Benjamin Piggott Snr (1814 – 1892) – Obituary
Once more we are called upon to chronicle the death of one of our oldest identities. Mr. Benjamin Piggott, who passed away suddenly on Sunday last in his 79th year, has been in this district nearly fifty years. He arrived in the colony with the old West Australian Land Company and settled for the time at the Australind settlement. He afterwards started at Parkfield and thence removed to Springhill, his residence up to the time of his decease. The funeral took place at the family cemetery at Springhill where a large number of friends followed his remains to the grave, the Rev. A. Buchanan officiating.
(Southern Times, 30 July 1892)
Mrs Sarah Piggott née Eagleton (c1813 – 1907) – Funeral Notice
PIGGOTT— The friends of the late Mrs Sarah Piggott (wife of the late Benjamin Piggott, of Australind) are respectfully invited to follow her remains to the place of interment, the Australind [sic, Springhill] cemetery. The funeral is appointed to leave her late residence Springhill, on SUNDAY, 28th inst., at 8 p.m. J. & H. GIBBS, Undertakers.
(Bunbury Herald, 26 July 1907)
OFFSPRING OF THE ABOVE COUPLE
Miss Caroline Piggott (1847 – 1912) – Obituary
It will be with profound regret that her many friends will hear of the demise of Miss C. Piggott, of Springhill, Coast Road. The deceased lady who for the past few weeks had been an inmate of Nurse Bruton’s establishment, had been fluctuating in health for a considerable time, but although it was known she would never again enjoy rude, robust health, the end came something abruptly. Only a few days since, her health apparently improving, she was expecting to be within a brief time outdoors again, and with the glee almost of a young girl at such a delightful prospect, expressed her intention of taking a trip per rail to visit some of her old chums. But an alarming change occurred at midnight last Monday and within an hour she had passed peacefully away to “that bourne from whence no traveller returns.”
The deceased lady was born 67 years since at Parkfield, the now well-known estate owned by Mr. G. C. Rose, but which during the forties was in the possession of the late Mr. B. Piggott. A truthful elegy penned to her memory would portray her as a good, true woman, with every honest and pure womanly instinct pulsating through every fibre of her body. A devoted daughter, a loyal affectionate sister and comrade, there will be a desolate niche in the hearts of her bereaved relatives for many a long day to come. With a kindly sociable disposition, she was yet absolutely free from all social affectations and artificialities. A true woman, her highest ambition was to make the old homestead comfortable and attractive to all who came within its influence; the personification of hospitality, she was ever ready to minister to the needs of those afflicted and in distress; and many a weary and oft-times “stranded” wayfarer, especially in by-gone years, when modern facilities were non-existent, had substantial reason to “call her blessed.”
The interment was carried out last Thursday at the family burial place at Springhill, the Rev. Canon Adams officiating. Many beautiful floral wreaths and emblems, deftly woven by loving hands, were piled on the coffin, and the pall-bearers were Messrs. G. C. Rose, J.P., W. B. Castieau, J.P., M. Clifton, Stokes, Manning and Fletcher.
Besides the relatives, a large concourse of friends assembled at the grave-side to pay their last sincere tributes of respect to the deceased lady. Mr. W. Brittain had charge of the mortuary arrangements.
(Southern Times, 20 July 1912)
Thomas Adrian Piggott (1849 – 1929) – Obituary
Mr. Thomas Adrian Piggott passed away on the 4th inst., at Burekup, after a short illness. The late Mr. Piggott who was 80 years of age, was one of the oldest natives of the South-West, being a son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Piggott, who came out with the Australind Land Company settlers and he was born at Spring Hill [sic, Parkfield]. For some years the deceased farmed at Roelands but in recent times he disposed of his interest there and went to reside at Burekup. He was one of the pioneers of the district and passed through the hardships which those early settlers experienced and although he was never in any sense of the word a public man he at times recounted to his associates details of those hard pioneering days. The remains were interred at the old homestead at Spring Hill, Archdeacon Adams officiating at the last rites, and the funeral was attended by many residents of the district. Wm. Brittain and Son conducted the funeral.
