WILLIAM MANWARING

Born: 16th March 1840

Died: 23rd April 1862

William was the seventh child of William and Sarah and was born at Cranbrook on the 16th March 1840 and baptised a month later at St Dunstans Parish Church on 19th April 1840. Williams family was living on the Hill at Cranbrook at the time of his birth and his father was working in the district as an agricultural labourer.

He grew up in Cranbrook, going to school until he was about ten years old when he went to work as an agricultural labourer.

On the 9th March 1857 he boarded the "Anna Maria" at Southampton with his family to make the three month journey to Australia. He was 17 years of age at this time.

Williams whereabouts after their arrival in Australia is unknown. He may have travelled with his parents to Bungendore but we will never know.

He apparently went in search of gold because he was at the Lachlan Goldfields when they were at their peak. The rush to these goldfields started in April 1861 and it was the first deep-lead alluvial rush in Australia and the most important rush of any field in New south Wales.

This rush was responsible for the formation of the town of Forbes. The area before this was a huge cattle run.

In 1862 when William was apparently at one of the diggings in the area, he was only one of 28,000 diggers in the area at that time. The output was 235,043 ounces of gold for the year.

William died at the young age of 22 at Forbes on 23rd April 1862 of Colonial Fever. His death was certified by Dr Morton and he was buried three days later at Forbes by James Thompson.

The informant on the registration of death was Henry New, possibly a friend of Williams.