George Charles Thomas Buckley1

M, #6275, b. 17 June 1851, d. 3 September 1896
FatherGeorge Buckley1 b. 5 Feb 1809, d. 28 May 1867
MotherSophia Gower1 d. 1 Feb 1900
Relationship1st cousin 4 times removed of Keith Graham Bassett
Last Edited2 Oct 2022
Birth*17 June 1851 Parramatta, NSW, Australia1 
Baptism13 July 1851 St John's, Parramatta, NSW, Australia;
When Baptized: July 13 1851
When Born: June 17 1851
Child's Christian Name: George Charles Thomas
Parent's Names: George & Sophia Buckley
Abode: O Connell Street
Quality or Profession: Nailer
By whom the Ceremony was performed: Thomas Hassall1 
Death of Father28 May 1867 Woods Cottage, East Maitland, NSW, Australia;George Buckley, 62, Blacksmith & Nailer, rupture of a blood vessel in chest
Born Shay (sic), Lancashire England, 49 years in NSW
Father James Buckley, Nailer
Mother Mary Hitchin
Married Sophia Gower, Parramatta, age 29
Children of marriage Eliza 25, John 23, Rose 21, George 17 living, 1 male, 1 female deceased
Informant Sophia Buckley, wife of deceased, East Maitland
Burial 29/05/1867, Church of England Burial Ground near West Maitland, Witnesses Joseph Buckley & John Evans, Minister Robert Chapman (religion not stated);Principal=George Buckley2 
Marriage*1 August 1874 Registrar's Office, Newcastle, NSW, Australia;Bride=Mary Agnes Clayton3 
Marriage*16 September 1891 Leichhardt, NSW, Australia;Bride=Ann Jane Ruttley4 
Death*3 September 1896 Commercial Hotel, Elder Street, Lambton, NSW, Australia;
Suicide of an Oddfellow.
NEWCASTLE, Saturday.— At Lambton yesterday an inquest was held on the body of George Buckley, aged 50, who was found in his bedroom on Thursday with a discharged revolver by his side. The deceased had previously been proprietor of a printing office, and lately hotelkeeper in that town; and had been for the past twenty years secretary of the district lodge of the Grand U.O. Oddfellows. For some weeks two accountants from Sydney have been making a special audit of the books of that lodge; and the deceased was cited to appear before a special meeting tonight, at which Grand Lodge officers of Sydney were to be present. The jury found that the deceased died from a self-inflicted wound in the head.5 
News-Arct*5 September 1896 "The Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners'Advocate", Newcastle, NSW, Australia;
THE LAMBTON FATALITY INQUEST AND VERDICT.
The circumstances connected with the tragic death of George Charles Thomas Buckley, the secretary of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows and other lodges at Lambton, were inquired into by the district coroner, Mr G. C. Martin, at the Commercial Hotel, Elder-street, Lambton, yesterday. Mr. George Maddison was appointed foreman of the jury.
Sergeant Salter, of Lambton, who watched the proceeding on behalf of the police, stated that at about a quarter to 12 on Thursday morning he received word from one Robert Anstess that the deceased had shot himself.
On proceeding to the Commercial Hotel he (witness) found the deceased lying on his right side, with a wound in his forehead as if caused by a bullet from a revolver. He looked round and presently saw the revolver near a chest of drawers within about a foot from the feet of the deceased. The revolver was loaded in three chambers, and in another chamber there was a blank cartridge. He then searched the deceased's clothes and examined the room, but could find no papers of any kind. He saw the body stripped and could see no marks of violence, other than the bullet wound in the forehead. About 5 o'clock the same evening Mrs. Buckley told him that she wanted to get some money out of the safe. In the presence of John Buckley (brother of the deceased) Mrs Buckley and Mrs. Rutley (Mrs Buckley's mother), he opened the safe, and Mrs. Buckley took out a cash box. She then wanted to take this box (and its contents) up to her room, but on seeing a number of bank notes and cheques in the box, and not knowing whose property they were, he declined to allow her to do so, and accordingly put the box, cash, and all back into the safe, and locked it, taking the keys with him. As far as he knew the deceased was a genial man, and not a man who got drunk. There was no sign of any disturbance or struggle in the room where he saw the body lying. Dr. Joseph Stapleton said he saw the deceased at about half past 6 on Thursday evening. Life was extinct, and there was a wound in the forehead, just above the nose, caused by a bullet, which had passed into the brain. He made a post-mortem examination, and found the skull fractured and a laceration of the brain. The wound could have been caused by the bullet (produced) found in the brain. The empty cartridge (produced) would have suited to hold the bullet. The shot had been fired from a close range, for the skin was scorched and the hair of the head slightly singed. The nature of the wound was such as to indicate a deliberate aim. There was nothing in the stomach to show that the deceased was of intemperate habits. There were, in fact, no signs of any constitutional disease.
