Robert married POYSER, Ida May in 1915 in Victoria, Australia. Ida (daughter of POYSER, Alfred and JENKINS, Jane) was born on 17 May 1897 in Kingower, Victoria, Australia; died on 10 Sep 1992 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 14 Sep 1992 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. STALEY, Roy was born in 1916 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; died in 1916 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia.
2. STALEY, Robert Henry was born in 1918 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; died in 1918 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 29 Nov 1918 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia.
3. STALEY, Allen Dudley was born on 4 Nov 1921; died on 5 Apr 2010 in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 13 Apr 2010 in Mildura, Victoria, Australia.
4. STALEY, Ronald Mervyn was born on 12 Apr 1923 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; died on 11 May 1989 in Noble Park North, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 18 May 1989 in The Necropolis, Springvale, Victoria, Australia.
5. STALEY, Ian George was born on 8 May 1926; died on 9 Aug 1978 in Prahran, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 14 Aug 1978 in The Necropolis, Springvale, Victoria, Australia.

Jonathan married STAGG, Annie on 28 Nov 1883 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia. Annie (daughter of STAGG, Henry and LUMSDEN, Annie) was born in 1862 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; died on 12 Aug 1927 in Jersey Hill Via Inglewood, Victoria, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Annie was married at the home of her stepfather, Gustav Breitzmann. Her mother had remarried in 1878. (And again toTheodore Jessen in 1898.) Annie died in 1927 and her obituary from a local paper (probably the Inglewood Advertiser) follows: "Mrs Annie Keel, wife of the late Charles Keel died suddenly at her home on the Jersey Hill on Friday, where she was living with her son, Mr W J Staley. For a few days she had been indisposed, but there was nothing to indicate her condition was serrious and her demise came as a great shock to Mr Staley and other members of the family. The deceased lady , who was 65 years of age, had never previously suffered a days sickness having enjoyed remarkable health. She was twice married, her first husband being the late Mr Jonathan Staley. Born at Inglewood she was widely known and highly respected having lived here all her life. She was an authority on the early doings in the district and was planning a busy week during the Back to Ingnglewood celebration, when it was estimated 40 connections of the family would assemble. Two sons, Messrs W J Staley and C Keel reside in Inglewood, and with them, and other relatives, deep sympathy is expressed. The funeral on Sunday was largely attended. Rev R D Peatt carried out the Anglican service. Mr L Appleby having charge of the mortuary arrangements. Messrs John , Robert, Henry and William Staley and Charles and Edward Keel (sons) acted as bearers." Another "claim to fame" for Annie came via her maternal grandfather, James Lumsden who was a convict, he along with two others received a life sentence for the theft of a snuff box, tortoise shell comb, personal papers and nine pence. James was transported to Hobart in Nov. 1833 on board the"Isabella", he was made a Constable in 1835!

Notes:

