Name: Henry Edward Palmer

Date of Birth: July 30, 1859

Birth Location: Millbrook, Maker Parish, Cornwall, England.

Also Known As: Harry

Age at Burial: 54 years

Date of Death: 28 August 1913 – BDM-WA Registration Number: 6600128

Death Location: Capel School, Capel, Western Australia.

Date of Burial: 29 August 1913

Denomination: Unconsecrated Ground – Unknown Grave

Row/Grave: 

Grave Transcription: 

Father: William Palmer born: December 2, 1815, Millbrook, Cornwall. Died: November 9, 1882. Buried Millbrook Cemetery, Cornwall, England. (1st Marriage – April 9, 1842 Sarah Patchcott born: c.1816 died: April 20, 1856 Millbrook, Cornwall, England.)

Married: March 17, 1857 (2 nd marriage for William Palmer)

Mother: Matilda Baskerville born: March 10, 1834, Devonport, England. Died: November 9, 1916. Buried St. Mewan, England

Grandparents (father):

John Palmer born: July 26, 1789 Millbrook, Cornwall. Died: May 17, 1875 Plymouth, England.

Married: August 31, 1809 Maker Parish, Cornwall.

Mary Lobb born: c. 1792 St. Issey Cornwall. Died: April 25, 1861 Millbrook, Cornwall.

Grandparents (mother):

James R Baskerville (sea captain)

Mary Ratallick born: c. 1807

Siblings:

James William Palmer born: April 26, 1858 Millbrook, Cornwall. Died: January 15, 1943.

Annie Maria Palmer born: June 3, 1861 Millbrook, Cornwall. Died: January 31, 1885.

Mary Elizabeth Palmer born: January 26, 1863 Millbrook, Cornwall. Died: January 31, 1865.

Bessie Matilda Palmer born: January 26, 1865 Millbrook, Cornwall. Died: April 4, 1866.

Frederick Palmer born: February 25, 1868 Millbrook, Cornwall. Died: April 7, 1946.

Emily Harriet Palmer born: May 1, 1870 Millbrook, Cornwall. Married: December 1, 1902, James Semple.

Half Siblings: (Children of William & Sarah Palmer)

William James Palmer born: June 6, 1841 Cornwall, England. Died: June 11, 1848.

John Richard Palmer born: December 28, 1843 Cornwall, England. Died: May 14, 1866.

Emma Jane Palmer born: April 3, 1846 Cornwall, England. Died: November 11, 1847.

Sarah Jane Palmer born: December 14, 1848 Cornwall, England. Died: March 4, 1929 Plymouth, England.

Spouse: Unmarried.

Children:

Occupation: Painter/Pedler/Miner

Military Service:

Their Story

Harry Palmer was born in the small village of Millbrook in the Parish of Maker. He was the second child and son of William and Matilda Palmer. William had married Matilda Baskerville in March 1857. This was his second marriage. His first wife Sarah had died in 1856 leaving William to look after their 2 surviving children, John 13 and Sarah 8. Their 2 other children, had died some years before, Emma 18mths in 1847 and William 7 in 1848. William and Matilda had seven children together, James, Harry, Annie, Mary, Bessie, Frederick and Emily. In the English census of 1861, William’s occupation was listed as a gardener and his son John was an apprentice boat builder. Sadly Mary and Bessie both died as toddlers, in 1865 and 1866. Also, in 1866, John, William’s son from his first marriage died aged 22. In the Census of 1871 the Palmer’s were still living in the village of Millbrook and William’s father John had come to live with the family as his wife had passed away in 1861. By the time the 1881 census was done the only children living with William and Matilda were Sarah, (a domestic servant) Frederick and Emily, both at school. William sadly died the following year, 1882 and by the 1891 census, Matilda only had Frederick living in the family home. Frederick was listed as a Seaman H.M.S. Emily was a young ladies maid, living at the House of Henry Firth a solicitor in Devon.

It isn’t clear when Harry came to Australia. There is a H.E. Palmer working as part of the crew in 1884, on the “Adelaide” going between South Australia and Melbourne. Harry is listed on the ship “Swift”, in 1888, that sailed from Tasmania to various mainland eastern ports of Australia. The ship’s master was Andrew Christensen, who was Harry’s uncle. Harry’s mother’s sister, Annie Loveday Baskerville had come to Melbourne in 1863 from the Female Orphan Asylum in Devonport and after being contracted as a domestic servant to Elizabeth Sutton’s household in Geelong for 3 years, married Andrew Christensen in 1866. Harry remained part of the crew of the “Swift”, entries listing him as cook and mate, until 1890.

