[Editor: This article, regarding the death of the Rev. George Otter, was published in The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (West Maitland, NSW), 30 March 1853. However, as it turned out, much to the surprise of many, George Otter was in fact very much alive at the time (see the links in the “Editor’s notes” section below).]
Melancholy death of a clergyman.
— A clergyman of the Church of England, the Rev. G. Otter, formerly of Green Ponds, (V.D.L.), who went to Geelong and thence to the gold fields, met with his death under disastrous circumstances; Mr. Otter and his son had left the diggings to return to Geelong, but did not reach home, and neither father nor son were heard of for some time.
At length, the remains of a dead body were found in the hollow of a tree, in the bush, but decay had gone so far as to prevent recognition. However, some papers had been found in the pockets, which told the tale and proved the identity of Mr. Otter, the father; but there is no intelligence of the son, who, there is too much reason to fear, had also met with a sad end.
— S.M. Herald.
Source:
The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (West Maitland, NSW), 30 March 1853, p. 4 (column 3)
Also published in:
Hobart Town Advertiser (Hobart Town, Tas.), 1 March 1853, p. 2
The Hobarton Guardian: or, True Friend of Tasmania (Hobart Town, Tas.), 2 March 1853, p. 3 (see the section entitled “Instances of mortality”)
The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW), 26 March 1853, p. 2 (column 4)
Launceston Examiner (Launceston, Van Diemen’s Land), 5 April 1853, p. 369 (see the section entitled “The late Mr. Otter”)
The Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer (Geelong, Vic.), 15 April 1853, p. 2 (see the section entitled “The late Mr. Otter”)
Editor’s notes:
Reports on the Rev. George Otter, regarding him being alive, were published in:
1) The Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer (Geelong, Vic.), 20 January 1854, p. 4
2) The Cornwall Chronicle (Launceston, Van Diemen’s Land), 28 January 1854, p. 3
G. Otter = the Rev. George Otter (1803-1884), a Church of England clergyman; he was born in Bolsover (Derbyshire, England) in 1803, came to Australia in 1845, returned to England in the 1850s, and died in Radcliffe-on-Trent (Nottinghamshire, England) in 1884
See: “Rev. George Otter”, Company of Angels
Rev. = an abbreviation of “Reverend” (a title given to a minister of a church, a priest, a member of the clergy)
S.M. Herald = The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper (Sydney, NSW)
Van Diemen’s Land = the island, now known as Tasmania, originally named Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, by Abel Tasman (1603-1659), in honour of Anthony van Diemen (1593-1645), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1636-1645)
V.D.L. = Van Diemen’s Land [see: Van Diemen’s Land]
[Editor: A line break has been added before “— S.M. Herald”.]
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