Biography
Martha Whittaker was born 14 November 1839 in Berrima, New South Wales, Australia to George Whittaker (1802-1860) and Elizabeth Sugden (1806) and died 22 June 1912 Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia of unspecified causes. She married John James Clarke (1820-1894) 27 July 1857 in Saint John's, Canberra, New South Wales, Australia.
Children
Obituary
A sad burning fatality occurred at Gellingroe on Thursday night, the victim being Mrs. John Clarke, sen. The old lady, who was in the habit of having a fire in her room at night, sat warming herselt, and on turning to retire to bed the night garment she was wearing at the time caught fire, with the result that the unfortunate woman was severely burnt all over the body before the flames could be extinguished by her daughter (Miss Clarke), who had her hands severely burnt. The drapings in the house also became ignited and the destruction of the home was narrowly averted.
Medical aid was summoned and the sufferer was conveyed to town and placed in the local hospital, but her great age—as well as the fact that only a month previously she had sustained a broken arm—told against her recovery, and she succumbed to her injuries at mid-day on Saturday. The late Mrs. Clarke, who was a sister of Mr. R. Whitticker, of Gellingroe station, was 73 years of age, and was one of the pioneers of this district, having settled at Gellingroe in the early sixties with her husband John Clarke, who predeceased her by 18 years. A family of six sons and four daughters survive her, namely, Messrs. Alfred, Robert, Richard, William, Albert, Percy, and Mrs. Trimble, Mrs. Quinnell, Mrs. W. Whitticker and Miss Edith, besides 46 grand-children and three great grand-children. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved relatives in their sad trouble. The remains were interred in the Church of England portion of the South Gundagai cemetery on Sunday last, the Rev. J..M. Thomas conducting the service at the graveside.
Footnotes (including sources)
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