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| Notes for Richard OATES | ||||||||||||||
| 23 Nov 1870 by Licence Richard Oates 41 Independent Means of Bojewyan (Father: Richard Oates, Miner) Jane Blewett Penrose 33 of Carlartha (Father: James Penrose, Farmer) Richard Oates was the co-founder with John Deason of the “Welcome Stranger” gold nugget found at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia on 5th February 1869. The following is from Greg Campbell’s tree: John and Catherine moved to Moliagul sometime between 1862 and 1864. John was in Moliagul with his workmate, Richard Oates, working the alluvial goldfields when on 5 February 1869 John discovered the Welcome Stranger gold nugget. It was (and still is) the world’s largest alluvial gold nugget, weighing in at 78,381 grams. The nugget lay just below the surface pinned between tree roots. John was farming at the time, prospecting for gold whenever time permitted. There are various traditional stories handed down as to how the event was celebrated and the financial success, or lack of it, of the Welcome Stranger’s recipients. The story as reported in the London Times, Monday, 19 April 1869 is likely to be reasonably accurate: “Had we not become long ago dulled to anything in the nature of a surprise coming to us from the gold fields, we should have extracted a little more discussion about our last wonder in gold. Until recently Ballarat could boast of having produced the largest lump of gold (some 137 lb. weight) on record, but now that is thrown quite into the shade by a mass of 210 lb. weight, troy, unearthed by two miners, named John Deason and Richard Oates (poor Cornish men), about three weeks back. It was found only about two inches beneath the surface, and at one of our earlier goldfields in the Dunolly district, which has been well dug over for many years past. The lucky finders of the prize at once transferred it from its native bed to a dray – it was described as a tolerably heavy lift for two men – and took it off to the local branch of the London Chartered Bank, by whose manager it was bought for the sum of 9,600l. The men were offered 9,000l. for it at a venture before weighing, but the result proved their sagacity in declining even that apparently handsome sum. It has been melted down (losing only 7_ dwts. in the process) and probably it goes to England in the mail steamer which carries this letter. Some natural regret has been expressed that only a rough drawing (but no model) has been taken of this, the greatest curiosity which our goldfields have ever yet yielded. At the same time it is very curious to observe how very little surprise has been expressed at the discovery itself. Apparently we have been talking about tons of gold until we have become comparatively insensible to mere hundred-weights.” Richard Oates reputably came from Tresco, Scilly Isles and, according to tradition came to Australia with John Deason. However, research does not appear to confirm this. What is known is that Richard was born about 1827 in Cornwall, probably in St Just in Penwith, where he was baptised on 17 April 1827. His parents were Richard Oates and Elizabeth Burnett: married 15 October 1825, Madron. The 1841 census notes the family as: “Parish of St Just Place: Bojewyan Names: Richard Oates, aged 40 years, miner copper & tin Elizabeth Oates, aged 45 years Richard Oates, aged 13 years”. Richard arrived in Melbourne on 25 July 1854 on board the ‘Norwood’. He was an unassisted migrant, aged 25 years at the time of embarkation in Liverpool, 17 April 1854, and his occupation was noted as a miner. As to when Richard met up with John Deason is not certain, as we have no record of Richard on the Bendigo goldfields. Richard was single, and after the discovery of the ‘Welcome Stranger’ nugget with John Deason, he returned to Cornwall to marry Jane Blewett Penrose at Pendeen in 1870. Pendeen was only a short distance from Bojewyan, where he was living as a boy in 1841. Jane’s parents were James Penrose and Sally (Sarah) Blewett. Jane was born about 1837, probably in St Buryan, where she was baptised 21 May 1837. Richard and Jane returned to Australia and had four children: • Richard Oates, born 1874, Moliagul, died Bendigo 1955 • Sarah Elizabeth Oates, born 1875, Dunolly, married James Lanyon 1896 • James Penrose Oates, born Dunolly 1879, married Kathleen Jane Miller, 1916 • Annie Jane Oates, born 1880, Dunolly, married Donald Vic Gow, 1911, died 23 October 1965, buried Marong, one child, Lorna (note: headstone shows husband as “Donald Eric Gow”). Richard died 29 October 1906 (and according to Max Deason’s research, at Woodstock-on-Loddon). Richard owned a farm in that area. Jane died in 1921, aged 84 years, possibly also at Woodstock-on-Loddon (death registered at Marong). Richard is buried at Marong alongside his daughter, Annie. More information on OATE(S) can be found at: http://www.oats.org.uk (May 2006) by Rob OATS <rob@oatsrob.f2s.com>. | ||||||||||||||
| Notes for Jane Blewett (Spouse 1) | ||||||||||||||
| Jane was of Pendeen. | ||||||||||||||
| Last Modified 18 October 2007 | Created 17 February 2008 using Reunion for Macintosh |