Elizabeth Emily Milner CROMPTON: her birth

Source: Victoria Pioneer Index CB 454262
  CROMPTON, Elizabeth Milner
  Birth                      Sex:    Female
  Father:     Caleb          Mother: Lombe Frances Louisa
  Event Date: 30 Jun 1847
  Reg Year:   1847           Reg State: Tasmania  Ref Number: 842

Her marriage

Elizabeth Emily Milner CROMPTON married:

  Source: 1259 Victoria Pioneer Index
  William Henry Cox in Tasmania in 1867.
  Occupation servant

Spouse:          Elizabeth Emily Milner CROMPTON 
Birth Date:      30 Jun 1847
Birth Place:     Launceston, Tas[mania]
Death Date:      1926
Death Place:     Bayswater, Vic[toria].
Occupation:      Servant
Marriage Date:   4 Apr 1867
Marriage Place:  Miners Rest Church, Vic[toria]

1821info3a, sheet 2

William Henry COX was born in Tavistock, Devon in the first quarter of 1842 (GRO ref: Tavistock  9 49) He was christened on 10 April 1842 at the Brook Street Independent Chapel. His father was John COX, ¹ born 1809. John's brother Francis COX was the father of Elizabeth COX, who was the wife of Charles Walter CROMPTON, Caleb's only son. John Cox, still a miner, was buried at Dowling Forest Cemetery on 06 March 1863.

... and their children

Charles Francis Cox           Elizabeth Emily Cox        Unnamed Male Cox 
John Arthur Cox               Thomas Frank Cox           Caroline Louisa Cox               
Annie Florence Cox            William Henry Cox
Also: Francis Cox still born and buried Dowling Forest Cemetery 18 May 1875

Their possible life at Mount Jeffcott (aka Jeffcote Jeffcot)

Whilst most towns declined in the recession of 1861 the population of Ballarat, between the years of 1871 and 1901, remained stable at 40 000 people. Its manufacturing, commercial and service industries grew with the garden city development and in the hope of another bonanza. However the structure of the population around Ballarat changed with established families moving away during the seventies and eighties taking advantage of land grants in the St Arnaud area and later Mt Jeffcott.

Jeffcott, in the shire of Donald, is to be found at latitude 36° 21' 0S longitude 143° 7' 60E 30km north, north west of St Arnaud, Victoria and 235 km northwest of Melbourne. According to Bailliere's Gazetteer of Victoria, 1865, 'Mount Jeffcott is a postal hamlet near lake Buloke or Banyeyong. The post office was at the Banyeyong W. station. The country is flat and pastoral only, consisting of grassy plains intersected by belts of timber, chiefly oak. St. Arnaud lies 28 miles south. There are two hotels three miles to the south: the Royal and the Mount Jeffcott. The settlement takes its name from the nearby volcanic hill called Mount Jeffcott.' William Henry, in deciding to take advantage of The Grant Land Act of 1869 - so named after the Minister, James McPherson Grant, would have followed the formal procedures which:

Above: A map showing the location of Mount Jeffcott

'imposed strict conditions in an attempt to ensure that only bona-fide selectors were recommended. Each applicant, after selecting not more than 320 acres, was required to appear before a Local Land Board for assessment. When a ‘License to Occupy’ was approved, the selector was required to live on the allotment, to fence it, and within the first three years to cultivate at least one acre in ten. He was required to pay an annual rental of two shillings per acre, which, after three years entitled him to a lease, and at the end of a ten year period, or full payment of £1 an acre, to the issue of a Crown Grant.

1821info3a, sheet 3

Records show that many families toiled under harsh and primitive conditions in an effort to pay their rents so that they could some day own their allotments. Many failed to reach their objective, as inexperience, seasonal conditions, and other hardships, which included the rabbit menace, proved to be too great. Records also show that other selectors overcame the difficulties, and became the pioneer families of the Donald district.

