Just adding the last two short stories I wrote during my Writing family history course, then I have one more left, the main essay I am about to hand up. the next two short stories are both about my Bisdee family, my 2 x great grandfather Edgar and my great grandfather George John.
Edgar Bisdee Crouching down in the field a quarter mile from home, Edgar’s father silently motioned for Edgar to creep forward and then pounce on the sheep that had strayed from the flock. This would feed the hungry family for days. If only Edgar had the foresight to think the 17 chickens that had already been stolen over the last few days were enough. Halting at the thievery of just a few chickens, Edgar and James could have gotten away with it. Going out that luckless last night and not having a clue that Old George was on his way home from the publican or that he would later be able to identify the Bisdee father and son on Thomas Castle’s property was where the luck did run out. If Edgar had any notion that he would be caught, charged, judged and committed for the crimes of grand larceny, would he have still stolen the animals that feed his starving family? Would knowing that he would be spending two years on a leaky old decommissioned ship with the other ill-fated convicts who would soon be sailing across the waters be a deterrent? And then spending another 3 years as an Australian convict before meeting his soon to be bride with no chance of ever returning home? The times were hard, families were hungry, and the jobs were far and few in-between. Edgar and James did what they had to do to keep their loved ones alive but unfortunately ended up paying with their futures. George John Bisdee George Bisdee was 30 years old in 1908 and was unknowingly 3 years from marrying his girl Daisy. George really needed to save money so he can show John Younger, he was worthy of marrying his daughter and keeping a family. George was also hoping that Mr Younger had not seen the newspapers detailing his woes. Seven years he had evaded debtors, but it seems to have caught up with him. Being arrested on his way to work on Thursday, January 2nd and appearing in court on Wednesday 14th of January would surely have guaranteed he had lost his job at the farm in Midland Junction. It wasn’t easy being a son and grandson of convicts. You were looked down on, treated like second class citizens. Life was tough, the work when he was able to get it was rough. George had many different jobs over the years, from working at the rail tracks to building the infamous Kalgoorlie pipeline, although he was known as Williams there. Was it his fault the Ganger called him Williams, and he had to sign for his pay as “Williams”? From job to job, quitting one, being sacked from another it was pure chance that he moved around and couldn’t be tracked down for the police to serve his warrant. George was to obey the order set out by the court and attend court when summoned, on the guarantee he would follow the orders et, he would be released from custody and not go to jail. If, however, he did not comply with the orders, he would be served another warrant of arrest. So be on the look out for the next story, it is on my 2 x great grandfather David Hepburn Shearer
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AuthorMy name is Davina and I have been researching my family history since 2011. I started with almost nothing but ended up with a wealth of information and I needed an outlet to show and display all the information I have found. Archives
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