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Note: t as a young girl. Daniel was named after his father, a Beer Brewer from London. Clerkenwell had large slaughter yards and it is very possible a young Daniel would have learnt his butchering trade at these yards.*** see history of Clerkenwell at end ***
Daniel made his way to the Australian colonies (possibly with a brother Edward) by about 1849 and at some time was reported to have been driving cattle from Sydney to Ballarat. Later exploits proved him to have knowledge of cattle and as a butcher,he would have found a huge market for beef in the Victorian goldfields.Daniel Smith married his first wife, 19 year old Rosanna Green, at St.James parish, Melbourne in the County of Bourke on the second of September 1852. St.james was opened for worship in October 1842 and was Melbourne's first Cathedral church at the time and was situated near the corner of William and Little Collins streets. The St.James cathedral was later moved (1914) stone by stone to it's current location at 8 Batman street, West Melbourne.
The colony of Victoria was created when the Port Phillip District separated from New South Wales in July 1851. Just a few months later gold was discovered and the rush began. There had been no time to properly settle matters between the colonies, there was no infrastructure in place to handle the population explosion and the chaos that the gold rush caused. It was a unique situation, the task was mammoth and the government was unable to provide the services required to regulate the population. In 1854 the district court was still run from Buninyong. There was a lock-up at Ballarat but no gaol. There was no city council, no rates being collected, churches and schools when set up were conducted in flimsy tents. Provision stores were makeshift, mostly tents, so that their entrepreneurial owners could pick them up and take them to the next new rush. There was no infrastructure and no permanency. It is amazing that any records at all have survived.
By mid 1853 there was estimated to be 60,000 diggers and their families on the Victorian goldfields centred around Bendigo and Ballarat.Daniel was 33 years of age. The first child of the marriage,a daughter Sarah Ann was born in 1854 in Ballarat (birth not registered but confirmed on later certificates)This put Daniel and his family at the heart of the gold rush era and maybe even the " D.smith - butcher " who signed the Bendigo goldfield petition between june and july 1853 and presented to Governor La Trobe on the 1st August 1853.Perhaps even the butcher referred to as the one who supplied the men at the stockade with meat from cattle yards hill, just above the stockade.The petition 13 metres in length and bound in green silk, now housed in the Victorian State Library (microfilm scroll call #LTM 115),contains the signatures of some 6000 diggers from Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine and other diggings, who were all aggrieved at the unjust mining licence fee and harsh treatemnt by Government troopers.
On Sunday 3rd December 1854, armed soldiers charged the Eureka stockade on the Ballarat goldfields that contained 150 men who had taken up arms in final frustration against the unjust goldfields administration. Many believe that the Eureka stockade battle was the catalyst for eventual true democracy in Australia.Daniel and his young family, unbeknowns to them at the time, were part of and witnesses to one of Australia's most turbulent and poignnant periods of history.Times would have been extremely tough with Ballarat still basically a tent city and all the majestic buildings that eventuated as a consequence of the gold rush wealth not yet underway.Daniel and Rosanna raised a further six children, jane 1855 (died an infant) Alfred 1857, Jane 1859, Daniel 1861, Edward 1863 and Henry 1870 before the death of Rosanna at Doveton street Ballarat in September 1874.
It is reported Daniel bought up land in either Main street or Sturt Street of Ballarat, but lost money on a gold mining venture and was forced to sell the land for twenty pounds.After Eureka came the building of a city. It is often said that Ballarat is 'built on gold'. After tremendous growth, consolidation of the city took place through industry, agriculture, commerce, sports and the arts.
There are many stories as to how Daniel met his second wife, the feisty Annie O'grady.Daniel was by now 56 years old and the curly red headed Irish lass Annie was only 23 years old.Some say Annie was an old school friend of one of Daniel's daughters, and was in Ballarat on holidays with the family and a romance quickly developed.In any case the two were married on the 20th september 1875 in the regstrars office at Geelong and no doubt to quite a large controversy, given the age difference and the fact Annie now had six step children ranging in ages from six to twenty one years old and was already three months pregnant.Interestingly Daniel stated he was only 50 years of age on his marriage certificate.
It is reported that Annie's Uncle and Aunt who brought her to Australia from Clare,Ireland were so disgusted in the marriage to protestant Daniel Smith that she was both disowned and disinherited with quite a sum of money left to the Catholic Convent in Nicholson street, Fitzroy opposite the exhibition buildings.One wonders what the atmosphere was like at Larkins hotel, Soldiers Hill, Ballarat the very next month (12th October 1875) when Daniel's oldest daughter from his first marriage, 21 year old Sarah Ann Married John James Larkins.
