Robert Henry Atkins (1826-abt.1891) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Robert Henry (Bob) Atkins

Born 11 Oct 1826 in Fanlobbus, Dunmanway, Cork, Ireland

Ancestors

Son of Henry Atkins and Eliza Maria (Gillman) Atkins

Brother of John Henry Atkins, James Gillman Atkins, Henry Robert Atkins, Eliza Jane (Atkins) Glendon, Richard Henry Atkins, Edward Gillman Atkins, Benjamin Gillman Atkins, Anne Gilman (Atkins) Poling and Caroline (Atkins) Thomas

Husband of Harriet Hannah (Hooker) Atkins — married 20 Jan 1867 in New Bendigo, St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Father of Henry Atkins, Harriet Caroline Atkins, John Atkins, Robert Atkins, Sarah Elizabeth Atkins and Helen (Atkins) Scott

Died about 7 Oct 1891 at about age 64 in Footscray, Victoria, Australia

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Profile last modified 19 Sep 2023 | Created 8 Aug 2013

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1 Biography
2 Sources
- 2.1 Footnotes
- 2.2 Acknowledgments

Biography

After the death of his father, and perhaps as a result of the impact of the potato blight and resulting famine in Ireland, he, along with his mother and some other family members sailed for America. Some of them settled in Ohio. Robert followed the call of gold to California, and from there he came to Australia in search of gold. He formed a partnership with another immigrant, Fred Johansen, and they worked in the goldfield just north of St. Arnaud in Victoria, This is in the area that is referred to as the 'golden triangle'. One prospector described the gold field as a "new Bendigo". [Bendigo was already a valuable mining town a little to the east.] This part of St. Arnaud became known thereafter as "New Bendigo". It was here that Robert Atkins was married, and where his children were born. In later years he moved to the Melbourne suburb of Footscray where it is believed he was manager of a business related to the mining industry. ^[1]

Sources

↑ Entered by Al Orton.

The Register of Births records his marriage details to Harriet Hannah Atkins (m.n. Hooker), aged 23, of Surrey, England. Their marriage was on 20th January 1867 at New Bendigo. [This was the name of a gold-mining reef a few kilometres north-west of the town of St.Arnaud.]
The Age newspaper, Melbourne, Saturday October 10, 1891, page 5. (Death Notices).Sourced from the newspaper archives held in the National Library of Australia, and its website known as 'Trove'

Footnotes

Some records give date of death as 7th October. The newspaper announcement of his death published in The Age newspaper, Melbourne, on 10th October 1891, says that he died on 8th October at his late residence Commercial Road Footscray.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Al Orton for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Al and others.

Memories: 1

Enter a personal reminiscence or story.

Alistair Orton

From other notes:

Robert Henry & Harriett Hannah were married at New Bendigo by a Wesleyan Methodist Minister. Those were not times when people took expensive honeymoon holidays, and Bob Atkins was soon back at work. Within a few days of his marriage, his name was in the newspaper, which reported a serious mining accident.

St. Arnaud Mercury, Saturday, 26 January 1867: "A serious accident occurred on Thursday night, about 11 o'clock, to Robert Atkins one of the shareholders in Johnson's lease, Bristol Reef. He was putting in a blast, and was tamping down the bare powder with a wooden rod. At the third stroke the charge exploded, striking Atken's (sic) in the face and hand, and slightly on other parts of the body. The man who was assisting, and was close to him, was untouched. Assistance was quickly procured, and the injured man was raised to the surface, and conveyed to his home. On the arrival of a surgeon, it was found necessary to amputate the third and fourth fingers of the left hand. It is impossible at present to estimate the damage done to the eyes, although to all appearance directly after the accident, one eye seemed to be uninjured."

To what extent this accident inhibited Robert Atkins, we cannot be sure. Having been told that he had been an accomplished musician on fiddle and/or flute, it is difficult for us to imagine how he could continue to play. Nor the extent to which the accident contributed to his later change in employment, moving from miner to company manager. Nor in what measure this led to his decision to move to Melbourne to reside.

Meanwhile, Harriet had borne him three sons and three daughters. Our grandfather Henry was the first born in their family, in 1868. All six were born at St.Arnaud between 1868 and 1879. Twelve years later they were living in Commercial Road, Footscray, in the home where Robert Henry died just four days short of his sixty-fifth birthday. It is generally believed that in the time he was living in Footscray he was involved in some management role in a metallurgical business owned by Fred Johnson.

posted 27 Jul 2015 by Alistair Orton [thank Alistair]

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