(South Western Times, 9 November 1929)
Benjamin Piggott, Jnr (1853 – 1935) – Obituary
Mr. Benjamin Piggott, one of the oldest identities in the Bunbury district, who has carried on farming activities in the South-West all his life, died at his home at Springfield [sic, Springhill], on September 17 after an illness of several weeks. The late Mr. Piggott was born at Parkfield 81 years ago, his family being amongst the oldest pioneer settlers in the district. The deceased was one of a family of six, four girls and two boys, all born at the old homestead, the family including the late Mrs. William Reading and the late Mrs. William Clarke. The property was left to the deceased by his late father some forty odd years ago and he has since carried on by himself and bred some of the finest cattle that has ever been reared in the South-West specialising in fine stock. He was a frequent exhibitor at the Bunbury Show and took a number of prizes with his fat bullocks and was in fact one of the oldest and most experienced cattle exhibitors in the district.
He was a most unassuming man and set a very high standard of honour, his straight forward dealings and kindly disposition making him a host of friends throughout the South-West, his passing being mourned by very many people in all walks of life. Mr. Ben Piggott’s father arrived in Western Australia with the Australind settlers in 1841 [sic, 1844]. He first started operations in a portion of the Australia company’s land on the Wellesley River, but abandoned this to commence a partnership with the father of the late Mr. E. M. Clarke at Parkfield. Operations were carried on until the ‘fifties when the late Mr. R. H. Rose and the late Mr. Thos. Hayward purchased [sic, leased] Parkfield, the Piggott family going further north to Springhill. In those days the whole of the Bunbury to Perth traffic passed Parkfield and Springhill and both the farms were well known to travellers. The late Mr. Piggott had been living with his niece, Mrs. Norman Jones, to whom he transferred the property comprising 4,000 acres a few years ago.
The late Mr. Piggott was a great man with the bullock team and was often seen in Bunbury where the team attracted a considerable amount of interest. The frequent visits made to Bunbury were for the purpose of taking provisions back to the homestead. He was possibly best known on account of the excellence of the bullocks which he drove into Bunbury at frequent intervals. He placed great value on these bullocks and only a few days before his death he made the remaining four over to his grand-nephew. Mr. Piggott’s bullock team was to have been a feature of the centenary celebrations held in Bunbury in 1929 but unfortunately he was unable to bring them in.
Among the oldest established friendships which the late Mr. Piggott formed was one with Mr. F. Caporn, well known in Bunbury where he carries on a saddlery business in Wellington-street. Mr. Caporn knew the late Mr. Piggott for the past sixty years and is unstinted in his expressions of admiration and respect which his friendship with the deceased engendered. Mr. Caporn pays a remarkable tribute to the character of the late Mr. Piggott, stating that there is abundant evidence to show that the deceased was a man who at all times maintained perfect control over himself, and had never been heard at any time by any of his numerous friends to utter a word which was out of place or which would offend the feelings of anybody who might hear him.
The deceased was never married and as far as is known he had no interests outside his farm. He played no part in the activities of the town, although he had extensive business dealings which occupied a good deal of his time. In these dealings as in everything else his generous nature was again in evidence and all those with whom he came in contact in any way whatsoever, can testify to the kindly feelings which made him so many friends. The funeral will take place this afternoon at 3.30 at the family’s private cemetery at Parkfield [sic, Springhill].
(Harvey Murray Times, 20 September 1935)
HISTORY IN A CEMETERY. HARVEY, Thurs: Harvey Road Board members during their annual two-day inspection of the district this week visited a small private cemetery near the coast and the native mission farm at Seven Hills near Roelands.
The cemetery, which is at Springhill on the Old Coast road, five or six miles north of Australind, is on the top of a grassy hill about 50ft. high. In it are buried the original owners of Springhill, Benjamin Piggott, and his wife. They arrived from England in the ship Trusty on May 23, 1844, and settled at Springhill. They lived on the property until they died. Springhill is at present owned by Mr. Norman Jones, a descendant of another old pioneering family of the South West.[1]
Corrections: The Piggotts were not the original owners of Springhill. It appears that Thomas Trimmer sold the land to Piggott in 1860.[2]
Benjamin Piggott, Jnr, being unmarried, had transferred his 4,000 acre estate Springhill to his niece Mrs Norman Jones (née Celia Reading), a few years before his death in 1935.[3]
(Daily News, 13 October 1949.)
[1] Daily News, 13 October 1949.
[2] AC Staples, They Made Their Destiny- History of Settlement of the Shire of Harvey 1829-1929, Shire of Harvey, Harvey, 1979, p. 108, 91.
[3] Daily News, 26 September 1935.