Broad Arrow Snapshot – death from despair

This is the first snapshot of biographies from the Broad Arrow Cemetery. It covers the years 1897 to 1917. However the years of 1905-1906 are missing

Suicide was quite a common thing in the early days on the goldfields, men, and a few women, who find themselves in a state of complete despair. There are 8 suicides in the Broad Arrow Cemetery with one woman whose name has been reported incorrectly in the newspaper.

GOTTLIEBSON Elizabeth, d 30 mar 1899, Broad Arrow, 23yrs, Occ:- Laundress, Cause:- Suicide by poison, Verdict of the Coroner, Father:- John GOTTLIEBSON (Sawyer) Mother:- Unknown, Born Daylesford VIC, In Vic 22yrs, In WA 9mths, Single, Buried in Broad Arrow Cemetery.

Elizabeth GOTTLIEBSON wrongly reported as Elizabeth PRINIE

HOWELLS Samuel, d 17 Jan 1907, Broad Arrow, 54yrs, Occ:- Miner, Cause:- Suicide, by his own hand, Verdict of the Coroner, Father:- John HOWELLS (Miner), Mother:- Ann WILLIAMS, Born:- Monmouthshire Wales, In VIC 35yrs, In WA 5 yrs, Married to Elizabeth WALTERS in Sebastopol Ballarat, VIC at age 21yrs, Children:- Griffith Oliver 32yrs, John William 31yrs, Mary Ann 28yrs, Lewis Thomas 24yrs, Gladys May 19yrs, Samuel Walter 17yrs, William Stanley 15yrs, Lilian Keziah 12yrs, Buried in Broad Arrow Cemetery.

Samuel HOWELLS

ING Sydney Edwin, d 4 Sep 1918, Railway Hotel, Broad Arrow, 53yrs, Occ:- Watchmaker and Jeweller, Cause:- Suicide by his own hand, Verdict of the Coroner, Father:- John ING (Chemist) Mother:- Frances Adelaide BRIND, Born:- Aylesbury, Bucks, England, Married to Ada Medhurst SHALDERS in York WA, Informant:- Brother W H Ing, Buried in Broad Arrow Cemetery.

KEARN Herman, d 24 Feb 1911, Ora Banda, 51yrs, Occ:- Labourer, Cause:- Suicide by poisoning, Verdict of the Coroner, Buried in Broad Arrow Cemetery.

 McGOVERN Frank (Francis), d 10 Jan 1901, Broad Arrow Hospital, 40yrs, Occ:- Carpenter, Cause:- Suicide by cutting throat, Verdict of the Coroner, Father:- Michael McGOVERN (Carpenter), Mother:- Catherine

Francis McGOVERN

MCKILEEN Thomas R, d 11 Jun 1897, at Smithfield, Occ:-Miner, Cause:- Suicide by blowing head off with dynamite, Parents not known, Could be married to Agnes ?, Reg Broad Arrow 2/1897, Buried in Broad Arrow Cemetery.

STEWART Frank, d 30 Sep 1907, Baden Powell Mine, Broad Arrow, 48yrs, Occ:- Engine Driver, Cause:- Suicide by his own hand, father:- Thomas STEWART, Born:- Glasgow, Scotland, In WA 12yrs, In other states and New Zealand 13yrs, Married to Alice BATMAN in Dubbo NSW at age 27yrs, Buried in Broad Arrow Cemetery.

Frank STEWART

WRIGHT George Wilson, d 1 Jan 1909, Near Hill End Mine, Broad Arrow, 68yrs, Occ:- Accountant, Cause:- Suicide by poisoning, Verdict of the Coroner, In WA 13yrs, Buried in Broad Arrow Cemetery.

George Wilson WRIGHT

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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