Name: William Proctor Scott

Date of Birth: 5 October 1856

Birth Location: ‘Eelup’, Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

Also Known As: Proctor

Date of Death: 27 October 1930

Age: 74 years

Death Location: Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

Date of Burial: 28 October 1930

Denomination: Anglican

Row/Grave: Anglican B section. Row 2. Grave # 24. Multi persons (family) tomb stone.

Grave Transcription:

AND

HER HUSBAND

WILLIAM PROCTOR

SCOTT

PASSED AWAY 27TH OCT. 1930.

AGED 74 YEARS

Father: Robert Scott. Born 18 April 1824 in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Died 5 April 1907 in Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

Mother: Jane Roberts. Born c1835 in Truro, Cornwall, England. Died 7 June 1926 in East Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia

Grandparents (father):

John Robert Scott. Born 7 May 1796 at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Died 29 July 1880 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia and Helen McGregor nee Forrest. Born 12 November 1793 at Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Died 13 March 1883 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

Grandparents (mother):

William Jenkin Roberts. Born 6 March 1796 at Veryan, Cornwall, England. Died 25 April 1883 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia and Isabella Jenkin Issacson. Born c1799 at Cornelly, Cornwell, England. Died 9 August 1875 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

Siblings:

Henry William Scott. Born 11 November 1853 at Bunbury Western Australia, Australia. Died 23 November 1931 at Nannup, Western Australia, Australia

Robert Scott. Born 3 March 1855 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia. Died 9 November 1902 at Bunbury, Western Australia.

David Daniel Montague (Monty) Scott. Born 23 August 1858 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 15 July 1921 at Boyanup, Western Australia, Australia

Walter Scott. Born C1861 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died C1899 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia

James (Bungy) Scott. Born 18 April 1863 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 1954 at Nannup, Western Australia, Australia

Agnes Flora Scott. Born 12 May 1865 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 18 March 1948 at Melville, Western Australia, Australia

Helen Jane (Lena) Scott. Born 3 October 1867 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 1869 at Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia

Frederick Forrest Scott. Born 30 June 1870 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 1933 at Collie, Western Australia, Australia

Marion Anderson Scott. Born 18 April 1873 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 21 January 1957 at Shenton Park, Western Australia, Australia

Ernest Elliot Scott. Born 18 November 1875 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 8 August 1931 at Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Sophia Isabella Elizabeth (Queenie) Scott. Born 30 January 1878 at  ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Died 1954 at Mosman Park, Western Australia, Australia

Spouse 1

Lavinia Susanna Higgins. Born 8 October 1856 at ‘Springfield’, Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 7 February 1916 at ‘Roselands’, Stratham, Western Australia, Australia. Aged 59 years. Married William Proctor Scott in 1881 at Picton, Western Australia, Australia

Spouse 2

Esther Elizabeth Clara Fraser. Born 3 October 1882 at Wesport, Buller, New Zealand. Died 14 April 1951 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia. Aged 68 years. Married William Proctor Scott in 1920 at Maylands, Western Australia, Australia.

Children:

Eugene Henry William Scott. Born 10 October 1882 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 24 February 1937 at ‘Irwin Farm’ Elgin, Western Australia, Australia

Douglas Proctor Scott. Born c1883 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 25 July 1916 at Pozieies, France while on active duty in WW1.

Godfrey Llewellyn Scott. Born c1885 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 19 August 1974 at Armadale, Western Australia.

Wesley Robert Scott. Born 4 September 1887 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 20 January at Elgin, Western Australia, Australia

Percival James Scott. Born c1889 at Minninup, Western Australia.  Died 5 May 1916 at Estaples Pas De Calais, France while on active duty in WW1.

Lavinina Jane (Dolly) Scott. Born 5 June 1892 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 7 June 1978 at Como, Western Australia, Australia

Rueben Gardiner (Dick) Scott. Born 26 February 1894 at Minninup, Western Australia Australia. Died 17 March 1975 at Maniana, Western Australia, Australia

Roy Stirling (Jimmy) Scott. Born c1897 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 16 January 1967 at Woodlands Western Australia, Australia

Stafford Leslie Scott. Born C1899 at Minninup, Western Australia, Australia. Died 1 December 1955 at Claremont, Western Australia, Australia

Derek Scott. Born and died at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia. Either 31 January 1921 or 1 January 1922. Lived 1 hour

Alan Rogers Scott. Born 18 August 1923 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia. Died 8 July 2012 at Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Ethel Joan (Joanie) Scott. Born 29 May 1925 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia. Died 19 September 2015 at Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

Occupation:

Farmer

William Proctor Scott known as Proctor was born to pioneering settlers Robert Scott and Jane Roberts of the Minninup and Stratham area, Capel, Western Australia. Robert Scott’s parents were John and Helen Scott who had arrived in Fremantle Western Australia on board the ship ‘Eliza’ in March 1831. They initially farmed 100 acres at Guilford, Western Australia for 6 and half years. They then settled at ‘Eelup’ Bunbury, Western Australia as the first European settlers of the area where they lived for forty two years. Robert Scott continued farming at ‘Eelup’ after John & Helen’s retirement. After farming at ‘Eelup’, Robert and Jane Scott built a home c1858 at ‘Roselands’ Stratham, that remained in this Scott family until 1950.

