James Green's Butchery, Yarrawonga.

Another poor quality 1980s photocopy...how lucky we family historians are these days with high quality scanners and photo editing programs so freely available!
This photo shows Paddy Sheridan in front of the Yarrawonga butcher's shop where he worked...James Green, Wholesale Butcher.I had always presumed that it was James Green himself who is standing to the right of Paddy Sheridan, but investigation into the man himself has proved that this is highly unlikely.
After discovering that James Green, butcher, of Yarrawonga, died in 1899, I downloaded his will and associated documents to find out a little more about him. Our Patrick Sheridan was mentioned in "Disbursements" as being paid(or owed) three pounds on May 3, 1899, as wages. This tells us that while the young Sheridan family was living at the Victoria Hotel in Tungamah, being mainly managed by Paddy's wife Bridget Bourke whose father Paddy Bourke was the owner of said pub,Paddy Sheridan was working as a butcher for James Green in nearby Yarrawonga.

I noticed that James Green's signature on his will was extremely shakey...almost like a child's...and thought "Poor old fellow...he must have been on his deathbed when he signed his will." I then read the following affidavit by local doctor, Dr. Denis, and all was revealed:- at the time of signing his will, James Green was suffering from injuries to his right hand caused by a meat cleaver being thrown at him by one Alfred Green, his son, and so had to sign with his left hand!
A check on the National Library newspaper site soon filled in the details...

"ADELAIDE ADVERTISER. Saturday April 29, 1899. A FATAL QUARREL. A fracas which took place at Yarrawonga on Wednesday between James Green, butcher, and his son, Alfred, in which his son cut his father's hand nearly off with a meat axe, resulted in the death of the father this morning. Blood poisoning and shock to the system caused death. Alfred, who has been on bail for feloniously wounding, was arrested today on a charge of murder."

" Argus, May 1, 1899. FATAL TERMINATION. YARRAWONGA, SATURDAY. Mr. James Green, butcher, who was severely injured with a cleaver thrown by his son about three weeks ago, died early Friday morning.Though the wound apparently healed well, he never seems to have recovered from the shock to the system, and after several lapses succumbed as stated. An inquiry into the death of Mr Green was concluded before Captain Burrowes, Police magistrate, and a jury of seven today. Alfred Green was committed for trial at Benalla on the 16th May, but the jury added a rider that he had received great provocation."

"Argus, Wednesday May 17, 1899. Benalla, Tuesday.
The May sittings of the Supreme Court were opened today, presided over by Mr Justice Hood. A young man named Green was presented on a charge of murdering his father at Yarrawonga in April last. The father and son had a disagreement during which the father threw a butcher's cleaver at the son. A few minutes later the father entered his son's room with the view of putting the latter's property out, when the son hurled the cleaver at his father, with the result that a wound was inflicted from which the father subsequently died. the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter, with a recommendation to mercy, on the ground that the accused had received great provocation. He was sentenced to two year's imprisonment."
Poor Alfred Green was only 21 years old. I don't think his father was a particularly nice person, as in 1891 he reported his estranged wife, Charlotte Green, to the police for bigamy, for which she was subsequently tried. He had already left her, and refused to pay maintenance for her or their children until ordered to do so by the Court.
James Green had married Charlotte Todd at Yarrawonga in 1875,his bride believing that her first marriage to Charles Todd(from who she had separated) had ended officially when she received word from her sister that he had died in a mental asylum. Charlotte Lecount had married Charles Todd at Goulburn, NSW, in 1858, and he had deserted her later on the goldfields. Todd was an old soldier, formerly in the East India Company Service, had joined the police force on his arrival in Australia, and served in Goulburn until he headed for the goldfields. After being deserted by her first husband, Charlotte met James Green and, believing herself to be a widow, married him in Albury in 1875. They had several children together before James left her...Ellen in 1874, Albury; James in 1876, Albury; Alfred in 1878, Yarrawonga, and Mary in 1885, Yarrawonga. A son William Green was also mentioned in James Green's will, as was son James who was described as being "now of parts beyond the seas".