William Giles (colonial manager)

William Giles, c. 1840

William Giles (27 December 1791 – 11 May 1862) was the third colonial manager of the South Australian Company, and a South Australian politician, who was prominent in the founding of the colony of South Australia.

Early life

Giles was born in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England, and was educated at Kimbolton School.[1]

Travel to South Australia

An apparently close friend of one of the founders of the South Australian Company, George Fife Angas, Giles travelled to South Australia on the ship Hartley in 1837 accompanied by his new (and pregnant) wife, Emily Elizabeth (née McGeorge) (c. 1814 – 5 August 1876)[2] and their 1-year-old daughter Emily jnr.

The Hartley was a three-masted vessel measuring 27.13 x 7.19 x 5.61 metres built at Sunderland in England in 1836. Her owner and captain was Thomas Fewson.[3] Emily gave birth to her second child, George Hartley Giles during the voyage. William's new family (Emily, Emily jnr and George) was also accompanied by William's nine children from his earlier marriage to Sarah (née Roper).[4] On 16 October 1837 the Hartley arrived at Kingscote, Kangaroo Island where the Company's first settlement was founded.[5] Once in South Australia, William and Emily had a further ten children.

Family

William married twice: to Sarah Roper (died 1833) on 1 November 1813, and to Emily McGeorge (c.1814 – 5 August 1876) on 12 January 1835. In total he had 21 children and 78 grandchildren.[1][4]

Children with Sarah Roper
  • Dr. W(illiam) Anstey Giles (c. 1860 – 7 May 1944)
  • T. O'Halloran Giles (1863 – ) married Jean Balfour St. Clair Barr Smith (20 December 1864 – ) on 4 October 1888. She was a daughter of Robert Barr Smith.
  • Hew O'Halloran Giles ( – ) married Nellie Cosford Verco (1901–1965), eldest daughter of Dr. W. A. Verco, on 27 October 1920
  • Robert O'Halloran Giles (c. 1896 – 9 April 1918) was killed in action in Italy.
  • Dr. Henry O'Halloran Giles (c. 1867 – 9 March 1911)
  • Eustace Giles (1866 – 24 December 1927), solicitor of Yarra House, Anderson-street, South Yarra, Victoria, died in London
  • One of their two adopted daughters married William Fitzherbert (1842 – 2 February 1906) in 1876
Children with Emily McGeorge
  • Mortimer Giles (1887–1979) was admitted to the Bar in 1912.[39]
  • Francis Herbert Stokes, jr. (c. 1890 – 27 April 1915) was killed at Gallipoli in 1915.[46]
Summary
born boygirl died Age at death
1 William 1814 1 1875 61
2 Henry 1816 2 1888 72
3 Mary 1818 1 1893 75
4 Thomas 1820 3 1899 79
5 James 1821 4 1861 40
6 Jane 1824 2 1894 70
7 John 1825 5 ?
8 Lydia 1827 3 1910 83
9 Samuel 1830 6 ?
Sarah 1833 ? Died at birth?
Mrs Sarah Giles died 1833
10 Emily 1836 4 1929 93
11 George 1837 7 ?
12 Edward 1838 8 1839 1
13 Percy 1839 9 1840 1
14 Leonard 1841 10 1898 57
15 Hubert 1842 11 1901 59
16 Clement 1844 12 1926 82
17 Louis 1845 13 1902 57
18 Acland 1847 14 1858 11
19 Mortimer 1848 15 1914 66
20 Caroline 1850 5 1933 83
21 Florence 1852 6 1930 78

Business life

Shortly after arrival on Kangaroo Island, Giles, T. H. Beare, and Henry Mildred imported a batch of Merino ewes from Van Diemens Land to Kangaroo Island, some of the first brought into the colony, though stock losses on the unusually long trip aboard the Cygnet were considerable.[47]

Giles was appointed Stipendiary Magistrate by Governor Hindmarsh in 1838[5] then appointed as the third colonial manager of the South Australian Company in January 1841, succeeding David McLaren.[1] He continued as manager until 1861, when he retired.