This Act was gazetted on 1st February 1870, and from this date began the trickle of selectors, which grew to a flood. … The "St Arnaud Mercury" of the 1870's and the early 1880's reported the Local Land Board hearings, at which each applicant had to appear. These were held in St Arnaud. From 1874, the "Victorian Government Gazette" promulgated the issue of 'Licenses to Occupy',…

Most of the parish of Jeffcott was selected during 1873 and 1874 with the north- western section being the last to be taken up. Because of the dense tree cover and the light soil some allotments in this area were not selected until the early 1880s. One of these ' thickly timbered' blocks was more precisely described by a surveyor as being "densely scrubby with box, gum/oak (buloke), pine, mallee, and dogwood". It is understandable why the selectors looked elsewhere for more suitable land. [William henrys' land bordered these sections.]

In 1875, it was realised that a selection had been made on the rising ground of Mount Jeffcott. This was not favoured by the locals, who prepared a petition requesting that a reserve be established "in and around Mount Jeffcott"…. [and included] a plea not to " allow anyone to select any nearer than 20 chains to the Mount all round." The request was noted, and a reserve was granted.

Many of the settlers who took up land in the Jeffcott parish came from land near Ballarat, particularly from Mount Bolton and The Springs (Waubra) area. A lesser number came from the Western District near Warrnambool.

In many cases, the original selectors abandoned their allotments or were forced to forfeit their leases prior to gaining a freehold title. Where this has occurred, an endeavour has been made to add the names of any other settlers who gained the lease. from the original selection date of each allotment until the issue date of a Crown Grant (freehold title), often in excess of twenty years.

COX, Wm. H. recommended for licence of allotment 103, 220 acres on August 9, 
1876. Received licence February 1 1877. Block re-licenced in 1880 and was transferred to 
Elizabeth Milner Forsyth. Title to T Clarke 1899

Source: Falla RP, Selectors in the Parish of Jeffcott, Publication No.25 of the History and Natural History Group of MLA, Donald, 1992

Each settler, it is recorded, had to clear the land of its Mallee (a woody plants that grow with multiple stems from underground lignotubers) and other scrub, dig over the land, and erect from scratch farm sheds and dwellings. According to one account of the times, the first houses were 'mostly built of pine slabs and had roofs of sheets of bark taken from big box trees. The floors were of mud beaten flat. Later, when railways were not so distant the bark was discarded, iron roofs put on and rain tanks were installed' (Power and Power, 1983: 86). Right: Water colour of an early settlement in or around Jeffcott

1821info3a, sheet 4

Right: Lithograph of more substantial early settlement in or around Jeffcott

THE PIONEERING LIFE OF JAMES LANDER, though six years before William Henry, may give an indication to his life experiences in the Mount Jeffcott area of 1880. William Henry's will describes several similarities. James Lander's farm was across Pinks Road from William Henry's.

In 1867 I got married I applied for a miners' right and afterwards purchased the piece of land that I built my cottage on in Miners' Rest. I lived there until our third child was born. I had acquired a pair of draught horses and bought a reaper and mower. I had bought my T Robinson machine, from Grey & Osburn, for £42. The first year it made £23.

... By that time Government lands were thrown open for selection and my wife and I considered it would be a good thing if we tried to get on land of our own. So I left a young fellow to carry on odd jobs under my wife's management and another chap who was desirous of going up to Corack shearing and myself, set about making preparations to go and select land while in the Donald district. At that time the chief places in Donald were the Mount Jeffcott Hotel, Myers' general store and Cobb & Co Hotel and stable, and who should I meet at Myers but an old friend Mr. Sherwood from Ballarat. He had come up a while before and selected land at Jeffcott. So he took me along and I selected a 220 acre block at Jeffcott North. That being the furtherest north block for selection in the pine forest at that time. The forest was infested with kangaroos, dingos and over-run by squatters' sheep. That being attended to, we went on to Gray's sheep station at Corack and got a job of shearing, and turned our poor old shaggy nags out on what is now known as Lake Bulloke common, to graze. It was part of Gray's run at that time.

