The standards in the Central Scottish coalmines were infamous even by 19th century standards, with women and children underground and mining families virtual slaves to the coal owners.

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Smeaton Family

Smeaton: Origin of the name

In the book "Surnames of Scotland" published by the New York Public Library the name Smeaton comes "from the lands of Smytheton or Smythetun, now Smeaton, near Mussleburgh, Midlothian". Mussleburgh is 7 miles east of Edinburgh. Smeaton also has an English origin, but it is clear that "our" Smeatons are from Scottish roots.

Smeatons Arrive in Australia

Peter Smeaton, his wife Helen Stalker and their children, Margaret, Anne and Bob arrived at Melbourne on 15 July 1855 on the Tornado, an iron ship of 1229 tons. The parents of Helen Stalker had preceded the family to Victoria. The Tornado had sailed from Glasgow on the 14 April 1855 with 395 government assisted immigrants.

The shipping register lists the following family details:

Peter Smeaton, aged 34
Helen Smeaton, aged 30
Margaret Smeaton, aged 6
Anne Smeaton, aged 1
Bob Smeaton, infant under 1 year of age

They were Presbyterian, Peter and Helen could read and write, and their place of origin is given as Clackmannanshire. Bob was born at sea.

Peter and Helen Smeaton (nee Stalker) In Scotland

Peter Smeaton was born in 1820 at Crieff, Perthshire. His parents were Robert Smeaton and Catherine Reid. On 17 May 1845 he married Helen Stalker at Tillicoultry in Clackmannanshire.

Helen Stalker was born in 1825 at town of Alloa in Clackmannanshire. Her parents were James Stalker and Margaret Hall.

At the 1851 Scottish census Peter Smeaton and Helen Stalker were living at (11) How Dub, Parish of Tillicoultry. His occupation was listed as handloom weaver. Their children were:

Robert, aged 5, born Tillicoultry
James, aged 4, born Tillicoultry
Margaret, aged 2, born Tillicoultry

The International Genealogical Index lists the following Smeaton christenings:

Robert, christened 12th October 1845 Tillicoultry
James, christened 26th September 1847 Tillicoultry
Margaret Helen, christened 30th July 1848 Tillicoultry
Anne, christened llth September 1853

A further seven children were born at Creswick in Victoria

Peter and Helen Smeaton At Creswick

Peter Smeaton and Helen Smeaton (nee Stalker) (she also used Hellen, and Ellen) lived at Creswick from 1855 until their deaths. On the day after their arrival in Australia the Melbourne Age had a news story on the Creswick goldrush. Perhaps they went directly from the boat to Creswick and perhaps their motivation for coming to Australia was the great Victorian gold boom of the 1850s.

Peter Smeaton was for many years listed as a miner. In 1885 and 1887 he was a miner living at Long Point, Creswick. In 1887 he was listed as a farmer. He had a small farm at Grahams Hill outside Creswick. I have visited the site of the house and it is just up from Creswick Creek where there were Chinese market gardens. He died in 1889, aged 69, from heart-disease.

Helen Smeaton (nee Stalker) died in 1903, aged 78 at her house at Grahams Hill, from shock after being badly burnt from a fire starting from a knocked over a kerosene lamp. Her son Charles William Smeaton, also of Grahams Hill, was the sole executor of her will [The Argus, 19 June 1903].

James and Margaret Stalker - Helen Smeaton's Parents

Helen Stalker's parents, James and Margaret (nee Hall) Stalker, sailed for Australia on the "Hope" which sailed from Liverpool on 9 August 1852; arriving in Melbourne 10 November 1852. The ship carried 364 government immigrants. The shipping records indicate younger ages then other records.

James Stalker, Ag. Labourer from Stirlingshire aged 43, Presbyterian, could read and write.
Margaret Stalker could also read and write and was listed as being 42 years.

They were engaged by a Mr. Mclntosh of Moonee Ponds. None of their children accompanied them.

The ages on the shipping records are incorrect, as James Stalker was born 14 November 1802 in Clackmannanshire, and Margaret Hall in ca.1803.

