Charles Holland EMERY
Born 4 November 1882 [412] in Aston, Warwickshire, England [20] [21]
Son of metal manufacturer Samuel Charles EMERY and Kate GREAYER [20] [21]
He was one of four children with elder sisters Alice and Ruby and a younger sister Muriel [20]
Resided with his parents and sisters at Hermon House on Lichfield Road in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England [20]
Married (1) Harriet Beatrice HOMER in 1905 in Warwickshire, England [21]
They had two children - a son Charles Neville born in 1906 and a daughter Beatrice Miriam born in 1909 [P405]
His marriage broke down and when partway through a messy divorce from his wife he fled England with their son [P405]
Departed London, England with his young son on the steamship Orsova on 25 June 1909 [203]
After a journey of just over a month they arrived on the Orsova in Fremantle, Western Australia on 29 July 1909 [39: 30-Jul-1909]
Farmer in Coomberdale, Western Australia in 1909 [19]
Farmer in Nugadong South, Western Australia in 1910 [50]
Farmer in Marchagee, Western Australia 1910-1912 [19] [44]
In late 1909 or early 1910 his father purchased two farms in Marchagee, Western Australia [39: 23-Nov-1909, 14-Jul-1910] [120: 4-Dec-1909]
The farms were the Marchagee Estate and the Mamboobie Estate and had both belonged to the late Henry C. ARMSTRONG [39]
They'd been sold at auction on 25 November 1909 with a report on the auction stating they'd been sold to John P. DOSCAS [39] [120]
His father may have purchased the farms off or through DOSCAS, or the sale to DOSCAS may have fallen through [39]
At the auction the 4,727 acre Marchagee Estate Farm sold for £2,900 and the 3,352 acre Mamboobie Estate Farm for £2,475 [120]
His father sold the Mamboobie Estate in August 1910 so they could concentrate their energies on the Marchagee Estate Farm[39]
Farmer & Grazier of the 4,727 acre Marchagee Estate Farm in Marchagee, Western Australia 1910-1912 [19] [44]
The farm consisted of Victoria Locations 3121, 3122, 3123, 3124, 3125, 3127, 3128, 3129, 3734, 3735, 3186 and 3187 [44]
The 4,727 acres were comprised within ten Conditional Purchase leases variously rated in the names of himself and his parents [44]
When he went onto the farm it was fenced into ten paddocks and about 600 of its acres had been cleared [81: 7-Nov-1909]
He was the Postal Vote Officer for Marchagee for the WA Legislative Council elections held on 13 May 1910 [9: 22-Apr-1910]
In 1910 and 1911, in addition to the 4,727 acres, he also had pastoral leases in Marchagee totalling 27,000 acres [44] [81: 7-Nov-1909]
Offered a £2 reward in November 1910 for the return of two lost medium draught brown and black gelding horses [39: 17 & 18-Nov-1910]
In January 1911 he called for tenders for the clearing of 500 acres of Salmon Gum and York Gum country on the farm [39: 4-Jan-1911]
The 500 acres had been rung (ringbarked) for three years and he advertised he'd provide supplies to contractors at Perth prices [39]
Through the firm Elder Shenton & Co Ltd he privately sold 302 sheep in May 1911 [120: 27-May-1911] [39: 30-May-1911]
The farm was a "magnificent improved farming property" with "convenient homestead... outbuildings and sheds" [81: 23-Jun-1912]
In late 1911 he returned to England where he remained for five months before returning to Western Australia [203] [204]
Departed from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on the steamship Otranto and arrived in London, England on 7 January 1911 [204]
Spent at least some of the five months with his parents at Hermon House on Lichfield Road in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire [20]
Departed from Liverpool, England on the steamship Afric on 1 June 1911 bound for Albany, Western Australia [203]
Also on board the same voyage of the Afric were John, Thomas and Mrs Rachel A. LAWSON later of Winchester [203]
On the Afric he imported to Western Australia six valuable horses "from some of the best blood in England" [39: 12-Jul-1911, 2-Aug-1911]
The horses comprised a four year old Draught Shire stallion named Shipton Spark, yearling Hackney colt Marchagee Prince, [39] [120]
six year old Draught Shire mare named Lancelyn Gipsy, five year old Draught Shire mare named Marchagee Ruby, [39] [120]
two year old Draught Shire mare Marchagee Princess, and four year old Hackney mare named Shinfield Elegance [39] [120: 12-Aug-1911]
