| 1. | Confirm existence of the burial ground. There is sufficient evidence in family letters and diaries and in burial information in death registers to confirm that the Newington Cemetery existed. |
| 2. | Determine the location of the burial ground. The death register entry for Joseph CHAMBERS states that he was buried at Newington on the property of Edmond FERRIS. Examination of maps and Shire Rates and Valuations shows that Edmond FERRIS' property was the same property known locally as PACEY's Hill. It is on this property that the commemorative plaque was found - in the same location as identified by older residents. |
| 3. | Determine the people buried there. The following surnames were identified as possible burials in the Newington Cemetery : FERRIS, CHAMBERS, MATCHIM, LUCKOW, FOX, LING, THOMAS, HARDING. The following relationships between these families have been established :-
|
The table following shows the names identified from various sources as possible burials in the Newington Cemetery. Each entry is identified as CONFIRMED (from death and burial registers) or POSSIBLE where insufficient evidence has been found to either exclude or confirm the entry. Most of the "possible" entries relate to babies - death records for these may never be found as they may have been stillborn babies which were not required to be registered.
The one entry which has definitely been excluded from the original list is that of "Grannie FERRIS" who was Susannah FERRIS, previously CHAMBERS, nee SMITH. Ironically, it was the story of Grannie FERRIS the "herb woman" and local midwife that was responsible for starting this research and she is the only one definitely NOT buried in the Newington Cemetery! (See Photo Gallery 2)
From the BARRY Diary and "Chambers Chronicles" we learn that "She is buried with her daughter Susanna. Story goes that old Susanna wished to be buried with Joseph in the old cemetery near her wattle and daub cottage. However, it is said that her daughter-in-law, Ellen (Mrs. Charles Chambers), created a fuss about that and so it was in the Port [sic] Lonsdale Cemetery that she was buried."
Susanna FERRIS nee SMITH died 19th May 1910 at the age of 94 and is buried in plot 65 in the Church of England section of the Queenscliff Cemetery at Point Lonsdale. (9)
| Possible names of burials | Year | Comments | Newington Cemetery burials | Confirmation of burial in Newington Cemetery : from Death Indexes with burial and other details from Death Register |
| Jeanie / Jennie / Jenny FERRIS | 1850 | This is an early death and no record has been found to date - conflicting information on whether this is Ned FERRIS' first wife or a daughter, however the full name is consistent. | Possible | Cannot confirm |
| Baby HARDING | Vic BDM : Catherine HARDING, d. 03/08/1862, 4 years 6 months old, Father Elias, Mother Frances Young EAVIS, place of birth Conewarre, Reg No. 1858/7184 Buried private cemetery Connewarre | Possible | Could "private cemetery Connewarre" be Newington Cemetery? | |
| Joseph CHAMBERS | 1862 | Yes | Joseph CHAMBERS, d. 24/08/1862, 51 years old, Father Unknown, spouse Susannah SMITH, place of birth England, Reg No. 1862/7247 Buried Newington, property of Edmond FERRIS | |
| Mrs / Miss FERRIS or CHAMBERS | 1862 | Possible | No death record has been found to date for a female FERRIS or CHAMBERS for the period 1861 - 1863. | |
| William CHAMBERS | 1871 | This is an uncle of Charlie CHAMBERS referred to in the BARRY diary. | Yes | William CHAMBERS, d. 1871, 5 years old, Father Henry Smith, Mother Emily Frances FOX, place of birth Clunes, Reg No. 1871/3418 Buried Newington Cemetery, Bellarine Peninsula |
| Baby LING | 1876 | Yes | Susanna LING, d. 19/01/1876, age 2 hours, Father John, Mother Susanna BUTLER, place of birth Newi (Newington), Reg. 1876/430 Buried Newington, Bellarine Peninsula | |
| Henry CHAMBERS | 1879 | This is also an uncle of Charlie CHAMBERS referred to in the BARRY diary. | Yes | Henry CHAMBERS, d. 1879, 11 years old, Father Henry Smith, Mother Emily Frances FOX, place of birth Clunes, Reg No. 1879/2430 Buried Newington Cemetery, Bellarine Peninsula |
