JOHN C. COCHRANE, PIONEER FROM 31-3-1850, SCIENTIFIC FARMER NORTH OF MELBOURNE AND NEAR GEELONG, VIC., AUST.
itellya
POSTSCRIPT, 14-5-2018.A "COCHRANE, FAIRVIEW" search revealed that John C.Cochrane had died by the time of Matilda's wedding and that his second given name was COWAN. Also revealed was an engagement notice* and that JOHN COWAN COCHRANE HAD DIED BETWEEN 4-4-1903 AND 15-10-1904. Then, (Eureka!), his death notice was found.
COCHRANE.—On the 10th May, at his residence, "Fairview," Keilor-road, Essendon,John Cowan Cochrane, land valuer, formerly of "Aitkenside," Ceres, aged 77 years." Interred Melbourne: Cemetery 12th. May.
(P.1, Geelong Advertiser, 23-3-1903.)
BARBER—COCHRANE.—On October 4th,at "Barrabool House," Highton, by the Rev. James Jackson, of St. George's Pres-
byterian Church, Geelong, G. P. Barber, of Staywood Park, Warrnambool, to Matilda Jane, second daughter of the late John Cowan Cochrane, of "Fairview," Keilor Road. Essendon.(P.1, Geelong Advertiser, 15-10-1904.)
* Joseph Alexander, Aikenside, Ceres, son of Mr.John Cowan Cochrane, Fairview, Essendon, and May Isabel, third daughter of Mrs. J. Ritchie, Coulter Haugh, Geelong,Victoria, and the late Mr. John Ritchie,Blackwood Station, Penshurst. The marriage will take place on April 25, at the residence of the bride's mother.
(P.43, The Australasian,4-4-1903.)
POSTSCRIPT 2. A google search for John Cowan Cochrane revealed that he was Essendon's first teacher as noted in comments. That would explain why he was farming at Glenroy by 1853, whether he was at the Catholic school (forerunner of St Monica's) or the Pascoe Vale National School; it was the latter. The National School was at Melway 28 J2 at the end of Government Road in the angle where Five Mile Creek meets the Moonee Ponds Creek. From there it is only 190 chains (3.8 km)to Rhodes Pde, the southern boundary of "Glenroy Farm".
The Newsletter (Essendon Historical Society Inc Established 1970 Moonee Ponds Courthouse Museum)
Issue No 238 Nov—Dec 2016
"Bob Chalmers then introduced our Guest Speaker, Bob Mackay, who gave an illustrated talk on the Pascoe Vale
National School which opened in July 1850 and was the fore-runner of the Essendon State School No. 483 in
Raleigh Street.
Bob, who is researching the Pascoe Vale area, has been trying to compile a list of the students who attended the
school in its formative years and where they came from.
The first teachers were Irish couple, John Cowan Cochrane and his wife, Jane. Bob used Andrew Jones’ history of the Essendon Primary School, “Follow the Gleam” as a basis of information, and a letter, written by Cochrane in August 1850 to his friend, Tom Mackey in New Zealand, gave a good description of the school and how it operated.
The school closed in the early 1860s and was moved to the Raleigh Street site, opening in 1863 as the Essendon
Common School under the charge of Head Teacher,Robert Grandison Taylor. "
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Extract from my journal, A CHRONOLOGY OF OCCUPANTS OF DUNHELEN.
1859.
COCHRANE'S CLYDE.—
This pure and justly popular Clydesdale Stallion will stand during the season at his owner's farm, Dunhelen, by Broadmeadows; and travel the surrounding districts.etc. (Bell's Life in Victoria and Sporting Chronicle (Melbourne, Vic. : 1857 - 1868) Saturday 24 September 1859 p 4 )
1860.
SCIENTIFIC JOHN COCHRANE P.6, Argus, 8-11-1860.
1861.
COCHRANE.—On the 28th inst., at Dunhelen, from the effects of teething, Samuel, the beloved son of John C. and Jane Cochrane, aged thirteen months and twelve days. (P.4, Argus, 30-8-1861.)
THE Friends of Mr. J. C. COCHRANE are respectfully informed that the remains of his infant son Samuel will be removed from his residence, Dunhelen, this morning, at 10 a.m., and pass the Moonee Ponds* about 1 p.m., for interment in the Melbourne General Cemetery.(P.8, Argus, 30-8-1861.)
