Somers Ingle Birch (1857 - 1906)

Born 22 May 1857 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Died 19 Jun 1906 at age 49 in Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

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Biography

Somers was born on 22 August 1857 in Perth, Western Australia.^[1][2]

He was a farmer west of Yarloop on land formerly under lease to his father.^[1]

The sad accident to Mr Birch chronicled in our columns last week terminated fatally on Sunday night last, and the un-timely death of this old resident will cause a void in the Harvey and coastal district that will be hard to fill. Mr Birch came of an old Westralian family, his grand father and family having arrived here in 1829. The new settlers lived in Perth for many years, and the father of the deceased gentleman later on took up land near Pinjarrah, where he has lived ever since. Twelve children were born to the father, Mr Arthur Birch, and brought up on the land, and as each of these acquired years of discretion they also selected in the neighborhood.

Between twelve and fourteen years ago Ingle, as he was popularly called, took a large area on the coast and went in largely for sheep farming, at which he was very successful. His duties in this connection necessitated him covering a large extent of country and every where he went his kind and genial manner made him life-long friends, who now feel his untimely end as a per-sonal loss. The fearful and agonising time he must have passed lying paralysed on the ground during heavy rains and intense cold of the Sunday and Monday, too feeble to help himself, and not knowing if rescue would arrive, lends a tragic interest to his end and yet, when brought to Harvey, his old geniality reasserted itself, and he spoke cheerfully to the many friends who visited him.

Although often requested to take a more active part in public life, Mr Birch always refused until three years ago the neighborhood refused to let him remain outside any longer, and an unanimous vote placed him on the Brunswick Roads Board, where he was a most useful and active member. Last meeting at Brunswick was by a curious co-incidence, the only meeting he missed during his occupancy of a seat on the board. Mr Birch enjoyed splendid health until the time of his accident, and despite a serious lameless caused by an accident in early youth, he led a very active life, travelling every week sometimes as many as three times, over the rough roads, and heavy sandhills, that separated his holding from Harvey, a distance of fourteen miles.

Hundreds of Mr Birch's friends had not, owing to defective postal arrangements, heard of his accident, and although every effort was made to communicate with them, the first intimation they received was from the account in the columns of the "Bunbury Herald," but a very large gathering were at Pinjarra to pay the last and offices of respect to one whom they regarded as something more than a friend. The remains were placed in a heavy polish-ed jarrah coffin, and the funeral arrange-ments at Bunbury were carried out by Messrs J. and H. Gibbs, who acted in con-junction with Mr W. Cox of Pinjarra. The coffin was placed on the morning train and at every station along the line friends joined the train. At Pinjarra, the family received the body which was placed at Mr Line's Hotel awaiting the funeral. At 2.30 over one hundred persons had joined and the procession marched to the Wesley-an cemetery, about a mile from the town-ship.

The chief mourners were—Mr Arthur Birch, (father), Messrs Moss, Lewis, Roland, Harry, William, Courcy and Carl-ton Birch (brothers), Mrs Porter and the Misses Selina, Florence and May Birch (sisters), the Misses Roland and Birch (neices), and Mr Arthur Porter (nephew).^[3]

The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians

BIRCH. Somers Ingle, b. 22.8.1857 d. 17.6.1906, son of Arthur & Sophia Jane (nee Leeder). Parmer, West of Yarloop on land formerly under lease to father. ^[4]

BIRCH, Arthur, b. 28.7.1825, d. 21.2.1914 (Pinjarra), 2nd son of Dr. Lewis & Hannah, arr. 18.3.1841 per Parkfield with parents, m. (Perth) 7.12.1854 Sophia Jane LEEDER b. 20.4.1836 d. 18.7.1901, dtr. of William & Hannah. Chd. Arthur Moss b. 1855 d. 1932, Somers Ingle b. 1857 d. 1906, Selina Evelyn b. 1860 d. 1949, Lewis Brown b. 1662 d. 1940, Sophia Florence b. 1864 d. 1939, Vernon Rowland Hill b. 1866 d. 1953, Harry Sanford French b. 1869 d. 1952, Edmund William Gregory b. 1872 d. 1906, Ida Hannah b. 1874 d. 1929, Herber Ruhamah May b. 1877 d. 1967, Gerald Courcy Lester b. 1879 d. 1911, Errol Cyrus Carlton b. 1882 d. 1970. Perth. Butcher 1850s. JP. Murray Parmer 1860s & 70s. By 1860 had 100 ac. "Birchmont House". By 1880 had 1000 ac. freehold & 70,000 lease. Qualified as a Perth Juror with 1500 personal estate in 1860. Member (& Chairman on several terms) Murray Bd. Educ. 1874-. Chairman of School Bd. His chd. selected homestead blocks from the leasehold. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The Bicentennial dictionary of Western Australians, pre-1829-1888. [compiled by Rica Erickson], https://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/bicentennial-dictionary
2. ↑ WA Birth Index 1857/3876
3. ↑ Obituary. (1906, June 22). Bunbury Herald (WA : 1892 - 1919), p. 3. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87213219
4. ↑ The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians, pre-1829-1888, Vol 1, B, pg 223. [compiled by Rica Erickson] https://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/bicentennial-dictionary
5. ↑ The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians, pre-1829-1888, Vol 1, B, pg 219. [compiled by Rica Erickson] https://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/bicentennial-dictionary

• Various articles on trove.nla.gov.au
• Pinjarra Cemetery transcriptions at www.australiancemeteries.com.au