Harding family of South Petherton, Somerset
The Harding family history spans generations, detailing life in England before their migration to Australia.
Background
The England part of this Harding history is partly drawn from research conducted by another arm of the Harding family who were also descendants of our direct immigrant ancestor Robert White Harding.
Harding families lived in the village of South Petherton in the English county of Somerset for centuries. South Petherton is located near Taunton.
In 1849, shepherd Robert White Harding and his wife Susan nee Davies set sail from the Port of Plymouth to establish their branch of the Harding family in Australia.
Roberts’ ancestors from the 17th century, insofar as can be established, are as follows:
First Generation
Thomas Harding married Elizabeth England. They had the following children:
- Ann Harding born 1680, South Petherton
- Thomas Harding born 1686, South Petherton
- Lawrence Harding born 1689, South Petherton
- Elizabeth Harding born 1693, South Petherton
Second Generation
Thomas Harding born 1686, buried 22.10.1738 aged 52. Married Ann. They had the following children:
- Thomas Harding born 1710
- William Harding born 1712, South Petherton
- Catherine Harding born 1714, South Petherton
- Laurence Harding born 1718, South Petherton
- Sarah Harding born 1722, South Petherton
- Abraham Harding born 1725, South Petherton
- Margaret Harding born 1727, South Petherton
- John Harding born 1731, South Petherton
Third Generation
John Harding, agricultural labourer, born 1731 buried 7 Dec 1794 aged 63. Married Elizabeth Hutchins on 13 Oct 1757 at Bridgewater, Somerset. They had the following children:
- Elias Harding born 1759, South Petherton
- Betty Harding born 1759, South Petherton
- Phillip Harding born 1763, South Petherton
- Joseph Harding born 1766, South Petherton
- Henry Harding born 1769, South Petherton
- Lawrence Harding born 1772, South Petherton
- Henry Harding born 1775, South Petherton
Fourth Generation
Elias Harding, baker, baptised 25 Mar 1759, buried 18 Feb 1820 aged 61. Married Mary Naish, born about 1757, on 22 Nov 1780 at South Petherton. They had 13 children of whom only 3 or 4 survived into adulthood, including the next descendant Elias:
- Betty Harding born and died 1780, South Petherton
- Betty Harding born 1781 and died 1786, South Petherton
- John Harding born and died 1783, South Petherton
- John Harding born 1784, South Petherton, died 6.2.1854 aged 70 at Saltwater Creek (Connewarre), Victoria. John emigrated to Port Phillip (Connewarre) in 1849 when he was 62 after his 1st & 2nd wives had died. He saw out his final years with his son Elias (1808-1893) who was the first of the Harding clan to emigrate in 1838 and one of the first pioneer settlers. Elias took up large tracts of land in Connewarre and at Mt Pleasant near Torquay however after 25 years moved to Queensland following 7 years of poor farm returns. He took up large cattle runs near Ipswich where Harding descendants still live.
- James Harding born 1786, South Petherton
- Betty Harding born 1787 died 1788, South Petherton
- Joseph Harding born 1789 died 1817, South Petherton
- Elias Harding born and died 1790, South Petherton
- Betty Harding born 1791 died 1795, South Petherton
- Ann Harding born and died 1794, South Petherton
- Mary Harding born about 1797, South Petherton
- Elias Harding born 1797 died 1873, South Petherton
- Isaac Harding born 1798 died 1799, South Petherton
Fifth Generation
Elias Harding, farmer, baptised 3 Dec 1797, Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, South Petherton. Buried on 24 Oct 1873 aged 74. Married Hannah Ostler, born about 1803, on 8 Sept 1820 when he was 33 and she 17. Hannah died in 1833 aged 31.
They had four children as follows:
- Susan Mary Harding baptised 6.7.1821, South Petherton
- William Harding baptised 28.9.1823. Died 23.7.1875, South Petherton
- Robert White Harding born 27.9.1826 South Petherton. Died 8.9.1909 Portarlington, Victoria.
- John Harding born about 1830. Died 29.2.1896. South Petherton
Elias remarried 6 months later on 26.11.1833 to Phoebe Wines. They had a further 6 children. The 4 youngest males emigrated to South Australia:
- Samuel Harding born 4.5.1835. Died 23.11.1867 South Petherton
- Betsy Harding born 20.5.1837 South Petherton
- Henry Harding born 5.5.1839 South Petherton. Died 24.9.1894 Lochiel, South Australia.
- Joseph Harding born 3.4.1842 South Petherton. Died 20.9.1922 Cheltenham, South Australia.