The occupant was also certainly J.C. (John) Cochrane who was farming on "Glenroy Farm" in 1874 when it and farms to the north in the late Donald Kennedy's Glenroy estate were sold. (P. 78, BROADMEADOWS A FORGOTTEN HISTORY.)
*As Moonee Ponds meant anywhere along the creek, "the Moonee Ponds" probably meant the timber bridge linking the two sections of Ardlie St in Broadmeadows Township (that part of today's Westmeadows south of Kenny St.)The shire of Broadmeadows went south only to Woodlands St, so the following allocation was probably for the historic extant bluestone Fawkner St bridge which replaced the timber bridge about eight years after Samuel Cochrane's funeral.
" to Broadmeadows, for a bridge at Moonee Ponds, £500" (P.14, Leader, 14-8-1869. THE ROADS AND BRIDGES VOTES.)
1862.
SALE OF MR.COCHRANE'S SHORTHORNS
The Farmer's Journal and Gardener's Chronicle (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1864) Saturday 29 March 1862 p 121
JOHN C. COCHRANE.
G.S.Brodie advised at about this time that John C.Cochrane was no longer his agent. It may be at about this time that John moved to Glenroy Farm; he was certainly there in 1870. In 1874 Glenroy Farm was sold by the Donald Kennedy executors and bought by William McCulloch. John had arrived from Ireland on 31-3-1850 and was on "Glenroy" by 1853*, as was Robert McDougall, famed Shorthorn breeder with whom John had arguments later about the breed.**
At the end of 1875, John advertised his services as an agent.(P.2, Leader, 18-12-1875.SHORTHORN CATTLE, column 2.) By October 1876, however he won prizes at the spring show at Geelong, his address given as Newtown (obviously near Geelong, not Collingwood.)
John's new area had probably been beautified by Scots with purple flowers in the garden beds, which like rabbits had got out of control and John and another farmer were charged under the Thistle Act. In October, his address was more specifically given as Highton House when he clarified the pedigree of a shorthorn bull he had sold for 1000 guineas.John continued the farming reports he'd written about his former abodes and in 1883 his address was Barwon House.
By 1884, he was at Aitkenside, Ceres, via Geelong. BARRABOOL-HILLS and was still there in 1889 when he was sued by a bank. While retaining Aitkenside, he seems to have returned to his old haunts, at Oaklands Junction during the 1890's and by 1899 was on "Fairview"*** on the south side of Keilor Rd straddling Spring Gully. John had died at Fairview by 1915 and his widow was living at Nantes street, Newtown, Geelong when their youngest son, John R. was engaged. John C.Cochrane of Victorian Railways who married a daughter of James Swan was possibly John's nephew as it's unlikely that he'd given two sons the same given name.
* P.10, THE STOPOVER THAT STAYED, Grant Aldous.)
** P. 7, Argus,16-11-1858 and P.25, The Australasian, 25-9-1880.
*** P.41, The Australasian, 24-6-1899,2nd lst column near bottom.
Powers, Rutherford, and Co. report having sold by auction, at the Newmarket yards, on Tuesday last, 417 pure Border Leicester sheep, on behalf of John C. Cochrane, of Fairview, North Essendon. These comprised the surplus sheep from the vendor's well-known stud.
BARBER.-On the 18th March, at Barrabool street, Highton, Geelong, Matilda J., second daughter of the late J. C. and Jane Cochrane,dearly beloved sister of J. A., J. R., and M.E. Cochrane.(P.17, Argus, 21-3-1936.)
NOW, WHY DID MATILDA'S GIVEN NAME RING A COW BELL? OH, YES.
MATILDA'S 2ND BARON. TO THE EDITOR.
Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 - 1926) Tuesday 23 October 1877 p 3 Article
... MATILDA'S 2ND BARON. TO THE EDITOR. I am, etc., JOHN C. COCHRANE. Highton House, October 22nd, 1877 ..
