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Your connection with Scotland in the 1700s, and with pioneers in South Australia in the late 1800s
Jessie & Alexander GORDON - family tree & stories
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| Name |
John LEIGHTON |
| Gender |
Male |
| General event |
Biography : John was an interesting character whose story has been well told by Colin Semmler. It would make a good novel or movie. :-
* He was born in Strachan, Kincardineshire in 1865.
* He migrated to Australia about 1884.
* He was a shearer in Queensland and lived at Pinkilla, Adavale near Charleville.
* He was a union delegate in the Great Shearer's Strike, and in 1891 he was sentenced to jail for burning down the woolshed at Burenda Station. He was also charged with other shearers who burned a wool wagon at Clara Creek.
* His fortunes changed when he pocketed 27,000 pounds when Glenloth won the Melbourne Cup in 1892.
* It is said that he bought the horse after the race and shipped it back to Scotland - but there is some doubt about this.
* He returned to Scotland in March 1893 and he bought Balglassie farm, near Aberlemno, just north of Forfar. He also bought at least 2 houses in Edinburgh.
* He soon married Mairn FINDLAY and they had 5 children including a daughter who married David ROBERTSON who had a daughter Helen ROBERTSON. Helen lives in Gifford, near Haddington which is east of Edinburgh.
* In October 1901 he said that he was going to South Africa to buy a farm, and when he got things organized he would arrange for the family to join him. He chose some solicitors to make arrangements to ensure that the family was financially secure in the meantime. Maine went to live in Edinburgh (possibly in Leith).
* After 3 years, Mairn was told that he had died. The solicitors had fleeced the estate so Mairn got none of her entitlements.
* In fact he had faked his own death and had moved back to Australia.
* He was shearing again and then went in search of Lasseter's reef. He died in the desert and was buried by local aborigines.
* The family believe that when his remains were found, they were mistakenly thought to be Lasseter's and are now buried in Lasseter's grave in Alice Springs. It is thought that Lasseter went to Canada.
* Mairn is buried in Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire.
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| Immigration |
Migration : From Scotland to Australia about 1884. He returned to Scotland in March 1893, and then, after 8 years, in October 1901, he went to South Africa. After about 3 years (maybe 1904) he went back to Australia again. |
| Occupation |
Occupation : He was a shearer in Queensland and lived at Pinkilla, Adavale near Charleville. |
| Person ID |
I445 |
Alexander & Jessie |
| Last Modified |
27 Jun 2018 |
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