John Shrews TALBOT – grave tales

John Shrews TALBOT ― aged 70yrs, died on 26th August 1907, at Mulline, He was both a Battery Hand, Night Watchman  and a Journalist, The cause of his death was suicide, a revolver shot, self-inflicted during a period of temporary insanity, This was the verdict of the Coroner.

Captain John Shrewsbury Talbot - Photo Find a Grave

Captain John Shrewsbury Talbot – Photo Find a Grave

Above -Copy photograph of Captain John Shrews Talbot, 65th Regiment. Talbot is pictured seated and is wearing military uniform. He has his regimental cap resting on his lap. Talbot was wounded in battle at Rangiriri pā, Waikato, in November 1863. He was wounded in the face, left arm and side, and was mistakenly reported dead in the Taranaki Herald of 28 November 1863. The photograph is included on page 21 of William Francis Robert Gordon’s album “Some “Soldiers of the Queen” who served in the Maori Wars and Other Notable Persons Connected Herewith”. – Source Ancestry.com

John Shews Talbot Maori Haka – Ancestry.com

John Shews Talbot – Maori Haka – Ancestry.com

In 1903 in Mulline WA, John S Talbot was voted as the chairman of the newly formed rifle club.

Father: Henry William TALBOT (1808-1859), Mother: Ellen LEECH (1810-1875), Born: Maryborough, Co Laois, Monkstown, Ireland on the 22nd September 1838. He married Eleanor Swete WHITE in Auckland New Zealand at age 34yrs.

Marriage Notice - Auckland Star 9 SEPTEMBER 1872

Marriage Notice – Auckland Star 9 SEPTEMBER 1872

Children – Henry William Beamish born 1874, John Nicholson born 1875, James born 1885,
Eleanor also had the following children from another relationship but they were all called TALBOT. Olive born 1890, Selia born 1892, Lionel born 1892. His wife Eleanor was also born in Ireland. She had emigrated to New Zealand by 1872 at the age of 20yrs where she married John. She then must have returned to Ireland as her first three children were born there. It doesn’t appear that she came with John to Western Australia. She died in England in 1931, John was in WA for 13yrs prior to his death, Registration 35/1907 North Coolgardie, Buried Mulline Cemetery, he has no headstone.

Mulline Cemetery - Photo Find a Grave

Mulline Cemetery – Photo Find a Grave

Kookynie Press (WA : 1903 – 1911), Wednesday 4 September 1907, page 2


Tired of Life
A Mulline Resident Shoots Himself

Quite a gloom was cast over the Mulline township on the 27 the ult when it became known that Mr J. S. Talbot had passed away by his own hand. The deceased gentleman had been in indifferent health for the past two months, and suffered from severe depression and fits of black despondency, but it was thought that last week he showed an improvement.  Into his ample life of over three score and ten years, Mr Talbot crowded many and varied experiences. Born in or near Cork, Ireland, in the early thirties, he served his time to journalism, from which he was attached in the British Army. As a captain he served with distinction in the early Maori war, and on his return to London resigned his commission on being overlooked by the authorities in the list of promotions.


After a few years in Canada and California he became immigration agent for the former colony, and was stationed in London for a number of years. His next move was towards New Zealand, where he was interested in trading concerns in the North Island for some time, and ultimately came to this State about ten years ago, the last six of which he spent in the Mulline district. Bad luck and ill health have been his companions for some time, and wore him in the finish to ending his days in soldier fashion with a bullet. His upright, fearless character and kindly nature gained him the respect and affection of all who knew him, and he leaves behind many sorrowing friends. Mr T. F. James, J.P., held the usual inquiry, assisted by Constable D’Alton, and after a post mortem examination by Dr. Belgrave, the jury returned a verdict that the deceased had died from a revolver shot self inflicted.

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My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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Comments

  1. Thank you for providing this information!! John is my great x3 grandfather and I’ve recently been researching more into my heritage, this was a very interesting and informative read!! 🙂

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