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Dadswell Family History

Generation 9
Stanley Alfred Dadswell (1896-1957) and Ethel Pilgrim

On this page:
Ancestors of Stanley Alfred Dadswell
Stanley Alfred's story
Key family dates
Photographs
Further information

Ancestors of Stanley Alfred Dadswell

Robert Doudeswell 1560 > Robert Doudeswell 1606 > Edward Dodswell 1659 > Alexander Dodswell 1686 > Thomas Dadswell 1732 > James Dadswell 1786 > Thomas William Dadswell 1828 > Alfred Otto Dadswell 1860 > Stanley Alfred Dadswell 1896

Stanley Alfred's story

Stanley Alfred Dadswell, second child of Alfred Otto and Emma (Lewin) Dadswell, was born at Warrak on 23 April 1896.
Stanley Alfred Dadswell
He attended Mt Cole school and was known for his skills with numbers. As a teacher finished reading out a maths problem, the young Stan would immediately call the answer.

It is believed that after leaving school he joined his father (Otto) and brother (Henry) in the trades of carpentering and farming. In 1915, with his brother, he tried to enlist in the army. Stan's application was rejected but when the physical standards were lowered in 1916, he joined and sailed for England aboard the troopship Medic, arriving at Plymouth on 18 February 1917.

He remained in England for the greater part of 1917, completing his training and then seeing action in France during the latter part of 1917 and early 1918. He was seriously wounded in the head on 25 November 1918 and was repatriated to England.

He remained in hospital in England for most of 1918 and returned to Australia in December aboard the hospital ship Bardia. Then followed a protracted stay in Caulfield Military Hospital until his discharge in January 1920. Returning to his father's home at Warrak, he took up the task of clearing the Warrak scrub land selected by his mother Emma in 1903 and which was transferred to Stan in 1922. Later, probably about 1928, he purchased a further 40 acres of adjoining land.

In 1928, Stan married at Ararat Ethel Evelyn Mary Pilgrim, born at William, near Nhill, the second daughter of William and Mary (McPherson) Pilgrim of Mt Cole. About this time, he and his father added two rooms to the original Warrak home and Stan and Ethel lived there until their retirement to Ararat in 1957. Otto had his own room until his death in 1946.

After his marriage, Stan, with the help of Ethel, continued to work the farm, gradually clearing and sowing down the land and building up a flock of sheep. In the early 1930s, he had about 40 sheep but by the time of his death in 1957 the property was carrying about 600.

With the help of Otto and later his sons, Stan also established an orchard of about 600 trees, mainly of apples but with some peach, apricot, plum and cherry trees.

During the 1930s, Stan suffered a series of illnesses resulting from war injuries. He was admitted several times to Caulfield Hospital for treatment and it was not until early in the 1940s that his health improved sufficiently for him to resume a normal life. In 1943, he contracted pneumonia and spent six weeks in Ararat District Hospital.

In 1929, he had obtained a mail contract with the Postmaster General's Department for the delivery of mail from Ben Nevis railway station to the post offices at Mt Cole, Warrak and Mt Cole Creek. This entailed two trips each day, three days a week, from Mt Cole to Ben Nevis in horse and gig.

During Stan's illnesses, Ethel often had to run the mail service as well as looking after the family and the farm.

Stan took an active interest in the affairs of the district, including involvement with the cricket club for many years, and the hall and school committees. In the latter part of the 1940s he was associated with the complete regrading of the sports ground. In 1955, when new tennis courts were being constructed at the recreation reserve, it was found that insufficient space was available to accommodate them. As Stan's property abutted the reserve, he donated a piece of land to the sports ground trustees.
Grave headstone for Stan and Ethel Dadswell
In the early 1950s, he became interested, together with other district residents, in a project to have the area connected to the State Electricity Commission's power grid. He enlisted the help of his son Bill to prepare a map of the area, showing the location of all properties, and attended numerous meetings with SEC officials at Maryborough. Electricity was finally switched on to the district in 1964, some time after Stan's death.

Early in 1957, due to his failing health, Stan and Ethel retired to Ararat, his second son Perce and wife Joan returning to Warrak to continue the family tradition of farming. Stan died at Ararat on 19 November 1957 aged 61, and was buried at the Mt Cole Cemetery. Ethel continued to live in the Queen Street house until shortly before her death on 6 December 1978. She was buried in the same grave as her husband.

Key family dates

Stanley Alfred Dadswell
born 23 April 1896 -
died 19 November 1957
married
16 June 1928
at Ararat, Vic
Ethel Evelyn Mary Pilgrim
born 11 March 1907 -
died 6 December 1978
Children -

1. Alfred William (Bill) Dadswell born 27 January 1929 - [married 1. Lois Taggart 2. Margaret Alice Thompson] - died 5 July 1993

2. Percival (Perc) Leslie Dadswell born 29 December 1930 - [married Joan Patricia Clough] - died 23 November 2007

3. Norman Stanley Dadswell born 20 May 1935 - [married Thais Shaw] - died 23 July 2005

Photographs

Click on any picture to see a larger size photograph.

Mt Cole school students, 1902 Stanley Alfred Dadswell Stanley Alfred Dadswell Stanley Alfred Dadswell
Stanley Alfred Dadswell Stanley Alfred Dadswell Stanley Alfred Dadswell home at Warrak

Another early photograph of Stan Dadswell is on this website - see:
   Dadswell/Lewin Family Photograph, 1904 or 1905.

Further information

Information on Alfred William (Bill) Dadswell (generation 10, first son of Stan and Ethel Dadswell)
Information on Percival (Perc) Leslie Dadswell (generation 10, second son)
Information on Norman Stanley Dadswell (generation 10, third son)

Information on generation 9 brother/sister of Stanley Alfred Dadswell

Information on Alfred Otto Dadswell (generation 8, father of Stanley Alfred)


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