eHive Object Details

Name/TitleJohn Stewart Spotswood : Old Melbourne Cemetery, c. 1920

About this objectA photograph of two side-by-side tombstones marking the remains of John Stewart Spotswood and two daughters.

The smaller stone with a triangular top, on the left, was placed there in 1844 to commemorate the death of Eliza Spotswood, who died in her second year. When her father John died in 1851, a larger stone, with a semicircular top with concave shoulders, was added to the grave site. When another daughter Elizabeth died in 1860, Eliza and Elizabeth's inscriptions were added to their father's tombstone. Selby tells us that this is a "neatly railed grave", but the rail cannot be seen in the photograph. (The ornate rail can be seen in AL046-0090)

The inscription reads: (234 in Selby's grave index, p. 387, OPMHoM)

Stone on left:
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
ELIZA SPOTSWOOD
WHO DEPARTED
THIS LIFE
JULY 28th 1844
AGED 1 YEAR
9 MONTHS 23 DAYS

Stone on right:
SACRED (Gothic script)
To The Memory of
JOHN STEWART SPOTSWOOD
who departed this life
at Williams Town
on the 5th November 1851
Aged 42 years

Happy soul thy days are ended
All thy mourning days below
Go by angel guards attended
To the sight of Jesus go!

Weep not for me but be content
I was not yours but only lent
My end you know my grave you see
Prepare yourselves to follow me

ALSO ELIZA SPOTSWOOD
Born Dec 5th 1842
Died July 28th 1844

ELIZABETH SPOTSWOOD
Died March 26 1860
Aged 15 Years & 3 Months

Selby tells us that Spotswood was an early settler of Williamstown, who owned a ferry which crossed the Saltwater River. Spotswood widow dies in 1891, aged 83.

John Stewart was born in India, son of Captain John Spotswood (1785-1859). When his father retired from the army Captain Spotswood relocated his family to Tasmania. In January 1841 John Stewart purchased Lot 1, 1 rood 36 perches, of land at Williams Town, also that year he married Anna Victoria Normandale. In 1842 he was granted an auctioneer's license in Williams Town. He purchased 119 acres (Lot 12) in the County of Bourke in August 1847, the area now known as Spotswood.
(Trove and Spotswood College Alumni Trust website)

This image is attributed to Everard Studley Miller who photographed many graves and tombstones in the Old Melbourne Cemetery (established in 1837) around 1920 as part of a project led by Isaac Selby to record and commemorate all aspects of Melbourne's second cemetery (the first being at Flagstaff Hill). The RHSV holds original glass negatives and albums of the photographs from this project.

One of the many glass slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund. Selby numbered this slide #64.

For more information about this image contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

MakerMiller, Everard Studley, 1886-1956.

Maker RolePhotographer

Measurements8.2 x 8.2 cm

Period1910-1920

Object TypePhotograph

Subject and Association KeywordsSelby, Isaac, 1859-1956

Subject and Association KeywordsMiller, Everard Studley, 1886-1956.

Subject and Association KeywordsOld Melbourne Cemetery (Melbourne)

Subject and Association KeywordsSpotswood (Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsWilliamstown (Vic.)

Subject and Association KeywordsSpotswood, John Stewart, 1809-1851

Subject and Association KeywordsMonuments and memorials

Subject and Association KeywordsChildren

Subject and Association KeywordsWomen

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-TM-40

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved