Rothsay: Chopin gravesite & gold mine
Alfred Kirk Chopping born 25th April 1846 at 12 George Street West All Saints Birmingham County of Warwick. Son of Matthew Chopping, wine merchant and Amanda Chopping formerly Clutterbuck.
Alfred Chopin and his elder brother by nineteen years, William Chopin, were both convicted on the same day at Manchester 4.12.1865. Alfred Chopin received ten years for receiving stolen goods, six hundred hats and other goods and chattels. He was transported to WA on convict ship 'Norwood' 13.2.1867. He received a free pardon two years later; the details of the pardon were unable to be traced.His older brother William Chopin received twenty years for utter of forged receipts. He was also transported to WA on convict ship "Norwood" and received a ticket of leave seven years later 7.12.1874. He had a wife and child in England.
The curious part is when and why did they change their names to Chopin, also the origin of another story printed in the Geraldton Guardian December 1986.
I quote; A search for information about Alfred Chopin, whose gravesite is well preserved at Rothesay, uncovered an interesting story. A letter from the late Mr. Chopin's niece revealed that his father, Alfred Kirk Chopin, was transported to WA for poisoning a girl in London. Some years later he was given a free pardon after a man on his deathbed in London confessed to the murder. He then changed his name to Chopin, but following his death some members of his family reverted to Chopping. The letter says the name of the Rothesay grave should Chopping.It is an interesting story but it would appear incorrect, as the courts documentation show, and the name change to Alfred Kirk Chopin must have been before he was convicted. He was also buried under the name of William Kirk Chopping.re.death certificate.
The elder brother William Chopin worked in York with photography and as a teacher at Beverley. On the 4th of April 1894 he was again in trouble and in the Supreme Court at Perth was sent into penal servitude for a further ten years. During the trial it was mentioned in the courts that he had signed a pawn ticket as Dr Chopin. I found no further mention of William Chopin.
Alfred Kirk Chopin married Ellen Mary McNamara 14.3.1872 worked as photographer he had a confectioner's license, he died on the 4th of 10.1902 buried Wesleyan Cemetery Guildford. They had eight children: Florence Amanda, Alfred Cecil, William David, Charles Challenger. Percy, Jessie May, Ernest Courthope, and Louis Henry.The descendents of Alfred Kirk and Ellen Chopin have been successful and well thought of people. I spoke with Bill Chopping, Alfred's grandson, who kindly helped with facts like birth certificates etc. Both Bill and his wife Betty I found friendly and hospitable; typical of warm hearted country people. Bill's office walls held large photographs of his mother, father and his grandfather, Alfred Kirk, the receiver of six hundred hats. The thought of some one receiving six hundred stolen hats conjures up some amusing images, what sort of hats were they? Was the magistrate even mildly amused when he sentenced Alfred to ten years?
Alfred Cecil Chopin died at the mining town of Rothesay 1898. The old mine and town was nothing like I remembered it in 1942, when I rode through there and the surrounding hills looking for sheep that had escaped through the Wanarra boundary fence.
Rothesay was then a real ghost town, as if the inhabitants had risen one morning and walked away with what they stood up in. I clearly remember the butcher's shop, legs of mutton still hung on hooks, or I should say dried bone and dry sinew still hung on hooks. The mine had been closed two or three years. One house I looked in had most of the furniture and some food left in a coolgardie safe, while on the table there was still eating utensils. From the mine I expected to see men emerge, if you have seen a ghost town you know the feeling.We returned last June and found most of the town I remembered had gone, near the mine was a huge open pit. The poppet legs have gone, the hills are scarred from bulldozer and modem mining. The ruins of the managers house and a few house and workshop foundations is all that is left now, little to show of Rothesay's colorful past and the five hundred inhabitants that once lived there.
Then we came upon the grave of Alfred Cecil Chopin with it's wrought iron and massive headstone standing nearly six foot high in thick picturesque bush. A peaceful, shaded place to rest, it would be beautiful there when the wildflowers bloomed. He even had company, for close by was a small unnamed grave with a border of white quartz/possibly the grave of a child. We only found two graves but there are five all told in the Rothesay cemetery; R.E.R Esbenson child, W.McLoughlin male, J.D.Mason male, 68 fell down a shaft- C.Purchase child, and that of Alfred Cecil Chopin, the headstone reads Alfred Chopin.
There is another unnamed grave a few kilometers away on Wanarra station William Heron an Irishman aged 65 was drowned at night in the out camp after nearly 6 inches of rain fell in one day. Buried on 30.3.1927. It appears he was drowned at night after a flash flood swept away the out camp, a trail of clay bricks from where the out camp was to the grave can still be seen.
The heritage trail that goes through Rothesay is in first class condition and it's only a little over four hours drive from Perth. Once you pass through the rabbit proof fence the country soon changes into the deeper colors of the goldflelds, it is an interesting trip through this area so rich in tales and ghosts of yesteryears. August or early September is usually the best month to see this bush at its best. In some areas, crossings like the one ahead will flow like rivers when summer cyclones dump huge amounts of rain through the Murchison.
Acknowledgement: thankyou for your interest and enthusiastic help in gathering and retaining a little more of our history and events that so easily can be forgotten. Bill Chopping, M Chopping, M&L Sears, Jack Cooper, Mark Lennard, YCoate, J O'Mara, Mrs Lutze
Writer; Trevor Tilka
Acknowledgement to the Perenjori Tourist & Museum Committee.