James Claydon (1855 - 1941)

Died 1941 at about age 86 in Berry, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Lost in the Bush

MAN OF 82 YEARS LITTLE THE WORSE FOE GRUELLING EXPERIENCE

Mr. James Claydon, of Berry, and member of a well known Milton family, had a most unpleasant experience when he became lost in the bush out back of the Pointer farm some days ago. It is believed that he went in search of gold, which is supposed to exist in fabulous quantities in any part of Milton's hinterland that one chooses to prospect.

Anyhow, Mr. Claydon went out and he got lost. Relatives and friends alarmed at his prolonged absence, formed search parties, and eventually as no trace of him could be found they appealed to the police for assistance.

Constable Love went out early on Tuesday morning, and with a party of nearly 20 searchers hunted through the dense bush for traces of the missing man. When near nightfall they returned to a hut, which was the centre of operations, they wore surprised to find the old man there — he is 82 years of age — apparently little the worse for his experiences. He had been found by his son, Mr. Harold Claydon, and his son-in-law, Mr. Leaney.

When the searchers came upon him he was apparently well, but hungry. He had had nothing to eat for three or four days. His rescuers soon found him food, and once he had regaled the inner man he was himself again.

Constable Love with his party scoured the bush all day, and they found the country thereabouts very rough and rugged.

Messrs. Leaney and Claydon, jun., found the old man's tracks in the wilderness, and being expert bushmen were able to follow them despite the roughness of the country. Their search was soon rewarded, and they were surprised to find Mr. Claydon as well as he was.

Mr. Claydon owns property in the Yattah district, and it was from there that he set out to locate the El Dorado that is believed to exist out in the beyond of civilisation. During the search the camp he had occupied was discovered, and when no traces of him could be found it was feared that he had met with some mishap, hence the appeal to the police.

The recovery the old man made after doing justice to a meal surprised everyone. When someone jokingly upbraided him, he laughingly replied that he had had his lesson, and would never again venture into the wilderness alone. — Milton Times. ^[1]

James passed away in 1941^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Lost in the Bush (1935, February 2). The Shoalhaven News and South Coast Districts Advertiser (NSW : 1891 - 1937), p. 4.
2. ↑ DEATHS, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search?1 CLAYDON JAMES, REG. NO. 5262/1941, Father= NATHAN, Mother= JANE ISABEL, District- BERRY

• Source will be added by Roslyn Todd by 21 Dec 2021.