"Bill" William Millar Charteris LAWSON
Born 2 December 1890 in Lilliesleaf, Roxburgh, Scotland [28]
Son of farm bailiff and later farm manager John LAWSON and Rachel Alston CHARTERIS [28]
He was born at 8pm in the evening on at the farmhouse in Clerklands Farm in in Lilliesleaf, Roxburgh, Scotland [28]
In 1891 he was living with his parents and siblings at the farmhouse on Clerklands Farm in Lilliesleaf, Roxburgh, Scotland [20]
His father, who was a Farm Manager, passed away at the age of 41 years at Clerklands Farm in Lilliesleaf on 14 May 1894 [28]
In 1901 he was living with his widowed mother and siblings at Faugh Hill Cottages in Bowden, Roxburgh, Scotland [20]
Departed from London, England with his brother David on the steamship Orama on 1 March 1912 bound for Western Australia [203]
Farmer with his brothers Jack, Tom and David of Bibining Farm in Kununoppin, Western Australia 1912-1914 [P133]
Along with his brother Jack left Kununoppin and shifted to Winchester during the year 1914 [P133]
Farmer of Mayfield Farm in Winchester with his brother Jack 1914-1920[P133]
Himself and his brother grew 400 acres of wheat crop in Winchester in 1917 [10: 19-Jun-1917]
Farmer of Clerklands Farm in Winchester 1920-1947 [P133]
He'd purchased 2,341 acres of prospective farmland from the Midland Railway Company on 20 July 1920 [27]
The 2,341 acres consisted of Lots M1076, M1088 and M1089 of Victoria Locations 1937 and 1938 [27]
The land was priced between 15/- and 20/- per acre, or a total of £2,160/3/-, which was payable by instalments over 15 years [27]
In 1925 exchanged Lot M1076 (575 acres) with his brother Jack's Lot M1075 (757 acres), making his farm 2,533 acres in size [27]
Foundation Member of the Carnamah District Road Board in 1923, and served on the Board from 1923 to 1929 [7: page 111]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in the 1920s and 1930s [53]
Purchased a new Chrysler car in April 1927 [4: 30-Apr-1927]
Attended the Massey Harris Wallis tractor demonstration held on Gregorfields Farm in Winchester on 31 January 1929 [4: 2-Feb-1929]
Attended the Grand Ball following the Carnamah Show and opening of Centenary Park on 19 September 1929 [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Winchester farmer John RAFFAN on 9 October 1928 at the Winchester Cemetery [4: 20-Oct-1928]
Member of the Winchester branch of the Primary Producers Association - was Chairman in 1930 [4: 11-Oct-1930]
In 1930 he donated five acres of his Clerklands Farm for the Billeroo State School to be built on [4: 12-May-1952]
He was the owner of a Dodge truck with license plate CA-107 in 1932 [4: 12-Nov-1932]
Member of the Carnamah Golf Club 1933-1937 [4: 30-Jun-1934, 29-Aug-1936] [5: 11-Aug-1933, 14-May-1937]
Purchased a new Big E harvester from local agent W. George MULLIGAN for the 1933-34 harvest [5: 12-Jan-1934]
Member of a committee formed in January 1934 to establish a Bush Fire Brigade in Carnamah [4: 13-Jan-1934]
Member of the Carnamah Ratepayers & Citizens Association in 1934 [4: 13-Jan-1934]
He was admitted to the Carnamah Private Hospital in early July 1934 with a severe attack of pneumonia [5: 13-Jul-1934]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
In September 1935 generously donated three acres of his farm for use as a recreation ground to the Billeroo Hall Trust [5: 13-Sep-1935]
Sold 20 suckers for 14/4 per head through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at the Midland Market on 11 September 1935 [5: 13-Sep-1935]
Through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at Midland Market on 16 October 1935 sold 20 shorn wethers for 9/1 per head [5: 18-Oct-1935]
In 1935 donated another portion of his farm to the Billeroo Hall Trust [5: 1-Nov-1935]
The Carnamah District Road Board wrote to him in thanks and recognition of his valuable gift to the Billeroo Hall Trust [5: 1-Nov-1935]
Member of the Winchester Tennis Club in 1935-36 [5: 1-Nov-1935]
Member of the Winchester Cricket Club - was Vice President in 1935-36 [5: 20-Sep-1935]
Sold eight bales of wool at 15¾d. per pound through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at a wool sale in Perth on 25 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