The family in England has kept some of the letters that Harry sent home in the 1890’s. In July 1890 Harry sent a letter to his younger sister Emily from Port Adelaide, South Australia. He writes that she has waited a long time for him to get around to writing but sends photos of the views from the Tasmanian town of Formby where his Aunt and Uncle lived and of Torquay. He tells her that there aren’t many ships in port because it is summer time and there is mainly farm produce coming in to be sent to the other Colonies. It is in this letter that he tells her he has left Tasmania for good and is coming to Western Australia to try his luck. He’s not sure that it will be good luck but hopes to make a living. He signs off by sending his love to his mother, sister Sarah and remains Emily’s affectionate brother, H. Palmer.

In December 1893, Harry writes to his brother Frederick from Southern Cross, Western Australia. He congratulates Fred on passing his test for Gunner and hopes he will soon don the “buttons”. He tells him that there is nothing like making the most of your chances and says that he has let his slip by being too slow, but doesn’t elaborate as to what he was too slow to take up. He talks about his Uncle Andrew Christensen going back home to Tasmania. It was reported in the newspaper that Andrew Christensen had captained a ship “Duchess of Kent” to Fremantle, arriving on June 30th 1893, from Devonport, Tasmania. Maybe Harry caught a ride from Port Adelaide. He also says that Uncle has missed his chance too and that he didn’t think the Colonies would ever be as bad as they are at present. Harry left Fremantle in July 1893, and headed to the Goldfields. Arriving in Southern Cross the latter part of August after a very rough time. The roads were bad and food was very expensive and sometimes it was hard to get flour at any price. He says it is slightly better now but the main trouble is the lack of water on the Goldfields, the high price that has to be paid per gallon and the fact that it doesn’t go very far. He tells Fred that very few of the men on the fields are getting any “colour” and have to leave. Harry hadn’t got enough money to go any further at present so got a job cutting wood for a mine and after a month was part of a contract to sink a shaft 50 feet deep to try and get water. They ended up going to 78 feet and got very salty water that was useless. He says that he hoped to get more work further up around Coolgardie sinking tanks ready for the wet season. He thinks that there will be a big rush of miners coming with the break of the wet season and he will likely try his luck once again. He writes of yarns told of men picking up nuggets the size of a hens egg but has never seen any so takes these stories with a “pinch of salt”, not hurrying to these areas as some of the other men have and ended up lost or going mad through lack of water. He tells Fred that about 2-300 men set out north of Coolgardie but ran out of water about half way. Some never made it back and others were found half mad by a camel team. Some went back to Perth and left everything behind. Most of the mines were stopped because there wasn’t any water to wash for gold. He says that it is a poor Colony but believes it will be a great country and since gold was discovered people are coming in at over 1000 per month but worries that they will all starve if the Goldfields fail. He writes that he will keep enough money to get out should he have no luck! He has sent a letter to his mother for Christmas and says that he wont leave until April when it should be raining. He must keep in contact with his relatives in Tasmania too as he writes as a P.S. across the top of the page that a letter takes a month to go to Tasmania and back. He again signs off, your affectionate brother H. Palmer.

Harry writes to his brother Fred again in December 1895, from White Feather (Kanowna), Western Australia. He hopes that Fred had a good Christmas and enjoyed himself. He talks of having to grin and bear it if you can’t have all you want, telling Fred that when he hears anyone growling he tells them that there are plenty of “poor devils” worse off but it doesn’t seem to be any use as they all seem to be wanting something they cannot get. He thinks that is what drives men to come to countries like this and live rough, some making a bit of a rise but often dying on the track out.

He comments that it will be getting cold in England now as it is heating up here and the fever is taking off. He thinks it will be worse after Christmas if there isnt any rain. He hopes they might get a big thunderstorm like last Christmas because water is wanted very badly. A man can go through a couple of gallons a day in this dusty country! He says that water is one of the highest costs, along with food and since he has been here, he had given everything that he had made to the storekeeper. He says he has been working at a different mine for the last 2 months and that has put him on his feet for a bit and hopes it will see him through to getting paid in January 1896 but isn’t overly confident as they have been “slipped up” before. They are hopeful that an English Company is going to buy the mine and then they will make good wages. He thinks that it will be a good mine but they dont have the money to open it up properly so are glad of any reasonable offer, and thinks that it should make the English Papers. They had named it Caladonia and Caladonia Extended. He hopes he will get £1000 and then he can have a break as he has had 3 christmas’s in this land of sand and flies.

Fred must have talked about riding his bike in a letter to Harry. Harry says he would like to have one but as yet hasnt been able to afford it. Fred must have offered to send some English Papers to Harry who says that they or any thing readable would be very appreciated. He says he reads the papers here cover to cover but there is very little about the outside world. His brother Jim must also write as he notes that he received papers from him and his mother recently.

He signs off hoping that he will have good news in his next letter and sends his love to his mother, sisters Sarah and Emily and to his brother Jim and family. Your affectionate brother, H.E.  Palmer.

