Robert Provost

Robert Provost

Male 1855 - 1941  (86 years)

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  • Name Robert Provost 
    Born 9 Sep 1855  Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 9 Sep 1855 Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire, England

      Name: Robert Provost
      Registration Year: 1855
      Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
      Registration district: Wisbech
      Inferred County: Cambridgeshire
      Volume: 3b
      Page: 578
      England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915

      Emigration
      Vessel Gulf Of Mexico
      Arriving 25 Mar 1885 at Sydney
      Provost, Robert, Farm labourer, age 29
      Provost, Hannah, age 22
      Provost, Hannah, age 1
      Provost, Arthur, infant
      New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922
      New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896

      1871 England Census
      Crowland, Lincolnshire, England
      Peterboro' Road
      Provost, Hannah, age 55, Widow, born in Thorney, Cambridgeshire, England
      Town, Crowland, Lincolnshire, England
      Provost, Robert, age 15, son of Hannah Provost, born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England
      Provost, John, age 11, son of Hannah Provost, born in Whittlesea, Cambridgeshire, England
      Provost, Hannah, age 2, Granddaughter, Whittlesea, Cambridgeshire, England

      1881 England Census
      Oldham, Lancashire, England
      7 Greaves St
      Provost, Robert,age 24, born in Wisbeage?, Cambridgeshire, England, Lodger, occupation, Policeman

      A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE ROBERT PROVOST
      (By one who knew him well.)
      Our highly esteemed townsman whose recent passing away we deeply mourn. was born at Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire, England, on the 9th September, 1855. Later; as a young man, he moved into Lancashire and on the 4th April, 1877, at the age of 21, joined the Police Force of the Borough of Oldham, serving with distinction and credit until the 15th of January, 1885, when he resigned his position in order to come to his brother John at Nambucca River, New South Wales. The occasion of, his leaving was marked by a meeting held in the Town Hall at Oldham, presided over by the Chief Constable G. Hodgenson and attended by the four Inspectors, nine Sergeants, three Detectives and over 60 Constables, when a handsome leather dressing case, completely furnished, on the silver plate of which was in scribed, "Presented to Robert Provost?" by the members of the Oldham Borough Force, as a token of respect on leaving Service January 15th. 1885, was presented to him. The presentation was made by the Chief Constable who, in handing the gift over, spoke of his regret in losing
      so efficient an officer and expressed kindly hopes for Mr. Provost's future prosperity. The Chief Constable also presented a firmly bound copy of the Bible to Mr. Provost, the fly
      leaf being inscribed with an earnest wish and hope that the perusal would be to the recipient's advantage. Additional to these, Mr. Provost received personal letters from members of the Borough Watch Committee, the chairman, a gentleman of high social standing in the city, saying, "I have every confidence in recommending you to any place or office of trust you may seek, and my only regret is that after so many years of good service you should think of leaving." I can only say "God speed you," and further, you take with you my best swishes for your future welfare in your newly adopted country. Others, Aldermen of the city and newspaper editors, joined in the general regret at his leaving. Mr. Provost, with the late Mrs. Provost and two children, left England on the 23rd January, 1885, by the liner "Gulf of Mexico," arriving at Taylor's Arm in due course where he entered the service of the Welsh family. Later on he selected a piece of land at Tom Mara's Creek, gradually adding to it as means and opportunity offered, eventually owning the splendid farm which he sold about 1930 for the sum of £10,000-the result of many years of hard, honest toil, rising early and working late, feeling, like the Village Blacksmith, "Something attempted, some
      thing done." Besides all this, Mr. Provost secured for his sons other portions of land which by his indomitable will and energy he cleared and made into valuable farms, and yet another fine farm he bought off Mr. J. Carroll (this is still in the family and let to a progressive tenant farmer. In the early days of the century, Mr. Provost went in for raising paspalum grass seed, and in this did much towards the rise and progress of the Nambucca district- his wise and careful methods leading many others to try the new grass which has done so much in establishing a payable dairying industry here.
      The writer has happy recollections of a three weeks visit to the old -each morning just before school, weighing the "pull" of paspalum seed for the morning and entering it up in the children's passbooks took place, and the same procedure took place each evening for the afternoon's "pull"- each child being paid by the methodical father at the end of the week. The children thus learned something of the value of diligent work, and Robert Provost was a just man in all his dealings with his children.
      Mr. Provost was a true pioneer, and as such suffered in those early days much of the privations falling to the lot of the man who dared to make "two blades of grass grew where only one had been before." It was not all "roast beef and plum pudding," for the new settler in those days. He knew the disappointment of seeing a season's crop washed away by the floods in a few hours, and when the floods did not come the fires did , it was all the same, the crop went, and the store bill mounted up with no apparent means of reducing it. During one of these dark periods Robert Provost walked the eight miles into Macksville only to be refused a fifty of flour and he had to trudge back, without it.
      "Here, take my farm !" he had said to the storekeeper, who replied, "No, Bob, try again !" And Bob tried again-"Toil on, faint not, keep watch and Pray," was his song. Hungry, but determined, he tried again, and fortune turned his way.
      Years after, in telling the story to the writer, he thanked God for the "test" and the courage given him. In answer to his prayer. Hard, honest work, before daylight till after dark, Robert Provost and his devoted wife and family never gave up, and bye and bye the upper level was reached and his living was assured. Humble, plain, honest and true, Robert Provost set an example to all men. In a little store in town one day, when about to give an order, he accosted the storekeeper with ?"See, William ? But William stood on his dignity. "Hurrmph William, eh ! I'm Mister to you. What would you say if I called you Robert?" he said. "Here, lad, call me plain Bob, and the oftener you say it, the better I'll like it,"replied the farmer. And William learned to call him Bob, and good friends they were for many a day after until William passed on.
      As for his principles! The writer was present at the annual meeting of the Nambucca Dairy Co., when the secretary in his report mentioned that the Company had received a certain amount for hire of the launch "Undaunted" for running trips to the Heads on Sundays. Said Robert, ?Did you say that we got money for running our launch on pleasure trips to the Heads on Sun days ?? Innocently came the answer, ?Yes, we got so much.? ?Well,? said Robert Provost,"I don't have anything to do with running pleasure trips on God's Day. I resign my position as Director." And Robert Provost never again sat as Director. That was his principle. And he never refused assistance to a worthy cause. I have before me a list of half-a-dozen different institutions which he quietly supported, not all in connection with his own church, and I have seen his donations to other causes. When approached he never asked, "What church does he or it belong to?" "For the cause that needs assistance, For the good that I can do" was enough for him.
      Mr. Provost led a useful life which has been an example to many. His uprightness in every transaction has been acknowledged by all. A fair day's work, a fair day's pay, and no Grumbling-but no work on Sundays other than milking and feeding the stock-he believed in and practised."Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work." His church was his delight. In the old days when the preacher had to travel by horse long distances, the cup of tea was
      always ready for him, even at the roadside when he passed by; and in the later days, up to the end, one could depend on seeing Robert Provost- at 86 years -walking up the fairly long road to church. Rain did not stop him, but, bright and cheerful, he never missed a service, and his happy smiling face often helped and encouraged the tired parson.
      He is Home now, where there is no need of a temple, leaving an example to old and young showing how a Godly man can live. Mr. Provost was for over twenty-seven years a highly respected Justice of the Peace for the State of N.S.W., having been appointed in the early part of 1914, and holding the position until his decease.
      The writer for nigh on half a century enjoyed the close and intimate friendship of this unpolished but genuine, warm hearted, open-handed son of England, and testifies that but
      few men were his equal-a man the Nambucca district could ill afford to lose.
      Adieu, Robert Provost, till we meet again.
      Nambucca and Bellinger New, Friday 21 November 1941
    Gender Male 
    Died 25 Oct 1941  New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • PROVOST Robert, late of Macksville, NSW
      Probate notice 21 NOV 1941
      Nambucca and Bellinger News (Macksville) 21 NOV 1941
      The Ryerson Index Online Database

