EMMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA PAGE 3 OF 11
Descendants of Rev Joseph Qualtrough and Agnes McCullock
- Agnes Thorburn and the Archers of Nilumbik
Angnes Thorburn was born in 1852 at Heidelberg on the banks of the Plenty River. In 1868 she had a child, James Thorburn, and she also married John Brown. John and Agnes must have lived in Diamond Creek because all of their children were born there. As well as James these were Caroline Jane in 1870, Mary Jane, William (1875-1919), James in 1877 and Robert (1880-1964, died in Heidelberg).
John Brown died in 1881, aged 45 years at Diamond Creek. In 1882 Agnes re-married to George Archer. Agnes and George had 6 children. George (1868), Thomas George (1888), Agnes (1887-1977, Married name Bradley, died in Pascoe Vale), Emily Rebecca (1889-1983, Married name Howard, died in Leopold), Lydia (1891-1954, Married name Rogers, died in Brunswick), and Mary Jane in 1895.
Mary Jane Archer - Daughter of Agnes Thorburn and George Archer
Mary Jane Archer married and had three sons, Albert Griffiths died in WW1, Charlie Griffiths and Victor Major Griffiths. The Archers have always lived around Diamond Creek, Brunswick and Coburg.
In Diamond Creek there is Archer Road named after them. It runs off Broadgully Road.
Agnes Thorburn Qualtrough Brown Archer died in 1934 age 81 years at Brunswick, Melbourne
George Archer - Second Husband of Agnes Thorburn
Notes on The Archer Family
by Len Brown, a descendent of the Archers
William Archer and his wife Rebecca (nee Pampling) were born in the county of Essex, in England. They married in England, journeying to Australia in 1860 on the ship 'Utopia'.
Their first child a son George, was born only 13 days after their arrival in Melbourne, while they were living in temporary accommodation. They moved to Eltham at first, but chose to move on to the village of Nillumbik.
William Archer was a paling and slab splitter, and obtained work from William Wilson of Nillumbik Farm. He and his wife built their first home beside the creek (the site of the pound in later years). The land was immediately North of the present Pony Club area, but on the opposite side of the creek. They later moved to a larger area in the vicinity of Archer Road.
Grave of Mary Archer Grittiths at Melbourne's Fawkner Cemetery
The Archers had several more children - all born at Nillumbik. When the government school started in 1870, George, Sarah and John Archer were all on the list of pupils. William and Rebecca remained in Diamond Creek for the rest of their lives. Both died in 1915 (??) and were buried in the Nillumbik cemetery. The younger generations moved away to Preston and Brunswick where they established woodyards.
George Archer married Agnes Thorburn, the daughter of pioneer Alexander Thorburn. She was born on his property on the banks of the Plenty River.
© 2021 by Malcolm Qualtrough, Elizabeth Feisst and the late John Karran Qualtrough.
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© Copyright by Malcolm Qualtrough, Elizabeth Feisst and the late John Karran Qualtrough.