George Britcher

   Cause of his death was speared to death.

  Research Notes:

Brian & Pam Andrew note:
Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record (Renmark, S.A.) - 19 December 1924
Extract from "Early days on the Murray - The Life Story of a Pioneer as told by Mr J T Schell"
"…The next job was on Murbko run, looking after rams imported from Germany. Mr. Mallyon was the manager and P. Levy owned the run. Mrs. Mallyon was the widow of a man named Britcher, who was killed at the Rufus Creek massacre of the blacks. He had two sons, George and Harry. George Britcher was killed In Queens-
land by natives and Harry in 1871 was working on Thurk Station. In 1877 he cleared out for Queensland."
BWA note: This is not correct. George was killed at Deception Hill at a later date than the Rufus Creek so-called massacre involving Major Mitchell. See below:-

South Australian Register - 9 September 1846
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
On the 19th August we were enabled to furnish a brief account of a collision between a small overland party and a tribe of blacks on the banks of the River Murray, in which recontre a man belonging to the overland party was slain. We are enabled more fully to state the particulars. Mr Thomas Johnson, the "on -armed man" formerly mentioned, long resident at Yass, in New South Wales, and to whom fourteen horses and fifty-one head of cattle of the overland herd belonged, has been kind enough to furnish us with the following interesting recital. The party of six, including the narrator, Henry Jervis, George Jervis, John Jones, George Bridges, and Herbert Elder, were travelling in charge of, cattle, horses, and provision of dray,belonging to himself and Elder, and bound to Adelaide, when, on the morning of the 27th June, Henry Jervis and George Jervis rode away from the party, and were expected to return in vain all that day and night. On the 28th the reduced party encamped at a place called Mount Dispersion, whence they could hear the sound of an encampment of blacks at some distance off, on the line of march. On the following morning Johnson intimated his desire to George Bridges that they should not proceed until his father-in-law, Henry Jervis, and his brother-in-law, George Jervis, had rejoined them. Bridges said he would not wait, and "hoped they would get a good starving, as they had no business away."
They started accordingly, and soon arrived at the blacks' encampment. Four or five natives only were perceptible, and these they passed without speaking to. They travelled three or four miles along the bank of the Murray, followed by the blacks, the river being on one hand, and a thick scrub on the other. On crossing a creek, they stopped for a few minutes to see what the blacks were following them for. In a little time they started again, when the blacks cooeyed, and there arose forty or fifty more from the bank of the river and the creek, making a terrifying roar or shout. Upon this, Elder, Bridges, and Jones took their arms, and stood alongside the dray ; Mr Johnson was with the cattle in advance, and all he could see, on looking round, was, that the blacks with their spears and war implements had advanced to within about ten rods of the dray, where they maintained their terrifying roar without advancing nearer. Mr Johnson walked from the cattle towards the dray: but before he could reach it Jones had fired a shot, which, however, he said was an accidental one. Bridges having expressed his determination to proceed, Mr Johnson returned to the cattle, and caught his horse, which was the only one saddled. By this time Elder had joined him alongside the cattle, which some dogs belonging to the blacks were attacking; but they were got rid of without having scattered the cattle. On looking round towards the dray, Mr Johnson saw Bridges handing some beef to the blacks, and observed that as he turned from them they speared him through the back and under the right arm, and he fell to the ground. Elder and Jones were no longer visible, and he concluded they had been speared too. Mr Johnson rode a little way to the right, and could then see the blacks had full possession of the dray. He now saw an unarmed black coming towards him, but seeing he was followed by two others with a spear each, he turned his horse's head to cross a creek; but before he had accomplished the passage, a spear passed over his head, and lodged in the opposite bank.
