THE BARBER’S SWAMP MYSTERY PART II, WHO WAS BARBER?

By David Mizen

The first part of the Barbers Swamp mystery is set out in the Barbers Swamp Mystery (Mizen, 2020). The background to the mystery is set out in the auction material published by Waldeck Smith. The auction was to clear Joseph Shaws bankrupt estate. The estate included Mason’s Mill situated at Location 75 also known as the Canning Timber Station and Canning Mills (for the etymology of the expression ‘Canning Mills’, see (Mizen, D., 2022, A Game of Historic Spot the Difference. NP). The relevant extract reads as follows:

“Dear Sir, - We have the honour to make the following report on the survey and laying out of the new tramway lines in your Timber Concession of 100,000 acres, known as the Canning Timber Station, and also to report as to the quantity of timber and its situation. “ The West and South boundaries of the Concession have been carefully marked on the ground, by pegs and posts, at distances apart of about 20 chains and all the trees blazed, so that the line can at any time be easily picked up.

“The tramway lines have been similarly marked, and on the new route to Barker’s Swamp has been carefully levelled and equidistant level pegs put in along the route.

‘It having been decided to remove the mill to the new site at Barber’s Swamp, it became necessary to have the new tramway line carefully surveyed and levelled (Canning Timber Station, West Australian, 29 September 1885, Pg.3) (emphasis added).

From the extract it is clear that Shaw had permission from the government to move his mill to the new site at Barbers Swamp. The first part of the mystery is - where was Barbers Swamp. Mizen (2020) resolves that issue. The next question is who was the ‘Barber’ who gave his name to the swamp. This paper will provide a qualified answer to that question.

In 1879 the Inquirer and Commercial News reported the death of George Barber. It appears that Mr Barber was prone to fits. On the 22 February 1879 his body was found in the bush. It appears Barber had a fit and fell into his camp fire. The lower part of the body as completely consumed by the fire. At the time of his death Mr Barber was employed by Mason Bird and Co. Barber left four daughters and a son. There was an inquest into the death. The finding was accidental death (Country Letters, The Inquirer and Commercial News, 26 February 1879, Pg.3). There is an earlier report that may shed some light on what occurred and demonstrates that Barber was working either for Bateman and/or Mason in or about 1869. The report relates to an 1871 criminal case of timber stolen from Ben Mason. The relevant portion of the witness testimony is as follows:

“...persons cutting timber in the bush usually brand timber at the end; the ends of the timber appeared to have been hammered to deface the brand. ...[I] re-examined the timber, and found a piece with a brand B upon it; about 4 or 5 pieces had been hammered in, and other pieces had been sawn; I have been a foreman to Mr Mason in the timber trade; I known his brands, having made them myself; I was his foreman for 8 years; I could generally speaking; tell the handiwork of the timber; some I saw there looked very much like timber the sawing of which I recognised as John Bishop’s; who was employed about two years ago by Mr Mason, I know Barber; his brand is GB; Mr Mason’s brand is BM, Barker’s[sic] brand is 1/8 of an inch larger than Mr Mason’s. ... Barber was working 16 or 17 months ago, and was cutting for Mr. J. Batemen, I do not know that I have see Barber’s brand, but I deduce the different size in the appearance of the brands from having seen them on the timber; ... “(Supreme Court, The Inquirer and Commercial News, 11 October 1871, Pg.3)

From this it can be taken that George Barber was a pit sawyer. Barber, like other sawyer’s branded the wood he had sawn. In order to brand the wood they would have had a metal brand. In this case made up of the sawyers initials. That brand would be heated in a fire until it was red hot. The red hot brand would then be applied to the wood leaving a charred imprint of the sawyers initials. This way the sawyers and others could identify who cut a particular piece of timber. This would be very useful in identifying work where the sawyer was paid per piece cut. From these two articles it is shown that George Barber was a known contractor to Bateman and Mason from 1869. However, there is at least one anomaly.

There is a further case that puts a George Barber in the Canning District in 1874 this time he was prosecuted for stealing harness from Wallace Bickely. At the time of prosecution he was stated to be of Fremantle. He was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment (Police Courts. The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Times, 24 April, 1874, Pg.3). Combining the three reports a George Barber was working in the Canning District and was relatively well known. There is information missing. The missing information would assist in determining definitively, that there was definitely only one George Barber, and that George Barber was working as a sawyer in the early 1870’s, and, his name was synonymous with the swamp when Angove surveyed the area for Shaw.

The missing information includes the first George Barbers age. The next issue is the report of Barbers death does not mentioned the site of Barber’s camp. His death certificate should identify the place of death. The second issue that flows from the report is related to the surviving son. There is a significantly later report of a G.S. Barber working at Canning Mill in the 1890’s. This could be the son referred to in the report of the first George Barbers death. Again the death certificate should identify the surviving son. If it the surviving son is G.S. Barber then the news paper reports are validated. It should also provide an age for the deceased and for the son. This would help resolve the issue set out below.

