George Rope, 18521910 (aged 58 years)

Name
George /Rope/
Given names
George
Surname
Rope
Birth 1852 31 32

Marriage of parentsRobert RopeHannah Jane ThompsonView this family
1868 (aged 16 years)

MarriageAnn Hawkins JohnstoneView this family
19 June 1874 (aged 22 years)
Birth of a daughterMaria Jane Rope
1875 (aged 23 years)

Death of a motherHannah Jane Thompson
12 April 1875 (aged 23 years)
Note: The Murder at Lawson Creek, near Mudgee.

The Murder at Lawson Creek, near Mudgee. (From the Mudgee Times, April 16) On Tuesday last the district coroner (Mr. W. J. Henningham) held an inquest at the house of Robert Rope, Lawson's Creek, upon the body of Hannah Jane Rope, who had died early this morning. There was a jury of twelve, of whom Mr. M. A. Walker was chosen foreman. The following evidence was taken :— William Rope, being duly sworn, saith: I am a farmer, residing at Lawson's Creek. The deceased, Hannah Jane Rope, was my mother. Last night, my mother was standing just outside the house, at about nine o'clock, and my father was in the kitchen about three or four yards from where she was standing. George Rope was also in the kitchen, and I was there too. George Rope said to my father, "Bob, will you have a nobbler?" and my father said, "Yes, if you have got some". George Rope replied, "Yes, I've got a quart" My mother said, "Don't bring any grog here to make him drunk" I supposed by "him" she meant my father. She said "If you do you'll have to go out of this. "George Rope said, "I see you've got a down on me, and I'll put an end to you." He immediately left, murmuring, and apparently in a bad humour, going towards his own house, which is about three hundred yards distant from our house. The conversation I have narrated occupied about ten minutes. When he left my mother went into the house. My father and myself remained in the kitchen. George Rope returned in about a quarter of an hour with a gun in his hand. It was the same gun as the one produced. The barrel of it was not broken then. He came through the front door of the sitting room, adjoining the bedroom. I was then standing at the front door of the kitchen, and said to him, "Don't shoot anybody, uncle," and he said, "Keep back, Bill, or else I'll put a bullet through you. " I could see that the gun was cocked and as soon as he threatened to shoot me, my mother opened the bedroom door and said, "George, what are you going to do?" He at once turned round and fired at her, with the stock of the gun at about the level of his thigh. My mother ran out of the bedroom saying, "Oh, George, you've shot me" Directly I saw the gun go off I ran into the room with my father, and I saw him holding my mother up. I took the gun, but I cannot say from whom. My father placed my mother on the sofa. When I got the gun I struck George Rope in the head with the barrel once. He fell on the floor. I left him there, and went for a horse to go to Mudgee ,and did so, and went to Dr. Newton and to the police barracks, and gave information of the occurrence there. When George Rope came to the house and invited my father to drink, I could see that there was a little liquor on him (George Rope.) I have known George Rope to quarrel with my mother frequently because she did not want him to bring liquor to the house. I have heard her say so. By a juror: I broke the barrel of the gun over George Rope's head. By a juror: I have heard George Rope threaten to shoot my father when they quarrelled some years ago; and three or four months ago he repeated the threat when he was drunk, and my father wanted to take him home.

