A wonderful personality passed with the death at the Sacred Heart Hospital of Mrs Brigid Margaret Morgan who was born and lived in the Young district all her life. She was 91 when she died. She was ill fore a short time, and retained her faculties right up to the last.
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She was the widow of Edward Morgan, butcher and mailman at Boorowa for a great number of years, before he took over the license of the old Wambanumba Hotel 30 to 40 years ago. Mr Morgan died at the age of 91 about seven years ago. Born at Calabash , the daughter of Mrs Michael Casey.
Mrs Morgan spent most of her life around Murringo before moving to Wambanumba She had married at 24 years of age. She well remembered the anti-Chinese riots at Lambing Flat. Mr Morgun drove the coach from Young to Cowra and from Young to Boorowa, and many other district centres. He had frequent encounters with bushrangers.
Even though living more of a Quiet life in the village than her husband, who was constantly moving about on his duties, Mrs. Morgan was familiar with many of the bushrangers and their exploits. Unknown to her they often ventured into the butchery to purchase supplies.
One night a man came in for meat, and Constable White passed the door. "Who was that?" asked the man, and then Mrs Morgan noticed what looked like hidden firearms in the man's clothes. Later in the night the Wambanumba Hotel was stuck up. Mrs Morgan was convinced that her customer was the man responsible.
At the Wambanumba Hotel the Morgan's become more well known than before. The license was sold many years ago for a hotel at Tubbul, and has since been surrendered altogether. In her prime Mrs. Morgan was an active worker for charity and church functions, but latterly had lived a quiet retired life.
Thee daughters survived them, they are Mrs William McCabe (Wambanumba), Mrs Eugene Grounds (Bendick Murrell) and Mrs H Perrin (Young). A son and three daughters are deceased. Billy Grime , the well known boxer is a grandson, who is now in Queensland. Altogether there are about 18 grandchildren and several great grandchildren. The body was removed to St. Mary's Church, where requiem mass for the repose of the soul was solemnised by the Right Rev. Monsignor Hennessy. Prior to the cortege leaving for the Murringo cemetery the last prayers were recited by the Rev. Father Morrison, and the Rev. Father Landers officiated at the Boorowa cemetery.
Early Young
In the early days of Young the locality known as The Cross was situated where Main and Boorowa Streets crossed.
These two streets at this stage were virtually only uncleared tracks and on the south east corner of the cross stood the Star Hotel which had evolved from the original bark structure known as the old Adelong Inn. It was later changed to the Kiandra Hotel conducted by Benjamin Benjamin early in 1861, part of the Main Street frontage was used as a general store and named the Argyle Stores.
A team of bolting horses drawing a empty wagon collided with a stump at the cross and cannoning off got under the Kiandra verandah and pulled it down from end to end.The damage was soon rectified by the Bank of NSW whose hands it had recently fallen into.
Poor Benjamin failed badly in the spring of '61 and for a time it was carried on as a restaurant by one, H.Scadowski. In the autumn of '62 it was conducted by J.S. Clark as the Star Hotel.
In the later sixties it was conducted by the later Peter Woods and his noticeable wife Katherine ( Kitty ) who passed from our midst two years ago at the age of 105. The Star has long ceased to exist and the C.D.Stores until a few months ago were at this corner.
The Lambing Flat Hotel stood two doors south of Flemings at the junction of Main and Cloete Streets.
It was licensed to George Douglas on 5.3.1861. Douglas had a nest of loose boxes in his backyard as the racecourse was adjacent.
- Brian James produces his column each Tuesday for publication in the Young Witness on behalf the Young Historical Society Inc.