Robert and Jane arrived with their daughter Elizabeth, aged 1 and infant son Jonathon as assisted immigrants from the UK aboard the vessel 'Bourneuf' of 1495 tons. They sailed from Liverpool on 26 May 1852 and arrived in Geelong on 3 Septembeer 1852 after a voyage of just over 3 months. The assisted passage was £12/19/6, a fortune in those days. An extract from a book titled "The Roaring Days" by Michael Cannon gives a vivid picture of what the voyage must have been like..... "....In September 1852 Captain Robert Biddy sailed the Bourneuf into Geelong to report a total of eighty-eight deaths on the voyage - more than ten per cent of his passengers . Five women had died of consumption, puerperal fever, or been lost overboard. Of the 180 children under seven years of age who embarked, nearly half died of diarrhoea, measles, and other complaints. When the vessel docked, a further twenty adults and children were still suffering from disease . Arrangements for hygiene were primitive or non-existent . The main deck leaked, so that the two emigrant decks were usually damp. The water closets were of 'inferior construction and leaky.' The chutes for carrying off dirty water had been removed. The upper emigranant deck had 'a disagreeable smell' while the lower deck was dark and 'difficult to ventilate'. There was insufficient hospital accomodation or spare bedding, so that infected mattresses had to be used again. The matron was almost useless 'owing to physical want of activity or energy' while Surgeon McKevit was accused by the passengers of being 'so grossly intoxicated that he could not attend to his duty.' Many Scotch and Irish parents, through 'insurmountable prejudice' against medical treatment, refused to allow him to treat their sick children even when he was sober. The school-master, William Creeny, made an 'inflammatory' speech to the parents in which he said, 'We see around us preparations made for taking life with deadly instruments, instead of advising people, like rational beings, to do their duty.' The captain and surgeon locked up Creeny for the remainder of the voyage, but the complaints continued. One passenger, George Kidd, said that after his wife died it had been necessary to throw their infected bed overboard, but he had not been given another bed for himself and his child and had to sleep on the damp deck. And despite all the scandals of past years, no attempt was made to keep the seamen away from the female emigrants. The passengers' galley entered directly into the crew's galley: some of the women 'persisted in holding intercourse with the sailors.' When the ship arrived at Geelong the seamen rioted and police had to bbe called to control them...." It must have been horrific. Robert and Jane had a further eight children in the goldfields area of Victoria. On Robert's death an article in the Inglewood Advertiser on Wednseday Evening, July 19, 1882 reads "Once again we have to record a visit from the grim King of Terrors, who has been frequent in his visitations among us of late. The last one to depart from amongst is Mr. Robert Staley, who has been a resident fully 20 years, and who departed this life early this morning at the age of 56 years, after a long asthmatic affection. The deceased who leaves a wife and family of several children, all however of good age, followed the avocation of a miner. The Funeral procession will leave his late residence on the Maxwell's Reef at 2 p.m. on Friday.

Robert married GILLIES, Jane on 7 Feb 1851 in Whitburn, Linlithgowshire, Scotland. Jane (daughter of GILLIES, Alexander and BAILLIE, Elizabeth) was born on 3 Jul 1828 in Rumford, Stirlingshire, Scotland; died on 25 Feb 1912 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 26 Feb 1912 in Inglewood Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From The Inglewood Advertiser of Tuesday morning, Feb. 27, 1912.
The death took place on Sunday, at the Inglewood Hospital, of Mrs. Jane Staley, a very old and much respected resident of the borough. The deceased lady was advanced in age, being 83 years old. She had been in failing health for a considerble time, and had been an inmate of the institution since the 27th. October last year.

Henry married LUMSDEN, Annie on 20 Jan 1855 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Annie was born about 1837 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia; died in 1921 in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 15 Apr 1921 in Inglewood Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Annie remarried to Gustav Breitzmann in 1878 after the death of her first husband Henry Stagg in 1877 and when Gustav died, married again to Theodore Jessen.

Notes:

A copy of the Family Bible entry says Jonathan was born in Glasgow, Parish of Kilbride.

Jonathan married GOLDIE, Mary on 30 Jun 1820 in Coltburn, Ayrshire, Scotland. Mary (daughter of GOLDIE, Thomas and McRAE, Agnes) was born on 8 Dec 1800 in Coltburn, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 27 Dec 1854 in Kensington (Leopold), Victoria, Australia; was buried on 28 Dec 1854 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mary arrived with 4 of her children at Geelong, Victoria, Australia on 31 March 1852 aboard the "Cambodia" a vessel of 914 tons, also on board was another daughter, Mary along with her husband and their three children, who were bound for the golldfields. There are eleven children of Jonathan and Mary listed on Mary's death certificate, James and the first John had their ages are given as 0 although James reached at least 10 years by 1841, there was evidence of another son, Jonathan who was Christened on the same day as Agnes and was her twin.

Buried:
Geelong Eastern Cemetery

Alexander married BAILLIE, Elizabeth. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]