We were there seven weeks and when our horses were mustered to return, they were rolling fat and shining. I went back by St. Arnaud and put in an application for block of land, and on south to Ararat to Youngs' station, shore there and also at another small place, and returned home in time to pay my survey fees, £8/8/- which had to be paid before the land was surveyed. It was then harvest time and as soon as harvest was over I had to go up to St. Arnaud to attend the land board in 1874. Shortly after I was called on to pay the half years rent and received a permit to go on the land. I then set off up to the block with a wagon load of shingles etc. from Devils Creek Bungaree for the new home. Mr. Downie the man next to my block, gave me permission to camp beside his dam and keep the wild cattle etc. away, while I put down a 50yd dam for myself, by pick and shovel. I then returned home, and sold my home for very little and prepared to go north with my wife and three children.

Above: This sketch "Mount Jeffcott, near St. Arnaud" appeared in The Australian News for Home Readers, 20 May 1867. From the La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria

1821info3a, sheet 5

We travelled in the wagon with lot of household things and one bag of flour and very little capital, bringing the reaper and mower, a plough and two cows along with us. We found our new dam full of water, and erected a temporary home. I then set to work to clear some land and got in 20 acres of wheat the first year and after saving my seed for the next year and a bit of hay, had 20 bags to cart to Ballarat for sale. I got 4/- per bushel for it, and got a load of potatoes to sell on my way home. I took another load of wheat for a man next block, as all he could get at Donald was 2/6 per bushel.

So he gave me £5 to cart 20 bags to Ballarat. It took a week to travel each way. I put that money into potatoes, sold most of them at a profit and saved some for the family. In the spring I planted one bag of potatoes as an experiment and had a good return. I took new potatoes to St. Arnaud before Xmas and sold them for 3d. per lb. and cleared £5 for them. Then we got early rain in February and self sown potatoes came up on the same patch and I dug nine bags this time and sold them to Mr. Myson in Donald for 9/- per bag.

Each year I had to get more land cleared and fenced, and we had to build chock and log fences six feet high to keep the kangaroos out as they were very numerous and destructive to the crops.

Now as my family were getting on to school age, we had to see about getting a school, and secured a private room in Mr. Sherwood's house for a school room. And after a time our first state school was erected on the Donald-Charlton road. In 1884 we got our mail brought from Donald by loose bag to Mr. Clancy's place and looked forward every week to getting the Donald Times, published by Mr. Morgan to see what was the latest doings of the Kelly gang.
Source: Lander family tree web page

Above: An aerial photograph showing John Henry COX's land allocation at Jeffcott. The white square is the approximate position of the original COX homestead.

1821info3a, sheet 6

Above Map showing the original selectors of the Parish of Mount Jeffcott 1869 Highlighted: the lands of WH COX, Thomas Forsythe and James Lander Source: Fella RP

1821info3a, sheet 7

The death of William Henry COX

Typhoid fever, a disease thought to have come from Chinatown, which was considered dirty, killed many children at St. Arnaud North area in the 1880s. This may have caused the kidney condition which caused William Henry's death on 14 August 1842, at the age of 49 in Ballarat Hospital (Vic BMD 7691/1882). He was buried in Dowling Forest Cemetery. Right: William Henry Cox c.1880, around the time of his death Source: Ian Stephens

William Henry left a will. The executors were named as the Trustees, Executors and Agency Company. His estate was valued at 638 pounds (equivalent to A$1,417,000 in 2021) and was left entirely to his wife, Elizabeth. The inventory lists his possessions at the time of his death as follows:

• 220 acres of land in the parish of Jeffcott, County of Kara Kara being allotment 103. The value of the land (including improvement valued at 150 pounds) was 530 pounds;
• a bay horse, valued at 15 pounds;
• a bay mare, valued at 15 pounds;
• two cows, value 9 pounds;
• an old dray, value 6 pounds;
• an old spring cart, value 3 pounds;
• a double furrow plough, value 15 pounds;
• a set of wooden harrows, value 2 pounds;
• a share in a stripper, value 25 pounds;
• a chaff cutter, value 5 pounds;
• a small quantity of household furniture, value 8 pounds.

totalling £105 (equivalent to A$233,200 in 2021)

William's debts at the time of his death were:

• 24 pounds owed to G. Munro for the double furrow plough;
• 12 pound 14 shillings owed to M. Egan;
• 1 pound 6 shillings owed to Brown (the chemist);
• and a very large number of small debts amounting to 62 pounds.