Attended the funeral of Miss "May" Mary L. LANG of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 26 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
Sold 38 shorn wethers at 15/7 and 32 at 13/10 per head through Elder Smith & Co Ltd on Tuesday 31 December 1935 [5: 3-Jan-1936]
Attended the Carnamah Golf Club's 1936 season Opening Day at Centenary Park in Carnamah on Sunday 26 April 1936 [5: 1-May-1936]
Sold 43 lambs at 16/10 per head on 4 March 1936 and 20 lambs at 14/10 per head on 29 April 1936 [5: 6-Mar-1936, 1-Mat-1936]
Attended the Coorow Golf Club's Opening Day for the 1936 season in Coorow on Sunday 17 May 1936 [5: 22-May-1936]
Sold 218 suckers through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at the Midland Market in July, August and September of 1936 [5: 31-Jul-1936, 7-Aug-1936]
The suckers consisted of 20 at 20/7, 44 at 18/4, 45 at 18/1, 36 at 16/10, 20 at 14/7, 22 at 13/7, 31 at 11/1 per head [5: 11 & 18-Sep-1936]
Sold ten bales of wool at 17½d. per pound through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at the Perth Wool Sale of 23 November 1936 [5: 27-Nov-1936]
Member of the Billeroo Cricket Club - was Patron, Secretary and Treasurer in 1936-37 [5: 9-Oct-1936]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society 1936-1946 [5: 12-Jun-1936] [13]
Ran but was unsuccessful as the Member for the Winchester Ward on the Carnamah District Road Board in April 1937 [5: 2 & 23-Apr-1937]
Sold 13 pigs through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at the Midland Market on Wednesday 5 May 1937 [5: 7-May-1937]
The 13 were 4 baconers (2 at £3/15/6, 2 at £3/9/6) and 9 porkers (1 at £2/5/-, 3 at £1/18/6, 1 at £1/17/6, 4 at £1/13/6 per head) [5]
Sold 16 ewes at 15/10 per head through Dalgety & Co Ltd at the Midland Market on 1 September 1937 [5: 3-Sep-1937]
In May 1939 sought out tenders for 4½ tons of wire and the erection of six miles of telephone line to his property [0: image 03793]
Obtained the telephone in 1939 - was telephone number Carnamah-9D [60]
He was driving his truck on 17 August 1939 when at a bend, about 200 yards north of Winchester, the truck left the road [86: 17-Aug-1939]
After overturning three or four times his truck became stationary on its side, leaving him injured and stuck inside the canopy [86]
Winchester farmer Eric J. BRADLEY was driving his truck a short distance behind and witnessed the accident [86]
BRADLEY turned sharply to the left which unfortunately locked the wheels of his truck, which also overturned [86]
Fortunately the second accident was less severe and Eric was able to get free and then come to his aid [86]
He was immediately conveyed to the North Midlands District Hospital in Three Spring with a cut to his head a spinal injury [86]
On 22 December 1939, while still in hospital due to the injury to his spine/back, his tractor backfired and started a fire on his farm [88]
A call was put out and the Carnamah Road Board's truck loaded with fire equipment and between 75 and 80 men came to help [88]
The fire was extinguished however not before destroying bagged wheat and an area of stubble [0: image 03035] [88]
Fortunately he had the crop insured with Elder Smith & Co, so would not have lost entirely on the bagged wheat [88]
In 1940 supplied the land, machinery and labour for the Billeroo State School's school crop [0: images 03969]
In October 1940 purchased a Pederick Gas Producer to be fitted to one of his motor vehicles [0: image 03916]
Private in the local Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War [16]
During the 1947-48 financial year he sold his farm in Winchester to Charles C. BOTHE & Son of Coorow [3]
After selling his farm he left the Carnamah-Winchester district and shifted to the Perth suburb of Maylands [P133]
Resided in the Perth suburb of Maylands until his death in 1953 [2]
Died 20 February 1953; ashes interred at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth (Crematorium Rose Gardens, 9H, 42) [2]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'William Millar Charteris Lawson' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 24 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/william-millar-charteris-lawson [reference list] |
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