MORE TO COME WHEN VICTORIAN BDM COMES BACK ONLINE (if I remember.) BIRTH RECORDS OF THEIR CHILDREN (ABOVE EXCEPT FOR SAMUEL AND PERHAPS OTHERS) WILL HOPEFULLY REVEAL JANE'S MAIDEN NAME AND THEIR ABODES AT THOSE TIMES AND JOHN C. AND JANE'S DEATH RECORDS WILL MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF FAMILY NOTICES EXCEPT FOR SAMUEL'S.(The engagement notice for John R.Cochrane and Enid Turner in 1915 was the only one of six family notice results for "John C.Cochrane", the other 5 being the marriage notice for the Victorian Railways bloke of Melbourne. Samuel's death and funeral notices in 1861 were not found in the search so it's lucky that the magic word DUNHELEN found them. Matilda Barber's death notice was found in a "JANE COCHRANE" search.)
by itellya
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Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.
Comments
itellya on 2018-05-14 01:12:41MORE TO COME WHEN VICTORIAN BDM COMES BACK ONLINE (if I remember.)
itellya on 2018-05-14 02:17:00John Cowan Cochrane was Essendon's first teacher!
No. 8 WINTER 2014: Scottish settlers [Richard Gibson; Dalmahoy Campbell; Alex Smith; John Murray Peck of 'Mascoma' and 'Lebanon'; William Hudson of Peck, Raynor and Hudson; Mrs Catherine Campbell] p3. The Herweg family of Essendon p9. John Cowan Cochrane, our first teacher turned grazier p15. Land links: St Bernard's College and St Bernard's Estate, East Keilor p18.
(Essendon Historical Society - Full Record: Prahran Mechanics Institute
library.pmi.net.au/fullRecord.jsp?recno=7121)
ladybug54 on 2018-11-17 08:16:06Thanks for sharing this information. It has added greatly to my knowledge of JCC, especially the newspaper references. I have some additional family information if you are interested. John was my 2x great grandfather's first cousin.
A Jane Thompson was John's first wife (married Killea, Co. Donegal in October 1849), and Elizabeth Swan his second.
ladybug54 on 2018-11-17 08:47:15http://macky.net/letter10.html
“ John Cochrane is about to get married to Miss Thompson. His father is greatly opposed to it but he will go through with it if he can. And then he intends going to New Zealand with her if he gets encouragement from you.”
http://macky.net/letter14.html
“ John Cochrane was married to Miss Thompson in September. He intends going to Australia by a free passage and thence perhaps to New Zealand. His father was much opposed at first to the match but is now reconciled to it. He has left Sir Robert and is living with his father.”
ladybug54 on 2018-11-17 08:58:02http://macky.net/letter20.html
Pascoevale
Near Melbourne, Port Philip
July 20th, 1850
Dear Tommy
I suppose you have heard ere this that I had taken my departure from our dear native island, for some part of the Southern Hemisphere; for I was not determined, when I left home, whether I would stop here, or go on to New Zealand. However, I was tired enough of the sea when I got here and I was not in the humour to undertake another voyage so soon.
I intended to have written to you for your advice as soon as I landed, then I thought I would wait for a little, until I would see how I would like this country. However, after I had been here for some time I found there would soon be a greater objection to my going to New Zealand than want of inclination, namely want of means; so I left off writing to you from day to day, until I have spent nearly four months here.
If you heard that I came out here you heard also that I had joined my fortunes for life to Miss Thompson, for better or worse, for richer or poorer; if you did not hear of it I will tell you all about it, as far as I remember, but I think crossing the line obliterates from the memory occurrences that took place on the other side of it.
Well, I suppose you will guess the greater part of my friends were against the match at first, and made so much work about it that it took place much sooner than it would otherwise have done. Your brother, John, and Rebecca and young Joe Cochrane were the only three that stood to me through thick and thin; the others all gave in when they saw it would do no good, at least all but my father and mother, and they held out to the last minute. The Thompsons, when they saw the way things were going, turned against us also, but we got the indissoluble knot tied in Carrigan church, on the 16th October, 1849, took the train to Derry and a covered car from that to Glengollen, then back to Carnshanagh for dinner, according to a previous invitation.
We had a very small wedding party; I had no one but Joe Cochrane, and Jane had her brother, the doctor, and her cousin, Margaret Breaden; but your brother had a good number of young people asked for the evening, and we had a very pleasant night until 3 o'clock in the morning. In a day or two my father and mother came round, when they saw it was no use to hold out any longer; and they invited Jane and me down to the house; and we lived there after I left Sir Robert until we started to come here.
