User:Nortona/sandbox/Edward D'Arcy

= Edward D'Arcy =

Born in Ireland in 1823 most probably in Dublin the son  of Timothy  and Norah D’Arcy.

He migrated to Australia in 1854 on the Clipper ship, "James Baines"  and made his way to Talbot on the Victorian goldfields where he became a publican at a number of hotels .Here is was involved in a police inquest when his hotel burnt down in 1867. Edward next moved to Cooktown ,the port for the Palmer Goldfields .Working as a draper in the main street he was elected to the local council and then mayor in 1883.

in 1884 he turned the first sod on the Cooktown to Palmer river goldfields Railway. Although being Roman Catholic by now he was unmarried with three children. Resigning from the council he made his way to Sydney 1886 where he married Elizabeth Gostellow who he had met in Talbot in 1860's. He returned to Cooktown and again became Mayor. Moving back to  Port Melbourne in 1889 he was again a publican at the Floodgate Hotel until retiring to Cairns where he died in 1904.

Since then there have been a number of books published claiming Edward as their Ancestor including fathering a child in Talbot when he was by all accounts in Cooktown.

Early life. Edward was born in Ireland in 1823 and his death certificate states he was born in Dublin. On the 9th December 1854 at the age of 31 he departed Liverpool,

England aboard the Clipper "James Baines" along with 707 passengers, 75 Sheep ,86 pigs and 100 dozen poultry. On the 12th February 18554 he arrived in Port Melbourne after 65 days at sea.

This was the fasted passage time for the voyage at the time.

Talbot Victoria.

After arriving in Melbourne in 1854 he made his way to the goldfields and after not finding his fortune became a publican at Talbot. From 1860until 1862 at the All Nations hotel then from1863 until 1867 he ran the Camp hotel which was also known as the shamrock

In 867 a fire broke out at the Shamrock and it was destroyed .An inquest was held into the fire and Edward was asked to give evidence the findings were that a light form the fireplace was to blame and no further action was taken.

from 1868 He was again a publican ,this time of the London & New York hotel and than in 1870 he took over the Bull and Mouth hotel. It was during this time he was arrested for drunkenness and fined 10 shillings. During this period he had 3 children Mary ,Edward jnr, and Thomas with Elizabeth Gostellow although not married and no register of the births can be found.

Cooktown Queensland.

In 1876 he and his family moved on the ship the Florence to Cooktown ,which was the port for the Palmer River goldfields. it is best described in the book "River of Gold "by Hector Holthouse. Here he set up as a draper in Charlotte street and by 1880 was elected as an alderman to the Cooktown Shire Council,. and becoming Mayor in 1883 .On the 3rd April 1884 he turned the first sod on the Cooktown to Laura railway. The townsfolk presented him with a small wheelbarrow that had an inscription plate made out of beaten florins. The first section was subsequently reported in the QLD Figaro and Punch on the 19th December 1885 where they mentioned the Mayor's son falling from the train, but him only being bruised.

Port Melbourne Victoria.

in 1889 Edward moved with his family to Graton street, Port Melbourne where in 1st August 1889 he took over the license of the Floodgate hotel in Port Melbourne.In 1892 "Edward Snr. and Edward Jnr. were fined 7 pounds 11 shillings for selling grog ,out of hours."

Cairns Queensland.

Moving to Cairns in 1897, he lived with his son Edward George D'Arcy and his wife Christina Christensen in Dutton Street until his death on the 6th June 1904 and was buried in plot 1161  in the McLeod Street Pioneer Cemetery

Mysteries.

In recent times there have been a few books published that claim Edward as their ancestor. Whilst this is admirable it currently does not hold up. In the book "Before their footsteps fade forever " by Greg and Chris Darcy the authors have asked the Oxley library in Brisbane for information and they have suggested a number of Darcy gentlemen living in Queensland at the time. This perhaps lead to the authors jumping to a conclusion which does not hold up with the geographical locations mentioned.

In the second book D.A.R.C by Joan Barnett ,it relates to a pregnant female that was resident with the Gostellow family in Talbot where Edwards partner and future spouse Elizabeth Gostellow was from .the mystery gets more intriguing as the child born was christened David Andrew Reginald Cressie where the initials spell DARC. This was sometimes used to suggest the father of the illegitimate child. Despite extensive investigation it appears unlikely as Edward was resident in Cooktown at the time. To confound the mystery a letter was sent to the girl Rosemond from Cooktown during the time of her pregnancy but its contents have not been revealed.

The final mystery is what did he look like the only known photo is of him as mayor but family members suggest the photo credits may have mixed up the names with D'Arcy and Davis swapped.