Political life

Giles stood for the Electoral district of Port Adelaide in the first elected parliament in July 1851, but was narrowly defeated by Captain George Hall.[48] He was elected as member for the District of Yatala for five sessions of the South Australian Legislative Council, from July 1851 until 1854.[49] He was a devout Congregationalist. As a legislator he opposed state aid to religion,[50] as did his close friend, Rev. T. Q. Stow.[5]

He died at his home in Beaumont on 11 May 1862.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Tregenza, John (1966). "Giles, William (1791–1862)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
  2. Deaths – Emily Elizabeth Giles South Australian Register 7 August 1876 p.4 accessed 2 May 2011
  3. Passenger list of the Hartley SA Memory
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Passenger list of the Hartley – detail, SA Memory. The Giles' family are passengers 1 to 12, with the annotation "George Hartley Giles born at sea".
  5. 1 2 3 Heaton, J. Henniker Australian Dictionary of Dates and Men of the Time George Robertson, Sydney 1879
  6. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 16 January 1875. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013. Deaths. At his residence (in) Hackney, William Giles, aged 60.
  7. "The Late Mrs. W. Giles". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 23 October 1901. p. 7. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  8. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 13 February 1888. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013. Deaths. At Braemar, Stirling West, Henry Giles, aged 72.
  9. "Death of an Old Colonist". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 14 November 1892. p. 5. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  10. 1 2 Carl Bridge (1983) Giles, Clement (1844–1926), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 9
  11. Lindsay Cleland, 'Cleland, George Fullerton (1852–1931)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 29 January 2013
  12. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 22 September 1893. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013. Deaths. Mary, beloved wife of Josiah Partridge, of Malvern, near Clarendon, SA, aged 75.
  13. "Obituary". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 7 December 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  14. "Markets". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 27 June 1840. p. 5. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  15. "The Late Mr. T. Giles". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 21 February 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  16. "Family Notices.". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 23 December 1861. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  17. "Funeral of Mrs. Alfred Watts". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 22 August 1894. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2013. This reference includes a useful list of mourners.
  18. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 3 December 1884. p. 4. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  19. "Family Notices.". Launceston Examiner. Tas.: National Library of Australia. 4 June 1842. p. 5 Edition: Evening. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  20. http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/l/l2.htm Manning Index of South Australia – Placenames
  21. "Second Edition". Horowhenua Chronicle. 15 March 1910. p. 3. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  22. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 8 July 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  23. "Family Notices.". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 25 January 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  24. "Cable Messages". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 5 August 1889. p. 5. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  25. "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 20 April 1861. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  26. Accessions to the Bar, SA Register, 24 March 1862, p.2
  27. "Law and Criminal Courts.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 13 December 1865. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  28. "Family Notices.". The Chronicle. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 22 January 1898. p. 9. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  29. "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 11 May 1901. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  30. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 19 September 1878. p. 4. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  31. "Family Notices.". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 12 August 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  32. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 28 July 1926. p. 10. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  33. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 August 1872. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  34. "Personal". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 22 November 1902. p. 7. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  35. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 June 1858. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2013.This reference reckons him the twelfth son.
  36. "Personal". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 18 May 1914. p. 14. Retrieved 29 January 2013. A comprehensive obituary.
  37. "Family Notices.". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 19 May 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013. An instance of brothers marrying cousins.
  38. "The Civil Service". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 30 June 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  39. "Admitted to the Bar". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 22 July 1912. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  40. "Family Notices.". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 23 May 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  41. "Family Notices.". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 13 June 1877. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  42. Biography – Caroline Giles Design & Art Australia Online www.daao.org.au
  43. "Family Notices.". The Register News-Pictorial. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 31 January 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  44. "Obituary.". The Chronicle. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 2 March 1929. p. 47. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  45. "Family Notices.". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 4 September 1879. p. 4. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  46. "PTE. F. H. Stokes". The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 22 June 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  47. "The Merino in South Australia". Adelaide Observer. XLI, (2213). South Australia. 1 March 1884. p. 10. Retrieved 13 January 2017 via National Library of Australia.
  48. Death of the Hon. George Hall, MLC South Australian Register 29 January 1867 p.3 accessed 26 June 2011
  49. Statistical Record of the Legislature 1836–2007 Parliament of South Australia parliament.sa.gov.au. Tabled 24 April 2007, accessed 16 September 2011.
  50. John Blacket (1907). The Early History of South Australia: A Romantic Experiment in Colonization. Methodist Book Depot.
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