Beck Family

Mother

Maternal Line:

The surname Beck originally was Back (Daniel uses this spelling on his marriage certificate) but possibly because he was not literate the spelling changed. Daniel Beck was Susan Beck’s father. He arrived in Sydney in 1839 with his wife Elizabeth (nee Hole or Hoile). Daniel was born in July 1817 in a small village Rodmell in Sussex. The village is 3 miles east of Lewes and is situated on the Ouse River. Virginia Woolf lived in Rodmell until her death; she drowned herself in the Ouse River. Daniel must move to London as he marries Elizabeth Hole in 1837 in the parish church in Marylebone; his marriage certificate states he is a servant living in Park Crescent, he cannot read or write and signs with an x. Elizabeth lived on Wimpole Street, most probably a servant too, she however can read and write and signs her name on the certificate. Park Crescent and Wimpole Street are wealthy areas and not far apart, so they must have met somehow – at church, in the park?

Elizabeth was born in 1815 in Hythe, Kent. Her father was a cordwainer (boot maker). A cordwainer made fine leather shoes so a respected occupation and perhaps the family would have had a decent income. Elizabeth obviously went to school for a while as she was literate. It seems she must have taught Daniel to read and write as when they arrive in Sydney, his documentation states that he is literate.

They make a decision to move to Australia and so apply to the NSW government as Assisted Immigrants and in May 1839 they sail in the ship Lady Raffles. The journey takes 4 months. The NSW Passenger list gives more background on the couple. Daniel is 23, an indoor servant, of good character, healthy and a Protestant.  Elizabeth is 24, servant, good character, very good bodily health, Protestant.

In Australia their lives will be very different. They travel to Queensland where their first daughter, Susan is born in 1840 in Drayton, Darling Downs area; however she only lives to age 10. However it seems Elizabeth finds life too difficult in Australia and moves back to England in the early 1840’s. It is not known what happens to Susan – did she stay with her father or go with her mother?

There is a death certificate for Elizabeth Hoile , she dies 3 March, 1890 in Eltham, Kent. She was 75. She was buried in Hythe, Kent. Daniel had left his wife an annuity when he died. He had not returned to England but he had not forgotten her.

Daniel is in the Parramatta area where he meets Elizabeth Patterson (nee Price) Their first child Mary Ann is born in 1845 in Pennant Hills, Daniel is working as a timber getter. From here they go north to Erina and Brisbane Waters area, near Gosford, another timber logging area.

Timber getting Erina Creek

They have another daughter and also name her Susan. This suggests thet either the firstsusan died or returned to england with her mother. She is my 2x great grandmother , she is born in 1851. Her christening certificate states that her father is a store keeper and timber getter. Their 2 other children are born Sarah in 1853 and James in 1855 in Sofala, near Bathurst a gold mining area.

Example of early housing about 1870

In 1856 Daniel is appointed as a church warden in Meroo, near Hill End.  It seems from this time Daniel decides gold prospecting is the way to go. Daniel and Elizabeth Patterson eventually marry in 1858. They marry at St Saviour’s church in Tambaroora, near Hill End; the marriage certificate confirms he is a gold miner.

Tambaroora street

Alluvial gold had been found around Ophir, Tambaroora and Hill End in 1851; soon 1000’s were rushing to the area, ” within weeks a continuous line of men, women, children, carts, horses, drays, wheel barrows, stretched for 250 kms from Sydney to the towns”; there were about 10,000 people, 28 hotels. People lived in tents, bark huts, winters were freezing.

Tambaroora about 1872

By 1860/61 the family have moved to the diggings at Lambing Flat because Susan’s story says her family were in the area during the Lambing Flat riots of that time.

An interesting story is on the National Library of Australia website , from Bathurst Free Press and mining Journal

“In 1858 Shu Chung, a native of Canton, was charged with stealing 8 balls of opium, property of D.Beck. He pleaded not guilty. Daniel Beck a storekeeper, lived in Long Creek in an unsubstantial building with a bark roof. He had 15 balls of opium, part of the roof was removed and 8 balls stolen.  Beck went to Chung’s tent and found him lying on a bed smoking opium in a state of profound enjoyment. He ran off, the police the rest of the opium. Each ball weighed 6lb and valued at 10 pound each.

The family move to Lambing Flat (now Young). However Daniel receives a summons from the Insolvency Court in Bathurst for bad debts. He must travel back to Bathurst several times, witnesses do not appear and the case is postponed. For a while nothing happens until October 1862 when he is convicted but Daniel had died in September 1862.

However Daniel’s new life doesn’t last long, he dies aged 45, from dropsy in 1862 in Burrangong, near Young and is buried in Young. Three of the children are still young, Mary Ann is 17, did she look after the children;  Susan marries at 17, an escape from the uncertainty of her life? Daniel came a long way from Central London to many small towns and gold diggings in the bush of NSW. Did he make the right decision?