| Baby LOCKOW (2) | Bernard William LUCKOW, born 1881 at Queenscliff, Father Theodore Bernhard, Mother Priscilla CHAMBERS. According to "Chambers Chronicles" he died in infancy. | Possible | Death record not found to date. | |
| Baby LOCKO(W) (1) | 1885 | Yes | Priscilla LUCKOW, d. 11/03/1885, 5 weeks old, Father William, Mother Priscilla CHAMBERS, place of death Kensington, Reg No. 1885/1911 Buried Mt. Mitchell Cemetery, Newington (see note below on Mt Mitchell Cemetery) | |
| Edmund FERRIS | 1887 | Edmund FERRIS appears in the Bellarine Cemetery Register Index at Leopold. A date of death is shown but religion and grave number are both unknown. There is a notation : died at H. F. Richardson's Market, Newington. It is most unlikely that he is buried at Leopold - the death register states that he is buried at Newington which agrees with all family references. | Yes | Edmund FERRIS, d. 04/03/1887, 78 years old, Father unknown, Mother Sarah PERRY, place of death Geelong, Reg No. 1887/2015 Buried Newington Cemetery, Bellarine Peninsula |
| Priscilla LOCKO(W) | 1887 | Yes | Priscilla LUCKOW, d. 27/09/1887, 34 years old, Father Joseph CHAMBERS, Mother Hannat [Susannah] SMITH, place of death Kensington, Reg No. 1887/10617 Buried Newington Cemetery, Bellarine Peninsula | |
| Baby MATCHUM (1) | Vic BDM : Edward Joseph MATCHAN, b, 1866, d. 08/06/1867, no age, Father Edwin, Mother Martha CHAMBERS, place of birth Ashbey, Reg No. 1866/2296 Buried Ashby Private Cemetery, Barwon Heads | Possible | Could "Ashby Private Cemetery, Barwon heads" be Newington Cemetery? | |
| Baby MATCHUM (2) | There were 8 MATCHAN children - 4 children after Edward Joseph born at Kensington (Leopold) | Possible | Death record not found to date. | |
| Baby THOMAS (Father Mark) | Possible | |||
| Baby FOX (Parents George & Sarah) | Possible | Death record not found to date. |
Person Reports (from Bellarine Peninsula Pioneers database)
___________________________________________________________________________| Name: | Jeanie |
| Death Date: | 1850 |
| Burial Place: | Newington Cemetery |
| Remarks: | or Jennie |
| Spouse: | Edmund FERRIS |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Henry CHAMBERS |
| Birth Date: | 1868 |
| Birth Place: | Clunes |
| Death Date: | 1 Jan 1879 |
| Burial Place: | Newington Cemetery |
| Remarks: | BC 1868/8201, DC 1879/2430 |
| Father: | Henry Smith CHAMBERS (1839-1915) |
| Mother: | Emily Frances FOX (1844-1937) |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Joseph CHAMBERS |
| Birth Date: | 7 May 1812 |
| Birth Place: | Aveling, Gloucestershire |
| Death Date: | 24 Aug 1862 |
| Death Place: | Ned Ferris' property at Newington |
| Burial Place: | Newington Cemetery, Victoria |
| Occupation: | Clothworker, Brickmaker, Farmer |
| Remarks: | Ref Pivot Tree Jan 1996 |
| Father: | James CHAMBERS |
| Mother: | Lydia HILLIAR |
| Spouse: | Susanna SMITH |
| Marriage Date: | 25 Dec 1834 |
| Marriage Place: | Gloucestershire |
| Children: | Selina (Female) Leonard James (Male) Leonard (Male) Henry Smith (Male) Martha (Female) Susanna (Female) Joseph (Male) Priscilla (Female) Selina (Twin) Charles (Twin) Priscilla (Female) |
| Notes: | Religion - C of E. Arrived South Australia 6 December 1837 on Navarino. Moved to Victoria in 1856. Joined Joseph's friend Edmund (Ned) Ferris on his farm at Newington on the Bellarine Peninsula. |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Priscilla CHAMBERS |
| Birth Date: | 10 Sep 1854 |
| Birth Place: | Adelaide |
| Death Date: | 27 Sep 1887 |
| Burial Place: | Newington Cemetery, Bellarine |
| Remarks: | Committed suicide, DC 1887/10617 |
| Father: | Joseph CHAMBERS (1812-1862) |
| Mother: | Susanna SMITH (1814-1910) |
| Spouse: | Theodore Bernhard LUCKOW |
| Marriage Date: | 1879 |
| Children: | Bernard William (Male) Dora Priscilla (Female) Priscilla (Female) |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | William CHAMBERS |
| Birth Date: | 1865 |
| Birth Place: | Clunes |
| Death Date: | 1871 |
| Burial Place: | Newington Cemetery |
| Remarks: | BC 1865/21040, DC 1871/3418 |
