgan was too great a friend and I am determined never to let them have it all their own way.  I should dearly like to see you and your daughter march into Mt Gambier next year.  I only think I can see their countenances …

15/6/1863  I received your kind letter dated 18 Mary with the 2 newspapers and sundry presents of the Royal Pair in answer to your letter with respect to Dr Wehl or Crouch and Feathers that is their policy to rise a dispute about your site, for I now well that they are all in hand together, and on very friendly terms, they deal together, and work together, but do not be afraid while I live they shall not hurt you much, but I think there must be something wrong with your lawyer, for what Mr Crouch told me himself was that what you hold yourself in possession was not worth a snap of the fingers, therefore I should advise you was to settle as soon as you can, … with all their rougary …  The likeness I had of Emmelly Ann Dyke belonging to Morgan's sister while he was at the Diggings was a dark blue velvet frock with white lace on neck and sleeves with silver chain on the neck light eyes and hear then 9 years of age, taken on ivory …  Now dear friend, my advice to you is not to sell or break up your comfortable home at Chelsea, but for you and your daughter to come out here yourself and see and take possession of all the property.  You could then return home all within 6 months, and if you and your daughter was to come here I would make you both very welcome in an Australian cottage without expence.  Now what you have to do is to get every thing away in the shape of deeds from Crouch and Feathers and place it in the hands of somebody disinterested by means of a power of attorney then they can act for you and study your interest. [A map of the sub-divided section enclosed with Dr Wehl's home and flour mill on the corner and Ellen Elliott's home on the other end of the section.  Dr Wehl had laid out his sub-division of Clareville, with three streets] [WH Dike had renewed Dr Wehl's lease on 13/1/1863, for 10 years at £16 a year]  Between 1864-67, no letters, but the Dikes had sent a letter and parcel in 1864, which only arrived in January 1867.  Application 13182.12/1/1867 names of children - Elizabeth Elliott 21, Ellen Elliott 19, Thomas Elliott 18, William Elliott 16 'They are all good children to me, for my son Thomas is now earning £2 a week and keep, and William is getting £1 per week and keep, but I must not forget to say that it is harvest work …'  Dr Wehl surrendered his lease in 1870.

23/11/1871  The Dikes appointed William Edward BURTON and Henry a Court BLOXAM solicitors Mt Gambier, as their local attorneys to manage the property.  On 5/9/1873, the Dike sisters, now of White Lion St, 44Chelsea, Middlesex, sold the 40-acre half section to William James BROWNE Esquire formerly of Moorak, but now of parts beyond the sea for £800.  Henry Strong PRICE acted for WJ Browne in managing the affairs of this block of land.

Application 13274.44