Sadly this appears to be the last letter the family received from Harry. His mother wrote a letter to the Post Master at Bulong, James Townsend who received it on January 3, 1901. She was enquiring if he knew the where abouts of her son H.E. Palmer.  Post Master Townsend wrote back to Mrs Matilda Palmer, telling her that Harry had left there about 10 months prior headed for Mount Morgans about 200 miles away. He told Mrs Palmer that Harry had sent a letter to him asking that he forward any letters and papers to Mount Morgans Post Office but had not heard of him since. He says he will write to Mount Morgans to try to track him down.

The family did not hear from Harry again.

From the Australian Electoral Rolls we can find Harry Edward Palmer living at Queen Street, Mount Morgans in 1903, 1909 and 1910. His occupation was listed as miner, so he was still trying his luck. During this time it appears that Harry’s cousin, Mary Elene Christensen was living in Kalgoorlie. Mary had married and was now Mrs Frank Vaughan. Her husband was a brewery employee. It isn’t clear if her sisters Emily “May” and Violet Rosiena were visiting or if they too lived in the Goldfields but we find a death notice for Violet in May 1907 from Mary and May. Violet was buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery and has a headstone saying she was the daughter of Captain A. and Mrs A. Christensen.

Between 1910 and 1913 Harry must have given up his mining ventures and come south. There are 2 entries on the 1915 and 1916 Electoral Rolls for Harry Edward Palmer living at the State Hotel, Dwellingup and his occupation is Painter, but these were after he had already died. Maybe because of the war or because he didn’t have any family his name was not removed from the roll.

Little is known about Henry Edward Palmer after his last letter home, only what was sadly reported in newspapers after his death on the 28 August 1913.  A friend Mr Charles Balchin did put a notice in the local papers, in a apparent effort to notify friends or family.

Trove Newspaper Article – The South Western News – 29 August 1913 – Suicide at Capel

Trove Newspaper Article – The Beverley Times – 06 September 1913 – Suicide at Capel Verdict

Trove Newspaper Article – The West Australian – 5 Sept 1913 – Death Notice

PALMER- On August 28, at Capel, suddenly, H. E Palmer, (Pedler) (Goldfields Papers Please Copy)

– Inserted by his sorrowing friend Charles Balchin.

Trove Newspaper Article – The Kalgoorlie Miner – 11 November 1913 – Intestate Estates

Henry Palmer – three pounds

Unfortunately, Harry’s family in England was never notified of his death. His mother went to her grave never knowing what had become of her son. However, the extended Palmer family never gave up on Harry. They continued their search for over a century, determined to uncover the fate of Henry Edward Palmer.

Then, 111 years after his death, a breakthrough occurred. Harry’s great-great-nephew and his wife were visiting Western Australia in early 2024. On a whim, they typed “Harry Palmer” into a Google search. To their amazement, the answer appeared before them—Harry was buried in an unknown grave in Capel Cemetery.

When the family reached out to the Capel District Cemeteries Project (CDCP), only the most basic information was available online, including his name, date of death, date of burial, location of death, age and a Trove Newspaper Article from time of death. However, by sharing copies of letters that had been carefully preserved over the years, along with CDCP’s research and assistance, finally Harry’s story was pieced together.

The family was overjoyed to solve the mystery of their long-lost but never-forgotten Uncle Harry. In gratitude, they sent a heartfelt email to the CDCP, along with photos from their visit to the UK. Here’s an excerpt from their message:

“Whilst we were at Capel Cemetery, we picked up a small stone from the carpark area in front of the old school site. After returning to the UK in June and July, we visited the grave of Harry’s mother, Matilda Palmer, and placed the stone on her grave (she is buried with her daughter, Emily). This way, they have a little piece of Harry with them. I’ve attached a photo for you. I also have a stone from Millbrook, which I’ll bring for Harry the next time we visit Capel.”

 

Even though Harry’s story has a sad ending, his family never gave up hope of finding him. The volunteers of the Capel District Cemeteries Project feel privileged to have played a part in uncovering his story and ensuring that Harry’s memory is honored and preserved for future generations.

Research and story compiled by DC (Volunteer Capel District Cemeteries Project)

If you have any information that can assist with Henry Palmer’s story, please contact us via our “Contact Us” section at the bottom of the main page.

© Capel District Cemeteries Project 09/01/2023

Updated 26/08/2024 from information, letters and a photo supplied by Harry’s great great nephew and the extended Palmer family in England. Updated 02/01/2024 – Photos of Gravestone – UK

Updated 12/05/2025 – photo of Henry Edward “Harry” Palmer in Launceston, supplied by Harry’s great great nephew. Found in old photos belonging to the Palmer family.

The photo below is of Harry’s mother and some of his siblings.

L-R Matilda Palmer (seated), Frederick, Annie, Emily & Sarah in about 1880/81.