William Tweedie

From eurekapedia
Revision as of 21:16, 5 April 2020 by Cgervaso (talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

Post 1854 Experiences

Tweedie was residing at Ballarat when he signed the Benden Hassell Petition in 1856. <ref>Wickham, Dorothy, Shot in the Dark: Being the Petition for the Compensation Case of Benden S. Hassell, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1998.</ref


NOtes

WHO’S WHO?
LINKS WITH THE PIONEERS
NO. 19. THE TWEEDIES.
BY M. M'CALLUM.
Back in the days of primeval Ballarat, when this centre was little more than a tented community of gold seekers, living fairly close to nature, the Australian history of the Tweedie family extends. When the late William Tweedie set foot on Ballarat the country beyond Doveton street was known as "the bush,” and there was a larger population east of the Yarrowee, about the course of which, and to the east of which, most of the old time “cradlors” operated; where rising up to the 'Eureka head there was much animation, and where, to quote an old friend “Vancouver”— “The golden gleam of the sun’s first beam, The veil of the morning lifts.” But the late Mr Tweedie was not of the flotsam and jetsam gold-seekers; who “rushed” the golden stores of Ballarat. He required just as much as would keep the provebial wolf a safe distance from the door, and help him to establish a competence, but his motive in coming to Ballarat was to take over the position of the County Court bailiff, in response to the invitation of Mr (later Sir) Henry Wrixon. Mr Tweedie had a letter of introduction from a brother of this particular Wrixon, for whom he had served as private secretary in Ireland. Mr Tweedie, however, was not an lrish man by birth — he first saw the light at Newcastle-on-the-Tyne, that now great Industrial city of Northumberland, where the raiding hands from over the border, and even the Scottish armies from further north were held up many a time, though Northumberland was sometimes a Scottish possession. Here Mr. Tweedie was born in 1830. and When little more than a child was taken to Belfast, Ulster Ire land, where he officiated as a junior clerk for one Fagan. He became an Australian in 1848, and in 1854 came to Ballarat, where two years later he wedded Miss Helen Forbes Wallace M'Millan. Thus, through the veins of the later generations ot Tweedies a large flow of Scottish, blood courses. The late Mr Tweedie’s early connection with Ballarat has an historical flavor which makes interesting reading. When he came to Ballarat the Eureka Stockade trouble was already at the fomenting stage, and Mr Tweedie was here in good time to be sworn in as a special constable during the trouble. As a matter of fact he was put in charge of a sort of redoubt on Camp Hill, where he had to guard a hay stack, or be guarded by it alternately. Camp Hill at that time was but sparsely built on and Mr Tweedie’s cottage lay but a few chains further north on the site of the western railway centre, which was then known as Soldiers’ Hill, although the “Hill” is popularly supposed to begin at about Clarendon street. Probably in those days it was difficult to tell where Camp Hill ended and Soldiers' Hill began. Both bear names that had their origin in the Eureka trouble. When the Eureka aftermath was engaging attention Mr Tweedie was performing the functions of County Court bailiff, which in those days was a much more responsible office than it is to-day. He had to handle big cases at times, and became officially connected with many historical cau ny institutions on account of his official duties, but he was mostly in terested in the Mechanics’ Institute and Christ Church, being a member of the committee of the former and a vestryman of the church. He was one of three loyal sponsors for the Mechanics’ Institute when financial stress threatened its extinction, his name appearing on the historic document (now preserved in the library as a relic of the institute's most troublesome period) !as one of the three who guaranteed the (bank perform of a ‘joint and several to the extent of £6000. The bank later descended upon the guarantors, but the trouble was relieved by means of an art union on a large scale. Mr Tweedie was hardly beyond the period known as the prime of life when a heart trouble carried him off — at the age of 58 years—on 26th June, 1888. The net value of the settlement in Ballarat by the Tweedies, pere and mere, was considerable measured in human assets — for there were 10 children. The fates dealt not altogether kindly with the family, for three were carried off in early youth, namely, Arthur, Florence a Frank, leaving seven survivors. It is interesting to note that the Misses H. G. and L. Tweedie are occupying the home in which their parents established themselves 63 years ago, and where all the members of the family were born. At that time the home, which is in Doveton street south, was reached by way of Dana street, then the principal thoroughfare, and it lay in primeval surroundings in the heart of a grazing patch, though the parents were not living quite so much in justaxaposition to the quadruped as was the cases in olden times in Northumberland