      Name: Robert Provost
      Death Date: 1941
      Death Place: New South Wales
      Father's name: David
      Mother's name: Hannah
      Registration Year: 1941
      Registration Place: Macksville, New South Wales
      Registration Number: 24431
      (New South WalesDeath Index 1788-1985)
    Person ID I15655  Hickey, List, Bundesen, Thomsen, Jensen, Jessen
    Last Modified 23 Sep 2016 

    Family Hannah Maria Hurst,   b. 1860, Prestlie, Lancashire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 May 1930, Macksville, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 70 years) 
    Married 11 Aug 1881  Chadderton, Lancashire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Name: Hannah Hurst
      Gender: Female
      Age: 21
      Birth Date: 1860
      Marriage Date: 11 Aug 1881
      Marriage Place: Chadderton, Lancashire, England
      Father: Thomas Hurst
      Spouse: Robert Provost
      FHL Film Number: 2113027
      Reference ID: Pg 242 #484
      (England, Select Marriages, 1538?1973)

      Name: Robert Provost
      Gender: Male
      Age: 24
      Birth Date: 1857
      Marriage Date: 11 Aug 1881
      Marriage Place: Chadderton, Lancashire, England
      Father: David Provost
      Spouse: Hannah Hurst
      FHL Film Number: 2113027
      Reference ID: Pg 242 #484
      (England, Select Marriages, 1538?1973)

    Children 
     1. David Henry Provost,   b. 1901, Macksville, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 17 Mar 1961, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 60 years)
     2. Martha Provost,   b. 1895, Macksville, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Dec 1951, Bellinger District Hospital, New South Wales, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 56 years)
    Last Modified 23 Sep 2016 
    Family ID F5575  Group Sheet

  • Photos
    Hannah and Robert Provost
    Hannah and Robert Provost
    Inscription for Robert Provost
    Cemetery: Macksville NSW
    Inscription Id: 7616002
    Surname: Provost
    Given Names: Robert
    Birth Date: 1855?
    Death Date: 25 Oct 1941
    Age: 86
    Gender: M
    Portion: Mth
    Spouse Name: Hannah
    Father's Name: David
    Mother's Name: Hannah
    Remarks: father
    Photographed and transcribed by: Sandra & Warren Cockbain, Australian Cemeteries Index


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