Major Events in the Lives of William and Mary Jane Hudson

The following table summarises, in chronological order, some of the major events that influenced the lives of William and Mary Jane Hudson. Further details are given in the table of births, baptisms and deaths of the children (above), and on the pages Records and Descendants. This table remains a "work in progress".

Date	Description of Event
1839	Donald Cameron established the first settler's home on the creek about 1 kilometre downstream from where Clunes now stands. Cameron was 21 years old and named the place Clunes after his home in Scotland.
07 Jul 1851	James Esmond announced payable gold at Clunes. A small rush followed, but the gold occurred mainly in quartz veins in the basement rock, requiring considerable capital and large cooperative mining activity to recover the gold.
1856	The London-based Port Phillip and Colonial Gold Mining Company negotiated an agreement to mine privately-owned land in Clunes, and the company erected a large stamping battery and pioneered many innovations in company mining.
31 Mar 1862	William Hudson arrived in Melbourne on the "Star of India", and headed for the farming districts and goldfields near Clunes.
ca 1868-70	William Hudson purchased his farm "Sunny Brow" on the "Smeaton Plains".
1869	The Port Phillip Gold Mine was classified as being the finest mine in the southern hemisphere. The battery consisted of 80 stamps and, during its working life, crushed 1,300,000 tons of quartz yielding nearly 500,000 ounces (over 16,000 kg) of gold worth over 2,000,000 pounds, making it the fourth most productive gold mine in Victoria.
October 1869	The Great Fire of October 1869 destroyed many of the shops in the business section of lower Fraser Street, Clunes.
1870s	The township of Clunes grew rapidly to become the 5th largest town in Victoria with a population of 30,000 people. The buildings were initially constructed of calico, hessian or canvas, and were progressively replaced by those made from timber and masonry. In 1872, there were 64 businesses and 12 hotels in lower Fraser Street. Magnificent public buildings were erected during the height of gold mining activity.
1872	William Hudson, farmer of Glengower was listed on the Voters' Roll for the East Riding of the Shire of Talbot, having a Property in the District of Creswick, Division of Clunes and being entitled to three votes.
1873	William Hudson farmer of Smeaton was listed on the Voters' Roll for the South Riding of the Shire of Talbot, having a Property in the District of Creswick, Division of Clunes and being entitled to three votes.
04 Sep 1873	William Hudson married Mary Jane Goddard at Skelgill Farm,Ullina (near Smeaton, Victoria).
Dec 1873	The Lothair mine, south of Clunes, was the cause of a near-riot when management attempted to use Chinese labour from Creswick and Ballarat to break a strike.
25 May 1874	Isabella Hudson, their first daughter, was born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde
06 Oct 1874	Mary Jane Goddard/Hudson's sister Elizabeth Goddard was married to John Weatherson, farmer of Middle Creek, Campbelltown..
	William Hudson, their first son, was born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde, but only lived for 5 hours.
18 Feb 1876	Mary Hudson, their second daughter was born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 26 Apr 1876. Listed in the Clunes Vaccination Records for 1876.
1876	William Hudson farmer of Smeaton was listed on the Voters' Roll for the South Riding of the Shire of Talbot, having a Property in the District of Creswick, Division of Clunes and being entitled to two votes.
29 Mar 1877	Thomas Hudson, their second and oldest surviving son, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 01 Aug 1877. Listed in the Clunes Vaccination Records for 1877.
28 Apr 1878	James Hudson, third son, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 21 Aug 1878.
03 Aug 1879	Agnes Hudson, third daughter, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 03 Dec 1879.
10 Jan 1881	George Hudson, fourth son, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 02 Mar1881.
06 Aug 1882	Lizzie Hudson, fourth daughter, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 18 Oct 1882.
12 Dec 1882	A mining disaster occurred when water flooded into the workings of the New Australasia Company’s No. 2 mine, near Creswick Twenty-seven men, working on the lower level of the deep lead, were trapped for over two days and, when the rescue party reached them, twenty-two were found to have drowned or been asphyxiated from lack of oxygen. A sum of 25,000 pounds was raised to help the families of the victims (more details at Gold).
01 Sep 1883	William Hudson, fifth son, was born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 28 Nov 1883.
25 Nov 1884	John Hudson, sixth son, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 04 Feb 1885.
17 Mar 1886	Gertrude Hudson, fifth daughter, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 22 Apr 1886.
13 Nov 1887	Rachel Victoria Hudson, sixth daughter, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 05 Jan 1888.
11 Dec 1888	Ruby Jane Hudson, seventh daughter, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 23 Jan 1889.
09 May 1890	Joseph Edmund Hudson, seventh son, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 02 Jul 1890.
12 May 1890	Mary Askew/Goddard/Sinclair (Mary Jane Goddard/Hudson's mother)died age 69 years. She had been living close to her daughter Elizabeth Goddard/Weatherson), and was buried at Campbelltown Cemetery.
05 Sep 1891	Robert Stanley Hudson, ninth son, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 05 Nov 1891.
29 Sep 1893	Robert Stanley Hudson died aged 2 years at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Buried at Smeaton Cemetery.
10 Mar 1894	Margaret Doris Hudson, eighth daughter, born at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Baptised at St Paul's Church, Clunes on 09 May 1894.



