Shep's Place Family Tree

He died by his own hand at the house of his son-in-law, Thomas Broad of Creek Parade, Clunes.

There was an Inquest into his death, with a good deal of documentation, held at the residence on 2 Dec 1913 by the Deputy Coroner at Clunes ‎(W. Turnbull)‎. Daughters Edith Broad and Ada West gave evidence. Also Thomas Broad.

Summary of Inquest

It was stated that John Morrison had been ailing for the past five years, and an invalid pensioner for the last two. He lived at Ballarat with his married daughter Ada West, his wife Sarah having died in February 1913 and a 24 year old daughter, Mabel Ellen, aged 24, had died a few weeks earlier. Since the deaths he had become increasingly despondent and complained of severe pain in his head and stomach and general nervous debility. Five weeks before his death he went to Clunes to Thomas and Edith Broad to see if the change would improve his health. He had been treated at the local hospital. Ada had arrived at Clunes on the previous Saturday and had seen a great change in her father who was much troubled with severe head pains.

Those in the house had last seen John in the kitchen before he retired to bed at 10 p.m. on December 1st. and there had been nothing unusual in his demeanour. No one heard him moving during the night. At 6 a.m. Thomas Broad went to the stables at the rear of his house and found his father-in-law. He "ran against the deceased corpse" which hung by a thin cord rope from a rafter and was fully clothed except for his hob ‎(nailed)‎ boots which were still laced. He had been dead for some hours. He, Thomas Broad, had reported the matter to the police.

Although depressed and melancholy none of them had suspected John Morrison's intention. He had expressed a fear of complete collapse. Senior Constable John Hunter, no.3699, of Clunes, said he had known the deceased personally for over 40 years and he was a very steady man and of excellent character, but about a fortnight earlier when conversing with him in the street ‎(at Clunes)‎ John had told him he greatly feared he was going insane from the pain in his head. The verdict was Strangulation, self inflicted.

There was no report of an autopsy which may have revealed the cause of John's pain, such as a brain tumour. He must have left Happy Valley at the time of his father's second marriage ‎(1882)‎ for Constable Hunter to have known him for more than 40 years. John and Sarah had been at Allendale for a time and at 319 Windermere Street, Ballarat to her death.

It was a good obituary - "He was a very steady man and of excellent character."