Henry Rope, being duly sworn, saith: I am the son of Robert Rope. The deceased Hannah Jane Rope was my mother. Last night at about nine o'clock, George Rope, my father, and myself were sitting in the kitchen. George Rope said to my father, "Would you like a drop of grog," My father replied, " Yes, if you have got some with you." George Rope said, "I have got none with me, but have a quart over at my house. "My mother was standing at the door of the house opposite the kitchen, and she said, "Now, George, don't you fetch any grog here to make him drunk. "George said to my mother "I see you've got a down on me, and so I will put you at an end." He seemed angry, and then went away towards his own house, which is about three hundred yards distant. About ten minutes or a quarter of an hour afterwards, George Rope returned with the gun produced, in his hand. The barrel was then not broken. He came in at the front door, and my ber William walked to the kitchen door, and said to George Rope "Don't shoot anybody, Uncle." George Rope said, "Keep back Bill, or I will put a bullet through you." I then saw the door of the bedroom opened, and my mother standing at the door, said to George Rope "Don't you do anything of the kind," and with that, he turned round and shot my mother. My mother rushed out of the door, saying, "Oh George, you've shot me." My father, ber William, myself rushed in, and my father caught hold of my mother, and held her up. My ber William had got the gun then, and he struck George Rope once on the head with it, and he fell on the ground. My ber William went away to get a horse. He (George Rope) laid on the floor about half an hour, and he then got up and lay down on a bed in the corner of the room. My mother was still lying on the sofa, and about a quarter of an hour after George Rope laid down he rose on one knee, and, looking towards my mother, said "I will stab you." A person named Johnson was in the room sitting near where my mother was lying, and he said "If you stir, George, I will knock you down." George Rope then laid down. My father then took my mother into the bedroom. By a juror: When the police arrested George Rope he said to my mother "Goodbye Jane, for I think, I will be hung for you tomorrow" My mother replied, "George, I have given you no occasion to do this to me. I heard George Rope threaten to get a gun and shoot my mother about six or eight months ago. He was in liquor then. By a juror: Last night George Rope appeared to have been drinking. He could walk straight, and appeared to know what he was doing.

Joseph Johnson, being duly sworn, saith I am a farmer, residing at Rock Valley, near Dungaree. At nine o'clock last night I was in the kitchen of Robert Rope's house. I saw George Rope arrive, and he had a conversation with his ber Robert, and, at the end of it, he asked Robert to have a nobbler, and the latter said "I don't mind taking one, but no more." George Rope replied "I will fetch you a quart." The deceased, who was in the opposite house, said: "You'll fetch no quarts of rum here" or words to that effect. George Rope then went away in the direction of his own house muttering and I caught the words '"I will bring" or "put" some of you on your knees before a week. "He appeared to address these words to Mrs. Rope. About a quarter of an hour afterwards I heard one of the boys say "Uncle's coming.' William Rope was standing at the kitchen door looking towards the house, and I heard George Rope say "Go away Billy, or I will shoot you by God." I am a little deaf, but I believe those to be the words. Immediately afterwards I heard the report of firearms, and followed Robert Rope and his son William into the house. 'As I entered I saw George Rope fall to the ground. Mrs. Rope was lying on the sofa. She said "Oh, my God I'm shot." Shortly afterwards I left the room, and when I returned in about three quarters of an hour I saw George Rope lying on a bed in a corner of the room. Mrs. Rope was still on the sofa, and she said "Oh I'm shot, I'm dying." While I was seated close to her George Rope rose on his knee and looking straight at Mrs. Rope, he said either "I will" or "I would stab you, and let your guts out," I heard her say, I think before this "Oh George, what did you shoot me for?" When he rose on his knee I thought from his movement that he was going to carry out his threat, and I seized a spade lying in the corner and said; "You wretch, if you move I'll chop your head off with this spade." He then dropped down on the bed. I was present when the deceased died, at about half-past four o'clock this morning.When George Rope first came to the house he was not drunk, but perfectly sensible. I thought that he had been drinking a little. By a juror: When George Rope threatened to stab Mrs. Rope he had no weapon in his hand.

William Rope recalled: It was a fortnight or three weeks ago that I last saw George Rope under the influence of drink. Since then until yesterday at about midday he has been at work building a house, and quite sober.

John Lawrence Newton, having been duly sworn, said: I am a legally qualified medical practitioner of New South Wales, residing in Mudgee. Last night, about eleven o'clock, I was called to see the deceased Hannah Jane Rope. She was suffering from internal hemorrhage and shock. There was a large wound in the left side of the abdomen, which penetrated the walls of the abdomen. I examined the wound with the finger and the probe, but could not detect any bullet or shot. The patient was pulseless and fast sinking when I reached her. Today I have made a post mortem examination of the body of deceased. On opening the cavity of the abdomen, I found the two small pieces of bone produced, and imbedded in the sacrum bone was this bullet, and with it this piece of dress stuff. In my opinion the deceased came to her death from internal hemorrhage, from the abdominal aorta, and that the injury of the aorta was caused by a gunshot wound. When I explained to the deceased the fatal nature of her injury, she told me George Rope had shot her.

