A to Z Challenge 2026. G: Gertrude Hannah Clough

Women in our Family History

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is an annual challenge put out to bloggers, to publish a post from A-Z, every day in April, except for Sundays. April 1 is A, April 2 is B……….and so on throughout the month. Participants can post on a chosen theme or publish random posts with no theme at all.

About the Theme - Women in Family History.

Family history often highlights the men of our past, yet it is the women who shaped daily life, family traditions, and community connections across generations. From mothers and daughters to widows, unmarried women, and the extraordinary pioneers in our families. The stories of women reveal resilience, creativity, and influence that are sometimes hidden in historical records. My intention with this series, is to explore the lives of the women in my family history. I will be drawing on records, letters, personal stories, and at times, my imagination, to uncover their contributions and ensure their voices are heard.

This story is another example of a female not being given her name in the records, even in death. Her obituary describes her as Mrs. Jas. Calnan.

Gertrude Hannah Clough

Gertrude Hannah Clough was born in 1861, at Brunswick, Victoria, Australia.¹ Her parents were Peter Clough and Annie Deeker. Gertrude was my second great aunt.

Marriage

Gertrude married James Reynolds Calnan, on 29 December 1884 at Violet Town. ² James was born in 1860 at Violet Town. His parents were William Calnan and Ellen Boyle.

Family

• William Norman Calnan born 1885 at Cashel, Victoria

• James Peter Calnan born 1887 at Cashel, Victoria

• John Claude Calnan born 1889 at Violet Town

Death

Gertrude Calnan died on 18 February 1891 at Violet Town, when she was 30 years old, after drowning, when she fell into a well on the family property. She was buried at Violet Town cemetery with no headstone.

From: Euroa Advertiser, Friday 20 February 1891, page 2³

“Drown’d! Drown’d!”
A sad case of drowning occurred at Violet Town on Wednesday, about midday, the victim being Mrs. Jas. Calnan, a young, married woman, who was residing with her family in part of Williams’ building on the Sydney road. Whilst in the act of drawing a bucket of water from the tank, which is a very large underground one, fifteen feet deep and containing eight feet of water, the plank upon which she was standing up-ended and precipitated her into the water. Mrs. Williams, who was standing some distance off, saw the accident and raised an alarm, but there were no men about. For some time Mr. Williams, who is a cripple, having had his leg cut off some time ago, did the best he could to rescue the unfortunate woman, but she remained under the water for about fifteen minutes before he was able to get hold of her clothes with a grappling iron which they use for recovering buckets. The body was dead when brought to the surface. Deceased leaves a husband and three children, the eldest of whom is about six years, and the youngest fifteen months. An inquiry was held yesterday, and the body will be interred in the local cemetery today (Friday).

Drowning as a Cause of Death

Drowning was a common cause of death in Australia in the 19th century, and historians have written about it extensively. I have seen it mentioned many times in inquests, newspapers, death registers and family records.

New settlements in Australia were almost always established near water, but these waterways were largely uncontrolled and unfenced.

Some of the reasons that drowning was common:

• Rivers flooded unpredictably

• Creek crossings were common and hazardous

• Wells, tanks, and dams were often open

• People bathed in rivers and creeks

• Women washed clothes at riverbanks

• Children played near water unsupervised

Children

Childhood drowning was tragically very common:

• Toddlers fell into wells, dams, or waterholes

• Older children drowned while swimming or playing

Travel

Travel was dangerous:

• Horse and bullock teams crossed rivers without bridges

• Floodwaters could rise rapidly

• People were swept away while attempting crossings

Alcohol and swimming

Alcohol appears repeatedly in inquest records.

• Men swimming while intoxicated

• Falls from wharves or boats

Limited swimming skills

Despite being surrounded by water:

• Many people could not swim, particularly women

• Swimming instruction was uncommon until late in the century

• Many new arrivals in Australia came from countries that were land locked, so didn’t have experience of being surrounded by water.

1. Victoria Birth Index #126/1861

2. Victoria Marriage Index #6033/1884

3. 1891 ‘Family Notices’, Euroa Advertiser (Vic. : 1884 - 1920), 20 February, p. 2. , viewed 12 Oct 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65517309