Gold Rush book from 1853

[tinpan]

Hi all

I recently acquired a gold pricing book printed in 1853 called the Victorian Gold Value Ready Reconer by Orr brothers of London.

In the book is the name of a gold miner called Charles Banks, and in the back of the book is a written account of his frustrations of understanding the geology.

So I went to the local archives at the library and got a copy of his county land tax for 1867, which gave me the information of where his hut and mining claim was.

I then searched the local cemetery database and found his grave located in the Back Creek Cemetery, he passed away in 1887. He can also be found listed in newspapers in the archives of the Australian National Library.

I then went to the cemetery and located his grave using the grave marker in the cemetery map. There are many unmarked graves in this section, but I matched his interment number to a grave with a wrought iron fence but no tombstone.

TP

 

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[dansalata]

very cool....

 

[tinpan]

Hi, Thanks you do not see many gold rush books that are nearly 170 years old T P

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice work! Very cool book!

 

[tamrock]

That's a neat find and now you've got the spirit of Charles Bank's to keep you company from time to time. It's always neat to ponder the thoughts of those before us and retrace their life. To me it's almost like having a ghost for a friend. We had Christmas early last weekend, as that's the only time all my girls could come home. We always get old photo albums out and revisit the past of our lives and the lives of family members before us. I did something this this time we've not done before and got out these old letters my dad and my girls grandpa wrote to their grandma during his time in the Korean War. We all took turns reading them out loud to each other. In one letter I see my father express the rethinking of his political views and what he thought of the current Administration and President Harry Truman, so long ago now.

 

[DocBeav]

Great info and great research tinpan! Have you been to or gotten permission and hunted his old property yet?

 

[tinpan]

Great info and great research tinpan! Have you been to or gotten permission and hunted his old property yet?

Thanks His gold claim sits right in the middle of the North Bendigo Football Club Oval. Google Earth Ironbark Road and Anderson Street North Bendigo . All open land North is the old Gold Reef T P

 

[ARC]

Hmmm,,, it does not appear that you are the first to visit his gravesite...

It looks from the picture you posted to have been "disturbed" at some point... perhaps hence the fencing.

 

[captj]

very cool If you want to put the same effort in mexico that would be greatly appreciated

 

[ARC]

very cool If you want to put the same effort in mexico that would be greatly appreciated

? ? ?

Um... IMO... Mexico needs to put effort in Mexico.

 

[tinpan]

Hmmm,,, it does not appear that you are the first to visit his gravesite...

It looks from the picture you posted to have been "disturbed" at some point... perhaps hence the fencing.

Hi .The forest behind the cemetery encroaching into the grounds . Vegetation removal program. TP

 

[tinpan]

very cool If you want to put the same effort in mexico that would be greatly appreciated

Hi This area is mostly Irish Catholic Australia so there may be Irish relations of the Mexican American war buried in this cemetery . Batallion de San Patricio mean anything to you TP

 

[Cal_Cobra]

That's pretty cool alright!

Out here in California, any gold rush period photos or written documents are very highly prized by collectors and can command a pretty penny.

 

[thrifty76now]

A great find indeed,and your research was a good read.

 

[tinpan]

That's pretty cool alright!

Out here in California, any gold rush period photos or written documents are very highly prized by collectors and can command a pretty penny.

Hi, I think the book has more historical value and I did take the book to the local historical Society ,they photographed the hand written details and the other document . TP