Soldiers hill was so named as it was the very area that the troopers, that attacked the Eureka stockade, had their campsite in 1854.Daniel was still working as a "carcass butcher" when their first daughter Edith Maud was born on the 30th March 1876 at Doveton street North, Ballarat. Six more children followed in fairly quick succession, Alice Evelyn, Catherine (died 17months), Albert, Anne, Florence and William the last born in 1887 when Daniel would have been 68 years old.In April 1883 Daniel gave his occupation as publican when recording the birth of his daughter Anne who was reportedly born at the at the Barley Sheaf hotel which was at 160 Barkley street South, Ballarat East (no longer standing ), however her birth certificate stated Humphrey street North, Ballarat East. Daniel also reportedly owned the Royal Mail hotel near the old cemetery in Ballarat.Daniel moved the family to Daylesford , where at least one daughter Anne was educated at the local convent school,the holy Cross. He raised
cattle and was listed as both a stable proprietor and cabman . He had a long nine year illness before a "disease of the bladder and kidney exhaustion" caused his death at Millars street, Daylesford on the 6th August 1899.
Daniels first born from his first marriage, Sarah Ann , was also residing and raising a family in Daylesford, and her husband John james Larkins was the witness and informant on his death certificate.Daniel Smith died at 80 years of age and is buried in the new cemetery at Ballarat together with his first wife Rosanna green, son Daniel and infant daughter Catherine (to second wife Annie)(Private d section 12 grave 14) in a simple single plot simply marked with a small semi circular headstone that reads "smith". There are no names or dates shown. Daniel Smith, adventurer, Pioneer, drover, butcher, gold miner, land owner, publican, grazier, cabman , son of a London Brewer and father to at least 14 children to two wives from the age of 33 right through to 68 years of age, was indeed an amazing resourceful man, who experienced a long interesting and most eventful life.
**** History of Clerkenwell, London ****** birthplace of Daniel Smith - The origin of the name is simple, Clerks' Well. The well was located where 18 Farringdon Road now stands. It was re discovered during excavations on an adjoining site. The well was found nearly 3 feet below a wood and stone floor which was covered by brick rubbish, eath and pieces of chalk. John Strype wrote in 1720; 'I was there and tasted the water and found it extremely clear sweet and well-tasted. The Parish is much displeased that it is thus gone to decay and think to make some Complaint at a Commission for Charitable Uses, hoping by that means to recover it to common use again, the Water being highly esteemed thereabouts; and many from these Parts send for it.'
In 1800 a pump was installed allowing the water to be made available for the inhabitants of Clerkenwell.A tablet was discovered during demolition bearing the following inscription: "A.D. 1800. William Bound, Joseph Bird, Church Wardens: For the better accommodation of the neighbourhood this pump was removed to this spot where it now stands." The spring by which it was supplied is situated 4 feet eastward and round it as history informs us, the parish clerks of London in remote ages annually performed sacred plays. That custom caused it to be denominated Clerks' well and from whish this parish derives its name. The water was greatly esteemed by the Prior and Brethren of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and the Benedictine nuns of the neighbourhood. The well was finally closed in 1857, having become polluted.The Proiry of St John of Jerusalem was founded by Jordan Briset in 1140. The priory land covered 10 acres, being bounded by Clerkenwell Green to the north, St John's Lane in the south, St John's Street in the east and Red Lion lane to the west.Guests of the priory include King John in 1212, Queen Eleanor of Castile in 1265 and King Henry IV spent two weeks just before his coronation. In 1381 the church was burnt and badly damaged by the rebels led by Wat Tyler. It was not until 1723 that the church was reconstructed as the parish church of St John's, Clerkenwell. Henry VIII during dissolution took over all lands belonging to the Order of St John Jerusalem.
Those knights that did not flee, mainly to Malta, were executed. On her accession Queen Mary invited the knights to return. The nave and tower of the church had been destroyed and the choir had no roof. In 1557 the Order was revived with all its ancient privileges only to be dissolved again by Elizabeth and the property of the knights to be seized.
Note: Daniel Smith was a true pioneer in every sense of the word. Born in Clerkenwell, London in 1819 on the same day as Queen Victoria, 24th May 1819, an old family story says he would sometimes see the future Queen Victoria driving her donkey car
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