EDDY Family of Cornwall

Notes from David John & Lorraine Eddy: Her story as related to Lorraine Eddy, wife of her grandson David John Eddy. This story was often repeated to me from 1959 when I first met her, and when she was 87 years old in 1978 I decided to get it in writing and record as much as she chose to remember.

"I was born in North Adelaide in 1890, to my father James Henry Richards, born in Troon, Cornwall (his mother was believed to be Amelia Leatham not Lathlain, the name she gave to all her children) on June 20th 1849, who came to Australia when he was about 17 years old. My mother was Caroline Ellen Curtis, who was born at Moonta, South Australia on the copper fields. Puppa decided to come to Western Australia with Mothers Uncle and his two sons, leaving Mother, my brothers Cyril, Ernie, and baby Jim and myself to follow at a later date. When I was five years old we boarded a steamer in Adelaide to travel by sea to Albany where Puppa would meet us. We went steerage class but this proved too much for Mother as the stifling heat of the boiler room and lack of air became unbearable. Mother obtained a cabin with baby Jim, and the rest of us remained steerage. We ate our meals buffet style and would go up on deck with Mother during the day. On our arrival at Albany Puppa met us and had obtained a small cottage for us to stay in until we organized our luggage and chattels for the long trip by horse and coach to Coolgardie. Puppa had a job on the Faith mine. When we arrived our home consisted of a tent for Puppa and Mother, a tent for the children, a bow-shed for the dining and an iron stove-shed for Mother to cook in. We remained in these living conditions for quite some time. Later Puppa moved to what is now called Fimiston, but then Boulder Rock, which had been taken over by the Americans for development. Puppa was the Underground Manager and Michael Flynn was the Mine Manager. Later Puppa moved to the Perseverance Mine, and it was here that Jim died when he was 2 1/2 years old from a horrible death called summer diarrhea. Mother lost our next baby, a little girl called Ella, when she was 14 months to the same complaint. We were living in a miners hut by then. Mother became pregnant with her 6th child, and begged Puppa to allow her to return to Adelaide so that this one could survive. So to Adelaide we went, and William was born. He lived 7 days, and bled to death. We were living in a semi-detached house near Clayton Church. We stayed in Adelaide and Puppa joined us and we all moved to a house in Montrose Avenue, North Adelaide. Mother had another baby and named him William. When I was 11 years old we returned to Kalgoorlie and lived in a house in Trafalgar. Puppa had a job deciding which peggings would be purchased from private claims to company ownership, and in that capacity moved about frequently. Reverend Collick taught the mines children at the first school on the Boulder Lease. Mr Richard Hamilton was the Director of Mines then. This school later became the School of Mines. We had to take water to School from the mines condensers as the school had to buy water. We carried a water bag on a stick between the two of us, and each of us had a bottle of water in our free hand. In 1906 I became engaged to Bertram Eddy, and I was only 16 years old. During my engagement Mother had two more sons. Jack, whose proper name was John Keith, and Jim (James) who was born in 1908. Puppa and Mother decided to leave the Goldfields and we all moved to Williams where Puppa named our farm "Montrose". I married Bert here in 1910 after a 4 year engagement. "Montrose" was on the Albany Road as it was called then, at the 114 mile peg. Mother died in 1951 and Puppa in 1952. Both are buried in the Narrogin Cemetery. Bert died the same year as Puppa and I buried him in the Karrakatta Cemetery. All of our 6 children survived him. In 1931 I joined the Women's Christian Temperance League, which was the known Society of Women inaugurated by Frances Willard, in America. She was the only woman in the American Hall of Fame. The annual subscription fee in 1931 was 2/6d (about 30c) and now it is only $1 per year. I occupied most positions of office and retired as State President in the late 1960's, and am still a member at nearly 88. If Ruth or Joan can't take me to the meetings I go by taxi. I have belonged to all sorts of things over the years and some I have given you when you wanted to write about Bert. He was a tee-totalor you know, never touched a drop, nor did I either, drink causes so many problems, it is sad. FOOTNOTE: Leila lived until she was just short of 91 years of age. During her last years her eye sight was failing, but her mind was fairly sound. During the last year of her life she was virtually confined to her room, and she had someone to assist her as she dreaded going into a hospital situation. Her health deteriorated rapidly in the last week and she died in Sir Chas. Gairdner Hospital. Her daughter Ruth and granddaughter, Caroline (Hartley's daughter) were with her when she quietly slipped away.