Elizabeth (Harris) Clark (abt. 1823 - 1888)

Born about 1823 in Hadlow Down, Mayfield, Sussex, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of William Henry Clark — married 22 Jul 1839 in Bowning, NSW

Descendants

Died 29 Sep 1888 at about age 65 in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Elizabeth Clark (nee Harris) typifies Australia’s pioneering women: surviving enormous challenges to contribute so much to Australia’s development. Picture Elizabeth in the early days of the colony: a poor 16 year-old originally from Sussex but now living in a lonely slab bark hut surrounded by the unknown terrors of the Victorian wilderness, newly married and having just given birth to her first child, her father a recidivist convict and her mother dead 4 years earlier in a tragic accident. Put yourself in her shoes and consider the strength and resourcefulness she would have needed to survive her hardships and become a highly successful pioneer.

1823: Elizabeth was born c. 1823/24 in Sussex, most likely in the village of Hadlow Down, near Mayfield ^[1]. Her parents, Jonathan Harris and Elizabeth Baker were married on 17 Nov 1821 in Mayfield, Sussex, and then had three children: Jonathan jnr (bap. 10 Mar 1822 in Mayfield), Elizabeth (~1823) and Henry (~1825).

1825: On 28th Feb 1825 Elizabeth's father Jonathan committed burglary: "Charged ... with buglariously breaking and entering the dwelling house of the said Thomas Cobram at Uckfield feloniously stealing there from six linen shifts, one mahogany desk & other articles value 40/-". He was tried (on 23 Mar 1825) at Horsham Sussex Assizes and was sentenced to be hanged ^[2]. This was subsequently commuted to Transportation for life to NSW, and by 26th April he was on the prison hulk York at Portsmouth. He eventually arrived in NSW on 3-Jan-1826 aboard the Marquis of Hastings ^[3], and was assigned to an ex-convict Charles Thompson ^[4].

1828: In 1828 Jonathan appears to also have first petitioned to have his wife and children join him ^[5]. The petition lists his family: Elizabeth Baker (living in Hadlerdown, Mayfield [18]), and her three children, Jonathan (7yo), Elizabeth (5yo) and John (2yo) (note that this last child was born after Jonathan was incarcerated, and so Jonathan may not have known his name). The petition also includes list of people to whom the family was known, most of whom were living in Uckfield.

1831: On 11 Mar 1831 Elizabeth snr and her three children, Jonathan (now aged ~9), Elizabeth jnr (~7) and Henry (~6) arrived in NSW aboard the Kains (which was carrying female convicts) ^[6] and rejoined Jonathan snr. The family appears to have moved to the area around Goulburn (possibly on a property owned by Charles Thompson) ^[7]. Over the next 5 years Elizabeth snr and Jonathan snr had 3 more children: Sophia (b. 15/1/1832), Thomas (b. 13/7/1833) and George (b. 19/8/1835) ^[8].

1836: On 30th Mar 1836, when Elizabeth was 12, her mother (Elizabeth snr) was travelling from Bong Bong to Campbelltown, and was killed when the cart she was in overturned somewhere around Bringelly. The cart was being driven by "a young lad, her son" (so possibly Jonathan jnr, who would be aged 14) and with "an infant in her arms" (so probably George, aged 7 months). The death was recorded at Cobbitty, but the burial location is unknown. Newspapers reported the circumstances but seemed more interested in debating the state of the road ^{[9] [10]}.

1837: Elizabeth's father Jonathan was again charged (with robbery) and temporarily in gaol ^[11]. He was acquitted this time, though he eventually did end up convicted (with his oldest son) and was transported to Van Diemen’s land in 1842 for, unsurprisingly, robbery! Amazingly, Jonathan lived to be 91 and married twice more. Elizabeth ended with 5 full siblings and 10 half siblings.

1839: Three years later, on 22nd July 1839, 15 year old Elizabeth married 29 year old William Clark in Bowning (though the marriage was registered in Gundaroo) ^[12]. William was keen to find a wife as part of a plan hatched with two of his brothers. They knew about the inland route south (identified 15 years earlier by Hume and Hovell) and with Melbourne settled just 4 years earlier they believed the route would see increasing traffic. Later in 1839 they headed south to settle on the river crossings: William and Elizabeth at the Ovens River, Richard at Broken River, and John at Goulburn River. Each established an Inn and a punt in the wilderness and their homes eventually evolved into Wangaratta, Benalla, and Seymour ^[13].