- George Harding born 24.1.1845 South Petherton. Died June 1931, Lochiel, South Australia.
- Elias Harding born 25.8.1847 South Petherton. Died 11.8.1932, Cheltenham, South Australia.
Sixth Generation
Emigration to Port Phillip, Melbourne
Robert White Harding born 1828, agricultural labourer/shepherd, married Susan Davies born 1827 at Summershead, South Petherton, on Christmas Day 1848 when he was 19 years of age and Susan was 20.
Robert & Susan set sail from the Port of Plymouth, England, on 6 March 1849 on the ship Hope, arriving at Melbourne on 21 July 1849. A female infant was born during the voyage (noted on the ships manifest.) They had 11 children as follows:
- Infant born 1849 on the ship Hope. According to family notes she was known as Mary and died onboard the ship during the voyage. That said there is no formal birth or death record thus no formal record of her being named Mary.
- John born November 1850. His birth was officially recorded as ‘Indented Head’ which referred at the time to the whole of the Bellarine Peninsula. John became a prominent cattle and sheep breeder (from his archived newspaper obituary.) He died at Tatura, Victoria in September 1930 aged 79. His wife Ursulla died in 1932 at Tatura aged 82.
- Henry Harding born 1853, Connewarre. Died 1930, Wangaratta.
- Samuel Harding born 1855, Geelong (probably Connewarre.) Died 1939, Wycheproof.
- Charles Harding born Connewarre 1856. Died at birth. Thought to be buried on the Connewarre property.
- Edith Laura Harding born 1857, East Bellarine. (By this time father Robert had left Connewarre and moved to East Bellarine.) Died 1952, Geelong West. Edith married late in life.
- Barbara Harding born 1859, Bellarine. Married John Oliver who became curator of Queens Park Gardens, Moonee Ponds, Melbourne. Died 1939, Royal Park, Melbourne.
- William Davies Harding born 1861, East Bellarine. Died 1936, Portarlington.
- Silas Harding born 1863, Bellarine. Married Emily Rodden in 1887 at Portland. Farmed his entire working life at Dunkeld. Died 1946, Ararat.
- Elizabeth Harding born 1865, Dunkeld. Married Charles Henry Judkins in 1890 and moved to Queensland. Died 1948 Queensland
- Elias Harding born 1868, Dunkeld, married. Died 1945, Somerville, Victoria
According to family, Robert had initially settled in the Connewarre area near Geelong working on his cousin Elias’ farm. The first four or five of their Australian born children were born at Connewarre. By 1857 the family had moved to East Bellarine where, as at 1863, rate books show him leasing two separate 80 acre lots in Scotchmans Road. He next moved to Dunkeld between 1863 & 1865 to work on Silas Harding’s farm. (Silas was not related and hailed from Devon.) At some point Robert moved to Bendigo following the gold rush and later engaged in the family Cider making business. Robert’s wife Susan died in 1895 at Bendigo aged 68. He remarried in 1903 at Bendigo when he was in his mid 70s to Alice Bailey aged 21 years. He moved back to East Bellarine after a 40 year absence sometime between 1903 & 1909 where, while living with his son William Davies Harding, he died in 1909 aged 81 years. According to family legend William sent Alice on her way as she was a bit of a ‘ratbag!’ Alice moved back to live with her parents in Skipton. She died there 3 years later in 1912 aged 30.
Robert’s wife Susan died in 1895 at Bendigo aged 68. He remarried in 1903 at Bendigo when he was in his mid 70s to Alice Bailey aged 21 years. He moved back to East Bellarine after a 40 year absence sometime between 1903 & 1909 where, while living with his son William Davies Harding, he died in 1909 aged 81 years. According to family legend William sent Alice on her way as she was a bit of a ‘ratbag!’ Alice moved back to live with her parents in Skipton. She died there 3 years later in 1912 aged 30.
Robert left his estate consisting of a property at Dunkeld valued for probate purposes at £160 and a 9 acre property at Bellarine with a 30 year old 10 room weatherboard house, valued at £325, to Alice! This property was described as part of Portion 5 Parish of Bellarine which is on the Portarlington Road opposite Spray Farm. This is the same locale as George Baker’s 9 acre plot known as Lightwood Farm and appears to have been one and the same – see Baker family history for further. It was the only 9 acre plot in the larger Portion 5. It appears that he had only bought that property within the previous 2 years as his will mentions conveyance in 1907. If so he has effectively bought the property from his son William’s father-in- law, George Baker. George had retired to Portarlington around this time. Some years later this property became part of a larger property owned by Don Gray. Don’s mother was Susan Ethel Gray nee Parsons who was the sister of Myrtle Elizabeth Ibbotson nee Parsons – see their family histories for further.
