Ellen Dawes

  General Notes:

[Pearson.GED]

Ellen Dorman was also an active member of her community and was involvedin all charitable and religious matters during her long residence in Taradale.

  Noted events in her life were:

• Christened: Peasmarsh, Sussex, England, 17 Apr 1834.

• source. & Geoff & Val Wells who writes:
Ellen, daughter of George and Eliza Dawes nee Goodsell, married Stephen Dorman Jnr. in 1852 in St. James Church, Melbourne. Stephen was one of two brothers who were believed to have come out to Australia from London, England in the early 1840's1. Stephen and his brother, Morgan, would have both been young boys at this time so it is assumed that they emigrated with their parents. The 19th century Victorian Publicans list identifies Stephen Dorman as being the Licensee of the Half Way House in Emerald Hill in March 1854 however this may have in fact been Stephen Dorman snr, father to Stephen, who was known to be a licenced vitualer (publican) in Hanover Square in London in 1841(2). Stephen and his wife Ellen relocated to Castlemaine in Victoria and in 1853 Stephen, along with his brother-in-law, George Dawes, built and operated the Criterion Hotel, Castlemaine3. The hotel was well patronised during this period with local newspapers carrying advertisements for free concerts each evening being held in the Criterion Hall (proprietors, Messrs Dorman & Dawes)4. The original hotel unfortunately no longer stands having been destroyed by fire in 1883. It is believed that Stephen, Ellen and their three young children, George b1851, Emma b1855 and Ellen b1856, all of whom had been born in Castlemaine, left the area in 1858 and moved to Fryerstown, near Daylesford5. Records from the Taradale Historical Society tell us that Stephen had, at this time, taken over the Tarrengower Hotel and did very well there. Stephen and Ellen's youngest child, Stephen Frederick Dorman b1859 was born in Maldon, Victoria so it appears that the family may have, by this time relocated back to the Castlemaine area. We next hear of Stephen and his family in Taradale in 1866 where local town records identify that the family were living in a house located in High Street South, Taradale. Their home was thought to be a very comfortable dwelling for those times as it was rated at a nett annual value of 20 pounds. On the enrolment of Stephen and Ellen's two sons at the Taradale school in 1866 Stephen is identified as being a 'newsman" and it is believed that he was the agent for "Our Daily News" newspaper which was circulating in the Castlemaine area at that time. The family then moved to a house located on "Church Hill", Taradale, where Stephen and Ellen remained until their deaths6. Taradale Historical Society records further tell us that Stephen remained very active within Taradale. He worked as a municipal contractor and them moved on to the position of Town Clerk for the Taradale Borough. When the Borough became part of the Shire of Metcalf Stephen was appointed as the Clerk of Courts at Taradale Court. During 1873 he also operated an insurance agency and was an agent for the National Insurance Company of Australia. In March 1875 Stephen sat for and passed the matriculation examination for the Civil Service at Melbourne University and in 1875 had been appointed as Assistant Registrar to issue and enter plaints returnable at the Castlemaine County Court (Sic). He remained Clerk of Courts until he was superannuated in approximately 1895. Stephen served on the Metcalf Shire Council (1895 - 1897) and also became the Mining and Electoral Registrar for Taradale. Stephen continued as the Mining and Electoral Registrar until his death in 1907. Stephen also became the local historian of Taradale and in the 1890's a Cemetery Trustee for the Taradale Cemetery. Both Stephen and his wife, Ellen were staunch supporters of the Methodist Church in Taradale. Stephen became a Lay Preacher, often conducting services in the church in the 1890's. Stephen also acted as the Church librarian8. Ellen became very active in all charitable and religious matters of the church devoting much of her time to the poor9. According to some of the descendants of Stephen and Ellen after Ellen died in 1900 Stephen remarried. It is further believed that Stephen's second wife "absconded" with all of Stephen's savings which, at that time were thought to be considerable. No records of a second marriage for Stephen have been identified at this time. Taradale rate books do identify that Stephen was a pensioner from 1901 to 1904 so he may have suffered from a reverse of fortune. Some of Stephen's savings could well have gone to assist his son, George, in the establishment of his Butcher's business in the 1890's10 but this has not been substantiated. Stephen died on 10th January in 1907 and Ellen in early 1900. They are buried together in the Methodist section of Taradale Cemetery. REFERENCES 1. Taradale Historical Society. May 2002 2. Ros Taylor. Orienta descendant 3. Taradale Historical Society. May 2002 4. Mount Alexander Mail. February 16. 1858. Courtesy Taradale Historical Society 5. "Taradale. My home Town Valley" by Raymond L. Maltby 6. Taradale Historical Society. May 2002 7. ibid op cit. 8. "Taradale. My home Town Valley" by Raymond L. Maltby 9. MAM, obit. April 7th 1900. Courtesy Taradale Historical Society. 2002 10.Taradale Historical Society. May 2002

• emigrated, 4 Apr 1839, Sydney, NSW Australia.

• Death Certificate Number: 7288, 1900.

• connection. ¹⁵³ Merrilyn & Joe Davey are connected to me in this way:

Merrilyn & Joe Davey. . .
Is the granddaughter of . . .
Rose Lindsay (nee White) (c1860)
Who may also be the daughter of . . .
William White (c1830)
Who also had . . .
Mary Jane White (1856) who married George Dorman (1854)
His father was Stephen Dorman (1830) who married Ellen Dawes (1831)
Her father was George Dawes (1802)
His father was Aaron Daw (1779) & he also had Edward Dawes (1813)
He had James Dawes (1843)
He had Annie Dawes (1873) who married Arthur Augustus Bray (1869)
They had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur Bray (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

Ellen married Stephen Dorman, son of Stephen Dorman and Mary Ann Waters, in 1852 in St James C of E, Melbourne, Victoria Australia. (Stephen Dorman was born on 24 Jul 1830 in Hanover Square, London England, christened on 18 Jun 1831 in London City, Middlesex England and died on 10 Jan 1907 in Taradale, Victoria Australia.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Alt. Marriage: Alt. Marriage St James CofE, Melbourne, Vic, #6031, 1852.

• Certificate: 6031.