Robert Rope, being duly sworn, deposed: I am a farmer residing at Lawson's Creek. The deceased was my wife. At about 9 o'clock last night George Rope came to my house. Shortly afterwards he asked me to have a nobbler, and I said I would if he had it there. He said that he would get a quart. My wife said, "George, we don't want quarts ; if you want a quart you must go and drink it yourself ; we don't want them here." He walked away in the direction of his own house. When he first came he appeared to have been drinking, but he was sensible. Some time after I heard one of the boys say that he thought George Rope was coming back, but I took no notice. This may have been half an hour after he left. Two or three minutes after I heard the boy say that George Rope was coming back. I heard a shot fired in the house, and went into it. On entering the room adjoining the bedroom I saw my wife in it in a stooping position. She said, "I am shot." I caught hold of her arm and placed her on the sofa. George Rope was in the room, standing near the front door, with the gun produced in his hand. Just afterwards I saw my son William knock George Rope down with the gun. I was too confused to see how he got the gun with which he struck George Rope. We had, previous to this occurrence, been on friendly terms with George Rope. When he was in drink he was quarrelsome. About twelve months ago he threatened to shoot me; he was drunk, and had no gun in his hand. As he was being taken away by the police he went into the bedroom and kissed the deceased, and said something to her which I cannot remember. The Coroner read the evidence over to the jury, and pointed out to them the perfect agreement of the various witnesses' evidence, excepting in very immaterial points, such as the exact words used by the parties concerned. They all were in accord with regard to the substance of the expression used,and, he felt it his duty to tell them that the evidence clearly pointed to George Rope as the man who fired the shot. It had been clearly shown that he left the house of the deceased after threatening her, that he shortly afterwards returned with a gun, and two of the witnesses proved that they saw him fire at the deceased, who did not appear to have given any provocation. Moreover, another witness who heard the report, proved that on entering the room in which the report of the gun was heard, he saw the deceased falling to the ground, and George Rope standing with the gun in his hand. There was also corroborative evidence which supported this evidence. If the jury were satisfied that George Rope fired the gun at the deceased, it was their duty to return a verdict which would be tantamount to one of "wilful murder;" and he impressed upon them that they must not consider that that verdict (if they returned it) would influence the result of proceedings which would probably follow in a superior court. On the other hand, if they believed the shot had been fired by another person (which supposition, he must add was not supported by a little of evidence) they would direct their verdict towards that person. The dying statements of the deceased, and those of George Rope, would probably help them over any difficulty in this respect.

After a short retirement the foreman returned a verdict that "At Lawson's Creek, on the 12th day of April, 1875, the deceased Hannah Jane Rope came to her death by a gunshot wound, feloniously and maliciously inflicted by one George Rope; and that said George Rope is guilty of wilful murder."

The Coroner said that be would at once issue a warrant for the apprehension of the accused; and discharged the jury (Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, Tuesday 20 April 1875, page 2).

Birth of a daughterFlorence Matilda Rope
1877 (aged 25 years)

Birth of a daughterCharlotte Ethel Rope
1878 (aged 26 years)

Birth of a sonHenry Albert Rope
1880 (aged 28 years)

Birth of a daughterLinda Doea Rope
1882 (aged 30 years)

Birth of a daughterViolet Rope
1884 (aged 32 years)

Birth of a daughterClara Rope
1886 (aged 34 years)

Birth of a daughterAlice May Rope
1888 (aged 36 years)

Birth of a daughterEllen Olive Rope
1890 (aged 38 years)

Birth of a sonJoseph George Rope
1891 (aged 39 years)

Death of a fatherRobert Rope
1892 (aged 40 years)

