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George Cowcher
Dr Cowcher was a significant early settler of Guildford for two possible reasons. According to Michael Bourke, he opened the first hotel there (Hasluck writes that it was Dodds at the Cleikum Inn), and also ran the first ferry.
Bourke:
Among the early settlers on the Swan there were at least six doctors of medicine: Dr Whatley and Dr Harris on the east side of the river, Dr Milligan and Dr Hinds on the west side, and Dr Foley and Dr Cowcher in Guildford. (Bourke 1987: 39.)
In May and June [1830] allotments were assigned to George and Sarah Best, Dr Robert Foley and Dr George Cowcher. Dr Cowcher had arrived in the colony with a very meagre supply of goods and capital. He was apparently one of those whom Stirling had described as ‘helpless and inefficient’, for it was not long before he was forced to apply to the Government for a loan, and for several years he and his family lived mainly on rations supplied by the Government. After settling in Guildford with his large family he began building a temporary house which, when completed, he opened to the public as the ‘Guildford Hotel’. This was the first hotel in Guildford. (Bourke 1987: 46.)
In May 1831 the Government Resident of Guildford reported to the Colonial Secretary that the ferry boat was nearly ready:
I expect the Boat for the Ferry to be completed in a few days which shall be given according to His Excellency’s directions to Dr Cowcher. His House is well situated for the purpose and he promises to keep sufficient attendance always ready. I am sure it will benefit him as he has a large Family to support. (Bourke 1987: 55-56.)
Dr Cowcher was given the right to operate the Guildford ferry and to receive the ferry tolls for a period of twelve months from May 1831. As a concession to his reduced circumstances he was not required to pay rent for the ferry licence.
The ferry was put into operation about the end of June 1831. It travelled between a landing on the river bank at the end of Bridge Street, Guildford, to the opposite bank below James Dodds’ house. From there the beginnings of a road led to the town of Perth and another led northwards on the west side of the river to ‘Henley Park’ and Ellen’s Brook. ...
Lack of money caused various residents of Guildford in 1831 to apply to the Government for loans. In February 1831, Dr Cowcher applied to the Lieutenant-Governor for a loan of about thirty pounds ‘to enable him to lay in a sufficient store with advantage for his numerous family’. (The large size of the Doctor’s family was mentioned in nearly every letter from or concerning him. Dr Cowcher had in fact seven children in 1831—four girls and three boys, A further son was born in 1834. At some time during or after 1834, the family moved to Fremantle, where Dr Cowcher continued to follow his profession as surgeon and apothecary. He died in Fremantle in 1840. After the later 1840s some of his descendants became well-known settlers in the Dandalup, Williams and other districts of the colony.) Not being at that time acquainted with Dr Cowcher, the Lieutenant-Governor asked Captain Whitfield to report whether he considered the loan would be well applied. Whitfield replied:
As Government Resident here I am happy to say Dr Cowcher seems most anxious to do every thing in his power for the settlement. He is building an extensive House for a Hotel. The present one is conducted as well as circumstances will admit. The accommodation which you offer will be of service to him, and I have every reason to suppose will be well applied. He has a large Family depending on his efforts for support. (Bourke 1987: 56-57.)
In June 1831 Dr Cowcher wrote to the Colonial Secretary complaining that Captain Whitfield had refused to hand over the flour ordered by the Lieutenant-Governor to be delivered to him. The reason was that Dr Cowcher was in debt to Whitfield. In his letter Cowcher added that Whitfield, although not having a licence to sell spirits, had been selling rum to soldiers travelling on the ferry. A week later nothing had been done about the matter, and Captain Whitfield was still refusing to hand over the flour, so Dr Cowcher wrote again to the Colonial Secretary as follows:
Having wrote to you respecting Captain Whitfield this day week and not hearing from you I beg leave to again address you that he (Captain Whitfield) has detained the whole of the Flour his Excellency was so kind as to advance me and my Family because there is a small Bill between us and his charge of 15/- Freight from Perth, for I do not imagine the Governor would give sanction to the detention of the Flour till I have prayed him to see a Family of seven Children in want of Bread, and one of those nearly a Cripple from taking Cold and want of proper nourishment for her and I should feel happy if I procure a little Soup as she is scarce able to take any nourishment. We have been obliged to borrow of our Neighbours for the last Week, therefore I trust His Excellency will have still the goodness to order the Govt Resident to give up the Flour for the Benefit of my Family as we are truly distressed for it. An early attention to it will confer an Obligation on a large Family.
The Colonial Secretary on receiving this letter, wrote to Captain Whitfield ordering him to hand over the flour to Dr Cowcher, saying that the issue had been made expressly for the future maintenance of the Doctor’s family and not for the purpose of paying any of his private debts. Ignoring these instructions, Captain Whitfield continued to refuse to hand over the flour, and three days later Dr Cowcher wrote in desperation to the Colonial Secretary:
I applied to Capt Whitfield for the Flour but he refused to let me have it. He said he did not care for the Governor’s order or your letter he should act as he pleased and my Family had not a morsel of Bread or Flour yesterday or today. I must take it by force for really my Family are near starving...
P.S. Every Person in Guildford is surprised at his conduct but he is generally disliked.
Apparently despairing of the situation, the Colonial Secretary asked Lieutenant Heal, another resident of Guildford, to provide Dr Cowcher’s family with a daily quantity of provisions at Government expense, and ordered Captain Whitfield to explain the cause of the dispute between him and Dr Cowcher. From this time Whitfield and Cowcher were bitter enemies and no co-operation could be obtained between them. (Bourke 1987: 58-59.)
Dr Cowcher continued to receive rations from time to time over a period of several years, and at least as late as 1834. (Bourke 1987: 59-60.)
References and Links
Bourke, Michael J. 1987, On the Swan: a History of Swan District, Western Australia, UWAP for the Swan Shire Council, ISBN 0-85564-258-0.
Hasluck, Paul 1927, 'Guildford: 1827-1842', Early Days, vol. 1, part 2: 1-19.
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 5 September, 2021 and hosted at freotopia.org/people/cowpergeorge.html (it was last updated on 26 January, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.