Caleb moves to Victoria

Something made Caleb give up his land and move to South Australia. He simply may have wanted to escape the island's convict stain or his farm may have failed in the general economic depression suffered by Van Diemen's Land in the 1840s. On the other hand South Australia was trying very hard to encourage more settlers by offering high prices for gold, which in turn attracted settlers, for service industries, and farmers. Many former gold diggers bought land in South Australia from their winnings. It is therefore possible that his Spring Dale farm had failed and he emigrated to South Australia. The family was living in or passing through Cox's Creek, Adelaide when their next child, Charles Walter, was born on 7 April 1850. Charles Walter's death certificate suggests that, before settling in Victoria, Caleb and family lived in New South Wales for a period of five years. However, this would be after Caleb's recorded death in Victoria. Caleb was lured to Ballarat where gold had been discovered in 1851and to Miners Rest. Elizabeth emily milner's marriage certificate, of 1867, would suggest that Caleb was attracted to the area to provide the services of publican.

Above: Miners Rest Church

Caleb's death

Family hearsay always recorded that Caleb died an accidental death, falling from his horse, suggesting a letter had reached Nafferton. Many years later this information was confirmed by the Victorian Inquest Index for 1840-1985 and by the inquest papers:

Name:       Caleb Crompton
Place:      Dowling Forest
Year:       1854
Ref.:       736
Sex:        M
Cause:      Accident
Occupation: Adult

On 29 December 1854, Caleb decided to go to the race meeting at Dowling Forest (a small settlement just outside Ballarat), leaving home about noon, after borrowing some money from his partner, Alexander Sangster. He was seen in the tent of Thomas Fletcher, store keeper, the evening he died and was expected back that evening, but wasn't missed, by Sangster, because he thought that Caleb might have gone to the race dinner in Ballarat. His body was found on the road near the race course just after nine o'clock the next morning. His dented hat and one horse was found in the bush nearby. According to one of the jurors at the inquest, Caleb "was rather given to drinking".

1821info3 sheet 2

The sketch above, from a photograph taken in 1896, shows the Grand Junction Hotel, situated at the junction of the Clunes Road and Learmouth Road, Dowling. It was one of the more substancial buildings of Ballarat, being two stories, brick built and with a large ballroom on the upper floor. Because of the nature of the building and its proximity to Dowling Forest race track the Grand Junction was a possible site for Caleb's inquest.

With thanks to Glen Crompton, of Ballarat, whose great grandfather once owned Henderson's Grand Junction.

Many editions of the 'Ballarat Times' dated between August 1854 to November 1867, which may have commented on Caleb's inquest, are missing. However, the newspaper of January 1855, located in Ballarat Library, was a Post Office advertisement listing the names of people who had not collected their mail. A letter for Caleb CRAMPTON had been waiting for him since November. The dialect spelling of his name suggests that this letter had not come from his family in England.

Click on the image for a 600x3300 pixel, 530Kb full picture.

'The Argus', the Melbourne paper of the times, of 26 December 1854 didn't mention the Races on that day, nor was there a report on 27 December 1854. There were a number of inquests reported on 30 December 1854, but nothing on Caleb. However, there was a lot of comment on the Crimean War and the fight with Russia.

With thanks to Warren Power in Creswick, Victoria, for researching the 'Ballarat Times'.

Caleb's burial place

There can only be speculation about where Caleb was buried. It does not appear to be in the Old Dowling Cemetery, which opened in 1859. Facts such as Burrumbeet church being nearer Windemere and that the Windemere Church is nearer Cardigan serve only to underscore how difficult tracing things from the gold rush days can be. Cardigan never had a church - it would probably have been at Miners Rest. Both these churches have burial grounds that are candidates.

Footnote- the original Dowling Forest homestead

This Homestead, of 40,000 acres, was built by one William(?) Clarke and named after his bride's maiden name of Dowling. There is a strong possibility that the old house of "Dowling" still stands, nearer the Dowling Forest Cemetery than Miner's Rest, and that the farm is now 'the old Walton farm'.

'Big' William Clarke was asked to fund the building of the now venerated Ballarat theatre - 'Her Majesty's'.

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This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass	Version A3 Updated 19 April 2005