Birth of a sonWilliam Claude Rope
1893 (aged 41 years)

Birth of a daughterIvy Madeline Irene Rope
1896 (aged 44 years)

Birth of a daughterDaisy Pearl I Rope
1900 (aged 48 years)

Marriage of a childHenry Castle AdamsMaria Jane RopeView this family
1901 (aged 49 years)

Marriage of a childFrederick Rule WebbLinda Doea RopeView this family
1904 (aged 52 years)

Marriage of a childHenry Albert RopeBelle SmedeView this family
22 November 1905 (aged 53 years)
Note: Wedding Bells.

Wedding Bells. ROPE-SMEDE. A pretty wedding was celebrated at the Lue Church of England on the 22nd instant, Rev. F. J. Harris, of Rylstone, officiating. The contracting parties were Mr. Henry Albert Rope, eldest son of Ald. G. Rope, of Lawson's Creek, and Miss Belle Smede, of Pyangle. Wedding bells were upon this occasion a reality, for as the bridal party entered the church the church bell were peeled merrily. The bride, who was given away by her father, was attired in cream silk voile, yak insertion and chiffon, with wreath and veil. The bridesmaids were Miss Elsie Smede, sister of the bride, and Miss Clara Rope, sister of the bridegroom. Miss Smede's dress was of white muslin lace, with ?ture hat to match, while Miss Rope's frock was of pale blue voile, Broderie Anglaise yoke, elbow sleeves, and a picture hat. The bridegroom's gift to the bride was a gold crescent brooch set with diamond and sapphires, to the chief bridesmaid a ?able bar brooch set with an opal, and to the second bridesmaid a gold-mounted New Zealand greenstone brooch. Mr. H. O'Hern was best man, and Mr. E. J. Doswell groomsman. From the church the bridal party drove to the residence of the bride's parents at Pyangle, where a sumptuous wedding breakfast was in readiness. To this a large number of guests sat down, and after the edibles had been done ample justice to the toast list was entered upon. Rev. J. Harris proposed "The Bride and Bridegroom," Mr. H. Rope responding. Mr. E. J. Doswell the "Bridesmaids,'' for whom Mr. H. O'Hern responded. "The Bride and Bridegroom's Parents" by Mr. P. S. Garling, acknowledged by Mr. F. Smede and Mr. McLachlan. Toasts of "The Ladies," "The Visitors," "The Bachelors," "The Benedicts," and "The Press" were also honored. After the breakfast the bridal party and guests were photographed by Mr. P. S. Garling, and harmony was indulged in till the time arrived for starting for Lue Railway Station, from whence Mr. and Mrs. Rope entrained for Sydney, there to spend their honeymoon. Their departure was made to the accompaniment of showers of confetti and rose petals, the hearty good wishes of a large number of friends, and the explosion of detonators, which had been placed on the rails. The bride's going away dress was of port wine hopsack, relieved with white velvet and trimmed with lace. Mr. and Mrs. Rope were made the recipients of a beautiful lot of presents. After their honeymoon the happy young couple will reside in Mudgee in their newly-erected cottage in Market-street east. Mudgee Guardian Thursday 30 November 1905, p. 5. Wedding Role and Smede

Death 16 August 1910 (aged 58 years)

Burial
Family with parents
father
mother
18201875
Birth: 1820
Death: 12 April 1875Lawson Creek, Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia
Marriage Marriage1868
-15 years
himself
Family with Ann Hawkins Johnstone
himself
wife
Marriage Marriage19 June 1874St Philips, Loowee, New South Wales, Australia
19 months
daughter
3 years
daughter
2 years
daughter
3 years
son
18801945
Birth: 1880 28 26
Death: 1945
3 years
daughter
3 years
daughter
3 years
daughter
18861954
Birth: 1886 34 32
Death: 1954
3 years
daughter
3 years
daughter
2 years
son
3 years
son
18931954
Birth: 1893 41 39
Death: 6 July 1954Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia
4 years
daughter
5 years
daughter