Tom Clark - Off Shore Whaler

I now have all the low-down on Thomas Clark, whaler and farmer, of Encounter Bay and Kangaroo Island.

See also on this Blog: Mr &Mrs Clark of Cape Jervis  | Encounter Bay Whaling Station

Thomas (Tom) Clark aka Clarke
 Born about 1810 in England, United Kingdom
Brother of James Clark(?) according to two sources.
Father of Robert Clark and Eliza Jane (Clark) Chapman. Their mother was Mary Louisa Stone nee Connor. She had three other children from different fathers
Tom Clark died at Antechamber Bay, Kangaroo Island.

Thomas Clark, an Englishman (10), was present in the British Colony of South Australia in its early years. A biography of his son Robert Clark says that Tom arrived in Australia in 1835,(6) which was before the establishment of the colony of South Australia, and that he came to South Australia from Tasmania (then Van Diemen's Land) to join the whale fishery at Encounter Bay. Tom Clark's ship of arrival is not mentioned in his Obituary (2). He had a brother named James Clark, also a whaler at Encounter Bay.(1) A Thomas Clark, Whaler, left Launceston on the whaling vessel Thistle for Port Fairy on 20th October 1836. (12)
A Thomas Clark departed Hobart for Adelaide on the Will Watch on 19th March 1844 (4)
He is mentioned in newspapers as a headsman, and then chief headsman at the Encounter Bay whaling fishery from 1844. (3) He distinguished himself for his strength and the number of whales he caught. (1) His appointment as headsman implies some years of prior experience as a mariner and whaler. He was thus employed until at least 1851. Off-shore whaling was seasonal and he may have had other employment elsewhere in the off-season.(3)
In 1850 Tom Clark partnered with Barnett to hunt whales near Cape Jervis, in a spot now known as Fishery Beach. Whaling commenced in May 1850. Tom was manager and lived there with "Mrs Clark" in a slab hut, remains of which have been excavated by archaeologists. They kept ducks, fowls and pigs, probably for their own use and to supplement the diet of the whalers.(13,14,15)
There were twelve whalers, but few whales. Only one was caught in the entire season. (15) Tom had plenty of time to build three rowboats in sheds on site. At the end of the season, the fishery was sold to Bennett's (15) Tom is recorded as having been in Bennett's employ in 1851 (3) ; this could have been at either Fishery Beach or Encounter Bay, though his son Robert is said to have been born at "Port Victor" (Encounter Bay) (6).
The woman posing as "Mrs Clark" was Mrs Mary Louisa Stone (5) Tom and Mary's son Robert Clark was born in 1851.(6). One source says that a second son, William, was born in 1855. (7) In 1858 they had a daughter, Eliza Jane Clark. (8) By 1861 Mary Louisa had left Tom and was married to Frank Buckley. (9)
In 1853 Tom Clark was one of the locals who assisted survivors of the shipwrecked steamer Osmanli at D'Estrees Bay, Kangaroo Island. He offered to take charge of the salvage operation. (10)
 
Tom spent his later years on Kangaroo Island where his son Robert became a successful farmer and grazier.
He passed away in 1892, aged 82 at Antechamber Bay, Kangaroo Island. (11)

 AN OLD KANGAROO ISLANDER.-A corre
spondent writes from Hog Bay:-"Mr. T.
Clarke died at his son's (Mr. R. Clarke) resi
dence at Antechamber Bay on the 19th, after
a, short illness, aged eighty-two. Thus has
passed away the once celebrated Tom Clarke,
the noted headsman of bygone times, when
whaling was an important industry in the
colony. Tom Clarke was stationed at En
counter Bay for many seasons, and his reported
feats of great strength are well known in that
locality. He had resided on the island for
many years, and was highly respected. A
goodly number of neighbours attended his
funeral to show their respect for him."