Lancelyn Gipsy was "a big massive mare with the action of a pony and the possessor of good legs and feet" [39: 2-Aug-1911]
Shinfield Elegance "possessed plenty of style, is a nice mover, has good bone and would take beating in any show ring" [39: 2-Aug-1911]
Shinfield Elegance was the progeny of horses named Copper Prince and Wood Elegance [39: 7-Aug-1912]
The horses were offered for sale at both the Annual Horse Parade and the Royal Show in Perth in 1911 [81: 16, 23 & 30-Jul-1911, 8-Oct-1911]
By late July 1911 his horses were quartered at the Claremont Show Grounds in Perth and could be inspected at any time [39: 26-Jul-1911]
His imported horses took part in the Royal Agricultural Society's Annual Horse Parade in Perth in August 1911 [120: 5 & 12-Aug-1911]
At the Horse Parade won both 1st and 2nd for Draught mare or filly with Rancelyn Gipsy and Marchagee Princess [81: 6-Aug-1911]
Also won 1st for Hackney mare or filly with Shinfield Elegance and 2nd for Hackney stallion or colt with Marchagee Prince [81] [120]
The quality of his horses was emphasised by the fact that they weren't even at their best having not long arrived in WA [39: 2-Aug-1911]
A photograph of his horse Lanclelyn Gipsy was featured in The Sunday Times newspaper on 6 August 1911 [81: 6-Aug-1911]
The Western Mail newspaper of 12 August 1911 included four photographs showing all six of his imported horses [120: 12-Aug-1911]
The photographs of his horses had been one of the advertised features for that edition of The Western Mail newspaper [39: 11-Aug-1911]
Exhibited his imported horses at the Northam Agricultural Society's Annual Show in Northam on 26 September 1911 [39: 27-Sep-1911]
His horse Shipton Spark won 1st prize for Draught Shire stallion and Marchagee Princess won 2nd prize for Draught mare [39]
Together his horses Lancelyn Gipsy and Marchagee Ruby won 1st prize for Two Horse Team and were "a feature of the show" [39]
The judges remarked that the horses "were hardly likely to improve the horses of the State to the extent that might be expected" [39]
The remarks were made hoping not to discourage "men who are willing to invest money in the importation of English stock" [39]
Importing the horses may have been financially unsound and cost more money than it returned, if the remarks were accurate [39]
Two of the horses still weren't "perfectly sound" which was attributed to the voyage to WA some four months earlier [39]
In October 1911 he won two 1st prizes and one 2nd prize in the Horse section of the Royal Show in Perth [39: 11-Oct-1911] [81: 15-Oct-1911]
Won 1st for Hackney stallion, 1st for Hackney mare with Shinfield Elegance, and 2nd for Shire mare with Marchagee Ruby [81]
He "secured champion honours" in the horse section at the Moora Agricultural Society's Annual Show in Moora in 1911 [120: 14-Oct-1911]
Won 1st prize for Three Year Old Draught Filly in the horse section of the Wagin Agricultural Show in Wagin in 1911 [120: 4-Nov-1911]
New photographs of his Marchagee Ruby and Marchagee Princess appeared in The Western Mail on 4 November 1911 [120: 4-Nov-1911]
He returned to England by steamship in early 1912 and was followed six months later by his five year old son [204]
He departed from Albany, Western Australia on the steamshipSuevic and arrived in London, England on 12 March 1912 [204]
His father arranged for the farm in Marchagee to be auctioned on a walk-in walk-out basis on 19 June 1912 [39: 17-Jun-1912] [81: 23-Jun-1912]
At the time the cleared acreage of the farm had increased to 800 acres with 600 acres planted in crop [81: 23-Jun-1912]
The farm didn't sell and his father instead made arrangements for its plant, livestock and sundries to be auctioned [39: 4, 8 & 11-Jul-1912]
The auction took place with no reserve prices on 11 July 1912 with the entirety of the items being first offered in one lot [39]
Livestock up for sale was the farm's riding horses, plough horses, pigs, poultry and turkeys [39: 11-Jul-1912]
The farming plant for sale included ploughs, harrows, drill, dray, harness, cart, buckboard and sundries [39: 11-Jul-1912]
Although he was in England he was issued with a receiving order of bankruptcy in Western Australia on 22 August 1912 [39: 31-Aug-1912]
His son departed from Fremantle, Western Australia on the steamship Orama and arrived in Plymouth, England in October 1912 [204]
By mid 1913 the farmland in Marchagee was only in the names of his parents and rates were sent care of J. H. NOBLE in Perth [44]
