Dadswell Family History

Generation 8
Charles Thomas Dadswell (1863-1940) and Susan Broadwood

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

Ancestors of Charles Thomas Dadswell

Robert Doudeswell 1560 > Robert Doudeswell 1606 > Edward Dodswell 1659 > Alexander Dodswell 1686 > Thomas Dadswell 1732 > James Dadswell 1786 > Thomas William Dadswell 1828 > Charles Thomas Dadswell 1863

Charles Thomas's story

Charles Thomas Dadswell was born at Pleasant Creek (now Stawell) on 24 May 1863 and moved with the family to Ledcourt Crossing (which later became known as Dadswells Bridge), where he would have been educated in the schoolhouse at the family hotel.

Charles was 16 in 1879 when the railway from Melbourne was extended to Horsham, by-passing Dadswells Bridge, and he is believed to have been working with his father at this time. His son Tom Dadswell (1900-1985) believed Charles bought out cheaply his father's declining hotel business but by 1886 Charles was in Horsham carrying on a timber and ironmongery business with his father, living and working in Wilson Street. The business was subsequently sold to the Weight family.

After the timber business, Charles became a contractor and is mentioned in the Borough of Horsham minute books between 1891 and 1892. He became a builder, constructing many buildings including the grandstand at the Horsham showground. He also had a team contracting to sink wells for water, and for cleaning or expanding existing wells or dams (see link below to see an account for 1902-03 work at the South Brighton Estate).

By 1900, Charles had three children by Susan Broadwood and in that year the couple married and lived at 33 Stawell Road, Horsham, in a house built by Charles himself. A fourth child was born that year.

[Susan Broadwood was the fourth of twelve children of Henry Thomas and Mary Anne (Baulch) Broadwood. Susan was born at Kirkstall, near Koroit, Victoria, in 1865.

As a young woman, Susan had two children before going to Horsham - Alice Maud Broadwood, born at Hamilton in 1886 and Elsie Jane Broadwood, born at Hamilton in 1889. Members of the family believe these two children were brought up by Susan's mother in Hamilton. A third child, Leslie James Broadwood, was born in Horsham in 1890 but died as an infant.

Susan then had three more children who were born at Horsham - Charles Dadswell (Broadwood), born 1893, Elena Ivy Dadswell (Broadwood), born 1896, and Olive Myrtle Dadswell (Broadwood). Following the 1900 marriage, two sons were born - Thomas William Dadswell (born 1900) and - according to family stories - a child who was born and died in 1902.]

About the time of the marriage of Charles and Susan, Charles began work with the West Wimmera Waterworks Trust, which was subsequently taken over by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (SR&WSC). He was involved in establishing the present Wimmera-Mallee farm irrigation scheme which today consists of 11 major storages and 1O,000km of distribution channels.

As a foreman and later a bailiff, he was responsible for the supervision of contractors building the channels and later in their upkeep. He was still with the project (then controlled by the SR&WSC) when he retired. Charles was apparently in poor health in his later years, and he died at Horsham on 17 July 1940, aged 77.

After Charles' death, Susan moved to Golton Vale in 1944 to live with her daughter Myrtle who had married Alex Heslop. Susan moved back to Horsham in December 1949 and remained at 45 Stawell Road until her death at the age of 85 the following year. Charles and Susan are buried in the same grave at Horsham Cemetery.

Key family dates

Children -

1. Charles Dadswell (Broadwood) born 1 April 1893 - died 22 April 1917

2. Elena Ivy Dadswell (Broadwood) born 25 Dec 1895 - [married 1. Francis Day, 2. Reinhold Müller, 3. Walter Rudolph Hartmann] - died 29 Sept 1967

3. Olive Myrtle Dadswell (Broadwood) born 9 April 1898 - [married Alex Heslop] - died 9 March 1951

4. Thomas William Dadswell born 7 May 1900 - [married Violet Ilma Evangeline Burford] - died 30 Dec 1985

5. Male child Dadswell born & died 1902

Photographs

Click on either picture to see a larger size photograph.

Further information

Charles Dadswell (1893-1917, generation 9, first child of Charles and Susan Dadswell)
Elena Ivy Dadswell (1895-1967, generation 9, second child)
Olive Myrtle Dadswell (1898-1951, generation 9, third child)
Thomas William Dadswell (1900-1985, generation 9, fourth child)
Brothers/sisters of Charles Thomas Dadswell
Thomas William Dadswell (generation 7, father of Charles Thomas Dadswell)