Daniel Titheridge’s journey from Winchester to Australia

Alms Houses in Winchester

In 1870 Daniel Titheridge set sail from England to Australia.  The reason for his departure must surely have been the letters from his three brothers already settled there telling him what a great life it was in Australia.  However life didn’t turn out so great for Daniel.

Daniel was born in 1850 in Winchester, the youngest child of Daniel Titheridge and Charlotte Duffer or Duffin.  His brothers were 17, 14, 11 and 7 when Daniel was born.  His 9 year old brother Arthur died when Daniel was two years old.  His eldest brother, Alfred, emigrated when Daniel was 4 and the remaining two brothers, Henry and Robert, emigrated when Daniel was six.  The brothers’ stories have been told in earlier blogs. 

Daniel grew up like an only child.  In the 1851 census he was living with his brothers and parents in Middle Brook Street, Winchester and by the 1861 census he was living with his parents at 7 Sussex Street, Winchester.  In 1864 when Daniel was 14 his mother Charlotte died.  Two years later his father remarried to Ann Davey, a widow. 

Daniel was 19 when in 1869 he decided to join his brothers in Australia.  He set sail from London on 18 November 1869 and arrived in Hobson's Bay on the “Sea Chief” on 23 February 1870. 

I have been unable to find any mention of Daniel in the newspapers, so his story has been pieced together from the birth, marriage and death records.

Daniel married Sarah Ann Greenwood in Australia in 1875.  In an eight year period after the marriage they had six children.  They were all born in varying districts in north Melbourne, Victoria

Mabel Louisa Titheridge born 1877 in Hotham

Eveline Titheridge born 1878 in Richmond

Albert Ernest Titheridge born 1880 in Collingwood

Ethel Titheridge born 1881 in Brunswick

Lillian May Titheridge born 1883 in Collingwood

Alice Ann Titheridge born 1885 in Richmond

Sadly infant mortality was high in this family with only one of the six children reaching adult hood.  In 1880 nine month old Albert died, in 1882 seven month old Ethel died, in 1886 nine month old Alice died, in 1889 six year old Lillian died and in 1893 fifteen year old Eveline died.  This left Mabel as the only surviving child.  Mabel married Hector Lambard Emery in 1902 and lived to the good age of 75. 

Daniel is recorded as having an occupation of a furnace man in 1876 and an iron founder in 1879.  We have several addresses for him in Collingwood, Melbourne: in 1876 he was at Mason Street, in 1879 he was in Rupert Street and in 1881 he was at 24 Rupert Street.

Tragedy hit the family in 1887 when Daniel died aged just 37 years, leaving his widow Sarah with three children to bring up alone, Mabel aged 10, Eveline aged 9 and Lillian aged 4.  Sarah was to lose two more of her children in the next 7 years.  Sarah eventually remarried in 1900 to Adam Marr and lived until 1933.  Daniel’s death record has been transcribed as Daniel Pitt Titheridge, this is the only time that I have found a reference to the middle name Pitt.

On reflection perhaps Daniel’s search for a great life in Australia did not work out so well - life for immigrants was not always easy.