The probate document, dated May 1884, suggests that William Henry and Elizabeth had recently purchased their property in the parish of Jeffcott County of Kara Kara under the 'New Act' of 1 December 1880. In the two years, up to his death in August 1882, improvements were to the value of £150; 28% of the total value. This either indicates a great deal of hard work or land value inflation.

1821info3a, sheet 8

The inventory of chattels suggests that the arable farm was well provisioned with machinery and horse power, plus two milk cows. He had a share in a stripper, by far the most expensive piece of equipment, for perhaps season use. He still owed money for his last purchase - his double furrow plough.

The probate records a 'small quantity of Household furniture' which suggests that investments had been made in the farm rather than the house. The sum of £1-6-0 was owing the Brown's chemist, suggesting that medication was required for William Henry's final illness.

His brother, Francis witnessed the will, which past £545-14-0 to Elizabeth. This is approximately equivalent to £440,700, based on a relative income conversion of UK pound Stirling at 2018 conversion rates. After his death the land at Mount Jeffcott transferred to Elizabeth Milner COX. Right: The Dowling Forest Cemetery register shows that William Henry was brought from Ballarat for burial in a common grave at 3 o'clock PM, on 16 August 1882. It appears to be his third internment: perhaps at his Mt Jeffcott farm, then Ballarat and finally with his parents in Dowling Forest. His name was added to the headstone of his mother and father in what appears to be a family grave. He was a Wesleyan buried in grave 13B, of the Wesleyan Section by a Presbyterian minister. William Henry died of nephria [sic], likely to be a disease of the kidney. Click on the image to open a full image of 28Kb.

Dowling Forest Cemetery Official Burial Book (the cemetery for Miners Rest) records other members of the Cox family:

1821info3a, sheet 9

The death of Mary Anne COX, John Henry's mother

Right: Mary Ann died of senile decay. She survived her husband and son by many years. The Dowling Forest Cemetery register shows that she was resident in Ballarat and buried in a common grave at 4 o'clock PM on 30 October 1901. Her son, Francis Cox, signed the burial register. Although a Wesleyan she was buried in grave 1 of Section B. There is no indication as to the denomination of the officiating minister. Click on the image to open a full image of 34Kb.

Above: The Cox family grave, Dowling Forest Cemetery. Photos: Dr James Thomas CROMPTON, January 2005		Above: The Cox family headstone, Dowling Forest Cemetery January 2005

1821info3a, sheet 10

Elizabeth Milner COX in later life and in death

By 19 May 1884, Elizabeth was living in Melbourne. Right: Elizabeth Milner COX Source: Ian Stephens

Left: Elizabeth Milner COX camping. The age of the photograph can be judged by the car.

1821info3a, sheet 11

Right: Elizabeth Emile Milner Cox in 1897 taken in Ballarat

The Electoral Rolls show that Elizabeth Milner CROMPTON/COX/FORSYTH lived in Bayswater from 1914 to 1925.

• 1914 1833 Forsyth, Elizabeth Milner, Bayswater, home duties - Ferntree Gully, a sub district of Flinders

She died on 17 September 1926 is buried at Box Hill, Victoria (to the east of Melbourne).

Elizabeth Milner COX was buried in Box Hill Cemetery, Victoria. Right: The headstone for Elizabeth Milner COX and Caroline Louisa COX

1821info3a, sheet 12

Other Cox's interned in Dowling Forest Cemetery

Bailliere's 1868 and 1869 post office directory lists a

J & W Cox, farmers, Miner's R.

Melbourne attracted the younger people in the booms of the eighties and it is possible that this accounts for the spreading of the Cox clan to new areas, particularly those of Melbourne and its new suburb of South Melbourne.

End notes:

1. John COX married Mary Anne WARREN, who was born in Tavistock in 1817. John COX, also a miner in Devon, and Mary WARREN had a daughter Mary Jane COX, who married George BLACKMAN. This means that John and Charlotte BLACKMAN were in-laws to John COX and Mary COX née WARREN. (Source: Heather Schoffelen) Mary Anne COX died on 29 October 1901 at 33 Creswick Road, Ballarat and was buried the next day at Dowling Forest Cemetery.

This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass		Version B18 Updated 22 April 2023