George William Breadmore led a long and varied life.
George was born in Bath, Somerset in about 1819 to William and Elizabeth Breadmore, but in 1823 was moved, with his parents and older sister Charlotte, to Hungerford in Berkshire. He was probably the George Breadmore who was moving Wheel poststones in the Hungerford area between 22 March and 28 March 1835.
By 1839 when he married his first wife Mary Tarr, George was a gardener living in Bayswater, London. He and Mary probably had three chidren, although only two survived. In 1849 George William was a widower when he married Alicia Phillips in Paddington, London. He gave his occupation as a greengrocer.
On the 4 January 1852 George (32 a plasterer and literate), Alicia (23 Literate), Elizabeth (11), James (7) and George (an infant) sailed from Plymouth, England on the Barque Calphurnia, arriving in Hobson's Bay on 2 April. The voyage had been very rough in the Bay of Biscay and then they had been becalmed for several days after crossing the equator, and on arrival at Williamstown the entire crew bolted for the gold diggings.
George immediately went to work for Captain Charles Swanston of Glenelg on a cattle farm, The contract was for 12 months for 60 Pounds a year with rations. At one time he was a storekeeper on a station in the Western District. By 1855 they were living at Blackwood, on the goldfields, but had moved again by 1856, this time to Creswick where he, with a partner, had a business as gardener.
The gold diggings started at Rocky Lead and by 1864 George had moved his family again to that area where he started a butchery and grocery business which he ran for several years. He also ran the coach from Rocky Lead to Creswick before the opening of Creswick to Daylesford railway line.
George and Alicia's ninth child was born in 1869. Alicia died in 1871 and George married for a third time, in 1879, to Mary Walters nee Bunston with whom he had a daughter.
George was well known in the area as a good suporter and worker for various charites. He was a life governer of the Creswick Hospital and had been a zealous and faithful worker in the Church.
George William Breadmore died on 25 July 1900, aged 81, having been in failing health for some time. His obituary in the Creswick Advertiser of 28 July 1900 was headed 'Another old identity, Mr George W Breadmore, has crossed the bar.' He was buried at Creswick on 27 July 1900.
Andrew Young -
andrew@breadmore.org - © Margaret and Andrew Young
Breadmore One-Name
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