Back to Eleanor - and beyond
A Basic Family Tree
Generation 1
Eleanor Wainwright - alias Esther Eccles 1769 - 1839 (Age 70)
Born 1769 at Rishton, Lancashire, England. Some sites refer to Risdon in error. Sometimes she is referred to as Ellen, Eleanor, Esther and Hester.
Died 8/11/1839 New Norfolk, Tasmania
Married 24-5-1812 New Norfolk, Tasmania.
Thomas Gay/Guy 1760 - 1842 (82)
Born 1760 at Little Rissington Gloucestershire, England
Died August 1842 Tasmania
Eleanor had other relationships and other children. Most did not survive. Eleanor and Tom had 3 children.
1. Ann 1800 - 1880 (81)
2. Elizabeth (Eliza) 1802 - 1866 (64)
3. Frances 1805 - unknown
Our ancestor is Elizabeth.
Generation 2
Elizabeth Guy 1802 - 1866 (64)
Born 13-11-1802 at Norfolk Island
Died 12/11/1866 Tasmania. One ref says Drumborg, Vic.
Married 24-7-1826 New Norfolk, Tasmania.
William Wheeler 1796 - 1845 (49)
Baptised 2-10-1796 at Shrewsbury, England
Died 7-5-1845
They have Anne and 5 others
1. Anne 1819 - 1877 (57)
2. Edward 1821 - 1833 (12)
3. John 1823 - 1874 (51)
4. Rebecca 1827 - 1829 (2)
5. Thomas William 1830 - 1893 (63)
6. William Henry 1833 - 1833 (0)
Our ancestor being Anne Wheeler 1819 - 1877
Generation 3
Anne Wheeler 1819 - 1877 (57)
Born 8-10-1819 at Hobart Town, Tasmania
Died 11-11-1877 at Heywood, Victoria. Aged 59. Buried Drumborg Cemetry, Heywood.
Married 23-4-1835 New Norfolk, Tasmania
Thomas Bilston 1808 - 1899 (92)
Born 27-3-1808 at Birmingham, England
Died 5-6-1899 Portland, Victoria. Aged 92
Parents most likely Thomas and Sarah, but maybe Robert and Charlotte Bilston of Stafford Street, Birmingham.
See Stone family website: https://www.stonefamilyinaustralia.com.au
Note: The oldest Ancestor photos we have are of Anne , Thomas and Thomas’ sister - Aunt Preston.
They had 11 children.
1. William 1836 - 1836 (0)
2. George Yarra b Yarra Yarra Vic 1838 - 1916 (78) - Died Katanning WA. Search at Trove brings up many links to George. https://trove.nla.gov.au/
3 Mary Ann 1840 - 1863 (23) - Died Portland Vic
4 Thomas Edward 1842 - 1919 (76) - Died Portland
5 Maria Elizabeth 1844 - 1909 (65) - Died Lyons WA
6 John Henry Morris 1846 - 1917 (71) - Died Penola SA
7 Frederick William 1849 to 1935 (86) - Died Casterton Vic. Born in Heywood while his parent where running the hotel. https://westerndistrictfamilies.com/2011/08/19/passing-of-the-pioneers-3/
8 Charlotte Robina 1851 - 1869 (18) - Died Melb Vic
9 Alexander Heywood 1854 - 1916 (62) - Died Mailors Flat or Winslow Vic.
10 Sarah Frances Ellen Ives 1856 - 1930 (74) - Died Auckland NZ
11 Amelia Jane 1860 - 1950 (90) - Died Auckland NZ
Note: Details on Mary Ann and Maria are confused, records show Mary dying at 23, but a few photos show her in old age.
Our ancestor is Alexander Heywood Bilston 1854 - 1916
Generation 4
Alexander Heywood Bilston 1854 - 1916 (62)
Born 28-3-1854 at Heywood, Victoria
Died 11-11-1916 at Winlow, Victoria
Married 3-2-1881 Lake Mundi, Victoria
Catherine Julianna Collett McDonald 1849 - 1923 (73)
Born 15-4-1849 at Byron Plains, NSW.
Died 6-3-1923 at Casterton, Victoria
They had 5 children.
1. Anne Sarah 1881 - 1983 (102)
2. Thomas James 1884 - 1917 (33)
3. Freda Charlotte 1886 - 1954 (68)
4. Alexander Leo Wiseman 1888 - 1969 (81)
5. Catherine Maria 1889 - 1964 (75)
The Clarke & Hardy ancestor being Freda
The Bar, Bilston, Doolan, Greenwood ancestor being Alexander Leo Wiseman
The Cummings ancestor being Catherine
The Bettsworth relationship being Grandpa James William Hardy, Anne Sarah Bilston and Frank Bettsworth 1869 to 1959 is a bit confusing. Grandpa James Hardy took a second wife after the death of Victor’s mother Sarah Thyra nee Lowen. His second wife was Franks sister. So Frank was essentially uncle by marriage to both Victor and his and Freda’s children.
Generation 5
Freda Charlotte Bilston (68)
Born 29-7-1886 at Glendon, Victoria
Died 19-9-1954 at Melbourne, Victoria
Married 24-11-1909 Casterton, Victoria
Clement Victor Hardy. (38) (Victor's father was a James William Hardy)
Born 19-7-1884 at Exeter, S.A.