Sources

1. OLD RESIDENT TELLS STORIES OF WHALING DAYS
2. AN OLD KANGAROO ISLANDER
3. FamilyHistorySA.info: CLARK Thomas, headsman (1846 Hagen, 1847 Wilde, 1848, 1849 Barnett, 1851 Bennett) Names in brackets are his employers as a whaler. Source: South Australian Government Gazettes 1844-51
4. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. (1844, March 22). The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859), p. 2
5. What we know of Tom Clark's and Mary Stone's relationship is from a newspaper report of a divorce suit brought by Mrs Stone's husband, Joseph.[ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49826783 Supreme Court - Stone vs Stone and Clark
6. 6. Cyclopedia of South Australia 1909, pp.1021-1022
7. Bibliographical Index of South Australia, May 1986 There's no formal registration of this birth. Not known where the BISA got it from. In 1880, a William Clark, son of Thomas Clark, married Ellen Harris in Adelaide (BDM 124/835) but no certainty of connection.
8. Mary called herself Louisa Stone: CLARKE Thomas, Louisa STONE, parents of child born 1858-03-08 named Eliza Jane at Encounter Bay (data courtesy Family History S.A.)
9. Hearing re Marriage of Mary Ann Stone and Ezra Moore: "LAW AND CRIMINAL COURTS." South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 30 November 1861: 3. Web. 13 May 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50080691.
10. Letter from Thomas Clarke to South Australian Free Press, , 4th March 1854
11. Death Thomas CLARKE died 19 May 1892, aged 82yrs, born approx 1810, at An techamber Bay which was also his residence at time of death. Ref: District: Yankalilla Book/Page: 202/409 per South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society.
12. Tasmanian Names Index - Departures
13. New Whale Fishery at Cape Jervis
14. Shipping - Cleared Out 
15. The Whaling Season SKETCHES OF THE PRESENT STATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. No. VIII.-CAPE JERVIS

 Notes

• Tom Clarke was immortalised in Simpson Newland's book "Paving the Way".
• In 1835 the Schooner Adelaide brought whaler Thomas Harris to Kangaroo Island. Could it also have brought Tom Clark?
• In 1836 a Thomas Clark left Launceston on the whaling ship "Thistle" for Port Fairy. https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=NI_NAME%3DThomas&qu=NI_NAME%3DClark&qf=NI_DEPARTURE_PORT%09Departure+port%09Launceston%09Launceston
• in 1850 the Barnett whaling company, owned by Joseph Barnett, became a partnership, Joseph Barnett & Thomas Clark (Source: http://www.familyhistorysa.org/sahistory/whaling.html Whaling in South Australia). Tom Clarke worked for Barnett in 1849, and Bennett in 1851 but no employer is recorded for 1850. Most whaling ceased at Encounter Bay about this time.

Ladies of the Night

I love the way 19th century journalists wrote about the ladies of the night. 

 

Julia Julian of Hobart-town

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article233613376

 25 Jan 1833 

Julia Julian, appeared with downcast eye, labouring
evidently under great distress of mind, to answer
the charge of Mrs. Mary Thomas, residing on the
Jetty, where she now reigns the Sovereign Queen of
her frail sisterhood. Mrs. Thomas complained that
Julia, whom she had taken into her "discreet and
sober house," had so repeatedly strayed from the path
of virtue, and returned home drunk and outrageous,
that she could no longer keep her under her fostering
care ; and that on communicating her intentions to the
fair one, she flew in a rage and threw a tumbler at her
head ; for which she now prayed restitution and justice.
At the request however of the complainant,
at this stage of the proceeding, the charge was with
drawn, and both ladies withdrew in seeming friend
ship. 

 

The Misses Moffatt of Adelaide

Here is an Amelia Moffatt with a number of other Moffats arriving in 1840:

MORGAN David (1st arr 1837 Lady Emma), Christina MOFFATT nee POPLE, Priscilla MOFFATT, Selina MOFFATT, Amelia MOFFATT, dau MOFFATT arrived in SA 1840-06-10 aboard Orleana from London 40-02-29. My goodness! What a lot of Moffatts, and all female! Mr Morgan apparently came to check out Adelaide in 1837, and went back to England to get the girls.

 Thursday, 18th November. (1847, November 20). Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), p. 3
 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158925186
Thursday 18th November,

Mary alias Pol. Pitman, and Sarah Cummings, two illus

trious .members of the ".ladies' society," of Light-square,

charged with annoying Amelia Moffatt and Sarah Lyons, at

the residence of the latter two, in Hindley-street, by the

use of abusive and indecent language, pleaded Not Guilty.

Police-constable Tarrant, who seems to be a thorough

adept in ferreting out the frail sisterhood, gave with admi

rable coolness, a verbatim report of the Billingsgate phraseology that constituted the charge; but as we cannot boast

of so much nerve as the worthy sprig of justice seems to

possess in such illustrations, we must-decline repeating the

many lingual elegancies that transpired,

Sarah Lyons, "dyer" and Amelia Moffat dressmaker,

who live in the same house in -Hindley-street, stated that

they were constantly annoyed by the "fair dames" in

question, who with a posse of Cyprians, besieged their

nunnery with the most unaccountable perseverance, and

from their threats and gestures they were apprehensive of

some injury to their persons or clothes. They could con.

ceive no reason why they should be so annoyed.

