Alfred Thomas DAWES [1278]

  General Notes:

Farmer, Carpenter

Alfred Dawes known as Alfred Thomas DAWES left Adelaide S.A. at a fairly early age and worked in Victoria for some years on the Mitchell property (Dame Nellie Melba's father). From 1877-1881 he was in S.A. working with his brothers as a carpenter at the Hindley Street business. He returned to Victoria and eventually settled at Iona where he farmed. Alfred was a pioneer of the Koo Wee Rup East Swamp area and appears in a photo of those Pioneers taken in 1919.

The 1903 and 1909 Electoral rolls have Alfred listed as a farmer living at Bunyip South. The 1916 and 1918 and 1931 rolls have Iona listed as his address and farmer listed as his occupation. It is not until 1934 that the address shows that Alfred is a carpenter living at Government Road, Garfield.

I am uncertain of the date the family moved to Iona, or the exact location of the property at Iona. It is difficult to work out when the family moved to Iona as I only have places of birth of the children to go by. This is confusing as Victor was born at Bunyip South in 1896, Arthur born at Bunyip South in 1901 and Dora at Iona in 1906, however Gladstone and Harry were both said to have been born in Melbourne in 1898 and 1902 respectively. I have recently found a legal settlement document from a solicitor for the sale of the Iona property dated August 17 1916, the balance of the purchase money seems to have been £1250 paid in July 1916. The document is a little unclear but it appears that the property was sold to Mr Frank Close and there is mention of money being retained re a lease to "Hannaford" which was paid out to the said Hannaford.

Alfred worked as a carpenter and farmer.

The family moved to Poziere's Cottage in the main Street of Garfield at the time of the sale of the Iona property. This property was located next door to the Garfield Post office at what is now number 35 Main Street Garfield. Alfred built the house and it was named Poziere's Cottage by Alfred and family in memory of Alfred and Louisa's son Gladstone, who was killed in France during World War 1. The original house at 35 Main Street, built by Alfred was destroyed by fire in May 1996.

After the move to the 35 Main Street, Alfred built a house at what is now 52 Garfield Road, Garfield where the family moved and lived. The Dawes family home at 52 Garfield Road Garfield and this home still stands to date. Originally there were several acres of land with the house. The house was inherited by Alfred and Frances youngest child Dora (Theadora) after the death of her parents. Following Dora's death, segments of the land were sold and houses built on them in 1979, this included 50 Garfield Road, Garfield. The original house and remaining land were sold at this time as well. We know that the family must have been living at Government Road Garfield in 1923 as indicated the the below newspaper report of the fire that narrowly escaped being burned in the fire in March 1923.

There is also a house at 10 Garfield Road, Garfield that is thought to have been built by Alfred and was owned for many years by the Little family.

Alfred had three women living with him. They were sisters, Elizabeth, Louisa and Frances Morgan. He had children with each of these three sisters, around 28 in total plus one step child (mother Frances Mary Ann). He eventually married Elizabeth, the elder of the three sisters. The youngest of Alfred's (mother Frances Mary Ann) children was Theadora Morgan-Dawes who lived with her parents at 52 Garfield Rd. Garfield until they died. It has recently been discovered that Alfred also had a child in Adelaide to a woman named Harriett Elizabeth Gardner. This child, Florence Alice Gardner was born in the Destitute Asylum in Adelaide and Alfred is named as the father in the records of that institution.

The births of the children of the three Morgan sisters where registered variously, as Dawes, Morgan, Morgan Dawes, but all children were raised with the surname of Dawes.

Alfred married Elizabeth Morgan at 448 Queen Street Melbourne by Albert James Abbott. Witnesses to the marriage were James Holt and Annie Holt.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1872 - 1920) ( Wednesday 5 August 1903 Page 2
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/66140569
The successful tenderers for the four roomed house to be built for Mr. G. W. Ellis, were Messrs. Muligan & Dawes, of Iona, who are known by repute as capable builders and contractors.

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Wednesday 28 March 1923 Page 20
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1886247
Narrow Escape of Homestead.
GARFIELD, Monday.-A bush fire broke out about three miles north of Garfield, and, aided by a strong wind, it travelled with great rapidity towards the town. It swept through the properties of Messrs. Brennan, Robertson, Parish Bros., and Dawes. Mr. Dawes's homestead had a narrow escape, the flames being checked within a few yards of the house. Beyond burning some hundreds of acres of scrub and short lengths of fencing, no damage resulted. Another scrub fire is burning between Garfield and Tynong.

In February 2024 a new DNA match may be another child by another woman Named Elizabeh Mary Discombe who was born in England and emigrated when she was 6 years old to Adelaide with her family. The child may be by Alfred Thomas Dawes, or possibly one of his brothers. In this instance I have added this child as Alfred's for the time being until further evidence comes to light. Whilst Amelia's father is recorded on records as Charles Williams, DNA matches on Ancestry.com in February 2024 with various Dawes descendants, indicate that her father was likely to be Alfred Thomas Dawes, though it is posible it may have been one of Alfred's brother's who was the biological father of these children.

Amelia would have been born when Alfred was 24 years of age if he is the biological father. His first child with Elizabeth Morgan was not born until 1873. ²¹⁴⁹

Alfred had a relationship with Elizabeth Mary DISCOMBE [14256] [MRIN: 5112], daughter of Thomas William DISCOMBE [14270] and Sarah Ann NORTHCOTT [14271]. (Elizabeth Mary DISCOMBE [14256] was born on 6 Jul 1847 in , Devonshire, England.)

Alfred next married Elizabeth Ann MORGAN [1281] [MRIN: 386], daughter of Richard William MORGAN [1290] and Ann Elizabeth SWINDON [1289], on 16 Dec 1902 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.²¹⁴⁸ (Elizabeth Ann MORGAN [1281] was born on 20 Feb 1857 in Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England, died on 17 Oct 1932 in Warragul, Victoria, Australia ²¹⁵⁰ and was buried on 18 Oct 1932 in Bunyip, Vic, Australia.)

Alfred had a relationship with Louisa MORGAN [1277] [MRIN: 384], daughter of Richard William MORGAN [1290] and Ann Elizabeth SWINDON [1289]. (Louisa MORGAN [1277] was born on 16 Sep 1859 in Sandridge, Victoria, Australia ²¹⁴¹ and died on 28 Jul 1946 in Murrumbeena, Vic, Australia ²¹⁴².)

Alfred had a relationship with Harriett Elizabeth GARDNER [4374] [MRIN: 1345], daughter of John Botting GARDNER [4472] and Harriett SIMPSON [4473]. (Harriett Elizabeth GARDNER [4374] was born in 1862 in Brighton, Sussex, England ²¹⁵¹, christened on 12 Nov 1876 in Brighton, Sussex, England,²¹⁵² died on 8 Jun 1899 in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia ^2153,2154 and was buried on 10 Jun 1899 in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia.)

Alfred had a relationship with Frances Mary Ann MORGAN [1288] [MRIN: 390], daughter of Richard William MORGAN [1290] and Ann Elizabeth SWINDON [1289]. (Frances Mary Ann MORGAN [1288] was born on 16 May 1862 in Carlton, Victoria, Australia,²¹⁵⁵ died on 13 Aug 1932 in Warragul, Victoria, Australia ²¹⁵⁶ and was buried on 15 Aug 1932 in Bunyip, Vic, Australia.)