30 June 1895	Kate Sinclair (Mary Jane Goddard/Hudson's half-sister) died age 28 years and was buried with their mother, Mary Askew/Goddard/Sinclair, at Campbelltown Cemetery.
26 Jul 1895	Isabella Hudson died age 21 years from "inflammation of the lungs" at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Buried at Smeaton Cemetery 28 July 1985.
22 Jan 1896	Charles Hudson died age 10 hours at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde.
24 Dec 1896	Mary Hudson married Henry Conrad Muller.
ca Oct 1899	Thomas Hudson departed for the Western Australian goldfields with references from the Rev. C.M. Lowe (Vicar of Clunes) and Mr J.W. Preston (General Merchant and Undertaker, Clunes). His mother gave him a book of "Common Prayer and Church Hymns" in the front page of which she wrote her blessing.
1900	William Hudson farmer of "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde, Clunes was listed on the Voters' Roll for the South Riding of the Shire of Talbot, having a Property (farm, Smeaton) in the District of Clunes and Allendale, Division of Beckworth and being entitled to two votes.
14 April 1901	Charles Henry Hudson, son of Agnes Hudson was born. Agnes Hudson was 21 years old at the time of his birth, and it was decided that Charles would be cared for by his grandparents at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde.
31 Mar 1902	Lizzie Hudson married James Wolfenden at St Paul's Church, Clunes
19 Nov 1902	George Hudson married Catherine Hicks.
25 Jul 1907	John (Jack) Hudson died age 22 years from "an acute attack of pneumonia" at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Buried at Smeaton Cemetery 28 July 1907.

19 Feb 1908	Agnes Hudson married Joe Rowe.
29 Mar 1908	William Hudson died at "Sunny Brow", Lord Clyde. Buried at Smeaton Cemetery 31 March 1908. It was reported in the Clunes Guardian & Gazette that he left a "widow and twelve children", and that "three of the daughters are married, and two of the sons are in Western Australia, the remainder being at home." The five children to have died were William (1875), Robert Stanley (1893), Isabella (1895), Charles (1896), and John (1907); the married daughters Mary (1896), Lizzie (1902), and Agnes (1908); and the sons in Western Australia were James and William.
1908	Thomas Hudson returned to Clunes from Boulder, Western Australia to be present at the time of death and burial of his father. As "informant" on William Hudson's death certificate, he described himself as "Thomas Hudson, son, Lord Clyde". On 24 July 1908, his name appeared in the Clunes Guardian and Gazette as a committee member of the Clunes Coursing Club.
27 Jul 1908	Thomas Hudson married Laura Dunstan in Ballarat.
14 Apr 1909	James Hudson married Elsie May Hardeman in Boulder, WA.
ca 1911	Gertrude Hudson married Andrew Patrick Peno.
09 Nov 1911	Rachel Victoria Hudson, fourth daughter of Mrs William Hudson of Lord Clyde, was married at St Paul's Church, Clunes to Mr Henry (Harry) Harris, eldest son of Mr and Mrs William Harris of Sutherland Street, Clunes.
04 Jan 1912	Ruby Jane Hudson married Joseph Robert Weatherson at St Paul's Church, Clunes.
ca 1912	William Hudson married Edith Saggers in Western Australia.
ca 1914	Margaret Doris Hudson married George Frederick Smyth.
ca 1916	Joseph Edmund Hudson married Marjorie Alix Pearce.
1921	William Russell Hudson and Laurel Dorothy Hudson, children of Thomas Hudson, attended Clunes Primary School for a period while their mother, Laura Dunstan/Hudson, was visiting her mother, Eliza Jane Dunstan, at Smeaton Road, Clunes.
16 Apr 1926	Marjorie Alix Pearce/Hudson, wife of Joseph Edmund Hudson, died age 30 years and was buried in the Clunes Cemetery. She left her husband and six children (?number living).
01 Oct 1929	William Hudson died age 46 years in Western Australia.







ca 1933-34	Thomas Hudson returned to Victoria to spend time with his blind and aging mother. He visited her at 22 Bond Street, Ballarat, where she lived with her daughter Doris Smyth and other members of the Smyth family. A number of photographs were taken of Thomas Hudson with his mother and his sister's family.
26 May 1934	Mary Jane Hudson died at the Smyth home, 22 Bond Street, Ballarat age 80 years. Buried at Smeaton Cemetery.