Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954), Tuesday 24 May 1910, page 1


Centenarian's Recollections Mr. M. Bodey of Doveton street, Ballarat, writes :-- My father, Mr. John Bodey, of Camperdown, is now in his 100th year, and hence has lived in the reigns of six monarchs, that is, from and including George III. to George V. He was born at Rathdrum County Wicklow, Ireland, and has a lively recollection of O'Connell's election for Clare in 1828 ; also of the first Reform Bill, the great plague of cholera in Glasgow in 1832, the abolition of slavery, and the reform of the Irish church in 1833. He is able to discourse in a most interesting vein touching the Irish famine due to the failure of the potato crop, open voting for Parliamentary candidates, the Chartist riots, Father Matthew's temperance crusade, the repeal of the corn laws, and many other great political and social events and questions prior to 1840. He arrived in Melbourne just prior to the disovery of gold in Victoria, and his total descendants, of whom 67 have the name Bodey, number 112, comprising 8 sons, 69 grandchildren and 44 great grandchildren. My mother, who is no longer with us was I may add born the same day as the late Queen Victoria.