1840: After moving to Victoria, William and Elizabeth's first child George was born in 1840 ^[14], when Elizabeth was just 16. Over the following years they had another 11 children: Sarah Ann (1842), Elizabeth Mary (1843), Charlotte (1844), Emily Jane (1846), Margaret (1848), William John (1850), Alice Rebecca (1851), Rosetta (1853), Jemima Maria (1855), George (1859), Florence (1861). Only George and Margaret died as infants, with the other 10 children all surviving to adulthood.

As Wangaratta grew William became a significant public figure, making a small fortune during the “Ovens gold rush" and using this to become a major land-holder and council member ^[15]. "Old Bill" eventually became known as "the Father of Wangaratta" – though Elizabeth undoubtedly deserved much of the credit. Two of William's brothers are similarly credited as 'founders' of Benalla and Seymour.

1871: By April 1871 William was residing in Corowa ^[16]. He then died on 24th April 1871 in Corowa, and was buried in Wangaratta on April 26th ^[17].

1888: Elizabeth lived another 17 years, dying on 29 Sep 1888 at the age of ~64 in Wangaratta ^[18]. That could almost have been the disappointing end of her story, with Elizabeth drifting into obscurity and leaving us wondering if her harsh upbringing had left her broken and embittered. Fortunately, a few weeks after she died, a trooper wrote to the local paper, surprised at how little had been said about Elizabeth’s passing. His story paints a picture of how well Elizabeth had survived her harsh life ^[19]:

"Forgotten Services. — One of our representatives, who knows the district long and well, writes as follows:— I confess I was surprised that so little has been said in any of the district papers about the curious history and services of Mrs Clarke, of Wangaratta, recently deceased, widow of the late William Clarke, more familiarly and generally known as "Old Bill Clarke" in the early days. Mrs Clarke, who was born in England, and came to Australia in her earliest youth, arrived in Wangaratta with her husband as far hack as 1839, she being then little more than 15 years of age. One solitary hut then represented the present township, and Clarke built a second one on the site of the present Sydney Hotel, now the property of Mr Painter, but facing towards the old cutting leading to the primitive punt which was also built and "run" by him. This was of slab and bark, but he subsequently added a brick building to the hotel, facing, as Painter's does now, towards the present market. Here, when the Ovens rush took place, Mr Clarke, between the punt and the public-house, figuratively speaking, coined money, which he invested in property, and in building — after the bridge was finished — the Commercial Hotel, in Murphy-street, which is now a much more pretentious establishment. The writer of this was in those golden days a cadet in the police force— the troopers, as they were then called — and as the gold and prisoners' escorts always stopped at Mrs Clarke's, he had plenty of opportunities of knowing that lady and her kindly ways, and of hearing from others of the earlier part of her career in the district. It is of this latter I desire chiefly to speak : When Mrs Clarke settled in Wangaratta, there was not another woman in any direction within twenty miles ; but she used to travel that distance on horseback on occasions, to comfort the sick or to help to bring little native Australians into the world, her own first child — she had twelve altogether — being the very first ever born in Wangaratta. All this was authenticated to me at a later date, although few now remain who witnessed it. But there are very many still living who stand to her almost in the light of foster-children, owing to her kind and charitable attention to their mothers in their need. I can speak personally of Mrs Clarke's friendly and pleasant ways when her family was growing more and more numerous, and I know that she made us fellows feel not only comfortable, but as if we were at home again. I write this because Mrs Clarke's many good qualities and great services — when such services were invaluable, and indeed, but for her, unprocurable — seem to be either unknown or forgotten."

There is a set of stained glass windows and an associated plaque ^[20] in the Wangaratta Anglican cathedral (for which they donated part of the land in 1849) dedicated to William and Elizabeth.