His uncle Arnold A. EMERY and cousin Percy R. EMERY were in Marchagee in 1918 and 1919, presumably running the farm [50]
He secured employment as a Clerk at his father's metal works on Aston Road in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England [306: 9-Oct-1914]
He initially resided his parents at Hermon House on Lichfield Road in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England [306: 9-Oct-1914]
By October 1914 he was lodging at 76 Minstead Road in Garvelly Hill, Warwickshire, England [306: 9-Oct-1914]
His former wife presented a bankruptcy petition against him via the County Court of Justice on 5 October 1914 [306: 9-Oct-1914, 15-Mar-1921]
The petition was sent care of his father, published in The London Gazette and in The Birmingham Daily Post newspaper [306]
He had to appear before the County Court of Justice in Birmingham at 12.30 p.m. on 4 November 1914 [306]
A receiving order was made against him but it was rescinded on 11 November 1914 when an order of adjudication was made [306]
The adjudication order was annulled on 1 March 1921 as it appeared that all debts, costs, charges and expenses had been paid [306]
Married (2) Lily MATTHEWS in 1931 in Sussex, England [P405]
By his second wife he had a further four children - Miranda Greayer, Derek Holland, Roy Power and Vivian Charles [P405]
None of the children from his second marriage had knowledge of his daughter Beatrice from his first marriage [P405]
Resided with his second wife and their children in rural Herefordshire in England [P405]
In 1939 they were living at The Laurels in Ballingham, Herefordshire and he was working as a Concrete Mixer and Leveler [412]
His son Charles Neville EMERY returned to Australia in 1928 [203] and for a period farmed in Perenjori, Western Australia [50]
From The West Australian newspaper, Saturday 23 October 1909:
Advertising
"The Marchagee Estate surrounds the Marchagee railway siding, and has a frontage to the railway line of over three miles, and has an elevation of 1069 feet [325.8 metres] above sea level, enjoying a regular rainfall of 16 inches [406.4 millimetres] per annum. The position is an excellent one for mixed farming, the proximity to the siding enabling produce to be loaded at a nominal cost to either Perth, Geraldton or the Cue goldfields, while Mingenew, the principal stock market of the State, is only 77 miles distant by rail, affording excellent opportunities for stock dealing and as a depot for holding stock. The soul is a fine rich chocolate, strong and deep, equal to the best in the State, and is timbered with York gum, jam and salmon gum. The improvements include 26 miles of sheep-proof fencing enclosing 4,727 acres in 10 paddocks. About 599 acres are cleared, of which 400 acres and now under crop and promising an exceptionally big return. The whole of the timber has been ringbarked for several years, and 200 acres are in process of clearing for cultivation next year. Ample provision has been made for water, there being three fine dams 2500, 1200 and 600 cubic yards respectively, also one well with an unlimited supply of pure water fitted with windmill, tanks and troughing. The buildings include comfortable residence of 8 rooms, large grain and machinery shed 150 x 60 feet [45.7 x 18.3], 6-stall stable and loose-boxes, men's quarters, harness-room, blacksmith's shop, etc. Adjoining the C.P. [Conditional Purchase] land is a pastoral lease of 28,000 acres of excellent sand plain, which is invaluable as a change for stock during portion of the summer months. This lease is will be given with the C.P. lands. The whole of the stock no won the estate are in magnificent condition, testifying to the excellent fattening properties of this fine piece of country. As a country home this property has many advantages. Its elevation of 1069 feet [325.8 metres] above sea level ensures cool nights throughout the summer and a perfect climate. Every Thursday a train leaves for Perth at 5.35 p.m., arriving at Marchagee at 1 a.m., while there are two trains a day on two days a week and one train a day each way on the other days."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Charles Holland Emery' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 19 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/charles-holland-emery [reference list] |
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