Proctor, born at ‘Eelup was the third born of 12 children and the third son born to Robert and Jane Scott. After leaving ‘Eelup’, it was his father’s intention to establish a farm at Stratham and name the property ‘Roselands’. And this is where Proctor lived and farmed.

In 1881 Proctor married local girl Lavinia Susanna Higgins of ‘Springfield’ Minninup. Together they had 9 children.

Much sadness came to Proctor in 1916. Firstly, his wife Lavinia Susannah died suddenly 7 February 1916 aged 59 years of a cerebral embolism at the family home at ‘Roselands’, Stratham. At this time Douglas and Percy were readying for war service in WW1 at Blackboy Hill training camp, Perth. Douglas and Percy were to learn of their mother’s death only days before departure for war service. One can only imagine what effect this was to have on Proctor and the family with the sudden death of their wife and mother. Plus, what can only be considered as a sad and worrying time saying goodbye to Douglas and Percy for war service for them all. The war was in its infancy at that time and the worry they would have endured would have been very difficult to bear.

 Death notice for Lavinia Susanna Scott. Tuesday 8 February 1916

Sadness continued further into 1916 when news came to Proctor of the tragic death of Percy.  By 25 April 1916 Percy was listed as seriously ill and then dangerously ill suffering from Pneumonia. Percy hung on a few more days until he lost his battle with Pneumonia on 5 May 1916, aged 26 years old. He never saw active service.

Death notice for Percival James Scott

Then In July Proctor was to hear Douglas was reported as missing in action. On 25 July 1916 he was reported as Missing In Action. On the same day he was reported as Killed In Action and buried on the Poziers Battlefield, France. Douglas was in the ANZAC section, 3rd Echelon British Expeditionary Force and his inscription is on the Villers Bretonneux Memorial in France. He has no known grave.

Memorial notice for Douglas 26 July 1917

 Memorial notice for Douglas 25 July 2017

Following the tragic year of 1916, Proctor and his large family continued to live and farm at ‘Roselands’ Stratham.

Good fortune was to come Proctor’s way when he was attracted to the Boyanup Post Mistress, Esther Fraser. By then Proctor was in his early 60’s with a grown-up family. Esther was 26 years his junior. However, this did not deter Proctor and he courted Esther until they married in Maylands, Western Australia in 1920. Three more children (2 living) were added to the family.

A funny story that would have given everyone in the district something to smile about occurred during their courtship. The younger Scott’s were not that impressed with their father’s intended marriage and one evening when Proctor was visiting Esther, his sons Eugene and Wesley followed him to Boyanup.

This is how the story is written in ‘Just A Horse Ride Away’. One evening when Proctor set out to woo his intended, sons Eugene and Wesley followed him to Miss Fraser’s garden. Proctor, possibly with his mind on other things, secured his steed and sulky and disappeared into his beloved’s cottage. The boys quickly untied the horse, pushed the shafts of the sulky through to the opposite side of the fence and hitched it up again. Sometime later Proctor, suffering from a degree of euphoria, emerged, climbed into the sulky and with a word to his horse took off trailing, to the consternation of Esther and the delight of his sons, the entire front fence of the Post Office.

One can imagine the variations of this story that went around the grapevines of the district at the time.

Proctor served as a councillor from 1903 until 1907.on the Bunbury Road Board before it became the Capel Road Board. Then from 1907 until 1912 when the Road Board was to become the Capel Road Board.

Notice for Capel Road Board Annual Elections Southern Times Saturday 6 April 1912

Sadly for Esther and her two young children, Proctor was to become ill with a cold and when complications set in he was admitted to St John of God Hospital, Bunbury. He never recovered and died in hospital 27 October 1930, aged 74 years.

He is buried in a family multi persons grave at the Capel Cemetery, Capel, Western Australia.

Obituary notice South West Tribune Tuesday 28 October 1930

Story compiled by Jennifer Scott. CDCP member.

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© Capel District Cemeteries Project 12.06.2026

Family Plot – Capel Cemetery – Scott