We came out in the emigrant ship Eliza Caroline which set sail from Plymouth on the first of January and arrived here on the 30th of March. We had a very pleasant passage of 89 days; we had 275 passengers on board and not a single death and very little sickness.
August 8th
We were very fortunate in having an excellent captain and crew, they were all Welshmen, and the greater part teetotallers. We sailed from Plymouth on the first day of the New Year and cast anchor in Hobson's Bay on the 30th of March, Easter Sunday.
We lived at lodgings then for about a month, during which time I engaged with a Mr Smith, as gardener, at the rate of £30 per year. However, he put me off from time to time, for two months. I thought I was all right, when I had a printed agreement, but when he came to take out my things he would not have me, unless the date of the agreement would be changed which let me lose my two months' time that he kept me doing nothing. So, as I had heard unfavourable accounts of him I was glad of the opportunity of being done with him.
We lived in Melbourne then for nearly two months longer. I applied for every situation I heard of, but never was successful, and I was beginning to despair of getting anything to do. However, the Almighty in His all wise providence had my course pointed out differently; what I, in my weakness thought for my ill, He in His wisdom made good for me.
I saw in one of the newspapers an advertisement for a master and mistress for the Pascoevale National School. I applied as a matter of course, and had the good fortune to be chosen, in preference to 13 others. We had to stand an examination. Jane teaches the female school, and I teach the boys. It is just a new house. It was only opened on the 29th of July. It consists of two large schoolrooms, a classroom and three very comfortable apartments for our accommodation; the whole cost £305, so you may suppose it is a complete building of the kind; and there are two acres of land attached, of which I will receive the benefit. Government gives £40 per annum to each teacher, that is £80 for us both, but they will only give £40 for both for the first year. The children will average about 5d per week each, and we have 53 already, and it is supposed there will be near 100 when the days get longer.
August 9th
I like teaching tolerably well for the time, considering that I was always very much averse to it; Jane is getting on very well also; our hours are short, from 9 am to 4 pm, allowing an hour in the middle of the day for dinner, and it is very easy to reconcile a person to anything that they are well paid for. So you see, considering everything, we are comfortably situated for a beginning.
This is a fine flourishing country, I question if new Zealand is better. Everyone here that keeps steady is doing remarkably well; men who could not have bought a coat to their back, if they had remained at home, are quite independent now; some of them worth thousands.
There is a man and his wife living about two miles from us here, the man's name is George Orr, his wife's name was Haslett, she is sister to David Haslett of Derry, her mother was one of the Fultons of Drumbasnet; so you know she is the breed of the Mackys.
They lived somewhere near the racecourse before they came out here. They are out now about nine years and although they met with losses since they came, they are living very comfortably and independently, and I am sure they never would have been that if they had remained at the racecourse. How many hundreds are in Ireland, living from hand to mouth, who could make a comfortable independency in this country.
I suppose you knew before you left home, that William Cunningham's elder brother, Andrew, was out here. He and a young man named McDougall from Conroy, and one of the Mackys near Newtoncunningham, who has a brother a clergyman, have been in partnership since they came to the colony; and they have succeeded remarkably well; they purchased a section (640) acres of land, between two and three years ago, and they have purchased another now. They are making money fast; they call their place Glenburnie; it is about 28 miles from Melbourne. We spent nearly two months with them, when we had nothing to do. Mr Cunningham told me to ask you when I would be writing to you, if you know anything of John Brigham, formerly of Derry. He went from Sydney to New Zealand some years ago; Mr C would like very much to hear from him. If you know anything of him, you will please be kind enough to tell him so. Mr Andrew Cunningham, Glenburnie, care of Mr Robert Gallagher, Baker, Melbourne, Port Philip, are his directions. Mrs Gallagher is sister to Mr Matthewson of the Waterside, they are doing very well in Melbourne and are very much respected.
I did not see my cousin, Kitty, for a year before I came out here, but I believe she was in fine spirits preparing for a trip to New Zealand; your brother William and her were to go together. I suppose she will be with you by the time you get this. If she is I wish you both every happiness, which your constancy deserves.
