Michael Johnson Rowland
Michael Johnson Rowland was the fifth child to Richard and Elizabeth. He was the first of their four boys.
Michael was born on the Peninsula (now located within the suburb of Maylands), on December the 7th, 1839. This was the year after Sir James Stirling's administration had ended in the Colony. Michael was baptised early next year, on Sunday, January 19th, 1840, by the Colonial Chaplain, the Rev. John Burdett Wittenoom. |
For further information regarding Michael's Parents; |
Michael joined the family which now consisted of parents Richard and Elizabeth along with; Jane Rowland, now aged 8 years, Mary Rowland, aged 6 years, Ann Margaret Rowland, aged 3 years old, and his sister Emma Johnson Rowland, aged 2 years old.
Young Michael was educated at Perth Boys School and most probably worked on the Peninsula Farm, with his father, through the 1840s and 1850s.
1850's
Michael's four older sisters all married during the 1850's. Firstly Jane, [1.] at age 21, during 1852, married John Stokes. Then the next year, during 1853, Mary [2.] aged 20, married John Fletcher. Then four years later older sister, Ann [3.] married at age 21 years, in April 1857, the 23-year-old John James Cockman, in Perth. Finally, young Emma [4.] married William Alderton, in June 1858, when she 'came of age' at 21 years.
In 1851, Edward Hamersley (a leading horse breeder) partnered with Samuel Phillips, Lockier Burges and Bart Vigors to form an enterprise known as "The Cattle Company".
Each man applied for leases on the Irwin River in the newly opened Champion Bay district, thus securing for the company a virtual monopoly of land in the area. Others were to follow. During the years 1852 and 1853 tillage surveys of land along the Irwin River were undertaken on behalf of “The Colonisation Assurance Corporation” This private company had been formed in London with the express object to attract free settlers to the Western Australian Colony. Included in the survey was the layout of streets for the new town site of Dongara. |
1860's
During 1860, Michael then aged 21, travelled north from Perth to the recently released area on the Irwin River, south of Champion Bay. He took up a pastoral lease of 200 acres that year, and in 1861, a further 2,000 acres. Finally in 1862, he took up a pastoral lease on another 2,000 acres (Lots 2194 and 2195). Lot 2195 was renewed in 1865 for the payment of 1 pound. He worked these leases with his younger brother Richard Rowland (See [8.0]) until Michael moved south to GinGin, around 1865. The large 'Cattle Company' was dissolved at the end of 1867, primarily because of the rift between Edward Hamersley and Samuel Phillips.
In the period 1859 to 1865 most tillage leases along the Irwin River were taken up by the many settlers whose names are identified with the fledgling Irwin District. Names such as Brand, Clarkson, Cousins, Cook, Criddle, Ellery, Fane, Fitzgerald, Healey, Kearney, Mason, Morrissey, Nairn, Osborn, Pell, Pettit, Ridley, Rowland, Russ, Thurkle, Watson and the merchants such as Hosken, Moore, Pearse, Shenton and Waldeck along with the early schoolteachers, Cave, Clarke and Johnson.
On the first day of November 1866, at the age of twenty-seven, Michael married Rebecca Owen. (Marriage Reg. No. 2478/1886) The 22-year-old Rebecca had been born during 1844, in London, and came to Australia, during 1864, with her parents.
Rebecca was the daughter of Thomas Owens, a farmer. Michael and Rebecca were married in the Church of England, at GinGin. On his Marriage Certificate, Michael is described as a ‘Mail Carrier’. Michael could have been working for John Cockman, (his brother-in-law, who was married to Michael’s older sister, Ann Margaret Rowland. - See [2.0].) John Cockman was a mail contractor, and he also witnessed Michael and Rebecca’s signing of the wedding register. John Cockman’s, Perth to Wanerenooka mail contract, ran out the following year. According to Rebecca's Obituary (published on the 23rd of July 1932), the couple then moved to Wannaroo (the Cockman's family area) for a short time. |
The year after their marriage, in 1867, Michael and Rebecca’s first son was born (5.1 Richard Michael John Rowland), and the birth was registered in the Perth district, (Birth Registration number: 10221/1867) Michael is listed as ‘a farmer’ at the time. The next year, during 1868, Michael was noted on the Electoral Roll as living in Stirling St. Perth, and must have moved back into Perth in that year. Michael and Rebecca's first five children were all born in Perth.
1870's
Michael employed eleven ticket-of leave men, on different occasions, between 1851 and 1875. This included two butchers. On Thursday, the 2nd of April 1874, Michael was summoned before the Perth Police Court. It was reported that: "Michael Rowland, butcher, of this city, was summoned for allowing his cattle to stray and trespass on Government land, at Claisebrook. The case having been proved to the satisfaction of the Bench by Mr. John Bruce, caretaker of the Government Domain the defendant was fined 9s. 3d., including costs."
In March of 1875, Michael went to court to claim 19 Shillings and six pence from a Mr. Robert Maggs, for meat supplied. (settled out of court). Michael went to court a number of times to pursue claims for payment for meat supplied.
The family returned to the Irwin area in 1878, and Michael was then listed in that year as a 'Mail Contractor, Farmer and Butcher'.
Sixteen years later, in March 1895, Michael referred to himself, when called as a witness during a court trial, that he was, "a farmer and mail contractor residing at Dongara'. In November 1892, Michael had been appointed as an 'Assistant Inspector of Sheep' under the Scab Act of 1891.
