Mary Carlsrom lived near Mary Anne Larkins, who was mother of Margaret Larkins born around 1848. Her daughter was 8 years old when she drowned in the waterhole.
VPRS 24/PO
Unit 38 1856/154
Item 154
Margaret Larkins
25 October 1856 at Ballarat
Death was caused by drowning having accidentally fallen into a water hole on Friday the 24th Instant
Jurors
William Henry Barrett
John Boydon
William Storey
Thomas Williams
James Windsor
John Carlisle
Alexander Pratt
John Guilford Williams
Joseph Feruge
Joseph Dromgood
Charles Dromgood
William Carlile
Witness
Mary Carlsrom
Of Ballarat 25 October 1856
That I am living very near Mr Larkin and about five to six o’clock pm yesterday I heard Mrs Larkin call the deceased and she asked me if the child was at my place and I said not. I heard then Mrs Larkin call the child again by name. I then saw her take the clothes pole and search the hole and immediately after I heard her crying out to a stranger passing by. Here is my child. I then saw the deceased taken out by the stranger and assisted in undressing the deceased who appeared quite dead.
Mary Colstrom (signed fluently)
Witness
Mary Anne Larkin
Of Ballarat
I am the mother of the deceased who was aged about eight years and on yesterday running about five o’clock I sent her for a kettle of water for tea in a water hole about twenty yards from my tent. I was always in the habit of sending her for water to the same Hole. The deceased was away about fifteen minutes when I thought too long away and I went to look for her and called her by name as I neither could see nor hear her. I then went to fill the kettle with water which I found placed at side of the hole. I then remarked that the water in hole was muddy. I then took the clothes pole and I sounded the hole and felt something bulky at side of it. After which a part of the clothes of deceased appeared at the surface and a strange man pulled her out. She was quite dead and her face and hands were quite livid and froath [sic] coming out of mouth
Mary Anne Larkin xxx her mark
