Charles Ellis
(1851 - 1926)
of
Meadows, South Australia
and Narracan, Victoria, Australia
by Robyn Fisher
Charles Ellis is my great grandfather.
Charles ELLIS was born at Meadows, South Australia , on 3 August 1851, the son of George ELLIS and Sophia Ransom MAIDMENT.
On Christmas Day, 25 December 1872 when Charles was 21, he married his first wife Sarah Elizabeth HOWLETT, in the home of William J. Maidment, farmer, at Finnis Flat, in South Australia.
Sarah Elizabeth HOWLETT was born near Macclesfield, South Australia, on 24 May 1845, the daughter of William HOWLETT (1819-1884) and Mary HOGBEN (1821-1919).
On their marriage certificate, Charles's marital status is stated to be that of a bachelor and his occupation that of a miner. I believe he previously worked at the Wheal Ellen Mine at Strathalbyn. Unfortunately the mine was closed in 1861. Sarah is a spinster, aged 26, and she signed the marriage certificate as Sarah Elizzabeth Howlett. Both were living at Finnis Flat at that time. The witnesses were Wm J Maidment (presumably William Joseph Maidment – her brother) and J. L. (?S) Maidment.
Together Charles and Sarah had seven children: Reuben (known as Reu) (1874-1951), Charles Alfred (1876-1960), Herbert Charles (1880-1954), Edgar Ernest (1882-1968), Mary Ellen (known as Nell) (1878-1949), Florence May (known as Flo) (1885-1983) and Lucy Inez (1888-1888).
The family moved to Moonta Mines in South Australia around 1874 where their first child Reu was born. Charles worked as a woodcarter. It is of interest that a large number of Sarah's family, including several of her brothers, two sisters and her mother, had also moved to Moonta.
From Moonta in South Australia, the Ellis family moved to Carisbrook in Victoria to seek their fortunes, travelling by horse and buggy and this is where their second son, Charles, was born at Grange Farme in 1876. The informant at his birth was C. W. Howlett, his uncle and his mother Sarah's brother.
Gippsland beckoned with excellent rainfall, good soil, and plentiful timber. Their daughter Nell was born at Traralgon in 1878. The Ellis family settled at Narracan taking up a selection next to Sarah's brother, Charles William Howlett and his family. It was here at Narracan that their son Herbert was born as was their next son, Edgar, my grandfather. Also born at Narracan was sister Flo in 1885.
Sarah's maternal uncle, William Hogben also settled nearby. It should be mentioned here that William's wife was formerly Elizabeth Burbridge Maidment, Charles Ellis' mother's sister.
Sadly Charles and Sarah's last child, Lucy was born at Moe South in 1888, living only 8 hours. According to the death certificate the delivery was at home, witnessed by Mary Howlett, Sarah's mother, who was a midwife, and her death was not certified. The Victorian Death registers have her listed under Elliss. According to Lonely Graves of the Gippsland Goldfields and Greater Gippsland by J. G. Rogers and Nelly Helyar, Lucy was buried on Charles Ellis property by her father. Of interest, Nelly Helyar is a relative of my husband, Tom Fisher.
Charles Ellis obviously did well in his ventures in Gippsland as he won a medal and a cup for his potatoes and livestock at the local shows.
Sadly, Sarah Elizabeth ELLIS died at Morwell, Victoria, on 12 November 1895; she was 50, suffering from ovarian cancer and operation exhaustion. She was buried in Hazelwood Cemetery, on 13 November 1895.
Some five years later, on 21 March 1900 when Charles was 48, he married for the second time, Barbara Fanny STEEL, at the Wesley Church in Melbourne, Victoria. One of the witnesses was Eliza Davies.
Barbara Fanny STEEL was born in Collingwood, Victoria, in 1868, the daughter of Jesse Jamieson STEEL and Fanny Stephanie SEITZ.
Some seven months after they were married, they had one stillborn son who was born about 10 October 1900. Unnamed, he was buried on 13 October 1900 in Easter General Cemetery in Geelong . The death was not registered.
Sadly Barbara Fanny ELLIS died, aged 32, as a result of blood poisoning after a difficult labour some 19 days prior, on 29 October 1900 in Geelong , Victoria . She was buried with her unnamed stillborn son on 30 October 1900 in Eastern General Cemetery, Queenscliff Road, Geelong, Victoria. According to the cemetery records she was residing in Sydney Place , Geelong. Other Steel family members were living in the Geelong area at the time.
Four years later on 4 October 1904 when Charles was 53, he married for the third, and final time, Eliza Lisle DAVIES , at Wesley Hill, near Castlemaine, in Victoria.
Eliza Lisle DAVIES was born in Wesley Hill, near Castlemaine, in Victoria on 24 January 1865, the daughter of William DAVIES (1832-1917) and Mary Ann Hamlyn HORE (1839- 1896).
It is of interest that Eliza Davies was a witness for Charles' second marriage to Barbara Steel, and I understand that she may have looked after the younger Ellis children when their mother, Sarah was ill and after she died.
Together Charles and Eliza had two children: Alma Essie (1905-1984) and Gwenda Ivy (1908-1983).
Charles never took up his selection at Narracan and moved to Korrumburra where his daughter Alma was born in 1905.
Charles and Eliza and their young family later returned to South Australia to live at Lockleys in South Australia .
The older Ellis children remained in Gippsland around Korrumburra and Loch , where the brothers ran a butchers shop.
Charles and Eliza's last child, Gwen was born in South Australia, in 1908.
Charles ELLIS died at his home in Brooklyn Park, South Australia, on 4 March 1926; he was 74. At the time of his death he was residing at 74 May Terrace Brooklyn Park SA.
Charles was buried in West Terrace Cemetery, in Adelaide, South Australia, on 5 March 1926 in plot Eyre 5E.
Eliza Lisle ELLIS died at Lockleys, South Australia, on 12 March 1938; she was 73. At the time of her death she was residing at 73 Lipsett Street , Lockleys. She was buried with her husband in West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide, South Australia, on 13 March 1938.
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