Cutter

John Cutter was born about 1640 in Whalton, Northumberland, England, died in 1712 in Whalton, Northumberland, England aged about 72, and was buried on 28 Nov 1712 in St Mary Magdelen Church, Whalton, Northumberland, England.

John married Isabel WATSON on 30 May 1665 in Whalton, Northumberland, England. Isabel was born about 1644 in Whalton, Northumberland, England, died Abt 1689* in Whalton, Northumberland, England aged about 45, and was buried on 30 Mar 1689 in St Mary Magdelen Church, Whalton, Northumberland, England. They had six children: Francis, Thomas, William, John, Marke and Elizabeth.

Francis Cutter was born Abt 1665* in Whalton, Northumberland, England and was christened 22 Feb 1665* in Whalton, Northumberland, England.

Thomas Cutter was born about 1667 in Whalton, Northumberland, England and was christened on 4 Apr 1667 in Whalton, Northumberland, England.

William Cutter was born about 1668 in Whalton, Northumberland, England and was christened on 12 Sep 1668 in Whalton, Northumberland, England.

John Cutter was born about 1670 in Ponteland, Northumberland, England, was christened on 28 Apr 1670 in Whalton, Northumberland, England, died on 15 May 1731 in Eland Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland, England aged about 61, and was buried on 17 May 1731 in St Mary the Virgin church, Ponteland, Northumberland, England.
General Notes: Eland Hall appears to be the area that engulfs Eland Hall Lane. Possibly a tiny hamlet to the East of Ponteland in the 17th century. Later becoming Eland Hall Farm. Ponteland comes from the expression 'Island on the pont' as the town is situated on the Pont River in the district of
Newcastle upon Tyne.
John married Anne MALLIN, daughter of William MALLIN and Ann LESTER, on 16 May 1694 in
Ponteland, Northumberland, England. Anne was born in May 1675 in Tipton, Staffordshire, England, was christened on 22 May 1675 in St Martins, Tipton, Stafford, England, died 20 Feb 1737* in Eland Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland, England at age 61, and was buried 22 Feb 1737* in St Mary the Virgin church, Ponteland,
Northumberland, England.
They had two children: John and George.

Marke Cutter was born about May 1671 in Whalton, Northumberland, England and was christened on 7 May 1671 in Whalton, Northumberland, England.

Elizabeth Cutter was born about 1680 in Whalton, Northumberland, England and was christened on 29 Jul 1680 in Whalton, Northumberland, England.

John Cutter, born about 1670, Ponteland, Northumberland and Ann Mallin, born about 1675, Tipton, Staffordshire, England were married during 16 May 1694 Ponteland, Northumberland, England.
John died 17/5/1731 at Eland Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland and Ann died about 20/2/1738 at Eland Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland.

Ann Mallin was the daughter of William Mallin and Ann Lester. Ann's parents were married on 30/5/1674 in Tipton, Staffordshire, England.

John and Ann had at least two children, John (abt 1699-1750) and George (abt 1700-)

John Cutter, born about 1699, Ponteland, Northumberland and Margery Gofton, born about 1700, Ponteland, Northumberland were married on 26/6/1722 at the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Ponteland, Northumberland, England.
John died 6/8/1750 at Eland Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland and Margery died about 22/2/1747 at Eland Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland

Margery Gofton. was the daughter of Aaron Gofton and Mary Cooper. Margery's parents were married in June 1694 at the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Ponteland, Northumberland, England.

John and Margery had seven children, Ann (abt 1723-), Mary (abt 1724-), Jane (abt 17-), John (abt 1729-1731), Margery (abt 1729-), George (abt 1735-) and John (abt 1739-1805)

John Cutter, born about 1739, Ponteland, Northumberland and Jane Kirkup, born about 1742, Rothbury, Northumberland were married on 16/3/1767 at the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Ponteland, Northumberland, England.
John died 1/5/1805 at Berwick Hill, Northumberland and Jane died about 22/9/1824 at High Felling, County Durham.

Jane Kirkup was the daughter of James Kirkup and Elizabeth Turner. Jane's parents were married on 21/6/1739 at the parish church of AllSaints, Rothbury, Northumberland, England.

John and Jane had seven children, James (1768-1834), Ann (abt 1771-), Jane (abt 1772-), Elizabeth (abt 1775-), George abt 1777-1849), John (abt 1777-1842) and Ann (abt 1785-)

James Cutter, born about 1768, Ponteland, Northumberland and Mary Robson , born about 1770, Fellside, Wickham, County Durham were married on 21/10/1798 at the parish church of St. Mary and St. Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England.
James died 30/11/1834 at High Felling, County Durham. Mary died 16/5/1848 at High Felling, County Durham.

