Mornington's Griffeth Family

If you think that this looks very much like a garden bed with a central feature, then you are close to the story behind this family grave site.


Sited in Mornington Cemetery on the Mornington Peninsula, it represents generations of the Griffeth family.
The male family members were pioneers in the nursery business on the Mornington Peninsula.
Two Bays, at Two Bays Drive Somerville, was built by the Griffeth brothers in 1903-1904, about fourteen years after they had started a nursery on the property. 

Brothers Charles and George - the founders of this nursery - died of natural causes.




The death occurred at Moorooduc on Monday night of Mr. Charles Griffeth, managing director of Two Bays Nurseries and Orchard Co., Pty. Ltd. He was aged 81 years. Mr. Griffeth and his late brother, Mr. George Griffeth, were the founders of an extensive business of nurserymen and orchardists carried on at Somerville, Moorooduc, Nyah, and other places for many years. The brothers were born in the State of New York, U.S.A., and came to Australia more than 50 years ago. The business is now carried on at Moorooduc, the orchard comprising about 700 acres. Mr. Griffeth was a widower.
- The Argus 7th November 1934. on Trove

But the Charles who carried on running the business suffered a quite different fate.

Councillor Charles Melbourne Griffeth, president of the Shire of Mornington and managing director of the Two Bays Nurseries, was found dead this afternoon in unusual circumstances. Councillor Griffeth left the nurseries at 10 o'clock this morning with the intention of going into Mornington. At 10 minutes to 3 o'clock his car was seen in the orchard, and the wire fence was down. Mr. Griffeth wai found lying dead under the car. Councillor Griffeth, who, aged 44 years, had apparently cranked the car while in gear, and had been crushed to death. He leaves a widow and two children. 
- The Argus 1st January 1932 on Trove
NOTE: Strangely, I missed seeing a plaque here for this Charles??? Yet he should be here with wife Leila.
But Australian Cemeteries records that Leila died at St Kilda, further north on Port Phillip Bay while Charles is buried here at this plot.
Yet St Kilda Cemetery records show no Leila Griffeth, in facts no Griffeths at all.

**And there is an eerie connection between the Two Bays property and 2 other tragic events on the peninsula.


Mrs James Firth died in tragic circumstances in February 1923.... Middle aged Mrs Firth was driving across Moorooduc Crossing at a moderate speed when she saw a train coming.... Certain that the car would be hit, she clambered into the back seat (according to a witness) and then jumped out of the car in blind terror. Ironically the car rolled out of harm’s way while Mrs Firth jumped right in front of the train. Trove shows that the incident was reported in the Argus as well as in newspapers in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Hobart and Perth.
Extract from Family Tree Circles

This incident was on the then property of Two Bays Nursery.

But there's more!
I posted the story of the drowning of footballers in Port Phillip Bay 21st May, 1892.
Ellen Firth's brother (brother-in-law?) John's 17 year old son James was among them.
My post was A Minister's Rocky Road - of Rev James Caldwell's involvement with this tragedy.


A fruitful lifestyle
Growing seeds of the future
Tragic connections


Linking to:
Taphophile Tragics

A Minister's Rocky Road

This headstone is to be found at Mornington Cemetery on the Mornington Peninsula.
Rev. James Caldwell, a loved Mornington minister, has two public histories.
One history involves being one of the longest serving ministers on the peninsula - about 28years from 1874.
The other involves an unbelievable tragedy.
In 1892 there was a football disaster.
At 6pm Saturday May 21st, 15 members of the Mornington Football Club (3 fishermen and the rest were members of the football team) were returning from Mordialloc to Mornington  in a boat after a draw in a football match.
The boat sank and all lives were lost.
Three of the lives lost were the sons of Rev James Caldwell:
James 21, William 19 and Hugh 17.
In a region of only about 900 people, this tragedy was devastating.
No surprise that Mornington became known as Mourningtown.
More details of this story may be found at TROVE and HERE and HERE


This is another Mornington Cemetery memorial to a young life involved in this same tragedy
- another 17 year old.
The headstone testifies that this family was struck by another loss of a young life only 11 years after the 1892 tragedy.
I can't trace the reason for this one.


Here is a memorial to all the lives lost in 1892.
The memorial is near Mornington Park overlooking Port Phillip Bay.

And Rev James Caldwell?
Before this football tragedy, his wife drowned in a boating accident on the Yarra River, Melbourne in 1883.
He lived in a 2 storey Victorian mansion Glenbank (built 1875) in Mornington.
It is now on the Morven Mansion Retirement Village site - 107-109 Barkly Street, Mornington.


What was James Caldwell's church from his arrival in 1874 has now been converted?? to two popular Mornington restaurants.
The Beaches website claims they are using an old church hall built in 1923 (built after James' death).
Others say this is part of the Presbyterian church.

And the old church itself, St Andrews, is now known as God's Kitchen.
Both the above restaurants are "back to back" in Barkly Street, just off Main Street, Mornington.
The church was closed in 1966.

Also see The Ghosts of Australian Football - an ABC News presentation video + article

NOTES:
1. The Rev James Caldwell's brother Joseph died at Ballarat "after many months of suffering" on 4th October, 1891- Trove.

2. Ref: Mornington News May 3, 2012 - 5 of the Rev Caldwell's 8 children died in tragic circumstances;
- 3 boys involved in 1892 football tragedy.
- Jean lost at sea between England and Ireland, 5 years after her father's death.
- John, the youngest son, was fatally wounded in 1939 when climbing through a fence with a loaded gun.

3. Ref: Mornington News May 3, 2012 - Relating to the football tragedy - John Kenna, 18, telegraph operator, body found between Frankston and Mornington by Thomas Caldwell, brother of tragic Caldwell brothers.

4. Ref: Mornington News May 3, 2012 - James (Jim) Reid Caldwell (1910- 29th March 2012) - Last surviving grandchild of the Rev Caldwell.
He loved farming, cars, swimming and football.


Unbelievable
A divine spirit tested
Some food for deep thought


Linking to Taphophile Tragics