They had two children other than Helen: Ann who was christened in Alloa, Clackmannanshire on 5 January 1823 (she was alive in 1887); and Alexander who died probably when young. At the time of his death James Stalker was listed as a dairyman of Long Point, Creswick. He died (intestate) on 2 December 1881. Margaret Stalker (nee Hall) died when living at Long Point on 5 January 1887, aged 84.

Background of the Smeatons and Stalkers in Scotland

The towns from where Peter Smeaton and Helen Stalker came from, Alloa, Tillicoultry, and Sauchie are located in the Central Scotland industrial region. The main activities in this area were coal mining and woollen manufacturing. These were classic industrial revolution towns with unsafe mines, 'satanic'mills, deplorable housing and widespread poverty. The standards in the Central Scottish coalmines were infamous even by 19th century standards, with women and children underground and mining families virtual slaves to the coal owners. Sauchie was a archetypal Scottish coalmining village

It is very possible that the deaths of Peter and Helen's first two sons was the result of cholera epidemics which ravaged this area from the 1830s to 1850s.

Peter Smeaton's Ancestors

At the 1851 Scottish Census the mother of Peter Smeaton, Catherine Smeaton (nee Reid) lived at 197 Park Street, Tillicoultry. She was 62, was born at Crieff, was a widow and worked as a woollen winder. She was living with her daughter Ann, aged 22, born at Perth, and Ann's husband Thomas Wilson, aged 28. His occupation was handloom weaver.

Robert Smeaton was Peter's father. Robert Smeaton married Catherine Reid on 19th July 1807. [Another Peter Smeaton, born at Crieff, also lived in Tillicoultry in 1851, at Bell Road. He was aged 35. He may be a relative. His parents were Thomas Smeaton and May Ewing.]

Helen Stalker's Ancestors

In 1851 Helen Stalker's parents were living at west side of the burn Tillicoultry. As shown above her parents preceded her to Victoria in 1852. They were James Stalker, aged 48, born at Newton Shaw (also known as New Sauchie), Clackmannanshire on 14th November 1802; and Margaret Stalker (nee Hall), aged 47, born at Tulliallan, Perthshire. He was a labourer. James Stalker had the following brothers and sisters:

Margaret Knox (nee Stalker), born 2 March 1798. She married William Knox 14 Jun1818. This web site, visited 11 July 2002, has more information.
Carolina Stalker, born 14 April 1799
Robert Stalker, born 30 November 1804. He married Janet Tansh on 17 Feb 1826.
Alexander Stalker, born March 17 1807, died before 1816.
William Stalker, born 1st Jun 1809, married Frances Campbell at Clackmannanshire 28th Feb 1831.
John Stalker, born 10th May 1811.
Helen Stalker, born 4 Aug 1813.
Alexander Stalker, born 26 May 1816.

James Stalker and Margaret Hall were married in the parish of Clackmannan on 2 June 1822. No children were listed in the Census of 1851 as still living at their home.

James Stalker's parents were Alexander Stalker and Helen Marshall. They were married 13 November 1795, parish of Clackmannan.

Alexander Stalker was a miner. Alexander was christened 21 July 1771, parish of Clackmannan. Parents were James Stalker and Janet Hunter. A James Stalker was christened 26th March 1738, parish of Tillicoultry. Parents were John Stalker and Isobel Mickljohn who were married Clackmannan on 7 August 1730. The above line is merely speculative.

Helen Marshall was born 2 March 1768 in Alva, Clackmannshire. Her parents were John Marshall and Margaret Home.

Margaret Stalker's (nee Hall) parents were John Hall, a miller (christened 4 November 1768 Clackmannan) and Ann Watson. They were married in Clackmannan parish on 6th January 1799. Possible parents of Ann Watson are John Watson and Elizabeth Sharp who christened a daughter in Clackmannan parish on 5 May 1771.

Pat van Putten has provided the following information about the line of John Hall:

Parents of John Hall: James Hall (born 1737) Clackmann; who married Jean Alexander
Parents of James Hall: James Hall (born 1710) at Dollar; who married Margaret Nuccoll (Niccoll?)
Parents of James Hall: Thomas Hall (born 1681) at Tillicoultry; who married Margaret Drysdale
Parents of Thomas Hall: William Hall (born 1655) Clackmannanshire; who married Janet Harrower

There is a Stalker Street in Tillicoultry. The name seems to be quite common in the area.

