Elizabeth Steele was the mother of Barbara and witness at the inquest.

 

VPRS 24/PO

Box 38 

Item 152

Barbara Steele

Monkey Gully, Black Hill, 4 October 1856

About 5 weeks old

Soffocated, overlain

Jurors

Samuel Hall

Martin Quin

Alexander McInnes

John Fraser

Alexander McAllister

Alexander Chambers

Robert Day

Patrick McCarthy

James Johnston

Robert Williams

William White

Bernard Neale 

all of Victoria

Witness

Peter Steele

Shoemaker

Some weeks working at Black Hill at my trade. I was at home at Monkey Gully last Tuesday and left my wife and three children. I had my eldest child with me.

Witness 

Elizbeth Steele, mother of deceased

Having laid deceased upon my arm I went to sleep. Lain over.
I have four children now living. There were 3 of them stopping on the tent that night. It was very dark that night. I am a sound sleeper and have been addicted to drink to excess occasionally but since my confinement I have not touched anything but wine and Porter and on that Tuesday I only drank 2 glasses of Porter