No provision was made in Robert’s will for his sons or daughters.
Seventh Generation
William Davies Harding was born on 10 September 1861 at East Bellarine shortly before his parents moved the family to Dunkeld to work on Silas Harding’s ‘Devon Park’ farm. (Silas was not related to our Hardings – he was from Devon. His history is well documented.)
William returned to East Bellarine around 1884 with one of his sisters, working on various farms in the area. His spinster sister Edith worked as a cook at Charles Ibbotson’s Spray Farm. Some accounts have him working on and/or share farming on Spray Farm while living on nearby ‘Sutton’ farm in Scotchmans Road. In 1897, a newspaper article reported on the upcoming auction of William’s 10 acre property at Lot 30 in Scotchmans Road. This property (land only) was next door to ‘Sutton’ on what was known as ‘White’s’ farm. William had acquired that land in 1890. It appears to have been the only property owned by William until he retired and bought 64 Stevens Street, Portarlington in 1928.
William married Ada Louise Baker born 8 September 1875 of ‘Lightwood’ farm East Bellarine, at Wesley Church, Geelong on 7 Nov 1893 when William was 32 and Ada was 18. Ada was a daughter of George Baker. They had five children as follows:
- Cyril Hope Harding born 30 Dec 1893. Died 1926 aged 33 years at Melbourne. Buried Portarlington Cemetery with brother Jack.
- Alma Harding born 1896. Died 1980, Bairnsdale.
- Frank Harding born 1899. Died in infancy 1901. Buried Drysdale cemetery in an unmarked grave.
- Robert (Bob) George Harding born 1902. Died 1991, Portarlington. Buried Portarlington cemetery.
- Jack Baker Harding born 1905. Died 1922 aged 17. Buried Portarlington cemetery with brother Cyril.
Cyril Hope Harding was born at Sutton Farm, East Bellarine. He enlisted in the AIF on 12 July 1915 aged 22 at Geelong and was attached to the 11th reinforcements, 37th Battalion. On 9 November 1915 he embarked from Sydney to France on the ‘Beltana.’
Between January 1916 & August 1916, Cyril was in and out of hospital with conjunctivitis & jaundice. On 17 August 1916 he was reported wounded in action near Ypres, France. It was later established at a Field Court Martial, where he was charged with “neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline”, that the wound, a gunshot to his left hand, was ‘self inflicted.’ He was sentenced to 21 days “Field Imprisonment.” This usually meant being placed in fetters & handcuffs but still capable of being marched. Cyril was later repatriated to England and hospitalised for a further month, he remained in England until Jan 1918 when he was shipped back to the Western Front, France where in August he was wounded again. In September 1918 he was back at the Front. After the end of the war 2 months later, he returned to England where he was attached to the Australian Mechanical Transport Service, Chelsea, as a driver. On 22 September 1919 he married hospital nurse Julia Rose Elizabeth Varndell at Bagshot, England. On 16 April 1920 he embarked for Melbourne on the ‘Hororata’ arriving on 10 June 1920. Julia was on the ship with him but as it was a troop ship they were billeted separately. Julia was pregnant at the time and gave birth at Geelong on 19 August to Jean Kathleen Harding. Cyril was discharged from the Army in March 1921 as “Medically unfit due to the gunshot wound to his hand.” In January 1923, apparently after a return visit to England, Julia and two year old Jean returned to Australia traveling 3rd Class on the ‘Jervis Bay.’ They lived in the Moonee Ponds area, with Cyril recorded as a Police Constable. They had another child, Donald Claude Harding born in 1924.
Cyril died in 1926 at Ascot Vale, Melbourne aged 32 years. Julia and the two children returned to England soon after. Julia is next recorded in 1929 with her family in Surrey, England. Julia died in Surrey in 1978 aged 84 years. Jean died in Surrey aged 77 years having never married. Don married nurse Jeannie Whip in Surrey in 1947 before emigrating to Melbourne on the migrant ship Asturius in 1949. Jeannie died in 1979 aged 59 years. Donald died in 1990 aged 66 years following a car accident in New South Wales. Both are buried at Fawkner Cemetery.