Mary Robson was the daughter of Robert Robson and Barbara Errington. Mary's parents were married on 4/5/1760 at the parish church of St. Mary the Virgin church, Wickham, County Durham, England.

James and Mary had six children. Edwin (1799 - 1807), James (1800), John (1803), George (1806), Jane (1808) and Robert (1811). Their first born (Edwin) was born at Heworth then the family moved to Chester-le-Street where the second child (James) was born. The family then moved (back) north (about 7 miles) to Heworth, (now part of Gateshead) about 1802.
John being christened on 22/5/1803 at Heworth (possibly at St Mary's Church).

John married Mary Ann Hunter; 24/5/1830 at St Hilda's Church, South Shields, County Durham. They then lived in the parish of Jarrow in the township of Heworth their dwelling being at High Felling.

John and Mary Ann had at least five children:
John (1831), Mary Ann (1833), Margaret (1835), James (1838) and Catherine (1840).
Great-grandfather James Cutter (son of John and Mary) was baptized on 5/7/1838 at St Mary's Church, Heworth.

John Cutter was a builder, and it seems that his two sons, John and James followed in his father's footsteps.
It would appear by their writing skills that all three were well educated as is shown latter regarding James and his son's headstone.

Front page of a builders manual
"The London Art and Method of Building"
inscribed by John CUTTER (and his sons John and James)
Courtesy of Norman JONES
(a descendant of Margaret CUTTER, sister to John and James)
Click here for a larger view

James apparently served his apprenticeship in England, either with his father or someone else, he qualified as a stonemason, although at times he is described as a builder. When he was around twenty, probably not long after being freed from his indentures, James Cutter boarded a ship (in June 1858) and emigrated to New Zealand. One possible reason was that at the time the Earl of Durham was sponsoring emigration to New Zealand at that time. In any event James settled at Onehunga, where he was to meet and marry his future wife.

James Cutter married Charlotte Kendall on 12/10/1865 at St Peter's Church, Onehunga, New Zealand and they settled down to married life at Onehunga. Their first child was born 10/1/1867 and although christened as James, was known to the family as Jacob. James had apparently decided to try his luck in Australia, and as soon as Charlotte and Jacob were ready to travel, the family sailed across the Tasman to Sydney and moved up to the Goulburn area where they settled. Another son, Kendall was born 1869 possibly at Goulburn, and Charlotte in 1870 at Hartley (between Katoomba and Lithgow). James established himself in the area as a stone mason of quite some respect and admiration. He acquired a 100 acre property located on Brisbane Water near Koolewong, 25 miles (40 km) north of Sydney. He named the property Glenrock.

For some reason, in late 1872, Charlotte returned to New Zealand. Whether to see her family or because her marriage was not working out, we'll never know. What we do know is that she was pregnant when she left, and that she only took her daughter (young Charlotte) with her, leaving the two boys with their father. Jacob died on 23/4/1880, and Kendall around 1900.

After her arrival back at Onehunga, Charlotte gave birth to Percy Herbert Thomas Cutter on 10/2/1873. Charlotte remained in New Zealand and within a year she was living with a Thomas Barraclough. Thomas was married with at least two children, (one dead) but had apparently been abandoned with the boys by his wife. Although he possibly left her and took the boys. In any event Thomas Barraclough and his surviving son, and Charlotte with daughter Charlotte and son Percy formed a new family unit. Possibly to escape family outrage in New Zealand the new 'family' moved across the Tasman. Thomas, Charlotte, Thomas' son (Thomas), young Charlotte and Percy (children of Charlotte and James Cutter)) left New Zealand on the steam ship 'VICTORIA'. They arrived in Sydney from New Zealand 9th October, 1874. At some time after that they move south and settled in Euroa, Victoria, Australia.

It is not known if Thomas Barraclough and Charlotte Cutter (nee Kendall) ever married.
Thomas Barraclough plied his trade as a bootmaker. This is how Percy became a bootmaker, learning the trade at the knee of his "stepfather".

Thomas Barraclough and Charlotte Cutter (nee Kendall) lived as husband and wife in Euroa and were to have four more children; Dora, Ernest Athol, Hilda and Effie. Charlotte thus had a total of eight children, and Percy had at least nine siblings (counting Barraclough's from his first wife) although only six lived to adulthood and Percy would have only known five, his full sister Charlotte and his half- brothers and sisters. He never as far as we know met either James ( aka Jacob ) who died in 23/4/1880 (at Brisbane Waters) or Kendall who died 1901 (at West Maitland), although it is possible that he knew of their existence. Charlotte Barraclough (Cutter nee Kendall) died on 28/2/1882 (buried at Euroa Victoria site #34 C of E section B) , apparently of a miscarriage and resulting haemorrhage.

