Little Doaty

Who Was Little Doaty?

By Margot Hitchcock, Historian for the Blackwood & District Historical Society. February 2024.

This year in October commemorates the 145th years since the historical death of a much loved little girl who died age 4 years at Blackwood and lies in a grave just inside the main gate of the Blackwood cemetery with the inscription of ‘Little Doaty died 23 October 1878’.

Many visitors to the Blackwood Cemetery stop at the little grave inside the main gate and wonder who was “Little Doaty”. The family story was told to the Blackwood Historical Society by Mrs Mary Kane who is the daughter of Doaty’s brother John Rowan. It tells how Doaty was the eldest child of Joseph Rowan, Clerk of Courts of Blackwood. Her mother, Margaret Keiran was born in Melbourne in 1855, and her father, Joseph Rowan was born in 1844 in Tipperary, Ireland. They were married on the 10th September 1873 at Sandhurst (Bendigo).

Doaty had one brother John Keiran Rowan who was born in Sandhurst on 2 January 1876. Doaty was born in August 1874 at Sandhurst (Bendigo) and was named after both parents — Josephine Margaret. A family photo of Doaty, taken in Sandhurst when she was aged 2 years and dated 20 October 1876, shows a pretty little girl with dark hair and pale eyes in a pretty lacy dress. The photo was kindly lent to the author by the niece of Doaty, Mrs. Kane. This photo was taken in Sandhurst just 2 years before Doaty died tragically at the age of 4 years from an epidemic of diphtheria raging in the district.

Mrs Kane made several trips to Blackwood to attend the Blackwood Historical Society’s meetings and she arrived by taxi from Kew in Melbourne. The author then visited Mrs Kane in her home where she was lent the family photos of Doaty and her parents so they could be copied by Margot for the Historical Society’s records.

Margot Hitchcock paid for and obtained Doaty’s death certificate. It states her name as Josephine Margaret Rowan aged 4 years, who died from diphtheria, and she had lived at Blackwood.

A Family Broken

Doaty’s parents were heartbroken and her mother’s health suffered. On medical advice, Doaty’s mother went to stay with her relatives in New Zealand. (Mrs. Rowan’s father was a doctor in New Zealand.) Joseph Rowan stayed in Blackwood in his role as Clerk of Courts, to look after their son John with the help of a nurse. Mrs Annie Byres was said to be like a second mother to young John.

Very sadly John was never to see his mother again and remembered being preoccupied and playing with a new toy car his mother gave him on the verandah when she left after a tearful goodbye. For unfortunately Mrs Rowan’s health became worse and she had to delay her return home, and died suddenly on the 27 February 1883, age 27 years, of pneumonia at Kumara near Hokitika on the South Island of New Zealand and was buried there.

Her father, Thomas Keiran, a surgeon, was listed as the medical attendant at her death and her mother’s name was Kate Keiran nee Sweeney. Mrs Rowan had arrived in New Zealand in 1879 and had been there 4 years at her death, and her son John was noted on her death certificate as being 7 years of age.

Another Version

However true is this story from official records and her family, another Blackwood version of how Doaty died was told to the Blackwood Historical Society by the late Bill Matheson from his grandmother. It recalls how Doaty was left in the charge of some neighbours for the day while her parents were away. Sometime towards evening she and another girl went for a walk. On the way they chased a mob of goats which were plentiful about Blackwood at the time. She became separated from the other girl and was later found drowned.

After checking the Bacchus Marsh Express papers on the death of Doaty, there also appeared a report some six weeks previously which reported the death of a child, Selina Bass, 21 months old, who drowned in a waterhole on the 13th September 1878 at her grandmother’s (Margaret Lindsay) home, her mother’s name being Jane Bass. Maybe this last bit of evidence goes to show how the confusion about drowning and diphtheria could have arisen with the two little girls’ deaths being within a short time of each other — evidence of how folklore can be passed through the generations and the true story forgotten or mixed up with time.

The Name & Legacy

It is thought that “Doaty” must have been her baby way of saying “Josie” which is probably the name her parents called her. The Rowan’s home was on the high bank of Golden Point Road that leads to the Mineral Springs. When the fortunes of the town declined the old home with many others was removed to Trentham.

Doaty’s father, Joseph Rowan went to live at Beechworth around 1886 where he remarried and became the Police Magistrate and Warden of the North Eastern Goldfields. The Beechworth Historical Society’s Museum has a photo of Joseph Rowan listed with their early pioneers, as seen by the author.