Thomas Joseph Phillips, a salesman employed in the shop lately occupied by A. J. Potter, stated that the deceased was the person to whom he had sold the revolver (produced) on Monday morning last. He also sold him 60 cartridges, size 32, similar to those produced. There did not seem to be anything about the deceased, who was a perfect stranger to him, to call for special notice when he was in the shop.
Ann Jane Buckley, the widow of the deceased, stated that her husband was 45 years of age, having been born at Parramatta. She married him about five years ago. There were two daughters living by this marriage and three living by his former marriage. Describing what led up to the death, witness stated that she saw the revolver (produced) under his bed-pillow, and asked him what he wanted it for. He looked up, laughed, and said, " Did you not know I had that before?" She replied, "No, I did not know that yon had such a thing in the place." He added, "Didn't I show it to you on Monday night, when I came home?" She replied, " No; you must have thought you did" Her husband then told her that he bought it for burglars. He had once or twice suspected having heard people in the house. She put the revolver on the washstand, and when he came upstairs soon after she said, "What do you want this for" He said, "For half an hour's shooting in the bush." Just at this moment Martha Sample, a friend of theirs, wanted to see her. Witness went down, and had just got to the bottom of the stairs when she heard a noise which she took to be something having fallen down from a shelf. She preceded Miss Sample to the balcony, and when passing the bedroom door she smelt the powder, looked in, and saw her husband lying on the floor. Witness then ran downstairs and called out "Uncle Johnny," meaning his brother. It was not possible for anyone to have gone into the bedroom. The shot was fired within three minutes of her leaving him with the revolver in his hand. Her husband was not in any trouble that she was aware of. He appeared to be just the same as ever at breakfast time, and she had played cards with him after breakfast. She had not the slightest fear that he would take his life with the revolver when she left him with it. The occurrence must have been purely accidental. She could net believe otherwise. He did not seem to understand the revolver when he was handling it. Hs last words to her were that he would go out for half an hour's shooting. He said this in his usual good-humoured way.
To Sergeant Salter: Her husband was secretary to two societies, if not more. She could not say to whom the books in the safe belonged. The money in the cash-box in the safe was the property of Mr. John Buckley, the proprietor of the Commercial Hotel, Lambton.
To a juryman: Though her husband had thought he heard burglars in the house at one time, he had never said that he would buy a revolver. But when he had purchased the revolver he made mention that it was not safe to go below looking for burglars without some weapon.
John William Buckley, a brother of the deceased and the licensee of the hotel in which the fatality occurred, was not home at the time, and was first informed of the occurrence by one named Lewis. He (witness) returned quickly to the hotel, and
saw his brother lying on the floor, dead, in the bedroom, with the wound in his forehead. He could not account for his taking his life, for he appeared well and happy as usual. His brother owed him £131, but he had not
pressed him for payment, because he regarded it as being safer with him than with the banks or any societies. Some of the money in the safe belonged to witness, for he put his takings from the hotel in there each night.
There should by now be about five weeks' takings in the cashbox. My brother George sold a printing business of mine and Mrs. Rutley some two months ago to J. M. Hutton. He (George) received the sum of £350 for the same and kept it.
By the sergeant: The takings in the hotel would, he thought, be about £10 a fortnight. By the foreman: He had never heard his brother speak of buying a revolver. It was mentioned to him yesterday, but he knew him to have had a revolver for some years some time ago when he was a dealer and the deceased, he thought, would have been acquainted with the working of a revolver. The jury found that death was due to injuries received from a bullet fired from a revolver, and that such injuries were self inflicted.6 

Family 1

Mary Agnes Clayton
Child

Family 2

Ann Jane Ruttley

Citations

  1. [S1579] St John's Parramatta Parish Registers.
  2. [S1317] Death Certificate transcript.
  3. [S1299] NSW Marriage Certificate.
  4. [S1481] NSW Marriage Indexes, 4803/1891 George C T Buckley & Ann J Ruttley.
  5. [S1565] Trove digitised newspapers, online http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/, The Evening News, Saturday, September 5, 1896.
  6. [S1565] Trove digitised newspapers, online http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/, The Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’Advocate, Saturday, September 5, 1896.
  7. [S1472] NSW Birth Indexes, 20086/1879 Eliza Jane Buckley.