The Children of Peter Smeaton and Helen Stalker

A total of 13 children have been recorded as being born to Helen Stalker and Peter Smeaton:

Robert Smeaton
- Born 1845. He did not come to Australia. He died between 1851 and 1855
James Smeaton
- Born 1847. Also did not come to Australia and died between 1851 and 1855
Margaret Hall Smeaton (Danson) (1848-1900)
- Born 1848. She married William Atkinson Danson 26 April 1867 at Creswick. She had 10 children in Victoria and died 12 October 1900 at Barwon River, near Geelong.

Anne Smeaton (Swindle) (1853-1926)
- Born 1853. She married John Swindle (ca 1853-1937) in 1876. He was born in Cumberland in the North of England, Anne's birthplace is given as Edinburgh. According to Alan Swindale from England (see his web site), John Swindle was probably the son of George and Hannah Swindle who emigrated with their sons John and Robert arriving in Victoria on the Mistress of the Seas in 1862.
  George Swindle and Peter Smeaton (Sr) were both miners who had land at Creswick. It looks as though George Swindle's sons John & Robert and Peter Smeaton's son/Annie Swindle's brother Peter Smeaton Junior, all moved north to take up farm land in the Canowindra area in the central west of NSW.
  
  The places of birth of John Swindle and Annie Smeaton's children indicate their movement from Creswick to the Goulbourn Valley area of Northern Victoria and then into the NSW central west.
Annie died in 1926 (dc 8340) in the Canowindra district. She is buried in Canowindra cemetery adjoining her younger sister Catherine. In 1930 a John Swindle, Grazier, lived alone at Pine Grove, Cudal. John Swindle (son of George and Hannah) died in the Canowindra district in 1937 (d/c 7495). See also probate 232325.

Note:John Swindle's brother Robert died in the Parkes district in 1915 (dc8540). Robert's wife was Annie J. It is thought that the following were their children: William A. Swindle, Robert C. Swindle, Arthur W. Swindle (born Cowra 1890), Charles E. Swindle (born 1896, Canowindra), Isabel V.M. Swindle (born 1899 Canowindra). Most of the above children married and raised families in the NSW Central West.].

Note:A Peter J. Swindle married an Ethel May Broad at Cargo in 1917. Perhaps this is another son (eldest) of John Swindle & Annie Smeaton. The 1903 Victorian census listed John & Annie Swindle at Woodstock, Merna (just north of Melbourne) with Peter John Smeaton. Peter John Smeaton & Ethel May lived at Manadgery Farm, Toogong Rd, Manildra in 1936 and he died at Drummoyne in 1943.
Robert (Bob) Smeaton
- born at sea in 1855. Little is known. He was alive in 1903.

