Obituaries of Mr & Mrs J. Lancaster

Mrs. J. Lancaster

Clarence and Richmond Examiner

25^th May 1909

The death occurred on Thursday night last of another' very old resident of the Casino district, Mrs. J. Lancaster, sen, who passed peacefully away at her home on Pigman Creek, Wooroowoolgen from senile decay. 

With her husband, she came to this district some 25 years ago, and for a time Mr Lancaster carried on the sawmill business, purchased afterwards from him by the late Mr. A. C. Simpson

Inscription for Mary Ann Lancaster.

The Richmond River Express and Casino Kyogle Advertiser

NSW 17 May 1910

In Memorandum LANCASTER—

In sad and loving memory of my dear wife, Mary Ann Lancaster who departed this life May 20, 1909.      

I miss you and mourn you in silence unseen,

And dwell on the memory of days that have been;

Unknown and forgotten by some you may be,  

But the grave that contains you is sacred to me.

Inserted by her loving husband,

J. Lancaster, SEN.  

The Voice of the North NSW

25^th April 1919.

DEATH OF MR. J. LANCASTER.

Death has claimed an old and respected resident of the town of Casino in the person of Mr Joseph Lancaster, who had reached the advanced age of 87 years and who, during his lifetime, had seen as much adventure as most mortals. 

Born in the parish of St. Dunstans, Stepney, Middlesex, England, in 1832, he came out to New South Wales when a boy as an apprentice on a ship, and his life of ad-venture soon commenced, the Richmond River Express records. 

He had tired of the sea and a prospective sailor's life, so while the vessel was in Sydney Harbor he ran away from her and planted amongst the rocks that abounded about Sydney in those days until he saw that the vessel left  port.  

Search was made for him without avail, and when the vessel arrived in England again without him his parents were very much put out. Eventually his father set sail for New South Wales in search of his son, and found him in Sydney a married man. His wife's name was MaryAnn Eaton, and the couple were very young to be married. 

Their first child was the late John Lancaster, of Casino, who died about six years ago, and the five living children are Mrs. Deaves, of Lake Macquarie; Tom Lancaster, of the same place; Joseph Lancaster, of South Casino; Mrs. Lindley, of Queensland, and Mrs. Donnelly, of Lismore. 

Eight children died, and his wife, died about ten years ago, while the family was living at Pigman Creek, near Casino. 

He was in Sydney when the first sod of the first railway was turned, and after he found himself on Lambing Flat gold-field, now the town of Young, where he tried his hand at winning the precious metal, and also as a pit sawyer.  

Next he went to Maitland, where he undertook and carried out some extensive timber contracts in connection with various railway lines that were then building in the colony, and employed a large number of hands in carrying out the contracts in the vicinity of Cessnock and Clarencetown. 

Leaving there he went to Wyee and erected a ‘sawmill, and did a large timber business. He employed two vessels, and built the Steamer Agnes and the sailing vessel Hetty, named after one of his daughters, and these vessels traded between Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. 

He bought a sailing vessel named Uncle Tom, but had bad luck with her, as with £700 worth of timber on board she was wrecked near Lake Macquarie, everything being lost. The vessel had been insured, but the insurance had run out three days previously, so that every-thing was a total loss. 

He worked the ‘sawmill at Wyee for seven years and employed many hands and teams in cutting and hauling timber, and also conducted a grocer's shop and the local butchery. 

He was much missed as a business man when he left Lake Macquarie and went to Gunnedah, where he erected another sawmill on the Namoi, cutting sleepers for the railway from Gunnedah to Narrabri. 

He again had a large number of men in his employ, but after three years he came to the Richmond River. Here he bought the ‘sawmill’ of Mr Charles McCarthy, and ran the business until he sold out to the late A. C. Simpson.

He then -went on the land and took up a selection on the Upper Richmond, which later he sold to Mr. G. Clark, and went to Pigman Creek. He resided there until he came to Casino to live with his son Joseph Lancaster, with whom he resided until his death as stated. 

Amongst deceased's papers was a letter written by him from College to his parents in 1844, telling, them how well he was getting along in grammar, spelling, English history and arithmetic.

http://leathemhistory.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/joseph-henry-lancaster.html