William Nash
William Nash was born in Somerset, England. His marriage certificate states that his father was a soldier and also named William Nash. His death certificate shows that his father was a member of the 40th Regiment. His mother's was named Mary Ann and her surname was probably Spellar or similar, and the certificate includes a note that "the bridegroom is not confident that the above is his mother's true maiden name; but thinks at least that it is like it." On his death certificate, his mother's name is given as "Sarah Spiller"; it is more likely that William's own version not long after he arrived from England is to be preferred rather than the name recounted by someone else after William's death.
The year of his birth is uncertain. The marriage certificate states that he was 19¾ years old at the time of his marriage, in 1858, although the birth certificate of his daughter born 20 months later, while difficult to read, appears to state that he was 24 years of age at the time of his daughter's birth. William's death certificate states he was age 67 when he died in 1905.
photograph provided by Denise Ritter,
great grand-daughter of William Nash.
The marriage certificate gives his place of birth as Somersetshire while his daughter’s birth certificate and his own death certificate give his birthplace as Taunton, Somerset.
In searching other sources, the only record located is in the International Genealogical Index for Somerset, which records a William Nash (parents' names William and Mary) was christened in Bridgwater, Somerset on 15 July 1836. Bridgwater is about 20 kilometres from Taunton so that it is quite possible that, in later years, when describing his birthplace it was easier to nominate the larger nearby centre. It is also possible that he was born in Taunton and christened in nearby Bridgwater or possibly the family lived between the two towns. This date of christening would fit comfortably with information below about William Nash arriving on the ship The Kent and being 24 years of age at the time of his daughter's birth.
On his wedding certificate and daughter's birth certificate, William is identified as a "labourer", and on his daughter's marriage certificate, his occupation is recorded as "miner". On his death certificate, his occupation is slightly indistinct, probably "brickmarker" or "brickmaker".
William's death certificate states he had been in New South Wales and Victoria for a total of 45 years and 4 years in Western Australia. Thus he had lived in the Australian colonies/states for about 49 years at the time of his death in 1905, suggesting he was aged about 18, arriving in about 1856. Inward Passenger Lists showing immigration to Victoria from British Ports, show that six persons named William Nash arrived in Victoria in the period 1852-1859. The records show the age at arrival, and the William Nash that most closely fits with known information about "our" William Nash was age 20 on arrival on the ship The Kent in July 1855; this would very probably be him if he was christened in about 1836 and was aged 24 at the time of his daughter's birth, but would not be him if he was still under 20 when he married in 1858. While it may yet be shown otherwise, it seems very likely that this is "our" William and that the age on his marriage certificate is incorrect.
The Kent
source of picture not identified
William Nash could not sign his name. On his marriage certificate "his x mark" is signed.
His early life in Australia appears to have been spent in gold mining areas of Victoria. He was living in Castlemaine, Victoria, when he married Susan Kearns in 1858. He and his wife were living in Sandhurst (Bendigo) when their daughter Elizabeth was born in 1860, and were living in Clunes, Victoria, when their son William James was born in 1864. Residence after that is unclear, but as indicated by the information on his death certificate William and his wife Susan lived in New South Wales and Victoria until about 1901, when they moved to Western Australia. It is known that Susan was residing in Goulburn, NSW, in 1882 and was present at the birth of their grandson, Michael Francis Cleary, in Goulburn in 1884 (see separate information about Susan Kearns). Their son William James Nash was married in 1886 in Hay, NSW, suggesting that the family was probably residing in New South Wales around that time.
It appears that William's wife, Susan, and daughter, Elizabeth, were in New Zealand at one time, but the circumstances of this are not known, but it also appears that William did not live in New Zealand.
William and Susan's son, William James Nash, moved to Western Australia. There is a record of one of William and Susan's grand-daughter's being born in W.A. in 1897, and their daughter-in-law died in 1903 (see under William James Nash). It appears that their daughter-in-law's illness may have been related to William and Susan's decision to move to Western Australia in approx. 1901; perhaps they may have gone to help look after the children.
source of image not known
Cuballing is a small settlement located about 192 km. south-east of Perth, in the area known as "Swanland" which gives rise to the Swan River which flows to the ocean through Perth. Cuballing is located on the "Great Southern Railway" from Perth. The size of the community may be gauged from the history of the Cuballing School which opened in 1895 with an enrolment of 20 children, reaching a peak of 59 pupils in 1913, before closing due to lack of attendance in 1929. In 1906, Cuballing town consisted of two butcher shops, the Cuballing Hall, Post Office, Cuballing Coffee Palace, two banks, two blacksmiths, two churches, a boarding house and the Hotel. "All buildings at that time appear to have been made of bricks from the local firm of Davey Bros" (http://www.treko.net.au/~shire/history.html). The comment regarding the bricks is interesting, keeping in mind the above note that William Nash worked in the brickmaking industry.
In the 1880s there was a rumour that Cuballing was going to become the main junction town where the railway lines from the north and the east met. (http://www.walkabout.fairfax.com.au/fairfax/locations/WACuballing.shtml. Speculators and investors moved into the town but, unfortunately for Cuballing, the town which was chosen as the junction was Narrogin, 14 km. away (it had a better water supply).
William Nash died on 27 May 1905 at No 36 Cuballing Street, Cuballing, Western Australia and he was buried in the Narrogin Cemetery.
The headstones of Narrogin Cemetery have been transcribed ( see http://www.wt.com.au/~llarment/narrogin.htm).This record shows one person with the surname Nash buried at the cemetery, in the Anglican section, at lot B.8. but there is no first name identified, there is no headstone, and the date of death is September 1906 . If the date of death is correct, it would not be William's grave. Thus it seems his grave is unmarked.