James Smeaton
- Born in 1857 at Creswick, Victoria - as were all subsequent children. He married Janet Sudden (born Gisborne, 1861) in 1881. [m/c 3760]. In 1899 he lived at Yalca in the Lower Goulburn} Valley. Their children included:
Peter Smeaton (Jr)
- Born with his twin brother Alex. on 24 August 1858. He married Catherine Mclvor at the Presbyterian manse at Mooroopna on 19th January 1885 [m/c 882] . At this time Peter was a farmer of North Mooroopna where Catherine's family also lived. Prior to this marriage Catherine Mclvor gave birth to a son William James Mclvor ll July 1878. William Mclvor later settled in New Zealand at Temuka.
  With other members of the family Peter and Catherine farmed in the Lower Goulburn Valley. The following children were born:
  - Helen (called Nellie) Smeaton (Mason)(1886-1958)
    - Born 3rd Feb 1886 at Mooroopna North [b/c 12310]. She married Peter Mason at Eugowra in 1911 and lived at Cookamidgera near Parkes. A daughter, Catherine Anne Mason married Mervyn Cunningham & lives in Parkes. Peter Mason died 25th April 1921. Helen died 1958 and is buried at Parkes.
  - Isabella (Bell) Annie Ivor Smeaton (Pollock) (1887-1937)
    - Born llth August 1887 at Mooroopna North. She married George Pollock at the Smeaton house, Parkes Rd., Eugowra 27th March 1912 - Picture . They lived initially at Balldale near Corowa and later at Tallimba near West Wyalong. Bell had 9 children - see the Pollock File for details. Picture of Bell aged probably in her early 30s.
  - Christina Joan Smeaton (Robinson) (1889-1969)
    - Born 19th January 1889 at Waaia [b/c 4045] . She married William Robinson at Eugowra in 1913 [mc15305] and lived at Back Yamma near Forbes. Her children were:
      (1) John Robinson, a pharmacist of Wollongong
      (2) Jean Robinson,
      (3) Donald Robinson,
      (4) Gordon Robinson, who died aged 5 years
      William Robinson died at Forbes 27 August 1927 aged 47. Christina died in Sydney in 1969
  - Peter Frank Smeaton
    - Born ll September 1891 at Mooroopna North [b/c 35524]. He married Lisle Johanna Gosper at Eugowra 22 March 1916 [mc3157]. He worked on the railways all his life, was head porter at Central station in Sydney and was a very successful tennis player. Peter and Lisle had the following children:
      - Floris May Smeaton (Hayward), b. ll May 1916 at Eugowra. She married Lionel Dunne and later Tony Hayward. She had one child, Dennis Hayward. Floris died in 1966.
      - Peter Wallace Smeaton, b. 17 Sept. 1919 at Eugowra. He died in 1920 at Waverley, Sydney.
      - Edward John Smeaton b. 12 May 1921, he married Joy Hughes in 1947 and later Beth Abernethy. He has a daughter Lorraine
      - Robert Stanley Smeaton, b. 4 October 1922. He lives at Norahville on the NSW Central Coast.
      - Winifred Joy Smeaton (Niven), b. 8 December 1925. She married Graeme Smith and later Jack Niven. She had 2 children, Rhonda and Karen
    .
  - John Ivor Smeaton
    - Born 23 April 1895 at Canowindra. He went to WWI and married Ellen Mary Gosper at Eugowra 12 August 1922. He died 1 March 1937 in Sydney Hospital and is buried at Rookwood. Ellen died at Eugowra 4th January 1981. Their children were
      - Leonard Bruce Smeaton, born 22 February 1922 at Eugowra. He married Betty Gosper at Earlwood in 1946. He died in the Korean War in 1950. They had two daughters, Sandra Joy and Lenice. Link to last letter from Len Smeaton and his picture
      - Clare Ellen Ferguson (nee Smeaton), born 6 May 1924 at Waverley. She married Norman Ferguson in 1943 at Earlwood. He died in 1957 at North Sydney and Clare now lives at Hahndorf, South Australia. Her children are Eve, lan, Gay an Sue.
      - Lillian Jean Smeaton (Ward), born 28 August 1927 at Waverley.
      - Catherine Mary Smeaton (Storey), born 22 October 1929 at Waverley. She married John Storey in 1963. Her children are Cameron and Kylie.
      - Sydney John Smeaton, born March 1934 at Campsie? He married Evelyn Butt and died 1979 in Melbourne.
  Peter Smeaton, died on ll February 1924 at Parkes Hospital and is buried at Parkes. Catherine Smeaton (nee Mclvor) died 26 July 1925 at her daughter Helen's place at Cookamidgera and is buried with her husband.
Alexander James Smeaton
- Born 24 August 1858. He married Isabella White (born at Meredith) in 1882 [m/c 450]:
  - Daughter Catherine Maud Smeaton (Longhurst)
  - Helen Mary Smeaton (Dougherty). Helen married 1912? to Cahir Dougherty. They lived at Beulah in the Wimmera. They had eight children: (James) Cahir, b.1908 at Beulah; Kath, b.1911 at Ballarat; then Noel, Ethel, George, John, Lindsay Smeaton and Lyle. The family has retained strong links to Beulah and in 2004 Lyle still lived there.
  - James Bernard (Gordon?) Smeaton, born 1885 at Numurkah and buried at Creswick aged 52 on 3 July 1938 [d/c 15976]. He never married.
The above children's mother, Isabella Smeaton (nee White) died 'quite young' and the three were cared for by Alexander and Janet (White?), their grandparents. Their father, Alexander Smeaton died at Ballarat hospital in April aged 87. He had been living with his daughter Catherine Longhurst at 4 Chisholm Street. His is buried in Ballarat New Cemetery Presbyterian section [3/42R1]

