From Cellardyke to Australian Gold Diggings

[jlmc]

In 1852, sixteen men from Cellardyke are reported to have set out to dig for gold in Australia.  Does anyone have information about what happened to them?

Thet were Thomas Watson, David Rodger, David Murray, David Birrell, David Brown, John Smith, James Cunningham, Leslie Barclay, George and Alexander Fowler, James Davidson, David Wilson, William Doig, Alexander Melville, William Black and James Sharp.

[ennael]

may be better to post this to the Australian board.
Leanne

[sidsmith]

In 1852, sixteen men from Cellardyke are reported to have set out to dig for gold in Australia.  Does anyone have information about what happened to them?

Thet were Thomas Watson, David Rodger, David Murray, David Birrell, David Brown, John Smith, James Cunningham, Leslie Barclay, George and Alexander Fowler, James Davidson, David Wilson, William Doig, Alexander Melville, William Black and James Sharp.

My Smith's came from Cellardyke and would be very interested in the John Smith ..  will have to look at Victorian CD's to see if he is there.

sidsmith

[Ken Doig]

  The William Doig listed can be found at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=doigf&id=I453.

Yield not to adversity,
Ken Doig, Bass Lake, California www.doig.net

[hdw]

In 1852, sixteen men from Cellardyke are reported to have set out to dig for gold in Australia.  Does anyone have information about what happened to them?

Thet were Thomas Watson, David Rodger, David Murray, David Birrell, David Brown, John Smith, James Cunningham, Leslie Barclay, George and Alexander Fowler, James Davidson, David Wilson, William Doig, Alexander Melville, William Black and James Sharp.

Hi. My information is that they went out as unassisted passengers on the "Ladyhead" leaving Liverpool on 2nd June 1852 and arriving in Australia in the month of August.

John Smith was the son of Thomas Smith and Euphemia Boyter. Thomas Smith lived to be the oldest man in Cellardyke and is the only fisherman mentioned in Matthew Conolly's "Biographical Dictionary of the Eminent Men of Fife".

In 1857, at Geelong, John Smith married another Cellardyke Smith - Margaret Smith, daughter of William Smith and Catherine Murray. Wm. and Catherine were great-grandparents of the late Peter Smith who wrote several books about the history of the East Fife fishing industry.

I have corresponded in the past with an Australian lady called McPherson whose husband is a direct descendant of John Smith and Margaret Smith.

Harry D. Watson
author of "Kilrenny and Cellardyke: 800 Years of History" (John Donald, 1986).

[Ken Doig]

Thanks for your note.  Cellardyke is a charming village, and the Fisheries Museum in nearby Anstruther is worth the visit.

I think you are correct on the 1852 ship arrival. John was at home in the 1851 census in March 1851, but I think he made a prior visit to Australia. My revised note for him:

"William was a mariner (Ticket #446502 or 588706) who departed Leith by Edinburgh on 18 July 1851 on the "Helen Baird."  He arrived in Melbourne on 11 Nov 1851.  He then departed on 15 Nov 1851 to Hobart, Tasmania on the "Esperanzo." He sailed to New South Wales on the "Emma" on 7 April 1852. He appears to have returned to Great Britain, departing Liverpool on the "Lady Head" on 2 June 1852 and arriving at Port Philip Bay, Victoria in August. William later worked at the Railyards at Williamstown, Victoria docks."

Any additions or corrections always welcome.

Yield not to adversity,
Ken Doig, Bass Lake, California www.doig.net

[hdw]

Do you mean John Smith or do you mean William Doig?

Harry

[Ken Doig]

Greetings,
I meant John Smith and William Doig were both at home in Cellardyke in the 1851 Census.  John's sister Euphemia Smith married John Doig, the brother of William Doig. I have the Smith family at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=doigf&id=I8422. Any additions or corrections appreciated.
Ken Doig

[jlmc]

Thanks to Harry for the information.

My interest is in Alexander Melville who was, I believe, son of the David Melville mentioned in your book as being in charge of the fog cannon in Cellardyke.

I seem to have hit a dead end with this one.

JM