I need not tell you anything about how things were when I left home, as I expect William will be there. My father was appointed High Constable for the Barony of Raphoc. It will be worth about £300 per year, clear of all expense; but the country cess will be very hard to collect, owing to the bad times. Write as soon as you get this, and tell me as much about your country as I told you about Port Philip.
Jane joins me in kindest regards to you, your brother's family and to Kitty and William, if they are with you.
Believe me, dear Tommy,
very sincerely your friend,
John Cochrane
itellya on 2018-11-18 14:21:41Terrific ladybug54.
I HAVE FOUND THAT SPOUSES WERE USUALLY NEIGHBOURS IN VICTORIA AT SOME TIME BEFORE THE MARRIAGE EXCEPT DURING DEPRESSIONS AND THE TWO WORLD WARS.
Victorian BDM is back online and rereading the journal I found mention of G.P.Barber which immediately rang a bell. I thought he was almost certainly a son of George Page Barber who married a daughter of Thomas Napier, pioneer of Strathmore, but I could not find the birth record of a George Page Barber with the following parents so Matilda Jane must have married the builder of the "Rosebank" mansion two years after his wife had died in 1902.
EventMarriage Event registration number952 Registration year1869
Personal information
Family nameBARBER Given namesGeorge Page SexUnknown Spouse's family nameNAPIER Spouse's given namesEleanor
George Page Barber built the extant "Rosebank" mansion in Rosebank Avenue, Strathmore. ROSEBANK
Eleanor (living at Melway 28J1) was probably John Cowan Cochrane's pupil at the Pascoe Vale National School(Melway 28 J2.)
BARBER—COCHRANE.—On October 4th,at "Barrabool House," Highton, by the Rev. James Jackson, of St. George's Presbyterian Church, Geelong, G. P. Barber, of Staywood Park, Warrnambool, to Matilda Jane, second daughter of the late John Cowan Cochrane, of "Fairview," Keilor Road. Essendon.(P.1, Geelong Advertiser, 15-10-1904.)
EventMarriage Event registration number7411 Registration year1904
Personal information
Family nameCOCHRANE Given namesMatda Jane SexUnknown Spouse's family nameBARBER Spouse's given namesGeo Page
Confirmation that Matilda Jane had married the former husband of the deceased Eleanor Barber is provided in the following article:
THE BARBER FAMILY
ladybug54 on 2019-03-10 02:16:51Have now written my first article about JCC for my FB followers (including family) with a second one in the pipeline.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/cochrane-connections-nz-ulster/from-county-donegal-to-country-victoria/1158777910956949/
While researching his farming career, I found most of my information in the Melbourne papers. It must be a family trait to be controversial!! I also contacted the Essendon Historical Society who essentially said you were the go-to person for JCC.
Have been searching for information on the properties mentioned in the newspaper articles but don't have enough local knowledge to test my theories. Is there some way I can contact you other than via this page? My email is nzulsterheritage@gmail.com.
Cheers
itellya on 2019-03-10 03:14:27I'm sending you an email, Ladybug54.
ladybug54 on 2019-03-12 23:21:56Thanks Itellya. Still digging through Trove. I have tagged a lot of the information. I did find a notice for Jane Thomson Cochrane. It appeared in the Geelong Advertiser on 18/4/1887. She died at Aitkenside.
From old correspondence written by a Dale Carroll I have two other references to the Cochrane family, neither of which I have access to.
The first is in the Geelong Advertiser of 16/9/1958 and the second in Ian Wynd's book "Barrabool, Land of the Magpie". Are either of these familiar to you? Dale also refers to an Isobel Hose as being the source of the newspaper article. Perhaps this name rings a bell. Cheers, LB54
itellya on 2019-03-13 00:20:47Sorry ladybug54, I can't help you with the 1958 article or the book and I know little about the other side of the bay because my main focus is on the Mornington Peninsula and a huge area surrounding Tullamarine. I had no idea of where Moolap, Marcus, Wallington and Leopold were when I found the Queenscliff District Roll of Honour* last night. (*New journal.)
Thanks for the links to your fantastic COCHRANE articles that you included in your email.
ladybug54 on 2019-03-14 00:25:58Onya Itellya. I'll keep digging and networking and keep an eye on your journals. LB54