Died 22-11-1922 at Casterton, Victoria
They had 4 surviving children of 6
1. Lowen Hardy 1910 - 1953 (43)
2. Clement Hardy 1915 - 1969 (54)
3. James Hardy 1916 - 1917 (1)
4. Ward F. Hardy 1918 - 1966 (48)
5. Unnamed
6. Nancy Catherine Hardy 1920 - 1998 (78)
Generation 6
1. Lowen Hardy (41)
Born 8/9/1910 at Casterton, Victoria
Died 26/5/1953 at London, England
Married Melbourne, Victoria
Patricia Vaughan
Born 22/2/1919
Died 13/6/2017 at Canberra, ACT
They have 6 children
1. William 30/10/1940
2. Bernard 24/11/1941
3 Lowen 28 or 29/8/1943 - 15/1/2018 Cairns
4. Peter 2/7/1947
5. Anne 2/7/1947
6. Susan 1951
2. Clement Hardy
Born 6/7/1915 at Casterton, Victoria
Died 1969
Married 1940 Melbourne, Victoria
Sheila O’Donnell
Born 1915
Died 1996 Brisbane, QLD
They have 1 child
1. Gillian
3. Ward F. Hardy
Born 23/11/1918 at Casterton, Victoria
Died 1966 at Melbourne, Victoria
Married Melbourne, Victoria
Margaret
Born
Died Melbourne, Victoria
They have 2 children
1. Deborah 1957
2. Christopher 1959
4. Nancy Catherine Hardy (78)
Born 6-6-1920 at Casterton, Victoria
Died 13/2/1998 at Melbourne, Victoria
Married 10-10-1940 Melbourne, Victoria
Calvert Croxson Clarke (98)
Born 22-7-1914 at Moonee Ponds, Victoria
Died 26/5/2013 at Ballan, Victoria
They have 10 children
1. Clement Victor 16/11/1943
2. David Clement 6/2/1945
3. Adrian Francis 1/7/1947 - 15/10/2015
4. Calvert John 27/12/1948
5. Anthony Lowen 15/6/1951
6. Gerard Stanley 15/6/1951
7. Lowen Alexander 18/12/1953
8. Paul Joseph 2/6/1955
9. Philip Theodore 3/1/1957
10. James Norman 7/12/1958
The Stone family website has some good resources and primary sources. For a background to Eleanor see:
https://www.stonefamilyinaustralia.com.au/family_history/people/ellen-wainwright
“Ellen was born at Risdon in Lancashire 2 July 1769. She was the eldest of 10 children of Edmund and Anne Eccles (nee Osbaldston). By age 17 she was in trouble with the law for stealing clothing. She was tried, found guilty in the Preston Court and sentenced to 7 years transportation.”
Another excellent site to look at is Back River Girls that some very good articles about Eleanor and Thomas Guy and more. See:
One article from the Weekly Times from July 31, 1926 writes about a recent Bilston reunion held at Mildura. See:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223339455?searchTerm=George%20Yarra%20Bilston
In part it writes:
“In 1837 Thomas Bilston, with his wife and baby set out from Melbourne in a bullock dray to exploreand select land in the Western District. His choice fell upon a site where the township of Chetwynd now stands. But the blacks gave him such a hostile reception that after a greatdeal of fighting and hardship he was forced to abandon his holding.”
At Trove: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74487583?searchTerm=George%20Yarra%20Bilston
I found this article about Alexander’s funeral from the Casterton News Monday, November 18, 1916 repeated in full:
“PASSED AWAY.
MR. A. H. BILSTON.
Many friends in this district will regret to hear that Mr A. H. Bilston, formerly resident at Strathdownie and more lately at "Wattle Glen," Brimboal, died suddenly at his residence, Winslowe, near Warrnambool, late on Saturday night.
Mr Bilston who had for some time past suffered from heart trouble was about as usual apparently in normal health, till complaining of a sharp pain in the region of the heart he sank back and expired before the arrival of the doctor who had been summoned.
Mr Bilston who had resided at "Wattle Glen" for many years, went with Mrs Bilston and his youngest daughter to Winslowe about 12 months go. He was 63 years of age, born at Heywood and till removal to Winslowe had lived all his life in the Glenelg valley district.
He was a councillor of the Central Riding in the Glenelg Shire Council for nine years, from 1890 to 1896, and was always popular among his numerous friends and acquaintances through his kindly and genial disposition.
He leaves a family of two sons, Messrs James and Alick Bilston, and three daughters, Mesdames F.T. Bettsworth (Dergholm) and C. V. Hardy (Casterton) and Miss Katie Bilston.
His parents were among the very oldest settlers in this district to which they came with their eldest child-the late Mr George Yarra Bilston, the first white child born in Victoria-in the early 40's, and his other brothers and sisters, Messrs Thomas (Heywood), Henry (Penshurst), and Frederick (Wando Vale) Mesdames Macarthur and Blackwood (New Zealand), were like himself, all born in this district.
The funeral takes place at Casterton tomorrow (Tuesday) when the cortege will leave the residence of Mr Bilston's son-in-law, Mr C. V .Hardy, Robertson Street. for the Casterton New Cemetery at 2 p.m.
Alexanders Bilstons
The number of Alexanders can be confusing and the families themselves appear to have struggled with this.
Alexander Heywood 1854 - 1916
Alexander Leo Wiseman 1888 - 1969
Alexander (Boy) O’Keefe 1925