William Telfer

Role: Brother of Francis Telfer (1809–1895), youngest of the siblings

William Telfer was born ~1811 at Blackburnfoot, Newcastleton, Roxburghshire, Scotland. He was the youngest child and son of James Telfer (1761–1845), a hand loom weaver, and Elizabeth "Betty" Hutton (1774–1853).

He did NOT emigrate to Australia and died in 1881 in Scotland.

The book states: "We have no further information about four members of this family; namely Isobel, Adam, Margaret and William." Like his siblings Isobel, Adam, and Margaret, William's fate after the family records is not documented beyond his death.

Source: From the Borders to the Bush — pages 17–20

Family Stories

The Youngest Brother

William Telfer was born around 1811 at Blackburnfoot, Newcastleton — the youngest child of James Telfer and Elizabeth Hutton. He was seven years younger than his brother Francis, who would go on to build a new life in South Australia.

William never made the voyage. He stayed in Scotland and died there in 1881, the youngest of the siblings who remained behind. Like Adam, Isobel, and Margaret, his life after the family records ends is undocumented — one of the four the book has no further information on. He's the bookend of that generation, the youngest, the one who stayed.

(From the Borders to the Bush, pp.17-20)