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