Rebecca went on to have five children in the Dongara / Greenough area. The family lived in a two-story house on the bank of the Irwin River. Michael built a new single-story mud brick house, one mile further up the river, on the opposite bank (on Location 318), around 1900. (Location 318 was originally owned by Samuel James Phillips. Later to become the first M.L.A. for Irwin) Michael worked this property until he died. His son, Arthur Rowland (see below at 5.5) later lived in the house (Location 795 on the Brand Highway), and had a shearing shed out the back. The four room, mud brick cottage still exists today and has a Heritage Listing.
Rebecca and Michael had ten children between 1867 and 1885:
In March of 1875, Michael went to court to claim 19 Shillings and six pence from a Mr. Robert Maggs, for meat supplied. (settled out of court). Michael went to court a number of times to pursue claims for payment for meat supplied.
The family returned to the Irwin area in 1878, and Michael was then listed in that year as a 'Mail Contractor, Farmer and Butcher'.
Sixteen years later, in March 1895, Michael referred to himself, when called as a witness during a court trial, that he was, "a farmer and mail contractor residing at Dongara'. In November 1892, Michael had been appointed as an 'Assistant Inspector of Sheep' under the Scab Act of 1891.
Rebecca went on to have five children in the Dongara / Greenough area. The family lived in a two-story house on the bank of the Irwin River. Michael built a new single-story mud brick house, one mile further up the river, on the opposite bank (on Location 318), around 1900. (Location 318 was originally owned by Samuel James Phillips. Later to become the first M.L.A. for Irwin) Michael worked this property until he died. His son, Arthur Rowland (see below at 5.5) later lived in the house (Location 795 on the Brand Highway), and had a shearing shed out the back. The four room, mud brick cottage still exists today and has a Heritage Listing.
Rebecca and Michael had ten children between 1867 and 1885:
˪ 5.5 Arthur Rowland was born during 1875, in Perth (Birth Reg.16557/1875).
|
˪ 5.6 George Rowland was born during 1877, in Perth (Birth Reg. 18549/1877).
|
Following the birth of their son George, in 1877, Michael Johnson Rowland, his wife Rebecca, and the family, left Perth and returned to the Irwin area. This is believed to be at the end of 1878.
˪ 5.8 Octavia (Rose) Rowland was born, along with her twin brother Octavius Rowland, in Middle Irwin area on October 16th, 1882 (Birth Registration: 23367/1882).
|
˪ 5.9 Octavius (Tim) Rowland a twin to Rose, was also born on October 16th, 1882 (Birth Registration: 23368/1882) in the Middle Irwin area.
|
˪ 5.10 Charles Johnson Rowland , the last child, was born in the Middle Irwin area, on June 20th, 1885 (Birth Registration: 26361/1885).
|
1900's
In 1903, and then in 1906, Michael Johnson Rowland was listed as living at 'Jarrah Villa', in the Dongara area, as a Farmer with his wife, Rebecca.
Charles Johnson Rowland, [5.10] Michael and Rebecca's youngest son enlisted, as a Private, for the Great War on August 13th, 1915. He was single and aged 46 years old. A few months later, Michael and Rebecca's fourth child, Henry John Rowland [5.4] enlisted for service in the AIF on the 19th of October 1915, He was aged 43 years, 6 months. Michael Johnson Rowland died on February the 13th, 1916. (Death Reg: Irwin, 003/1916) at Dongara, while his son Charles Johnson Rowland was sailing to Egypt. (Charles was not to return) Michael was aged seventy-seven when he died. Michael was buried in the Dongara Cemetery on the 14th of February 1916, in the Methodist Section, at Grave 53. |
Michael's wife, Rebecca Rowland (nee Owens) continued to live in Dongara and survived him by sixteen years. She died two decades later, on July 18th, 1932, in her eighty-eighth year. (Death Reg: Irwin 013/1932 B/N L 14). Rebecca was survived by; eight out of ten children (two sons, Henry [5.4] and Charles Johnson [5.10], having died during World War One). There were 14 grandchildren at the time (again, a number killed during WW1), along with eight great grandchildren.
Rebecca was buried on Tuesday, the 19th of July 1932, alongside her husband, in the Dongara Cemetery in the Methodist Section, at Grave 53, with a service first being conducted in the new Methodist Church. The pall bearers were; R. W. Clarkson, R. Plester, J. Thomas, and F. Clarkson. |
Michael Rowland's Sons and Grandsons photographed following Rebecca's death:
The Rowland Boys c. 1930 --
Standing
Henry (Harry) John Rowland b. 1873 (5.4) , Rupert William Rowland b. 1898 (5.3.1) , Avon Roy Rowland b. 1907 (5.3.6) , Donald Fredrick Rowland b. 1899 (5.3.2) , Michael Richard Rowland b.
1906 (5.3.5).
Sitting
Octavis (Tim) Rowland b. 1882 (5.9), Arthur Rowland b. 1875 (5.5) , Fredrick Charles Rowland b.
1871 (5.3) , Harry Mark Godfrey Rowland b. 1911 (5.3.8).
The Descendants of Richard and Elizabeth Rowland
Richard and Elizabeth Rowland had 10 Children. Their individual stories are told here:
Copyright © 2019