and other northern parts ot England, where the horses and oxen were penned in the lower story of the home or protection from the roving bands of cattle stealers who crossed the border. The eldest, daughter is Mrs A. Winton Jack, the wife of a well-known citizen of Melbourne, who was formerly a member of the firm of Andrew Jack and Cos., and who is now hon. treasurer of the United Commercial Travellers' Association. The surviving sons are Messrs Walter H., William A. George and Alec Tweedie. Mr Walter Tweedie, who was born in Ballarat in 1863. and educated at the old High School in Camp street, and at Thomas's Grammer School, joined the firm of A. M. Greenfield and Co as a junior clerk, and in time rose to a partnership, as did his brother, Mr William Tweedie. This lengthy association with the very old firm indicated was broken as recently as a few months ago, and while Mr Walter established a similar business on his own account in Market Square, Mr William Tweedie, who had been managing the Melbourne office of A. M. Greenfield and Cos., set himself up in like manner in the metropolis. Mr Walter Tweedie, who married a daughter of the late William Broadbent, one of the founders of the firm of Broadbent Brothers and Co., has been actively identified with a number of sporting and social institutions in the city. He has been president of the Central Bowling Club (1914-15)) and the Old Colonists' Club, and is at present hon. treasurer ot both clubs, and in addition served the Old Colonists’ Association in the capacity ol trustee and committeeman, and the Com mercial Club as hon, treasurer. He also supports several public institutions to a fitting degree. Mr. William Archibald Tweedie has so been active in the interests of sporting and social bodies, having become secretary of the Ballarat Hunt Club when it was revived in 1895, and in later years succeeding Lieut.-Colonel Grenfield as secretary of the Ballarat Turf Club, when the Colonel was elected to the presidency. He is a former president of the Commercial Club, and other clubs thatc laim him as a member of the Old Colonists' and and C.T.A., and West End Club, Melbourne. He was born in 1865 and educated at the old High School, and Thomas’ Grammer Association. Mrs Tweedie is a daughter of the late Mr Andrew Anderson. J.P. tanner and well-known citizen. Mr George Tweedie in recent years, retired from the service of the Commonwealth Audit Department. In Adelaide, on account of ill-health. Mr Alec Tweedie, F.I.C.A. who. was born in 1881. and educated at the Ballarat College was ledger-keeper to the Ballarat Banking Co. for a number of years, and has latterly been serving as assistant secretary of the Melbourne Hospital; for which work he is well fitted, he being a highly Qualified accountant. He was one of the founders and chairman for some years of the Ballarat branch of the; In corporated Institute of Accountants, and was for some time instructor in account ancy at the School of Mines. He was hon. secretary of he Ballarat College Council, auditor of the old ‘Colonists’ Club and Yacht Club, and Noble Grand of the Loyal Ballarat Lodge of the M.U.I.0.0.F. Mrs Tweedie is a daughter of the late Mr Charles Eyres, manager of the Ballarat Banking Go. As regards the third generation of Ballarat Tweedies, Mr Herbert F. Tweedie as the prospective future head of the house of Twedie, commands first notice. The son of Mr W. H. Twedie, and born in 1890, he was educated at the Ballarat Grammer School, and later became sales clerk for the firm of A. M. Greenfield and Co., assistant manager of the Melbourne office, and lately joined his father in the latters business as head salesman. He served in the late war with the Artillery. He is as sistant secretary of the Ballarat (formerly Wendouree) Tennis Club, and was first hon. secretary of the present Ballarat L.T. Association. Mrs Tweedie is a daughter of Mrs Bechervaise (formerly Mrs McGillivrary), of Geelong. Miss Alice Tweedie is private secretary to the Right. Rev. Dr. A. V. Green, formerly Bishop of Ballarat, and held that office during part of the Bishop's occupancy of the Ballarat See, and Miss Hilda Tweedie largely divides her time as a V.A.D. helper at the Red Cross Rest Home and the Ballarat Tennis Club’s courts. Mr W. Tweedie’s son, Forbes Anderson, gained distinction in the late war, receiving the Military Medal for gallantry with the 6th Battalion machine gun detachment, in France. He was formerly with the firm of Ronaldson Bros, and Tippett and latterly with that of Sargood Bros. Mr George Tweedie was represented at the front by two sons, one — the late Sgt. Wallace Tweedie — subsequently dying from the effects of gas attacks in France, while the other, Captain Leslie Tweedie, was so successful a soldier as to be awarded the M.C. and the M.S.M. distinctions.<ref>Ballarat Star, 25 March 1921.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

See also

Benden Sherritt Hassell Compensation Case

Further Reading

Wickham, Dorothy, Shot in the Dark: Being the Petition for the Compensation Case of Benden S. Hassell, Ballarat Heritage Services, 1998.

References


External links



File:File name.jpg
Caption, Reference.