692 Queensberry Street

27/8/22. Dear Hothan Historical Project,

I have been doing Family History for quite a while.  I had been delving into the history of Eliza Datson Coller/Smith and Alexander Wardlaw, my maternal g grandparents on trove and using Sands & McDougal, mostly on SLV, so only get the 5 year span. They both seemed to be quite mysterious characters.

I am providing you with details.

Eliza Datson Coller:

born in Dover and lived in Plymouth until she came to Australia, alone at 22. What caused her to come, a sense of adventure or re imagining herself? We’ll never know.

Born 05/02/1830, Dover.

Arrived Melbourne on “British Isles”, alone at 22 years of age.

Married Archibald Smith (she was 25) 28/3/1855 in the Bendigo area. This seems a natural area to be in at the time. What was she doing there?

Had 3 children,

• Mary, born 1856, D. 1856;
• Mary B. 1857 D. 1858;
• Oscar B. 1858 D. 1858
• Death of husband Archibald, 11/02/1859, at Sandhurst, Victoria.

She was then 29 and within only 4 years, she had lost her whole family. It must have been totally devastating.

• Married Alexander Wardlaw, 8/12/1860, in Sandhurst.
• 1861 Birth of Maria Hannah, Victoria (Sandhurst?)
• 1863 Birth son Robert, in Hotham.
• 1864 Birth son Thomas, Melbourne (? Hotham)
• 1867 Birth son Alexander, Ballarat East.
• 1869 Birth son William, Ballarat East.
• 1872 Birth daughter Eliza Isabella, Ballarat East (My grandmother)

18/10/1879 Death, aged 47 at 81 Capel Street North Melbourne. Buried at Melbourne General Cemetery and her husband and son Robert are also buried there.

Alexander Wardlaw:

Born abt. 1828 St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.

Arrived 19.8.1854 in Tasmania (after living in USA and apparently marrying and fathering a child, then returning to Scotland, marrying and father another child) Was he widowed, a bigamist, never married, goodness knows).

• Married Eliza Datson Coller/Smith (a widow) 8/12/1860 in Sandhurst, Bendigo.
• 1861 Born daughter Maria Hannah, Victoria (1861-1932)
• 1863 Born son Robert, Hotham. Victoria 1863-1935
• 1864 Born Thomas , Melbourne, 1864 – 1925
• 1867 Born Alexander, Ballarat East, 1867-1867
• 1869 Born William Alfred James, Ballarat East. 1869 – 1917
• 1872 Born Eliza Isabella, Ballarat, 1872 – 1934
• Death 03/11/1899, South Melbourne.

Alexander was an Engineer but I can’t find any record of any work he did in Australia. He was only 51 when his wife died, so having a young family must have been difficult. I lose track of him here until his death. No idea where he lived in South Melbourne or how long he stayed in North Melbourne.

His family remained around the North Melbourne area for many years.

My grandmother was apparently well brought up, and demanding of standards within her own family. She had 13 children and all lived to adulthood.

My grandmother married Richard Denton and the whole Denton clan lived in and around North Melbourne and Flemington for many years. They eventually moved to Murrumbeena in the late 1920s and bought their first home.

The Denton family owned several foundry’s in the area.

Maybe some of this is of interest to melbournestreets.com.au. If it is, please use it. If you can assist me by providing any further information, or advice on where to go next, I would appreciate your help.

Kind Regards,

Carol Stals.

source: Carol Stals, 2022.