Dadswell Family History

Generation 11
Percy Dadswell (1910-1983)

On this page:
Ancestors of Percy Dadswell
Percy Dadswell's story
Key family dates
Further information

Ancestors of Percy Dadswell

Robert Doudeswell 1560 > Robert Doudeswell 1606 > Edward Dodswell 1659 > Edward Dodswell 1679 > David Dadswell 1722 > Edward Okill Dadswell 1750 > David Taylor Dadswell 1800 > David Taylor Dadswell 1825 > Alfred Edward Dadswell 1857 > Olive Jane Dadswell 1889 > Percy Dadswell 1910

Percy Dadswell's story

Percy Dadswell was the second of two children born to Olive Jane Dadswell. He was born at Lady Bowen Hospital, Brisbane, on 27 July 1910, to an unmarried mother who was then aged aged 21. No father was recorded on the birth certificate.

Percy grew up in an orphanage. When he was 14, he was told he had to leave school and was sent by the Queensland State Children's Department to Helidon to work on a farm. When 18, he was free to leave and make his own way in the world.

At the age of 25 (about 1935 or 1936) he married Catherine Annie Doherty who was born in Queensland in 1914, the daughter of Thomas Henry and Catherine Jane (Osborne) Doherty. Percy and Catherine Dadswell farmed at Fassifern and later shifted to another property at Kleinton. The couple had three children, Beverley Joan, Lyndon Percival and Glen Ross Dadswell.

When the children were older, the family bought a property in Spring Street, Toowoomba where Catherine and the children lived and the children were able to attend high school. Percy continued to work the farm for six years and then joined them in Toowoomba. Eventually the couple bought a property at Rowbotham Street, Middle Ridge.

Later in life, Percy worked at Toowoomba General Hospital. He died in 1983 without discovering anything of his mother, sister or step-sister.

It has since been established that his mother, Olive Jane Dadswell, left Queensland after the birth of her two children and moved to Sydney where she married. She died in 1960.

This 11-generation Family Chart shows the development of this Dadswell family (PDF file).

Key family dates

Further information

Information on Olive Jane Dadswell (generation 10, mother of Percy Dadswell)