Catherine Maria Smeaton (Riddle).
- Born 1861. She married Walt Riddle (born at Gisborne) in 1881. [marriage certificate 891]. They moved from northern Victoria to the Canowindra area of NSW in about 1890. The family farm was Mt York on the Cowra Road. According to the Australian Trotting Register Feb 1991 they "sold out for a handsome profit and moved....with his family to settle at South Granville". He later lived at Mascot. Three sons, Peter, Bert and Dave also became successful horsemen.
  Catherine's children included:
Riddle family sources inform that "Walter was having an affair with the children's governess, Ada Badham, and insisted the last child be named after her. Because of the affair, Catherine threw acid in Walter's face - he sported a beard after that". Ada became Walter's second wife.

Further to the acid incident above is this information transcribed from the Port Fairy Gazette of 18 February 1898.

Extraordinary Divorce Case.
Extraordinary allegations of cruelty were made in the Sydney Divorce Court on Tuesday, before Mr Justice Simpson, by Walter Riddle, who petitioned for a divorce from his wife, Catherine Riddle, on the ground of cruelty and adultery with Stephen Stapleton. The petitioner said that he was married in Victoria in 1881, and afterwards went to reside at Cowra as a selector. There are six children alive at the issue of the marriage. In June or July, 1896, he saw his wife beating their eldest daughter, Nellie, aged 17, and jamming her head against the wall. He got the girl away, and then his wife hit him on the head several times with a pair of tongs. On another occasion, his wife dragged Nellie from the piano stool, on which she was sitting, along the passage by her hair, and, when he went to rescue her, his wife seized a corkscrew and tried to push it into his eye. She also threw a cup of hot tea into his face. On February 3 last, after he said something to his wife, she struck him on the head with a broome handle. Later on, he went into his room to lie down, and soon afterwards his daughter Nellie came in. A few minutes later his wife came to the door with something in her hand. His daughter said “Don’t throw that over father’. His wife relied “Look out, or I’ll burn the lot of you”. He sat up in bed, and a cup of carbolic acid was thrown in his face As a consequence of this act he lost one eye, and the sight of the other was impaired.

A descendant of Catherine was written: "Catherine was portrayed as the deranged one but this may have something to do with the position of women in society in the 1890s and who is believed in court". It is thought that her sister Anne (Swindle) may have looked after her after the divorce and the loss of her children. She died soon after in Cowra Hospital 6 April 1900 and is buried in Canowindra cemetery. It is recalled that she "died of a broken heart".

Walter Riddle died at his home "Almonte" in Ascot Ave., Mascot 2 March 1933 [probate 189245], aged 75 and is buried in Waverley cemetery. In his funeral notice the following children and their families are listed:
- Mr and Mrs. A.A. Jones and family
- Mr David Riddle
- Mr and Mrs A.W.Riddle and family
- Mrs A.Trevillian
- Mr Peter Riddle and family
- Mr and Mrs Walter Riddle
John Smeaton
- Thought to have been born in 1862 and died at age 15 months at Creswck

Charles William Smeaton
- Born in 1863. He was the sole recipient of his mother's will. He was believed to be unmarried. He was a witness at Grace's marriage in 1887. He was listed as living at Graham's Hill, Creswick in 1912. He died at Ballarat in 1937 aged 74 [d/c 13719] , being buried 28th June at Ballarat New Cemetery. He was listed then as a labourer of 4 Dawson Street, Ballarat.

Grace Smeaton (Lowe)
- Born in 1865. She married Nicholas Harrison Lowe (born Durham Lead, Victoria, circa.1864) on 24 March 1887 at her parent's house at Long Point, Creswick. Children of Grace include:
Mary Smeaton
- Born 1868. Little is known of her. A Mary Smeaton died at the Ballarat Mental Hospital in June 1916, aged 48 years. I believe this may have been our Mary [d/c 4397].

Thanks

The information above comes from many sources including: Betty Eberle, Kitty Rumble, Linda Pongracic, Robert Longhurst, Leanne Draper, Arthur Jones, John Archer, Susan Riddle, David Macklan, Loretta Edmonston, Pat van Putten Ian MacDonald & Barbara Henry.

Contact me on neiljpollock@yahoo.com if you want to share some thoughts

This page modified 4 April 2010