Joseph Charles Kitching 1852 - 1923

Joseph Charles was born in Kelso, Roxburgh in abt 1852. Despite extensive searching it has not been possible to find any birth records for Joseph. Joseph was the second known child and eldest son of Joseph Kitching and Mary Lumsden.

Very little is known of Joseph's early life, except that the family moved around alot - living in Roxburgh, then Hartlepool, then Leeds - before setting back in Hartlepool around 1863. In 1866, when Joseph, both of Joseph's parents died, leaving him the sole guardian of his two younger brothers George and Richard. We know that the two younger boys - George and Richard - ended up in the Hartlepool Workhouse. George died 2 years later in 1868 and Richard can still be found in the house at the time of the 1871 census. It is most likely that Joseph went out to find work, but we have no confirmation of this as yet.

By 1871 Joseph Charles had moved to Roxburgh (his place of birth) On census night - in April 1871 - Joseph is recorded as living in the Forresters cottages at Wooplaw House near Ladhope. He is boarding with the Porteous family and is working as a farm servant.

It is known how or where Joseph met Lillias Cockburn, it may be that he was a seasonal labourer working at Channelkirk (abt 50km away). Lillias Cockburn was born in 1855 in Trabrown, Lauder. She was seventh child and fourth daughter of Adam Cockburn and Mary Spence Murrary. However they met, by early 1872 Lillias had fallen pregnant.

Lillias had a son Joseph Charles in November 1872 out of wedlock. The child was noted as being illegitimate, but was registered as a Kitching with his father's name recorded on the certificate, so it is likely that the couple had plans to formalise their relationship at this stage.

On 29 December 1872 - nearly two months after the birth of their first child - Joseph and Lillias married at Maltbarns in Channelkirk, Berwickshire. The marriage was presided over by James Middleton, Minister, of Lauder and Adam Cockburn and William Cockburn acted as witnesses. On the marriage certificate, Joseph's parents are both noted as being deceased and he is recorded as residing in Lugate in Stow, where he was working as a ploughman.

Over the next 26 years, Joseph and Lillias had a total of 11 children (5 boys and 6 girls), 8 of whom lived to adult hood including:

Joseph Charles Kitching Born 8 November 1872. Married Eliza Ann Titeon 12 Jul 1899. Died 22 Jul 1932
Adam Cockburn Kitching Born 15 Feb 1874. Married Isabella Scott Adams Chain on 12 Apr 1900. Died 8 May 1933
Mary Murray Kitching Born 15 Jun 1876. Married David Norwood on 24 Aug 1895 Died 9 Jul 1927.
Joan Kitching Born 15 Feb 1879. Married George E Hardie on 6 Sep 1899. Died 22 Mar 1951
Alexander Kitching Born 10 Jun 1881. Died 21 Oct 1882 (died as infant)
Lillias Kitching Born 20 Oct 1883. Married Arthur Briskie on 25 Feb 1913. Died 1963
Margaret Kitching Born 25 Mar 1886. Married Joseph Richard Biggs on 3 Feb 1909. Died 18 Aug 1957
Jane Rankin Kitching Born 26 Feb 1888.
Ellen Kitching Born 24 Apr 1889. Died 6 Jun 1889 (died as infant)
George Kitching Born 10 Mar 1893. Died 4 Apr 1915
William Kitching Born 5 Nov 1898. Married Florence Rita Titmarsh on 26 Jan 1924

It is unknown where the family went after the marriage - most likely to Lugate in Stow. By the time their second child, Adam, was born they are recorded as living at Nether Howden in Channelkirk. The couple lived worked at Maltbarns until the mid 1870s - where Joseph is recorded as a ploughman on his childrens birth certifications.

By mid 1876, the family was living in Crookston North Mains, Stow, Edinburgh, but by 1879 they had moved on to Pentland Mains in Lasswade. During this period Joseph continued to work as a ploughman. It may be around this time that the family took primary responsibility for the care of Joseph's only surviving relative - Richard.

At the time of the 1881 census - March 1881 - the family were living at Thornton in Carrington - where Joseph was working as a coalminer. Joseph's brother Richard was also living with the family - he was 17. Thornton was block of miners cottages, there were 9 other families living in the row of houses at the time.

In June 1881 Joseph is noted as working as a fireclay miner and living in Whitefaugh (sic) in Carrington on his son Alexander's birth certificate.

The early 1880s saw Scotland descend into economic crises and depression, so it is most likely shortly after the 1881 census that Joseph must have started considering emigration. About about one year later, the family travelled to Glasgow. Once there, they boarded the "Shenir" on 21 Sep 1882 for their journey to a new life in Queensland. A copy of the emigration record is attached below. It is unclear why Richard (at this point only 18) didn't go with them.

The trip wasn't an easy one, one month into the voyage their youngest child Alexander died. The family evenutally in Maryborough in January 1883, having travelled from the cool of a northern hemisphere autumn into the middle of a Queensland summer, with average temperatures 32°C (96°F). The family is recorded as receiving rations in Maryborough upon arrival.

After their arrival, the family disappear from the records for about 10 years, obviously moving around a little. There are records of the children attending Howard School in February 1892 , Joseph noted as a farmer. The family stayed in the Wide Bay area until the early 1900s, and the 1903 Electoral Rolls indicated that the family was still living in Howard, a coal mining town.

It is possible based on this information that Joseph may have tried the land on his arrival in Queensland, but finding the conditions challenging - the "droughts and flooding rains" thing - ended up returning to coal mining - Howard is a small mining town.

Some time between 1903 and 1905 the family relocated to Lindsay St Bundamba (near the Bundamba Racecourse), about 4km from Ipswich - whose coal mines had just ramped up production. Their daughter Joan and her husband George E Hardie were residing with them there during the 1906 Electoral records.

Joseph stopped working around 1906, continuing to to live in Ipswich until his death on 9 July 1923. He was buried Ipswich Cemetary, Ipswich on 10 July 1923. He was followed 4 years later by his wife Lillias who passed away on 9 March 1927.

Marriage Certificate of Joseph Kitching & Lillias Cockburn - 1872
Birth Certificate of Joseph Charles Kitching - 1872
Birth Certificate of Mary Murray Kitching - 1876
Birth Certificate of Joan Kitching - 1879
Birth Certificate of Alexander Kitching - 1881
1881 Census Record of the Joseph Kitching & family - Carrington Midlothian
Emigration, Electoral & other records of the Joseph & Lillias Kitching