This being the charge the.Magistrate asked the prisoners

what they had to say in defence of .their conduct. .

Miss Pittman, in the absence of her standing-counsel, said

she was passing near the residence of the Mesdames Moffattt

and Lyons,when she was saluted with various unladylike

epithets which she of course resented, She looked upon

the complainant, Moffatt, as a prostitute like herself, and

considered the annoyance complained of was perfectly war.

ranted under the circumstances.

. Miss Cummings, with an air of virtuous indignation.said

that Miss Moffatt was in the habit of encroaching .upon the

exclusive rights of herself and companion in tribulation by

wiling away gents of their acquaintance to her lodgings, and

thus limiting their undeniable prerogatives in that aristo

cratic part of the town; and that whilst she (Moffatt) pro,

fessed to be kept by a Mr B**** at the time, in .question a

Mr F*'***, with.whom.she was desirous of communicating

was in the house. On her expressing a wish to that effect

to Lyons, she was threatened with being given in charge of

the Police, that thereupon she expressed her feeling some

what warmly and the result was that she and her friend

were unceremoniously hauled off to the Police station

The Magistrate told them the charge was fullyproved,

add that it could not be allowed that such conduct should

pass unnoticed. Whatever Amelia Moffatt's peculiarities

might be, she was entitled to protection. He should-there.

fore fine each prisoner 10s.

Two kindred sylphs were immediately despatched for the

necessary levy, which they soon produced,and the frail de-

linquents glided out of Court with the grace and haughty

bearing of a keen sense of injury, muttering a firm determi

nation to continue hostilities against the aforesaid nunnery

with energy and means that will probably lead to "glorious

deeds of fame," and bring the fair Joans again before the

admiring gaze of the public.
 So it's seven years after the arrival of the Moffatt sisters. Amelia is now a Hindley St. prostitute. "Miss Moffatt was about twenty one years

of age. She (witness) washed for her. Could not say

what business she followed. She might have been a kept

mistress. She might have been kept by several persons."
In 1850, Miss Amelia Moffatt is in Port Philip, (and who is the "celebrated Newberry/Newbury, now out of the colony"? Sounds like a purveyor of stolen goods. He was. He fled to avoid jail.) A Selina Moffatt, aged 26, married  James Samuel Watson, aged 40 at St James Church Blakiston (District: Adelaide Book/Page: 14/143) She died, still married to Watson, in 1866.

Further Reading

• Adelaide's West End. Sumerling, Prof Historians Assoc. 
• Hotels and Drinking - Prof Historians Assoc 
• The Shamrock Hotel 1883 - Trove 

Encounter Bay Whaling Station

Some very scrappy notes. If you have any questions or comments, please leave me a message in the comments box below.

Ramindjerri name for Encounter Bay: Karraunda

Encounter Bay Whaling Station 1850 showing "The Bluff" (Rosetta Head)
at right, Granite and Wright Island, whaleboats drawn up on the beach,
whalebone on the beach and a row of whaler's huts.

Whaling begins 1837.
Two stations: Capt Blenkinsop's at first on the mainland, then on Granite Island.
S.A. Company managed by Samuel Stephens (of all people!) at Rosetta Head.

"To resolve the conflicts Parliament passed an Act for the Regulation and Protection of the Whale Fisheries in September 1839. The whale belonged to the party whose harpoon first struck the whale. If the line broke and a second harpoon was struck, the whale became joint property. The Act also specified the provisions to be supplied to the men - 12 lbs of beef or 9 lbs of pork, 12 lbs of bread or flour, 4 ozs tea and 2 lb of sugar per week. The lack of vegetables was compensated by the owners supplying two gallons of tea or half a pint of strong rum per day. Some reports indicate that the men had little to do between whale chases but "eat, drink and sleep, play cards, sing and make a noise". (FamilyHistorySA Maureen M. Leadbetter)

Whalers

PULLING HAND - Oarsman
HEADSMAN - In charge of each boat, takes over steering once the whale is harpooned
BOATSTEERER usually also the harpoonist
TONGUER  Too horrible to think about

According to Mr Sweetman's memories: (Sweetman was there from around 1853)