Selina Bass — Inquest Report

Buried in the Blackwood cemetery is a young child, Selina Bass aged 21 months who drowned at Barry’s Reef and was buried on the 10th September 1878. Also buried with her is Lily Bass, buried 14 February 1877.

Proceedings of Inquest held on the body of Selina Bass at Blackwood, received at the Crown Law Office September 14th 1878. David Grieve Stobie, J.P.

Witness Testimonies

Margaret Lindsay — “I am the wife of James Lindsay, Miner of Barry’s Reef and grandmother of the deceased child, Selina Bass. The deceased is daughter of John Bass, Barry’s Reef. I am the mother of Jane Bass, wife of John Bass and mother of the deceased. The deceased was at my house in Barry’s Reef yesterday morning the tenth inst. About ten or half past ten o’clock I was in my house dressing one of my daughter’s children. Deceased was also in my house at the time. Mrs. Bass came to my house after the deceased child. I went to the cupboard and gave deceased a piece of cake. After I gave her the cake she went outside.”

“About five or ten minutes afterwards I went to look after Selina but did not see her — her mother accompanied me. I looked into a water hole at the back of my house thinking that Selina had fallen into it — it was uncovered. On finding that she was not there I ran to the water hole not far from the side of my house to see whether she had fallen into it. The hole in question is covered with the exception of one part where I draw the water out — on looking I saw a part of her dress and I knew immediately that she was in the hole — I ran forward and pulled her out — she was lying on her side and appeared quite dead. Her mother came at once and took her from me — deceased was brought into my house and her Aunt ran for the doctor — deceased was a year and nine months old.”

Jane Bass — “I am the wife of John Bass, Miner of Blackwood and mother of the deceased, Selina Bass. Deceased was on a visit to her Grandmother’s, the previous witness yesterday morning. I went for deceased about ten or half past ten o’clock. I saw her at her Grandmother’s house and saw her Grandmother give her a piece of cake. After deceased got the cake she went outside. In a few minutes afterwards her Grandmother and I went to look for Selina — we could not see her about and thinking something had happened to her, her Grandmother went to a waterhole at the back of her house and saw nothing. I saw my mother go to the hole at the side of her house. I heard my mother scream out — I saw her stoop down and bring deceased out — I ran and took my child from her — deceased appeared quite dead — deceased would have been a year and nine months old on the fourteenth of this month.”

The Verdict

Thomas Hawkes, Police Constable — “About half past eleven o’clock yesterday forenoon I called at the house of Mrs. Lindsay, the first witness, and learned that her grand daughter had been drowned in a water hole about twenty yards from Mrs. Lindsay’s house. I measured the depth of the hole and found it six feet deep and nearly full of water. The hole was covered over with the exception of a small portion for admitting the water being taken from it. I was present when Doctor Plews did all he could to recover the life of the child but without effect.”

Edward William Plews, Medical Practitioner — “I was sent for yesterday forenoon to visit deceased. I attended at once and did the utmost in my power to restore animation. I endeavoured with a tube to inflate the lungs to induce artificial respiration. I also tried other means usually applied under such circumstances but to no purpose. I am of the opinion that life must have been quite extinct when I arrived although I was anxious to do what I could if possible to resuscitate the child. I am of the opinion that the cause of death was asphyxia from drowning.”

Just one little story in the life of a Miner’s family living in Barry’s Reef, Blackwood. From the cemetery records the Bass family had also had another daughter Lily, who died in February 1877, and then their little girl Selina died by drowning in the Grandmother’s water hole, which she used as her water supply — in those days terms, by “drawing the water” out of the hole which was six feet deep.

These days Barry’s Reef has its own water supply piped to the houses from a reservoir in Barry’s Reef. Hard for some children in today’s lifestyle at Blackwood to compare to the times over 100 years ago when life was so hard for the miners and their families with no electricity or running water.

About This Booklet

Blackwood, a beautiful country town only 55 minutes’ drive from Melbourne CBD, is full of history. The cemetery in Blackwood is a place of reflection for those passed on and also a place that tells many a story. Little Doaty is one such story that was worthy of the research and publication of this booklet.

This booklet was written by Margot Hitchcock with the assistance of Paul Kukiel, with information provided from various sources. Margot is the Historian for the Blackwood & District Historical Society and has more information and publications available.