Cudgegong Valley History Project

PASTORALIST COMMIT SUICIDE. Mr. Samuel Pickett, a well-known pastoralist, residing at Long Gully, about 14 miles from Rylstone, is reported to have committed suicide. Deceased, who was 76 years of age, had been suffering from ill health for the past four or five years, and had recently been much worried with fear that his stock would perish during the coming winter. He took a dose of strychnine, and refused any emetic. He had spent the greater part of his life in the district, and had reared a family of twelve, all of whom, with their mother, survive him. (Sunday Times, Sunday 20 April 1902, p. 8).

LATEST NEWS BY WIRE. [Press Telegraph Association.] SYDNEY A SAD SUICIDE. Samuel Pickett, senr., aged 76, residing at Long Gully, near Rylstone, committed suicide by taking a dose of strychnine from a bottle kept in the house for poisoning dogs. He lingered several hours. Though evidently he underwent great agony, he resolutely refused to take an emetic. He had been in ill health for four or five years past; this, added to the fear that he would lose all his stock for want of feed during the coming winter, brought about a feeling of despondency. (Maitland Daily Mercury, Tuesday 15 April 1902, p. 3)

AN OLD RESIDENT OF LUE. POISONS HIMSELF WITH STRYCHNINE. DEPRESSED BY DROUGHT. (from our Correspondent). On Saturday morning, the 12th instant, between 9 and 10 o'clock, Mr. Samuel Pickett, farmer of Long Gully near Lue, informed his wife and son that he had taken poison, but his statement was at first not believed. Some two hours afterwards symptoms of strychnine poisoning showed them-selves, Mr. Pickett having a fit, followed by another an hour and a half later, in which he died. Deceased, who was in his 77th year, was a native England, and had been residing at Long Gully for forty years, where he made a comfortable home for himself. Mr. Pickett reared a large family of sons and daughters, all of whom are married. During the past few years Mr. Pickett suffered from bad health, especially so for the last six months, and was often heard to say that he wished he was dead, as he was only a trouble to himself and those members of his family near him, but he was never heard to threaten to take his own life. The desolation of the drought had recently worried the deceased, who became much depressed as it became more and more evident that many of his stock would perish. A bottle with a small quantity of strychnine in it was kept on a shelf in the kitchen, for the purpose of poisoning dogs, and deceased must have taken this into his bedroom the night before he took the fatal dose, as he did not leave his room on Saturday until about half-past nine in the morning, when he made the statement of having taken the poison. A cup of tea had been taken to deceased by his wife early in the morning, and appearances indicated that he poured a portion of the tea into the strychnine bottle, stirred the contents and then drank it. Deceased was much respected in the locality in which he so long resided, and very general sympathy is expressed for the members of his family, many of whom occupy good positions in the district. An inquest held at Long Gully on Tuesday, before Wm. Taylor, J.P., Coroner, and a jury of five, when a verdict was returned, of death by strychnine poisoning self administered. The re-mains were interred at Lue. (Mudgee Guardian and North Western Representative Thursday 17 April 1902, p. 11)

DEATH AT LUE.

We regret to have to record the death of a very old resident of Lue, in the person of Mrs. Ann Pickett at the advanced age of 88 years of age. Her death took place on the 28th July at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. J. Thompson, of the LueHotel, with whom she had resided since the death of her husband (Mr. Samuel Pickett) some twelve years ago. The deceased lady had been a resident of the district for over sixty years. She leaves a family of 4 sons and 8 daughters, besidesgrandchildren and great-grand children. The funeral was very largely attended. The Rev. Mr. Walker, of Rylstone, officiated at the graveside. (Mudgee Guardian and North Western Representative, Thursday 14 August 1913, p. 23).

DEATH

PICKETT. - August 24, 1930, at her daughter's (Mrs. S. N. Searle) residence, 6 Bedford-street, Willoughby, Sarah Jane, relict of the late James Pickett, of Gulgong, in her 81st year. Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 25 August 1930, p. 8. Sarah Jane Pickett Death

DEATH

News has been received in Cassilis that Mrs. Jas. Pickett, of Manly, passed away on Sunday, August 17, at the advanced age of 80 years. The late Mrs. Pickett was the eldest daughter of the late Mr. Robert Byfield, who was for many years a prominent business man in Cassilis. Mrs. Pickett lived for many years in Gulgong, where her husband died some years ago. Mrs. W. J. Soles, of Cassilis, is a daughter of deceased, and Messrs. A. H. Byfield (Cassilis), S. B. Byfield (Wintobee, Cassilis), are brothers, and Miss S. E. Byfield (Cassilis) is a sister of deceased. Sympathy is extended to the bereaved family. Mudgee Guardian, Thursday 28 August 1930, p. 6. Sarah Pickett Obituary

FUNERALS.

PICKETT. - The Funeral of the late Mrs. SARAH JANE PICKETT, will leave Wood Coffill's Mortuary Chapel, corner Orchard-road and Brown street, Chatswood, THIS MONDAY, after service commencing at 3 p.m., for Church of England Cemetery, Northern Suburbs. Motor Funeral. WOOD COFFILL LIMITED, Motor Funeral Directors. Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 25 August 1930, p. 7. Sarah Jane Pickett Funeral

Obituary MR. VERNON PICKETT The death occurred in the Gulgong Hospital of Mr. Vernon Pickett, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Pickett, on Tuesday, November 25. The deceased received several internal injuries by a kick from a horse at the Coolah sale yards on the previous Sunday, and was taken to Gulgong for an operation. This was performed shortly after his arrival, but very little hope was held out for his recovery, and he passed away the next day. The remains were brought to Coolah and interred in the Church of England portion of the local cemetery. The late Mr. Pickett was aged 26 years, and he is survived by a sorrowing widow and two little children (Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, Thursday 4 December 1930, page 24).