Bob Cleeve, 

Billy Honeyman, HUNNIMEN / HONEYMAN/Honeymoon William, boatsteerer (1844 Hagen), boatsteerer (1845 Wilde)

Jim Clark

Tom Clark, CLARK Thomas, headsman (1846 Hagen, 1847 Wilde, 1848, 1849 Barnett, 1851 Bennett)

Jack Jones, JONES John, headsman (1844 Hagen, 1845, 1846, 1847 Wilde, 1848 Barnett)

Jack Taylor, TAYLOR Henry, boatsteerer (1844 Wilde), tonguer (1845 Hagen), pulling hand (1849 Barnett), boatsteerer (1850 Barnett)

Jim Long, LONG James, headsman (1844 Hagen, 1846 Wilde, 1847 Hagen, 1848, 1849 Barnett, 1850 Bennett), chief headsman (1845 Hagen, 1851 Bennett)

Alex Ewen, EWEN Alexander, pulling hand (1844, 1845 Hagen), boatsteerer (1847, 1848 Hagen, 1850, 1851 Bennett)

Bill Harris, HARRIS John, boatsteerer (1848, 1849 Barnett, 1850 Bennett)

Jack Gangel, 

Peter Morgan, 

Jack Parsons,   ??PARSONS Frederick, pulling hand (1845 Hagen)

 Jack McCarthy, 

Jim McDonald, 

Dan Budie,

Frank Buckley, 

George Bennett, BENNETT George, boatsteerer (1844 Hagen, 1845 Wilde)

Jack Foster, (real name John Harris)

Rube Earl, 

Tom Smith, SMITH Thomas, pulling hand (1846 Hagen)

Tom Atrill, 

Joshua Paterson (cooper)

Jack Hyde (boat builder) ??HYDE John, pulling hand (1844 Hagen)

Jack Beddow BEDDOW John, pulling hand (1844 Wilde)

Montgomery (steersman) MONTGOMERY William, boatsteerer (1844 Wilde)

Foster (headsman - drowned) 

Henry Lush

(John Barbank/Burbank) rescued after whaling/fishing boat capsized on the reef at Wright's island after 1850
("New Zealand Tom" ) Not sure if these two are whalers

The following are whalers whose names appeared in Government Gazettes 1844-1851. Source: FamilyHistorySA.info
BENNETT Samuel, pulling hand (1844 Hagen)
BENNETT Thomas, pulling hand (1844 Hagen)

BUCK William, pulling hand (1844 Haynes, 1845 Hagen, 1851 Bennett)

BUDD William, boatsteerer (1845 Wilde)

CARTER John, pulling hand (1845 Hagen)

CLARK John, headsman (1844, 1845, 1846, 1847 Wilde, 1851 Bennett), pulling hand (1849 Barnett), tonguer (1851 Bennett)
CLARK Joseph, pulling hand (1845 Hagen)
CLARKE Isaac, boatsteerer (1844 Hagen)
CLARKE John, cook (1847 Hagen)

FAGAN James, pulling hand (1846 Hagen)
GANDEW Edward, pulling hand (1846 Hagen)

HARRISON George, pulling hand (1846 Hagen)
HARRISON John, headsman (1844 Haynes), cook (1847 Hagen)

HYDE John, pulling hand (1844 Hagen)
HYDE Morris, pulling hand (1848 Hagen)
HYDE Phillip, boatbuilder (1844 Wilde, 1846 Hagen), carpenter (1845, 1847 Hagen)

JONES Edward, pulling hand (1844, 1845, 1847 Hagen, 1848 Barnett, 1850 Bennett), tonguer (1847 Hagen)
JONES Richard, pulling hand (1846 Hagen)
JONES Thomas, pulling hand (1844 Wilde)
JONES William, pulling hand (1850 Barnett)

 MORGAN William, pulling hand (1845 Hagen)

SMITH Charles, pulling hand (1844 Haynes)
SMITH Grieve, headsman (1844 Hagen)
SMITH John, pulling hand (1844, 1845, 1847, 1848 Hagen, 1845 Wilde), boatsteerer (1846 Hagen)
SMITH Joshua, pulling hand (1845 Wilde)
SMITH Nathan, pulling hand & carpenter (1845 Hagen)
SMITH Thomas, pulling hand (1846 Hagen)
SMITH William, pulling hand (1845, 1846 Hagen)

Owners
S.A. Company
John Hart & Jacob Hagen
James Wilde & John Howard
J.T. Haynes
Barnett
Bennett

