Silas John ROWLAND
Born 28 August 1887 in Dongara, Western Australia [P13]
Son of John ROWLAND and Caroline Amelia EDWARDS [15]
Resided with his parents in Dongara [84]
He was baptised by Methodist minister J. G. MITCHELL of the Wesleyan Church in Dongara on 9 October 1887 [84]
Educated at the Dongara State School in Dongara [18]
Farmer in Dongara 1911-1914 [6] [19]
Married Gertrude Imelia PELL in Dongara on 28 February 1912 [P13]
Farmer of the 500 acre Conditional Purchase lease 1673/56 in Carnamah 1914-1916 [6] [44] [86: 23-May-1914]
He'd purchased the 500 acres along with its 18 horses and operating plant from JAQUES Bros in May 1914 [86: 23-May-1914]
JAQUES Bros had already paid eight years of the property's Conditional Purchase payments [86: 2-May-1914]
The proposition had been advertised as "a grand opportunity to show a profit the first year" with "liberal terms at sale" [86: 2-May-1914]
Upon purchase all of the property was fenced and subdivided with 170 of its acres cleared and 25 acres fallowed [86: 2-May-1914]
The farm contained a shed and dam and was "all splendid land and well situated" [86: 2-May-1914]
The 500 acres became Victoria Location 3328 on the west side of The Midlands Road just south of the Carnamah townsite [44] [62]
Plant and equipment that he purchased with the farm included a 7½-horsepower Hornsby oil engine, Farmer's Favourite drill, [86]
chaffcutter with double bagger and screw press, M.H. three-furrow plough, winnower, quantity of galvanised iron and sundries [86]
Farmhand in Dongara prior to enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) at Blackboy Hill on 19 April 1916 [30: item 8072254]
He had successfully applied for enlistment a month earlier in Geraldton on 17 March 1916 [30]
Upon enlistment he was 5 feet 5½ inches tall, weighed 132 pounds and had brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion [30]
After training at Blackboy Hill he was appointed on 20 September 1916 to the 6th Reinforcements of the 51st Battalion [30]
Embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia for active service abroad on the H.M.A.T. A23 Suffolk on 10 October 1916 [30]
Disembarked in Plymouth, England on 2 December 1916 and after further training proceeded to France on 3 February 1917 [30]
Private 2710B in the Australian Imperial Force's 51st Battalion in France and Belgium during the First World War [30]
Killed in Action in Belgium on 26 August 1917; buried at the La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery in Belgium (Plot 6, Row E, Grave 2) [30]
From 15 November 1917 his wife and two children received a collective pension of £3/15/- per week [30]
His wife wrote to the Base Records of the A.I.F. on 17 November 1917 requesting a copy of his death certificate [30]
On 2 May 1918 his wife received his effects which comprised an identity disc, purse, gospel, telegram, card, letter and photo [30]
Over five years she received his Memorial Scroll and Plaque, British War Medal, Victory Medal and photos of his grave [30]
He appears to have not finished paying JAQUES Bros for the farm in Carnamah as ownership reverted back [44]
Rates for his former 500 acre farm in Carnamah were sent to William F. H. JAQUES for the financial year of 1916-17 [44]
Cyril RAYNER, husband of his niece Mavis Amelia ROWLAND, later owned what had been his farm in Carnamah [3] [44]
13 months after his death his wife also lost her brother Robert PELL, who died of wounds in France on 3 October 1918 [30: item 8015031]
His wife Gertrude died at the age of 99 years on 27 August 1991 and was buried at the Dongara Cemetery in Dongara [132]
Father of Ivo John and Vivian George [30]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Silas John Rowland' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 15 November 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/silas-john-rowland [reference list] |
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