| Father: | Henry Smith CHAMBERS (1839-1915) |
| Mother: | Emily Frances FOX (1844-1937) |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Edmund FERRIS |
| Death Date: | 4 Mar 1887 |
| Burial Place: | L/UNK (on cemetery records) Newington Cemetery |
| Remarks: | Acc. died at H F Richardson's Market, Newington |
| Spouse (1) : | Jeanie |
| Spouse (2) : | Susanna SMITH |
| Marriage Date: | 1863 |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Cath HARDING |
| Birth Date: | 1858 |
| Birth Place: | Conewarre |
| Death Date: | 3 Aug 1862 |
| Burial Place: | possibly Newington Cemetery (priv cem Connewarre) |
| Remarks: | BC 1858/7184, DC 1862/6602 |
| Father: | Elias HARDING |
| Mother: | Francis Young EAVIS |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Susannah LING |
| Birth Date: | 1876 |
| Birth Place: | Newington |
| Death Date: | 19 Jan 1876 |
| Burial Place: | Newington, Bellarine |
| Remarks: | BC 1876/662, DC 1876/430 |
| Father: | John LING |
| Mother: | Susannah BUTLER |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Bernard William LUCKOW |
| Birth Date: | 1881 |
| Birth Place: | Queenscliff |
| Burial Place: | Possibly Newington Cemetery |
| Remarks: | Died in infancy, BC 1881/18709 |
| Father: | Theodore Bernhard LUCKOW |
| Mother: | Priscilla CHAMBERS (1854-1887) |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Priscilla LUCKOW |
| Birth Date: | Feb 1885 |
| Death Date: | 11 Mar 1885 |
| Burial Place: | Newington Cemetery |
| Remarks: | DC 1885/1911 (died 1 month old) |
| Father: | Theodore Bernhard LUCKOW |
| Mother: | Priscilla CHAMBERS (1854-1887) |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Theodore Bernhard LUCKOW |
| Birth Place: | Schleswig, Germany |
| Remarks: | Name also shown as Theodore William, MC 1879/4060 |
| Spouse: | Priscilla CHAMBERS |
| Marriage Date: | 1879 |
| Children: | Bernard William (Male) Dora Priscilla (Female) Priscilla (Female) |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Edmond Joseph MATCHAN |
| Birth Date: | 1866 |
| Birth Place: | Ashby |
| Death Date: | 8 Jun 1867 |
| Burial Place: | possibly Newington (Ashby priv cem, Barwon Heads) |
| Remarks: | or Edward, BC 1866/2296, DC 1867/5550 |
| Father: | Edwin MATCHAN (1831-1892) |
| Mother: | Martha CHAMBERS (1841-1914) |
___________________________________________________________________________
| Name: | Susanna SMITH |
| Birth Date: | 1814 |
| Birth Place: | Gloucestershire |
| Christen Date: | 13 Aug 1815 |
| Death Date: | 19 May 1910 |
| Burial Place: | Point Lonsdale Cemetery |
| Father: | Henry SMITH |
| Mother: | Priscilla UNKNOWN |
| Spouse (1) : | Joseph CHAMBERS |
| Marriage Date: | 25 Dec 1834 |
| Marriage Place: | Gloucestershire |
| Children: | Selina (Female) Leonard James (Male) Leonard (Male) Henry Smith (Male) Martha (Female) Susanna (Female) Joseph (Male) Priscilla (Female) Selina (Twin) Charles (Twin) Priscilla (Female) |
| Spouse (2): | Edmund FERRIS |
| Marriage Date: | 1863 |
| Notes: | During Susanna's lifetime the graveyard was fenced and she grew flowers and herbs there. She was known as a midwife and is said to have made a very soothing ointment from her herbs. She could not write but somebody had picked out with small stones a text from Jeremiah 8.22 : "Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" This quotation becomes more poignant with the knowledge that Susanna's youngest daughter, Priscilla, who suicided in 1887, is also buried here in this cemetery, along with two of her babies. |
References
(1) Ada Beale, Chambers Chronicles, manuscript of Chambers family history, n.d., p. 8.
(2) ibid., and Victorian Pioneers Births, Deaths & Marriages on CD-Rom.
(3) ibid.
(4) ibid.
(5) ibid.
(6) ibid.
(7) Victorian Pioneers Births, Deaths & Marriages on CD-Rom.
(8) Victorian Pioneers Births, Deaths & Marriages on CD-Rom.
(9) Queenscliff Cemetery Register Index, Bellarine Historical Society.
(10) John Richardson, The Lady Squatters, Bellarine Rural City Council, Drysdale, 1986, p. 28.
(11) Allan Willingham, Geelong Region Historic Buildings and Objects Study Vol. 1, Geelong Regional Commission, Geelong, 1986, Sheet 78.