Percy was only nine at the time. Thomas Barraclough remarried in 1887 and died the following year on 20/8/1888 (buried at Euroa Victoria 21/8/1888 site #4 C of E section B). It seems that at this point, at the age of fifteen. and orphaned, after the death of his mother and the only father he had ever known, that Percy embarked on an independent life.

For Percy's father James Cutter, life had also moved on. In 1879, he had also remarried, to a Harriet Bailey, presumably under the old law by which abandonment and/or separation by sea for seven years effectively negated any previous marriage.

It seems he may have known where Charlotte was, for when his son, James, died in 1880, the notice in the Sydney Morning Herald asked (as was common at the time) for the Melbourne papers to copy the notice. Young James was buried on the family property, 'Glenrock'. Why do this since there was no family or known friends in Melbourne or Victoria, except his "former" wife.

There were no children from James' second marriage. Harriet Cutter (nee Bailey) remarried as a widow on 12/9/1883. There was an old family tale that he had fallen overboard from a ship between Melbourne and Sydney.

A notice in the Sydney Morning Herald dated 26/3/1885 stating the death of James Cutter, late of Glenrock, had occurred at Pitiuvu, Rewa, Fiji. But this raised a further question, how did James' wife Harriet remarry as a widow if James was still living until 1885? As it has finally turned out, she had remarried legitimately. James Cutter in fact died on 20/2/1882 and for some reason, it took three years to make the newspaper. Harriet had heard of the death and then remarried, what probably happened is that someone who was with James at Fiji, reported it to the paper on their return to Sydney three years later. James had gone to Fiji as an employee of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (now CSR) which in 1879 established sugar plantations and began to build processing plants at Rewa, Fiji. He didn't live to see processing begin, as that didn't happen until mid 1882. The caused his death is not known, and may never be able to, as it may have occurred before official record keeping began there.

In any event, by the early 1890's Percy was living at Katamatite where he plied his trade as a bootmaker. He met Bridget O'Reilley and on the 18/6/1896 they were married at Percy's home.
Over the next few years the family grew, eventually finishing at eight. About 1903 they moved to Cobram, then to Yea about 1907.

On 27/1/1916 Percy enlisted in the army (Serial Number 6476). After finishing basic training he ended up with 21st/6th (21st battalion of the 6th regiment).
The regiment sailed to England on the Nestor on 2/10/1916. Possibly because of his age, Percy never saw front line service in France, but served his time in England. In 1919, he was invalided out of the army and returned to Australia, apparently suffering from Tuberculosis. After the war Percy returned to Broadford and in 1920, he was granted a soldier settlement farm in the Rhind’s Estate at Portarlington, along with a grant of £256 ($512) “for the purchase of stock and implements” where they were market gardeners for about ten years. In 1929, with all the children off their hands, and possibly to he nearer to their children (although advancing age and/or the depression may have played a part) Percy and Bridget moved up to Ballarat, where Norman Percy and Dora Ellen (McKay) lived.

In Ballarat, Percy went back to his old trade of bootmaking, a fairly light occupation for a man of almost sixty. Percy and Bridget lived at 7 Peel St, where Percy also worked from. In 1932 they moved to Curtis St, between Grenville and Lowe Sts (where the Commonwealth Offices now stand). 1939 saw them at 1 Eastwood St where Safeway now is. Finally the last move to 69 Humffray St North, a former wood merchants next to the railway line.
Percy retired in 1943, probably none to soon for a man of seventy suffering from arthritis and TB.

It was around this time that Percy and Bridget's paths separated. Although not know for sure, possibly because Percy's TB flared again. He lived out the remainder of his days at Sorrento, possibly at a sanatorium.
In late 1946, Percy was admitted to the Alfred hospital, where he died on 12/11/1946. He was cremated on the 18/11/1946 at the Springvale Crematorium. He is buried with his youngest son (John Arthur [Jack]).

Bridget spent the rest of her days living for periods of time with each of their children, both in Ballarat and Melbourne. She was living with her daughter Hilda, in East Coburg when she suffered a heart attack on 20/5/1957 and was admitted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she died a few hours later. She is buried on the 21/5/1957 at the Fawkner cemetery with her eldest son (William) and his wife Myrtle.