Thence he looked again, and saw the former contents of the dray upon the ground, also the speared man, whose dying groans were audible: but could see nothing of Elder or Jones. Mr Johnson being utterly at a loss to determine what he could do, remained where he stood for some time; and having prayed to God to direct him, he resolved to retreat to a station forming by Mr Ross, fifty or sixty miles further back than where he and his companions had encamped on the previous night. He was proceeding on his journey in that direction, when he heard a noise behind, which alarmed him much; but he was agreeably surprised at being overtaken by Elder and Jones, whom he had given up for lost; but who had succeeded in catching two of his (Johnson's) horses, and had taken a like determination with himself, to retreat towards Mr Ross's. They, too, had given up Mr Johnson for lost; but meeting with the track of the mare he was riding, rightly concluded he had escaped, and that they might overtake him. Having agreed to go back to Mr Ross's station, they had ridden only two or three miles in that direction when they met H. and G. Jervis, who said they had lost themselves, which was almost impossible, as they had the river on one hand, and a beaten track on the other. On being told that their relative (Bridges) had been killed, they wanted Mr Johnson and the others to turn back; but as they had only one gun between them in the hand of Jones, the proposal was declined, and they all agreed to go back to Mr Ross's together.
That night they passed in the bush, on the bank of the Murray, without food or shelter, and on the following morning, having caught their horses, they mounted, and rode as hard as they could towards the station of Mr Ross. Most fortunately, on their way they fell in with a Mr Maury and a Mr Cartwright with their party, provision dray, and cattle, and got a present supply for their wants. Having learnt that Mr Tooth's party was coming behind, Johnson and Elder went to meet them, and upon asking the assistance of Mr Tooth's superintendent, Mr Newman, the services of an armed and well-mounted man were granted, and Elder was left with Mr Newman. The armed man, who had served in the British cavalry, and was very properly called "the trooper," carried his musket in "a boot," and had plenty of ammunition. Johnson, too, was furnished with a brace of pistols. When they got back to the encampment of Messrs Maury and Cartwright, they found George Jervis, and learnt from him that his father, accompanied by Mr Maury, Mr Cartwright, Mr Ross, a Mr Walker, and two or three other gentlemen, accompanied by two blacks, and all well armed, had just gone off for the scene of the murder and dispersion. Mr Johnson and the trooper determined to overtake them, and did so after about four miles' travelling. They journeyed together all that day, and encamped on the bank of the river at night. Next morning they set out again, and reached the place where Bridges was murdered about half-an-hour before sunset. One of the dogs left with the dray was still there; the two leading bullocks were missing, but the other four were found entangled in the scrub; and it was now time to encamp for the night. In the morning (July 3) all the party went to look for the remains of poor Bridges, except Jervis, who rode out in search of the dispersed cattle. After some time they found a clay mound, which was removed, and a little below was discovered the naked body of the murdered man, covered first with long grass, and then with pieces of wood, the clay being put over all. On taking up the body, it was found to have been speared through and through. After giving H. Jervis an opportunity of seeing the body of his son-in-law, it was again interred in another grave. After this the kind gentlemen assisted in recovering the dispersed cattle, and succeeded so well, that Mr Johnson recovered all his horses (fourteen). Next morning he returned with the party to Mr Newman, who kindly undertook to supply him with provisions, to attempt the recovery of his remaining cattle, and to conduct him to Adelaide with his own party. To this gentleman's kind assistance he was indebted for the recovery of all his cattle, except five, and for the benefit of a safe convoy as far as the settled districts on this side of the River Rufus

  Medical Notes:

Mt Dispersion, a red sandhill on the northern bank of the Murray between Mildura and Robinvale - Blacks speared George through the back and under the right arm

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection. ²⁶²

• Occupation: tailor. ²⁶²

George married Rebecca Kingsnorth Jarvis, daughter of Henry Kingsnorth Jarvis and Selina Mackenden, on 5 Aug 1841 in Scots Presbyterian Church, Pitt St, Sydney, NSW Australia.²⁶² (Rebecca Kingsnorth Jarvis was born on 13 Mar 1819 in Tenterden, Kent England, christened on 15 Mar 1819 in Tenterden, Kent England, died on 10 Feb 1898 in Penny St,.Seapoaore, Adelaide, South Australia ^262,621 and was buried on 12 Feb 1898 in North Road Cemetery, Wakeiville, South Australia ⁶²¹.)