NEWMAN Clarence Burton

Family

In the census for England and Wales of 1851, George Cheal was recorded with his parents Charles and Louisa and six siblings at Islington in Middlesex. His father was a bricklayer.

George Cheal emigrated to Australia in 1857. He departed Liverpool, England and arrived at Geelong aboard the "€œCarleton"€ on 19 July. He was aged only 15 years. In Australia, he allowed the spelling of his name to adapt to €œCheel€.

George married Isabella Maria Barrett in 1863. She died in 1876, but not before she had presented George with at least one child €“ Florence Isabelle Cheel who was born in 1872. George Cheel married a second time to Georgina Davidson in 1881.

In 1895, Isabell Florence Cheel married Jno Newman. They had at least one child, €“ Clarence Burton Newman who was born in Melbourne in 1893. By 1907, Isabell was in a position to marry a second time. Her new husband was Matthew Peart. Their marriage was short because Isabell died tragically in an accident on 20 September 1914, aged only 42 years. She and her husband were driving from Dunolly to Maryborough (Victoria) when a bolting horse, with pieces of harness attached to it, struck their buggy. Mrs Peart suffered internal injuries when hit by the head of the horse, and she died in the Maryborough Hospital two hours after the accident. She was buried on 22 September in Maryborough cemetery.

Thus it was that Clarence Burton Newman was effectively an orphan when he enlisted in 1915. He chose that a point of stability in his life, his grandfather George Cheel, should be recorded as his next of kin.

Military Context

The 25th Battalion was raised at Enoggera in March 1915 as part of the 7th Infantry Brigade. Although mainly composed of men recruited in Queensland, the battalion also included a small contingent from Darwin. The battalion left Australia in early July, trained in Egypt, and by early September was manning trenches in Gallipoli. It left the peninsular on 18 December, trained again in Egypt, and was the first AIF battalion to land in France on 19 March 1916.

Enlistment

Clarence Newman enlisted at Brisbane on 23 July 1915. He declared his age as 21 years and 10 months and occupation as €œlabourer€. He had been born at Melbourne in Victoria. He was 5 feet 5 inches in height, weighed 140 pounds, of florid complexion, with brown eyes and black hair. His religion was Church of England and he listed his grandfather Mr.G. Cheel of 28 Barkly Avenue, Prahran as his next of kin. George Cheel, a builder and his wife Georgina were recorded at 28 Barkly Avenue, Malvern, Victoria in the Electoral Roll of 1914.

Through the enlistment process, Clarence variously accepted his second name as €œBeurton€, €œBlurton€ and €œBurton€.

With the benefit of hindsight, the florid complexion which was noted at his enlistment was to be a sign of things to come. The condition of Private Newman€™'s heart was to dictate that his war would not extend past his first staging in Egypt.

Military service

Private Newman was assigned to the 6th Reinforcements of the 25th Battalion. His Service Number was 2802. He embarked at Brisbane on 21 October 1915 aboard HMAT A48 €œ"Seang Bee"€, and arrived at Suez on 28 November.

On 6 March 1916, just before the 25th Battalion first entered the trenches in France, Private Newman was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital in Cairo with severe valvular disease of the heart. On 14 March 1916, his grandfather George Cheel received a telegram from Base Records:"€REGRET PRIVATE CLARENCE B. NEWMAN ADMITTED FIRST AUSTRALIAN HOSPITAL HELIOPOLIS 5TH MARCH HEART TROUBLE SEVERE WILL PROMPTLY ADVISE IF ANYTHING FURTHER RECEIVED"€.

Repatriation

On 10 May 1916, Private Newman was discharged from Heliopolis and next day he departed Suez aboard the Hospital Ship "€œKanowna"€ bound for Australia. On 19 May 1916, his grandfather received a letter from Base Records to the effect that Private Clarence Newman would be returning to Australia aboard the "€œKanowna"€, with an expected arrival in Melbourne of 16 June. He was discharged from the A.I.F. at Brisbane on 12 July 1916. With effect from the following day, for his incapacity that arose during war service, he was subsequently awarded a disability pension of two pounds and five shillings per fortnight.

After the war

Clarence Newman was issued the 1914/15 Star, the British War medal and the Victory medal.

Clarence'€˜s grandfather, George Cheel, died in Victoria in 1919 aged 78 years (his step-grandmother Georgina died in 1934).

In the Electoral Roll of 1919, Clarence Burton Newman was recorded as a fruit grower at Beerburrum. Clarence was one of the nine returned soldiers who received the first allotments of land at Beerburrum Soldier Settlement (Portion 463).

His holding of land was short-lived. When Clarence decided to return to Melbourne, he chose to drop his surname of €œNewman€ and adopt €œBurton€. Clarence Newman disappeared from Electoral Rolls after 1919.

In the Electoral Roll of 1924, Clarence Burton was a builder living at 98 Auburn Avenue, Northcote, Melbourne.

In the Roll of 1931, he was a carpenter living at Blyth St., Blyth with his spouse Thelma, home duties.

In 1936 and 1937, the couple were at 32 Mitchell St., Mitchell, Melbourne. Clarence was a confectioner.

In the Electoral Rolls of 1942 and 1949, the couple had moved to the address they would occupy for the rest of their lives - 14 Mincha St., Brunswick South, Melbourne. Clarence was a cordial manufacturer and Thelma was a secretary.

In the Roll of 1954, they were recorded with their son Clarence Renfrey Burton who was a driver. He died in 1985 in Smeaton, Victoria, aged 55 years.

The death of Clarence Burton, son of Isobel Cheel, was registered in 1961 in Brunswick, Victoria. His age was recorded as 68 years.

From 1963 to 1977, Thelma Burton, Clarence`s widow, continued to live at 14 Mincha Street with her son Raymond Arthur Burton, a TV installer/technician. In the Electoral Roll of 1980, Thelma and Raymond had been joined at 14 Mincha Street by Raymond€™'s wife, Orianne.

Australian War Memorial National Australia Archives Trove digitalised newspapers Ancestry.com

"The Beerburrum Story" by Russell Hopkins, p25.