William Clingan 1826–1885
Ron’s 2nd great-grandfather
When William Clingan was born in 1826 his father, Robert, was 25 and his mother, Sarah, was 23. He married Elizabeth Cowden and they had seven children together. He then married Esther Dick and they had six children together. He died on 16th July 1885, in Waterloo, New South Wales, at the age of 59.
Birth
William Clingan was born in Ireland in 1826 to Sarah Clingin, age 23, and Robert Clingin, age 25.
By 1840, William’s parents left Ireland with their sons William and James and settled in Glasgow, Scotland. His sister, Jane was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1840. By June 1841 William, his parents and newborn sister Jane were living at Stockwell Place, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Marriage
William Clingan married Elizabeth Cowden on 16th September 1850, in Renfrew, Renfrewshire, when he was 24 years old.
Following their wedding William Clingan continued to work as a Mason and together with his wife Elizabeth, they lived at 134 Sauchiehall Street, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Their first child, William was born in the second half of 1851.
Departure and Arrival
Good news travels fast, the people of Ireland, Scotland and England soon became aware of the discovery of gold in Australia. In 1852 alone, 370,000 immigrants arrived in Australia and the economy of the nation boomed. William, Elizabeth and their young son William (aged two) departed from Greenrock, Scotland, in late 1853 aboard the Forest Monarch bound for Australia, arriving in Melbourne, in March 1854.
William and Elizabeth Clingan arrived in Australia aboard the Forest Monarch in 1854
Residence of Elizabeth Cowden and William Clingan from 1854 to 1865
Soon after their arrival at Melbourne, William and Elizabeth were in Geelong for the birth of Elizabeth, their first daughter. By 1856 William was living at Long Gully, Sandhurst, near the present regional city of Bendigo, Victoria. Robert, their third child was born at Sandhurst in 1856. William Clingan had “Miner’s Right” and worked as a miner in Long Gully, Sandhurst.
Miner’s Right licence issued in Victoria in 1857
The ‘rush’ was well and truly on. Victoria contributed more than one third of the world’s gold output in the 1850s and in just two years the State’s population had grown from 77,000 to 540,000! The number of new arrivals to Australia was greater than the number of convicts who had landed here in the previous seventy years. The discovery of gold in NSW and Victoria accelerated the abolition of convict transportation to the east coast of Australia, and ultimately to the nation as a whole.
Drawing of gold diggings in Victoria
Between 1856 and 1860 another three children, Thomas, Flemming and Sarah were born in Victoria. Two children, Thomas aged two and Flemming aged 11 months died in Victoria.
William, Elizabeth and their remaining four children left Victoria and moved to Redfern, New South Wales in the early 1860’s. Janet Clingan, their last child, was born at Redfern in 1863. At this time William was again working as a stonemason.
Children of William and Elizabeth Clingan
Seven children were born to William and Elizabeth Clingan at various locations, including Lanarkshire, Scotland and the Australian States of Victoria and New South Wales, during a period of 12 years from 1850 to 1863
- William born 1851 in Scotland, passed away 18 June 1907 in Camperdown, New South Wales
- Elizabeth born 1854 in Geelong, Victoria, passed away 1880 in Paddington, New South Wales
- Robert born 1856 in Sandhurst (Bendigo), Victoria, passed away 31 October 1910 in Queensland, Australia
- Thomas born 1858 in Geelong, Victoria and passed away in 1860 aged 2 years
- Flemming born 1858 in Geelong, Victoria and passed away in 1859 aged 11 months
- Sarah born 1860 in Ashbourne, Victoria and passed away 10 May 1950 (1954) in Sydney, New South Wales
- Janet born 1863 in Chippendale, New South Wales, passed away 1 February 1930 in Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Death of First Wife
His wife Elizabeth passed away on 26th April 1865, in Bullanaming Street, Redfern, at the age of 44. They had been married 14 years and left William with five children aged from 2 to 12 to look after.
1865 Funeral Notice for Elizabeth Clingan
Second Marriage
On Christmas Day 1865, William Clingan married Esther Dick at St. Paul’s Church of England, Cleveland Street, Redfern. Their union bore another six children, four boys and two girls.
William Clingan married Esther Dick in St Paul’s, Redfern on Christmas Day 1865
Children of William Clingan and Esther Dick
- Jane Ann born 6 November 1966 in Redfern, New South Wales, passed away 19 June 1938 in Redfern, New South Wales
- John Cornelius born in 1868 in Redfern, New South Wales, passed away in 1950 at Parramatta, New South Wales
- James William born 17 February 1870 in Waterloo, New South Wales, passed away 17 April 1932 in Liverpool, New South Wales
- Esther born in 1871 in Redfern, New South Wales, passed away in 1952 in Burwood, New South Wales
- Thomas George born in 1870 in Waterloo, New South Wales, passed away in 1874 in Glebe, New South Wales
- George born in 1874 in Waterloo, New South Wales.
Residence of Esther Dick and William Clingan from 1866 to 1885
During the next 20 years, William and Esther lived in the Sydney suburbs of Alexandria, Redfern and Waterloo.
Death
William Clingan died on 16th July 1885, in Waterloo, New South Wales, when he was 59 years old. He was buried the following day at Rookwood, New South Wales, Australia.
1885 Funeral Notice for William Clingan
His second wife Esther, died seven years later, in 1892 at Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia
Family Tree Descendant Chart
Descendant Chart for William Clingan, Elizabeth Cowden and Esther Dick
Our Direct Relationship to William Clingan (1826–1885)
- James William Clingan (1870 – 1932) son of William Clingan
- Dorothy May Clingan (1902 – 1967) daughter of James William Clingan
- Dorothy Amelia Morris (1923 – 1966) daughter of Dorothy May Clingan