Difference between revisions of "James McGill"

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[[Sarah Hanmer]]
 
[[Sarah Hanmer]]
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[[James Tarleton]]
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[[George Train]]
  
 
==Further Reading==
 
==Further Reading==

Revision as of 17:35, 31 March 2013

Background

McGill was born in 1834 at Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, and arrived in Victoria on 11 August 1853. Upon arrival he almost immediately went to Ballarat. Raffaello Carboni called him short and said “what’s up” was his motto.

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

McGill made a speech at the dinner for Consul James Tarleton in November 1854.

McGill returned to Ballarat in 1857 and married Eliza Rose Walt Carlington at Ballarat. He was living in Skipton St Ballarat in the 1880s, and died in Victoria in 1883.

McGill was a participant in the Eureka uprising and Commander of the Californian Rifle Brigade, who claimed to have attended Westpoint, although no records of corroboration have been found.[1] Mcgill was appointed second in command because of his military experience and arrived at Eureka with 200 men. He organised the Stockade sentry system. The Californian entered the Eureka Stockade on 02 December 1854, and left the Stockade to intercept Major Nickle’s men. After the battle McGill fled to Creswick wearing women’s clothes furnished by Mrs Sarah Hanmer. The story of his escape was told 50 years later in the pages of the Evening Echo:-

He was met at Springs by Mrs Hammer [sic] and another, who furnished him with women's attire, in which he travelled by coach to Melbourne on the 5th, passing Sir Robert Nickle and his troops on their way near the Moorabool. By advice of the notorious G.F. Train, then Melbourne agent for the White Star Company's line of ships, Magill, [sic] disguised afresh in man's attire, went on board the Arabian as an officer of the ship. In the meantime Train and other American citizen interposed on behalf of their compatriot, whose youth - he was then about 21 years old - they pleased in bar of grave punishment.
Train sent to Magill [sic] one day, got him ashore, took him to Sir Charles Hotham's at Toorak, and after a brief interview the Governor, who expressed surprise at Magill's [sic]youth, bowed them on hopefully. Train next informed his client that the government would not interfere to prevent his escape if he left the colony forthwith. Magill, [sic] however, still be the watchful Train's agency, was passed on the health officer's quarters at Port Phillip Heads, where he remained until the acquittal of the State prisoners proclaimed liberty to all the compromised.[2]

McGill wrote to friends at Fiery Creek regarding the whereabouts of Joseph Little, whose whereabouts were unknown after the battle. McGill was present in January 1856 for the discussions involving a monument.

Post 1854 Experiences

Obituary

Wednesday Evening - An old identity of Ballarat has just gone to his long home after a chequered and of late years an unfortunate career. He name of James McGill was as familiar as a household word to the diggers of your district in the early days of the goldfields; but it will now perhaps be remembered by very few of the inhabitants of Ballarat of the present era. He arrived from the United States of America with a considerable sum of money - it is said as much as ₤30,000 - in his possession, and shortly afterwards took up his abode at Ballarat, where he made himself actively useful in many ways in connection with his local mining interest. He became much regarded for his strict integrity and excellent social qualities, but as years rolled on he lost all his capital through unsuccessful speculation, and eventually left the district a ruined man. Like too many others of his class, he sought consolation for his misfortune in the “flowing bowl,” and his face gradually got to be as familiar in the hotels of Melbourne as it had once been in the Main road of the Golden city. Recently he had been living at Sandridge, where he died on Sunday last, his end having probably been somewhat accelerated by the habits of “nipping” which had unfortunately taken possession of him.[3]

See also

Sarah Hanmer

James Tarleton

George Train

Further Reading

Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.


References

  1. Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
  2. Evening Echo, 1904.
  3. Ballarat Courier, 13 December 1883.

External links



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Caption, Reference.