Alma Louisa Harding was born at East Bellarine. She married Harry Clive Lyon 1894-1970 at Portarlington in 1922. Alma was living at ‘Sutton’ farm at the time. Harry had enlisted in WW1 on 15 July 1915 serving with the 4th Light Horse in Egypt. He returned in July 1919 relatively unscathed and was discharged in September 1919. Harry & Alma moved around Victoria, mostly Gippsland where Harry worked variously as a clerk and later, Shire Secretary. Harry died at Bairnsdale in 1970 aged 76. Alma died at Bairnsdale in 1980 aged 84.
Frank Harding was born at East Bellarine in 1899. He died as an infant and is buried at Drysdale in an unmarked grave.
Jack Baker Harding was born at East Bellarine in 1905. He died in 1922 aged 17 years. According to his death certificate he suffered from an internal haemorrhage.
William & Ada retired to 64 Stevens Street, Portarlington in 1928.
William died at Portarlington on 10 November 1936 aged 76 years. Ada died at Portarlington on 22 March 1951 aged 76 years. Both are buried at Portarlington cemetery.
Eighth Generation
Robert George Harding married Ella Doris Day born 20 Sept 1903, on 5 May 1923.
Robert was born at East Bellarine on 27 August 1902 at ‘Sutton’ Farm. He went to the Bellarine State School (since demolished) for 9 years missing only one day. Left school at 14 years of age and worked on various farms in the area until moving in 1925 to Geelong West working as a fireman at Victorian Railways. The family lived in Wellington Street, Geelong West at the time. Robert was laid off in 1930 due to the depression. Robert enlisted in WW2 in 1939 serving in Egypt & Greece. On discharge in April 1944, he went fishing at Portarlington and then worked at the Bellarine Shire until retiring aged 64. During those years he was part-time grave digger at Portarlington cemetery. He was initially paid £1 per grave but was able to put the price up to £2 after no one else wanted the job. His name appears on many local death certificates as registrar. He remained as Secretary of the Portarlington Cemetery until 1981 after 37 years in the role. Robert died on 18 February 1991 aged 88 years. He is buried with Ella at Portarlington Cemetery in a plot that he had set aside for himself many years earlier.
Ella became a school teacher at Portarlington State School from 1919 to 1923. During WW2 while Robert was away she lived in the old Portarlington Library which had been partly converted into a house. Her mother in law Ada, was the librarian at the time.
In the meantime, Robert’s father William had retired from farming and in 1928 bought the house at 64 Stevens Street, Portarlington. The house had been built in 1872. Robert & Ella inherited the house after Ada died in 1951.
Ninth Generation
Robert & Ella had 5 children as follows:
- Gordon James Harding (my father) born 4 August 1923 at Portarlington. Started school in 1929 at Ashby State School, Geelong West for 2 years while father Bob Harding worked on the railways. After Bob was laid off during the depression, the family returned to Portarlington where Gordon went to school for a further 6 years leaving when he was 13 years old to work in his mother’s family (Day) butcher shop. Enlisted in the Army in 1942 serving in New Britain. After the war he returned to the butcher shop. In 1949 he started progressively building his house in Stevens Street, Portarlington. In March 1950 he married Joyce Irene Ibbotson at Geelong and they moved into the now completed house. Four years later in 1954 they sold the house and with his uncle Ernest (Paddy) Hutchins and his aunty Leila Day they bought Gallop brothers butchers in Wyndham Street, Drysdale. Leila Day, his Aunty, had been managing the Portarlington butcher shop since her father James Day the 3rd had died in 1924. In the early 1960s the Drysdale shop and other buildings and surrounding farmland were bought by developers. Gordon moved to a new shop in the main street in 1962 and in 1972 he bought out Paddy Hutchins. Gordon sold the business and retired in 1985. He died at Clifton Springs on 26 Jan 2014 aged 90.
- Thelma Kathleen Harding born 25 June 1924. Married Alex Day. Thelma died on 17 March 2013 aged 88 years.
- Jack Harding born 17 October 1925 at Portarlington. Married Enid Mary Ibbotson 27 Feb 1930. Enid died on 7 Apr 2013 aged 83 years. Jack died on 10 February 2018 aged 92 years. He had spent his entire working life with the RAAF and went to Japan at the end of the war as part of the occupation forces. Jack & family were posted to Milan, Italy & Butterworth, Malaysia during his RAAF service.
- Betty Harding born 25 April 1931 at Portarlington. Married John McCleary born 4 May 1924 died 13 March 2001. Betty died on 15 June 1989 aged 58 years from cancer.
- Ronald William Harding born 15 July 1935 at Portarlington. Married Janice Trezise. Ron died at Geelong on 19 September 2001 aged 65 years from cancer.
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