Sources

1. ↑ No definitive record has been found for Elizabeth’s birth or baptism, but her father Jonathan was baptised in Mayfield in 1800 (though various records indicated he came from Uckfield, Sussex – possibly because this was where he was when caught for Burglary) and was married in Mayfield in 1821. The most useful record is probably Elizabeth's father Jonathan’s petition to have his wife and children join him in Australia, which lists them living at Hadlerdown, Mayfield - probably referring to Hadlow Down - a village midway between Uckfield and Mayfield, but part of the parish of Mayfield at that time. The Bishops Transcripts for Mayfield do not however include a baptism record for Elizabeth or her younger brother Henry. The year of Elizabeth’s birth is estimated from her age on various records, including being 5 years old on the petition in 1828 and her age on marriage and death certificates.
2. ↑ Home Office: Criminal Registers, Middlesex and Home Office: Class: HO 27; Piece: 30; Page: 203. The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England.
3. ↑ Home Office: Convict Prison Hulks: Registers and Letter Books 1802-1849; Class: HO9; Piece: 9. The National Archives, Kew, England. See http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=1989&h=209600 For Jonathan’s transport see http://www.convictrecords.com.au/convicts/harris/jonathan/111662, and for information on the Marquis of Hastings see http://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_marquis_of_hastings_1826.htm.
4. ↑ 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census. See http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=1186&h=218390 and http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1828NSWcensus&h=5941
5. ↑ Colonial Secretary's Correspondence; 28/6419 - 4/1989
6. ↑ Records for the Kains provide a list of the convicts aboard (coincidentally including an Eliza Harris!) but not the free immigrants. There are various source of information (such as surgeons records but these do not mention the family). Jonathan’s Ticket of Exemption from Govt Labour however mentions his wife, “free per Kains”. Various later records for Elizabeth’s brother, Jonathan jnr (when he was convicted and sent to Tasmania) indicated he arrived aboard the Kains. And a diary by one of the seamen on the ship (Charles Picknell) mentions a free woman called Harris.
7. ↑ See Jonathon’s ticket for Exemption from Govt Labour, 1831 (which shows him in Windsor) and then 1832 (which shows him in Argyle). http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/searchhits_nocopy.aspx?table=Convict%20Index&id=65&frm=1&query=Surname:Harris;Vessel:Hastings
8. ↑ All three children were baptised in Paramatta:
   • Sophia – b. 15/1/1832, bap. 26/2/1832, Parramatta (by Chas. Dickinson - from Field of Mars!)
   • Thomas – b. 13/7/1833, bap. 28/12/1833, Parramatta (by Rev. Robert Forrest)
   • George – b. 19/8/1835, bap. 9/12/1835, Parramatta (by H.H.Bobart)
9. ↑ Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842), Thursday 21 April 1836, page 2. See Trove http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12854186
10. ↑ The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) Sat 2 Apr 1836, Page 2. See Trove http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2203559
11. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930. State Archives NSW; Roll: 853. Date of admission: 7 Jul 1837. See http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=1783&h=84450
12. ↑ Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950. See http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=1780&h=1599273
13. ↑ See http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/vufind/Record/78364. Page 9 of http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1853-54NoC4.pdf lists William with Ovens Crossing Place = 30,000 acres, 8 horses, 400 cattle (30,000 acres = 121 sq km!) - and maybe Whitefield = 59,520 acres, 4 horses, 1500 cattle. His brother Richard (?) with Junction Station (Broken River --> Benalla), 8,640 acres, 35 horses, 20 cattle. His brother John (?) with (Goulburn River --> Mitchellstown). See p13 of http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1855-56NoC36.pdf. His Ovens Crossing run is down to 16,000 acres, though on p29 his combined run is still 12 horses 1900 cattle.
14. ↑ No birth or death record of George has been found, but a family bible (in the possession of Colin Clark, and dating back to William and Elizabeth's youngest son George Arthur) includes a paper that lists the children of William and Elizabeth. This lists George, born 6th Dec 1840 at Ovens R and died 8th March 1841.
15. ↑ Note 5: Information on William and Elizabeth's life in Wangaratta can be found at:
    • http://wangaratta.com/en/wangaratta-history http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=11966
    • https://conversationswithgrandma.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/sepia-saturday-a-quartet-of-hotels/
    • http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/AUS-VIC-NE/2003-06/1056756876
    • http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wermore&id=I27667
16. ↑ This is mentioned in his will codicil.
17. ↑ Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 -1918), Thursday 27 April 1871, page 2. See Trove http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196417184
18. ↑ See https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/tree/996297/photo/19ebe960-a277-4513-ba7a-ffbbe6de8689
19. ↑ Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 - 1918), Saturday 13 October 1888, page 6. See Trove http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198927577
20. ↑ Arches and Significant Buildings

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