Corporal William Bewsher (1819-1900)

Corporal William Bewsher, his wife and children came to Western Australia in 1863 on 27 May on the Clyde. William was part of the Enrolled Pensioner Guard, British soldiers on a pension given for long service or meritorious deeds. William had paid his dues. Serving in the Lancashire Fusiliers, he had fought in the First Carlos War in Spain, the Crimean War and the Indian Uprising. He was also a Private of the 20th Regiment on Foot. As a pension guard, William completed seven years of military service in Fremantle, after which he was entitled to a free parcel of land.

He was granted Leschenault Lot 26/2 acres in Bunbury. He worked as a farmer in Bunbury and employed five ticket of leave men from 1864 to 1872, two of them were splitters. During this time from 1886 to 1887 his wife was a postmistress at Preston according to the Western Australian Dictionary of Biography. At the end of his service, he settled in Bunbury and was working for Miss Diana Bunbury for the last thirty years of his life (reference; reference; reference).

Their children were Harriet Martha Bewsher (1862 - 1877) born in Picton and is buried at the Old Picton Cemetery, having died at 15 years old, and Frederick George Bewsher (1850-1931). William's religion was the Church of England.

William passed away in 1900 on 24 October (reference). William is buried at St. Marks Church, Picton.