John Richardson

BIRTH & BAPTISM
Name: John Richardson
Birth Registration Date: 1883
Birth Registration Place: Victoria, Australia
Father: Joseph Richardson
Mother Maiden Name: Stitson
Reference Number: 23031

MARRIAGE
Name Jno Richardson
Marriage Date 1906
Marriage Place Victoria Possibly Drouin or Mirboo.
Registration Date 1906
Registration Place Victoria, Australia
Spouse Jessie McDonald
Registration Number 7094

John Richardson, farmer, Longwarry South, is on the 1909 Electoral Roll. Just possible that this John was working Joseph's farm after Joseph and Mary Ann retired to Wonthaggi. Jessie, who he married at Trafalgar in 1906, is not on the roll, so either it is a different John Richardson, or she was living elsewhere with the children.

John and Jessie were living in Beech Forest in the Otways, when he enlisted. The forest (actually myrtle) was being cleared at the time, so work for a man like John. Now they grow potatoes and Cliff Young, the gumboots marathon runner.

The Colac herald, Fri 2 Feb 1912: At Colac Court, John Richardson was fined 10/- for failing to send a child to school. Our John Richardson? There were at least three John Richardsons living in the Colac district at this time, so only the one at Beech Forest can be reasonably relied upon.

In 1913 John and Jessie were living in Currie, King Island where their son Albert was born.

The Colac Herald, Mon 10 Aug 1914, LOCAL LAND BOARD: John Richardson applied for Allot. 27, Rec.A, 156 acres. (Application No. 12). This might have been our John Richardson, but I cannot tell if the allotment was in Beech Forest where John was living until he enlisted.

The Colac Herald, Wed 18 Nov 1914, COLAC SHIRE COUNCIL: From John Richardson, Beech Forest, offering to clear a track to his residence, about 25 chains, for 5/- per chain. At present there is no trafficable road. -- Held over for a month. This one is probably our John.

ENLISTMENT (at Lower Town Hall, Melbourne)
Name: John Richardson
Gender: Male
Age: 30 & 6months
Birth Year: abt 1884 (on 29 May 1916)
Birth Place: Drouin, Victoria
Dossier Year Range: 1914-1920
Enlistment Place: Melbourne, Victoria
Service Number: 28427
Spouse: Jessie Richardson
Next of Kin: Jessie RICHARDSON
Paling splitter; born near Drouin; 21/6th F A Brigade, 7th Reinforcements; previously 6 months in Aust Light Horse in 1911; dated 29 May 1916; 6ft 1 & quarter ins tall; fresh complexion; Brown eyes, dk brown hair with a number of moles on face & body and scars; C of E.
Passed fit for service on 11/10/1916. Gunner in Field Artillery Brigade.

He was at Sandringham in Aug 1916, MacLeod in Aug-Sept, F/A Maribyrnong 5/9/1916, a gunner in Oct 1916; failed to embark "Ulysses" at Durban S Africa 29/11/1916, declared illegal absentee 22/11/1916, Gunner, AWL from Durban 16/11/16 Declared by Court of Inquiry 13/6/1919, Discharged 21/7/1921. All entitlements

20 Oct 1930, Jessie is in Sydney seeking assistance from the Army in relation to John's war service. Presumably John is then dead. Jessie will not be entitled to assistance.

1919 Electoral Roll: Joseph Richardson, labourer, is at Laver's Hill/Mill, Beech Forest, but Jessie is not present. He seems to have made his way back from South Africa, gone back to where he left from, and no-one the wiser.

ELECTORAL ROLL: Beech Forest, 1922: John Richardson, splitter, and Jessie Richardson, home duties, are both at Beech Forest. Edgar Stanley Richardson is also in Beech Forest, but need to check if he is related. Their residence address is Laver's Mill, so John is living on-site. [Unless there is a huge coincidence, it seems that John made his way back from South Africa and returned to his job as a 'splitter'.] 1925: both present, & John is a labourer 1926, 1927: John and Jessie are still at Laver's Mill. [There are two Edgar Stanleys to check on, and Aidde Lillian and Alfred James Richardson.]

Every family has its ratbags, and John Richardson is one of ours. This man has more front than Myers.See documents

John deserted from the army in South Africa and was believed to have disappeared in Johannesburg, abandoning his wife and daughters, who were not eligible for a pension. It is reasonable to assume he died in South Africa at some time after WW1 - but no! The army couldn't find him after much searching, but by 1919 he was already back in Beech Forest from where he enlisted.

No evidence for John in South Africa, but I haven't done any serious searching. I imagine he was keeping his head down to avoid arrest. See above electoral roll for 1922.

DEATH & BURIAL
No evidence for John's death or burial in Australia or NZ. Always possible he just disappeared again. If Jessie was seeking financial help circa 1930, I assume he had either died or deserted them again.