VPRS 1387 Vol 2] Creswick Petty Sessions Registers Fri 23 Jan 1863
(Summons issued 20 Jan 1863)
John SPARK & Catherine SPARK v Amos SHOMACK
Illegal detention of goods valued at £15-0-0. Struck out.
(Catherine SPARK ms SHOMACK is the daughter of Amos. She was married at the age of 16 to John SPARK on 4 Nov 1859 C of E parsonage in Creswick.)

Creswick & Clunes Advertiser Tuesday 27 Jan 1863 p3
CRESWICK POLICE COURT Friday 23 Jan 1863 Cause List
(Before CC DOWLING, Esq., PM; JD MOORE, and Thomas COOPER, Esqs., JPs)
The following cases were struck out -
POWER v McLELLAN; DEAS v ORMESTON; ROBERTS and party v WILSON and party; John and Catherine SPARK v Amos SHOEMACK; GALLAGHER v McKENZIE.
(Catherine SPARK ms SHOMACK is the daughter of Amos. She was married at the age of 16 to John SPARK on 4 Nov 1859 C of E parsonage in Creswick.)

Creswick & Clunes Advertiser Friday 25 Dec 1863 p2
Local & Current Topics
The examination of the children of Mr Bowman's School, Ascot, took place on Wednesday last. It commenced at 10 o'clock a.m. and lasted, including the distribution of prizes, till 5 p.m. The room was neatly decorated with 30 pictures in oil executed by the scholars, approriate slips, quotations from scripture, and flowers. There were some fifty pupils present.
Some of the parents and friends of education had assembled to witness the proceedings. Amongst the visitors we noticed the Rev Mr Downes, of Clunes; the Rev Mr Smyth, of Minersrest; the Rev Mr Steel, of Creswick; the Rev Mr McIntyre, of Ascot; Mr Davis, MBC, Creswick; and others.
The School Committee present were Councillor Nicholson, Messrs McKay, Munro, and McRea. The examination comprised the usual branches of education and gave general satisfaction. Mr Bowman, in order to show that there had been no express coaching for the occasion, put into the hands of the first class scholars, a newspaper of the 23rd inst, just received, and not only the correct reading, but especially dictation from that paper, the pupils giving the roots of the words as derived from the Latin, Greek and French, also the respective particles of speech, &c. showed that they had mastered grammar to some extent. Dialogues and readings from Bell's Modern Reader and Speaker diversified the proceedings.
The Rev Mr Downes, in presenting the prizes, paid a very high compliment to Mr Bowman and stated that he seldom had seen such proficiency manifested and was highly gratified by his visit to Ascot. In the highest class, portraits by Mr Bowman were promised to Angus Munro, Eliza Keay and Susannah Bowman.
Prizes in the first-class were given to Miss Keay, R Bowman, Angus Munro, Murdoch Mackay, George Shoemack, Angus McPherson.
Second class - Eliza Keay, Donald McRae, Thomas Crichton, Mary McPherson, Elizabeth Shoemack, Duncan McKay, Herman Holschier, James Doyle, Flora Robertson, and Catherine McLeod and 12 prizes to the scholars of the third class.
After a few complimentary remarks to the teacher on the part of Councillor Nicholson, and the Rev Mr Downes having pronounced a blessing, the assembly retired. Tea was subsequently given to the children.
(George aged 16, and Elizabeth aged 12, were children of Amos and Mary SHOEMACK. Also at the school would have been Phoebe Anne aged 5 but not 2 yr old Amos Jnr.)