Bennett

James Frederick Bennett, Samuel Elkington Boord, William Johnstone & S R Clarke (1850)
James Frederick Bennett, Samuel Elkington Boord & William Johnstone (1851)

Barnett

Joseph Barnett (1848-49)
Joseph Barnett & Thomas Clark (1850) at Rapid Bay

Hagen

John Hart & Jacob Hagen (1844)
Jacob Hagen, John Baker & John Hart (1845-46)
John Baker, Jacob Hagen & John Hart (1847-48)

Haynes

J T Haynes (1844)

Wilde

James Wilde & John Howard (1844-45)
James Wilde, John Howard & William Johnstone (1846)
James Wilde & William Johnstone (1847)

The Town

Was surveyed quite early by Light. Title deeds are dated as early as 1837.

Reading list
Colwell Max, 1969. Whaling Around Australia
Cumpston J S, 1974. Kangaroo Island, 1800-1836
Gibb R M, 1969. A History of South Australia
Kostoglou Parry & McCarthy Justin, 1991. Whaling and Sealing Sites in South Australia
Nash Michael, 2003. The Bay Whales. Tasmania's Shore-Based Whaling Industry
Parsons Ronald, 1986. Southern Passages. A Maritime History of South Australia
Sexton R T, 1990. Shipping Arrivals and Departures. South Australia 1627-1850
Flinders University. The Archaeology of Whaling in Southern Australia and New Zealand (web page now unavailable)

Sources

https://www.familyhistorysa.org/sahistory/whaling.html
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/58840224 (Bob Sweetman)

Whaling vessels:

Sarah Elizabeth - possibly Henty
Isabella  - Hart
Gem
Nereus
Thistle - Griffiths

Hellwigs of South Australia

Variations: Hellwig, Helwig, Helbig.

Hellwigs were among the early Prussian immigrants to South Australia. They arrived on immigrant ships from Germany.

ARRIVALS 1838-1855
Source: Barry Leadbetter, FamilyHistorySA.org

• Zebra from Altona, 1838
  Friedrich HELBIG /HELWIG /HELLWIG (died at sea) family
  Elisabeth Eleonore nee Koch
  Johann Wilhelm, child
• George Washington from Bremen 1845,
   Georg Carl Christian HELLWIG, aged 26, Miner single
  
  
• Gellert from Bremen 1847,
  ADOLPH (Johann Carl Adolph) HELBIG / HELLWIG  family
  Clara nee Fritsche,
  Maria, child
  Carl, child
• Hermann von Beckerath 1847,
  Christian Friedrich Valentine HELLWIG / HELWIG age 22  single
  
• Ceres  from Bremen, 1849
   J. Carl Christian Gottlieb HELLWIG age 19, ore sorter, single
• Helene from Hamburg 1855.
  Johanna HELLWIG single

 HELLWIGS PRESENT IN THE COLONY 1838 - 1900

These were found in sources other than ship passenger lists, eg BDMs, newspapers, gazettes.

1. Carl  born c.1830, who married Anne/a Denecke/Donecke in 1854, arrived before Dec. 1854 and was the father (?) of Carl Wilhelm Eduard who changed his surname to Elvey. This is most likely J.Carl Christian Gottlieb, aged 19, ore sorter, who arrived on the Ceres, departed 1849, arrived 1850. He called himself Carl and is exactly the right age.
2. Carl who died in the Destitute Asylum in 1872 after being in Hospital. Had one child.
3. Carl, younger brother of Christian, who was ill a long time then died in 1872
4. Carl Wilhelm Eduard son of Anne nee Denecke and Carl, born 1855, later changed his surname to Elvey
   
5. Christian Friedrich Valentin; arrived 1847, on Hermann vov Beckerath farmer of Lobethal; native of Lautenthal, Hanover [Germany]; age 28 y; in SA 6 y; Memorial 12-8-1853; Oath 11-11-1854; Certificate 23-8-1853; Source(s) GG 12-1-1854, PP 1872, A821, A729 (v2). (Naturalisation record)
6. Georg Carl Christian; miner of Balhannah; native of Lautenthal near Goslar, Germany; age 30 y; in SA 3 y; Memorial 9-7-1849; Oath 22-8-1849; Certificate 16-7-1849; Source(s) GG 28-12-1848, GG 5-7-1860, PP 1872, A821. (Naturalisation record)
   (Note: 4&5 came from the same district. Moved to area close to each other, both Naturalised. Could they be brothers Christian and Carl of #3?)