Joseph Henry Cotterill

^{Possibly a photo of Joseph Henry Cotterill c1900, family photo}

My grandpa had two uncles called Joseph, neither of who lived long enough to ever meet him. Joseph Trezise was killed in France in 1916, and Joseph Henry Cotterill drowned in the Tamar in 1905.

Joseph Henry Cotterill was born in 1895, the second son of Emma Maria nee Annear and Henry Cotterill, making him my Grandpa’s uncle and my great great uncle. Joseph had a sister, Kate, who was 4 years older than him and a brother, George, who was 3 years older. When he was just a baby himself, he became a big brother to Len. He was seven when Percy was born and nine when Pearl was born.

During Joseph’s childhood Tasmania was coming out of the depression of the 1890s, and Beaconsfield was having its glory days. Most of the large, impressive buildings that line the main street are from this era. Joseph’s father, Henry, was a miner in the Tasmania Gold Mine, which, while suffering numerous shut downs due to flooding which may have given Henry a feeling that his employment was precarious, was also Tasmania’s most productive goldmine and in 1898 rated one of the greatest mines in the country. In 1901, more than 2600 people lived in the town. Joseph would not only have had his own siblings round him, but the town and it surrounds contained generations of relatives from his mother’s side.

On Boxing Day 1905 Joseph was 10. He and brothers George, age 13, and Len, age 8 went out sailing with a man named Alfred Henry Stevens.

With the busy-ness of Christmas behind them, and three likely energetic young boys and a new baby (Pearl) at home, Emma may have been glad to see the boys head off for the day. Henry last saw his sons about 10am, perhaps waving them off from home and unaware of what their day would hold, or perhaps taking them down to a jetty to meet up with the boat, and then then waving from shore as they set off.

They probably began their journey from Sidmouth (then sometimes referred to as Sailors Gully), where the River Tamar is nearest to Beaconsfield and where they had Annear relatives.

They headed north, towards the West Arm.

It was a fine day. Mr Stevens was sailing. George went into the cabin with Len. Joseph lay on the gunnels, fishing and holding onto a rope to steady himself.

About 2 miles up from the mouth of the West Arm, which would be right near the top of the arm, the boat listed – perhaps a small squall while they were at anchor. There was a splash, that caused George, Len and Mr Stevens all to look. They saw Joseph fall into the water. All three saw Joseph fall into the water.

Mr Stevens immediately began trying to sail to the boy. He tried to reach him with an oar, which broke, so he jumped in himself, but Joseph was no where to be found.

There’s no record of how the three survivors got home, or how the message got to Emma and Henry.

A search party did set out looking for Joseph.

Not until about 7pm the following night did a man called William M’Donald find his body. (William may have been the husband of Joseph’s cousin, Sarah Dinah Bilson McDonald nee Annear. There was also a William McDonald – or the same one? – who had land in York Town, so was well placed to make the grim discovery – Sarah’s husband William had a sister called Margaret which could explain the adjoining block).

Two days later an inquest was held, at the Ophir Hotel in Beaconsfield. The inquest was short, and returned a verdict of accidentally drowned. And that was it. As far as I can tell there is no written record of the event other than the one page verdict and the newspaper articles that reported on it.

“Much sympathy is felt for the parents, who are greatly respected.” Examiner p5, 28 Dec 1905.