Charles Edgerton
| Town/City | Ballarat |
|---|---|
| First name | Charles |
| Last name | Edgerton |
| Country of Origin | England |
| Date of Birth | 5/22/1861 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1884 |
| Submitted by | Margaret Lewis |
Story
Charles Edgerton was born on 22nd May 1861 at Barkers Green, Wem, Shropshire, England, the son of Charles Edgerton & Elizabeth nee Maddocks. His father was a brick & tile maker at Barkers Green & also a local preacher for the Primitive Methodist Church. Three siblings emigrated to Australia – John who settled in Bowen in 1883, Charles who emigrated to Geraldton, now Innisfail, in 1884 & Elizabeth who settled in the Townsville area by 1888. John’s desire to come to Australia was sparked off after hearing the many adventurous tales related by a work-mate, who had been in the Victorian gold rush days of 1851, and Charles was no doubt following in his brother\’s footsteps.
On 1st November 1883 Charles married Margaret Jane Williams from the neighbouring town of Prees and eleven days after their marriage they departed Plymouth, England as assisted passengers on the sailing ship ‘Corona’. They arrived in Townsville in March 1884 and finding no work available moved north to the recently settled area of the Johnstone River, now known as Innisfail. Here Charles commenced work as a carpenter, a job he continued full time until 1901. He built many types of things ranging from furniture to houses, boats & part of the harbour facilities at Mourilyan Harbour.
Then for 6 years he ran a general store located at the corner of Grace & Rankin Streets, Geraldton, the original name of the Innisfail township. In 1907 he changed to sugar cane farming as his main occupation, having initially taken up a lease on farmland in Mourilyan Harbour Rd, Mourilyan in 1891. His interest in carpentry continued and he helped with repairs after the various cyclones that affected the area. The family also continued to run a general store from their farm in Mourilyan.
Charles and Margaret had a family of 13 children Ð Joe (who survived just 5 days after his birth in 1884), Charles Ernest (1886), Ethel Elizabeth (1888), Samuel (1890), Joseph Henry (1892), Herbert John (1893), Edgar Philip (1895), Frederick George (1896), William Stanley (1898), Francis Robert (1899), Margaret Jane (1901), Eric Stewart, known as Tom (1903) & they adopted a neighbour\’s child, May Eva Wyatt in 1910, after her mother died in childbirth. Most of the family maintained a connection with the sugar cane industry and remained in the Innisfail area.
In 1924 Charles made a return journey to England to holiday with relatives before returning to Queensland. Following this a couple of his nephews also emigrated to Australia, and Charles helped them initially with work on the farm. Charles died on 3rd April 1946 in Innisfail, aged 84 years. He was buried in the Innisfail Cemetery next to his wife Margaret Jane who had pre-deceased him in 1939.