The facts set out above regarding G.S. Barber is corroborated to some extent, a George Barber gave evidence in relation to an incident that took place inside the Forest Inn in February 1896 (Police News, Daily News, 22 February 1896, Pg.5). However, it also creates an issue in that Barber’s evidence was accepted unchallenged. This implies the George Barber in the Forest Inn is an adult. This does no ‘square’ with the statement above relating to G.S. Barber, he would have been too young to be in the Inn let alone give evidence. However, the article

They’re Chip’s From The Historic Block (South Western Times, 2 December 1954, Pg.4) refers to four generations of the Barber family, Clarie and Fred Barber being the fourth generation. The article refers to their father, George, and his grandfather both of whom had connections to Mason’s and Canning Mills. It also appears that Clarie and Fred were the only family members who did not have connections to either Masons Mill or Canning Mills. The article appears to skip a generation. It may be the case the George Barber in the Forest Inn is the father of the younger George Barber, the father of Clarie and Fred ,and is the son of the George Barber who died in 1879. It should be noted that They’re Chip’s From The Historic Block was published in 1954. The issue of the skipped generation is not the only problem with the family tree.

There is a single death notice placed in 1923 for Clarance Barber who was killed at Buckingham’s mill near Collie on the 22 March of that year (Deaths, Western Mail. 5th April 1923, Pg.27). There are a series of notices related to the same incident. The first refers to Clarance Barber, the ad was inserted by his unnamed mother, Amy, Fred, Leighton and brother Albert. There is an other ad that was placed by George, sister in law Amy niece and nephews (In Memoriam, The West Australian, 22 March 1924, Pg. 1). There is a later “In Memoriam” advert placed by his mother and Fred. Immediately below this is another ad inserted by his “brother Albert, sister in law Clarice and little nephew Freddie (Leighton)”(In Memoriam, The West Australian, 22 March 1929, Pg 1). There appears to be only two original contemporaneous reports of the accident, both refer to the same set of facts regarding the injuries causing the death. One report refers to the deceased as Clarance Herbert Barber (Fatal Accident, Collie Mail, 30 March 1923, Pg.2). The second report published under the authority of the Acting Secretary of the Timber Workers Union refers to the deceased as Clarence Leighton (Timber Worker Killed, The Daily News, 24 March 1923, Pg.7). The name Leighton appears as part of a number of notices and other advertisements regarding the death, either under the heading Barber (a number of times) but also in 1925 under the headings”Barber” and “Leighton” (In Memoriam, The West Australian, 23 March, 1925, Pg.1). This raises the prospect of aliases. However, there does not appear to be a published finding of the coronal inquest, the coronal inquest would have to have dealt with the issue of the true identity of the victim. This brings into question the reliability of the names in the prior news paper reports. That said, the issues arise after the death of the first George Barber, that information is likely reliable. The principal issue is where does the George Barber who was deceased in 1879 fit into the Barber family tree, is he the patriarch, and where do the other George Barbers fit into the story.

The Barbers Swamp referred to in the Waladeck Smith advertising that appeared prior to the auction of Joseph Shaws estate is probably named after George Barber, most likely the first George Barber who died in 1879. At the time of writing the author does not have access to any genealogical records. It appears that the family recycled the name George every generation. Because of the number of George Barbers, and, because of the issue with the Clarence Barber/Clarence Leighton issue the writers view is qualified. It is possible that the Swamp is named after the George Barber who gave evidence in relation to the incident at the Forest Inn. It would be a worth while exercise, in the first instance, to extract the death certificate of the George Barber who died in 1879 and then to trace the Barber lineage to verify the above.

References

Canning Timber Station, West Australian, 29 September 1885, Pg.3.

Country Letters, The Inquirer and Commercial News, 26 February 1879, Pg.3

Deaths, Western Mail. 5th April 1923, Pg.27.

Fatal Accident, Collie Mail, 30 March 1923, Pg.2.

In Memoriam, The West Australian, 22 March 1924, Pg. 1.

In Memoriam, The West Australian, 23 March, 1925, Pg.1.

In Memoriam, The West Australian, 22 March 1929, Pg 1.

Mizen, D., 2020 BARBER’S SWAMP MYSTERY URL http://pickeringbrookhistory.com/timber %2021.html Accessed 2/1/2022.

Mizen, D., 2022, A Game of Historic Spot the Difference. NP

Police Courts. The Perth Gazette and Western Australian times, 24 April, 1874, Pg.3.

Police News, Daily News, 22 February 1896, Pg.5.

Supreme Court, The Inquirer and Commercial News, 11 October 1871, Pg.3.

They’re Chip’s From The Historic Block, South Western Times, 2 December 1954, Pg.4.

Timber Worker Killed, The Daily News, 24 March 1923, Pg.7.