Jane Borthwick Bell, - First white woman on the Blackall Range^[1]

1851 - 1894  (~ 43 years)

• Name	Jane Borthwick Bell
  Suffix	- First white woman on the Blackall Range
  Born	Mar 1851	Eskdalemuir, Dumfries, Scotland
  Christened	19 Apr 1851	Eskdalemuir, Dumfries, Scotland
  Gender	Female
  History	Jane Borthwick Bell and family. Descendant-in-law Malcolm Somerville has provided some great information about this "Borthwick in the Middle" and her family. Jane Borthwick Bell was a descendant of Andrew Beattie and Jane Borthwick of Scotland. She was born Mar 1851 in Eskdale Muir Dumfries SCO, died 4 Aug 1894 in Blackall Range Qld, buried 5 Aug 1894 in Blackall Range Cemetery Qld, occupation Home Duties. Jane immigrated to Australia with her parents on board the "Royal Dane" arriving Brisbane 2-Dec-1871; dep.London 18 Aug1871. Her father John unfortunately died on the voyage. The family worked on "Coochin Coochin" station for a time before moving to Jondaryan station, near Toowoomba, in 1874, where Jane was employed as a governess. Her mother, Martha, was a laundress. Jane left the station in 1878 to marry Thorvald Weitemeyer at St George. After becoming the first white woman to settle in the Montville area, she tragically died from poisoning in August 1894. Jane Borthwick Bell and Thorvald Peter Ludvig Weitemeyer were married on 4 Jul 1878 in Court House St George Qld. Thorvald had been born 24 Jul 1850 in Copenhagen Denmark, (son of Christian William Meton Weitemeyer and Sophia Frederikke Overbye) died 6 Jun 1919 in Bundaberg Qld, buried Jun 1919 in Bundaberg Qld, occupation Carpenter/Farmer. Thorvald Peter Ludwig Weitemeyer immigrated to Queensland (arrived Bowen 1 Aug 1872) on the "Humboldt" (departed Hamburg 10 Apr 1872). His "travels and exploits" in Queensland are well documented in his book "Missing Friends: the adventures of a Danish immigrant (1871-1880)". The family settled in Bundaberg (1880-85); then Brisbane (1885-87), eventually becoming the first settlers of the Montville area in 1887. Their youngest child, Henry, was the first white person born on the Blackall Range in 1888. After Jane died, in 1900 Thorvald married Mary Wynne. a widower from Brisbane. The marriage did not last very long and Thorvald travelled to New Zealand for a number of years. It is unknown how long he was away from Australia, but he was in the Maleny district in 1913-14 and then went to Herbaton on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland. Thorvald opened a joinery shop and stayed there until he suffered ill health. In late 1918 his son, Christian, took him to his residence in Bundaberg and he died about 6 months later. He was buried in the Bundaberg Cemetery, June 1919. He was, indeed, a colourful and sometimes "eccentric" character who, in his own way, helped shape Queensland's history.
  Census	1861	Hillfoot, Eskdalemuir, Dumfries, Scotland   [3]
  	John Bell,head, mar, 41yrs, Cattledealer, born Canada, Martha Bell, wife, 36yrs, born Eskdalemuir, Jane B Bell, daughter, 10yrs, born Westerkirk, George Bell, son, 10yrs, born Westerkirk, Martha Bell, daughter, 6 yrs, born Eskdalemuir, Isabella Bell, daughter, 4yrs, born Eskdalemuir, Andrew B Bell, son, 1yr, born Eskdalemuir, Isabella Bell, 24yrs, born Westerkirk (her address is Millyett)
  Died	4 Aug 1894	Blackall Range, Qld
  Buried	5 Aug 1894	Blackall Range Cemetery Qld
  Person ID	I281	Maleny Pioneers & Neighbouring Districts
  Last Modified	5 Jun 2010

  
  

  Father	John Bell,   b. Abt 1819, Canada ,   d. 1 Oct 1871, at sea on the "Royal Dane"  (Age ~ 52 years)
  Mother	Martha Beattie,   b. 29 Apr 1824, Eskdalemuir, Dumfries, Scotland ,   d. 24 Mar 1882, Bundaberg, Qld  (Age 57 years)
  Married	22 Jan 1847	Westerkirk, Dumfries, Scotland   [1]
  Family ID	F75	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Thorvald Peter Ludwig (Charles) Weitemeyer,   b. 24 Jul 1850, Copenhagen, Denmark ,   d. 6 Jun 1919, Bundaberg, Qld  (Age 68 years)
  Married	1878	Qld
  Children	+ 1. Thorvald Weitemeyer,   b. 2 May 1879, St George, Qld ,   d. 26 Sep 1910, Qld  (Age 31 years) + 2. Cosette Weitemeyer,   b. 14 Jun 1882, Bundaberg, Qld ,   d. 9 Jul 1972, Maleny, Queensland  (Age 90 years) + 3. Christian Ernest Weitemeyer,   b. 27 Dec 1884, Bundaberg, Qld ,   d. 29 Jan 1981, Brisbane, Qld  (Age 96 years) + 4. Henry George Weitemeyer, - First white child born on the Blackall Range,   b. 15 Mar 1888, Blackall Range, Qld ,   d. 8 Aug 1934, Windsor, Brisbane, Qld  (Age 46 years)
  Last Modified	5 Jun 2010
  Family ID	F74	Group Sheet

  
  

• Sources

  [S61] Information kindly supplied by Malcolm Somerville. [S33] http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~anncarson/Borthwick/borthwicksaustralia.htm. [S32] Census.