Charles Massey – ran away to sea

I was recently contact by a lady who had found her Great great Uncle on the Outback Family History website.  He is buried in an unmarked grave in the Lawlers Cemetery. He was the victim of a terrible mining accident which she knew about from an article on TROVE:-

However, she didnt know that his name was engraved on the Eastern Goldfields Miners Memorial at the WA Museum in Kalgoorlie and he also had a profile on the WAVMM (The Western Australian Virtual Miners Memorial). I was able to send her photographs of the panel which includes his name and of the memorial as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was able to tell me his story which is now added to his profile, its a sad, but very common story. As young men have always done, he wanted to escape from a difficult home life and seek adventure and fortune. I can only hope that he managed to do this in the years in Australia before he was tragically killed.

This story was provided by Charles’s Great Great Niece, Caroline Cavers:- ‘As children we were told about Uncle Charles who left his home in Chester (England), with his older brother (my great grandfather Frank Massey) Their mother apparently made home life rather harsh and they decided to leave home and run away to sea. Charles we believe was about 16 at that time, although I have nothing to confirm that. Their father – Richard Massey, found about their plans and managed to arrive at the docks in Liverpool in time to persuade the older brother to come home, which he did, but he could not change Charles’s mind. Hence he later arrived in Australia, but we did not know where, in fact we thought that he was in the north east of the continent.
We were also told that when he had his accident he was carried to the nearest “town” – a journey that took quite some days. It must have been quite a desperate time considering his injuries.

We do have in the family, an Australian opal (held by Charles’s great niece) – I have not seen it – but it is supposed to have come via Uncle Charles. Having looked at some information about the Vivien gold mine there seems to have been a Vivien gem reef too, so that may explain where it came from. It is also interesting to note that there must have been communications with family in England.’

I was able to provide Caroline with a copy of Charles’s death certificate which didn’t add very much more detail but it did confirm some facts. One was that he died the day after his accident in the Lawlers hospital and not several days later. Also his death was registered by ‘a friend’. As I am sure you will know, of all types of BDM certificates death certificates are by far the least reliable. This would be because the information was usually supplied by who ever was with them when they died.  Charles’s friend stated that he had been in WA for 4 months which may be what he thought or what Charles had told him or it may be correct and Charles had spent the intervening years in other states of Australia. Its one of these cases where you will probably never know.

What is known is that he never saw any of his family again, but as he may have sent the opal back to England perhaps he stayed in contact with someone. I wonder how they came to find out he had died. Even so, he is not forgotten, and his name will remain forever on the memorial.