Marr: Certificate No131,Belford.
Marr: At St Columba's church,Warenton. 30yrs old. Living at Budle.
Occ: Husbandman. In 1862 in Belford ,Northumberland , John Tarbit married Elizabeth Jane Telford. This I have confirmed from the British register of marriages. They travelled to Australia on the “Blanche Moor” out of Liverpool on the 25/5/1862 for Melbourne,arriving in Melbourne in August 1862 after a voyage of 140 days. There were 400 passengers and the ship weighed 1837 tons.
Travelling together were John Tarbit (spelt Tarbett on the shipping list), Elizabeth Jane , both aged 27, John Telford 25, George Telford 21, and Isabella Telford 14. This is interesting in itself. I wonder what happened to the Telford parents? John died at Coonooer Bridge , a small town about 18 k north of St Arnaud in Vic., and Elizabeth his wife died at St Arnaud in 1923.Elizabeth’s death notice states her parents as shown on the chart, but John’s are stated as “Unknown”. (More on this later)
The Tarbits went to Maryborough as the next records show births to John and Elizabeth (see Chart 6). After that there are marriages to those children as shown. I cannot find the births of Isabella m1899 and Beatrice m 1911, but one marriage being in Maryborough and one on Coonooer Bridge (where John died as a farmer in 1902) means they belong in the family somewhere.
The next lot of children are to Thomas and Henrietta and I see your father Les is there. Thomas’s brother John Henry appears not to have married. I presume the abbreviation Ernt Walt in Thomas and Henrietta’s family is short for Ernest Walter, but you may be able to fill in some of the information there. He died when only 23. You will see on Chart 2 that William and Ann have a son JOHN born 1831 at Chatton, near Wooler. At no time have I been able to find any descendants of this John. The last record I can find of him is in the 1851 census of Belford where his is living with his mother Ann, a widow, and his sister Thomason. His age is given as 19 which would fit with the 1831 birth. Your John gives his age as 27 on the ship in 1862 and 69 when he died in 1902!! This gives us 2 birth dates one in 1835 and one in 1833. Despite these discrepancies, I am sure this is your John. You will notice that John called his first son Thomas William, perhaps after each of their fathers? Also the daughter was ANN.
I looked up the cemetery index of St Arnaud and sure enough the family are buried there. Sec 8/72 Elizabeth Jane died 9/5/1943, aged 71, daughter of John Tarbit, farmer and Elizabeth Tarbit,nee Hagg. Single. Of Charlton Rd, St Arnaud, home duties, Presbyterian, born Bowerval. Died Jones St, St Arnaud. No 711B - Presby. 8/72 Hannah died 19/12/1946 aged 78, same address, died St Arnaud hospital. Same grave as above. 8/61 Elizabeth Jane, buried 20/7/1923 aged 90. Same grave as John. No82-Presby. 8/61 John buried 22/5/1902 aged 69. Same grave as Elizabeth. No 82-Presby. 8/72 John Henry, buried 19/3/1912 aged 41. Same grave as Elizabeth and Hannah.
Elizabeth Telford’s mother is given as Hogg on her death notice and Hagg at the Cemetery.