WILLIAM CLARK was born on the 26th. October, 1845 in Hobart, Tasmania. Mother - MARY RUSSELL, Father - ALEXANDER CLARK (Superintendant of the New Wharf).

According to William's death certificate, he lived in Tasmania for 19 years and the remainder of his life in Victoria. This would mean that, about1864 William left Tasmania for Victoria where he was employed as a miner in Creswick.

On the 9th. February, 1871 William married ANN BOOTH in the Presbyterian Church, 54 Drummond St. Ballarat. Ann's brother, Bradley, acted as a witness at the wedding. William and ANN had a family of six children -

William had some narrow escapes in the mines at Creswick. This probably prompted him to change his job. In August 1879 William, Ann and his four children left Creswick and moved to Echuca. William was employed as a tally-clerk on th wharf by Messrs. Cramsie, Bowden And Co., Shipping agents. William never lived to see the birth of his sixth child, Benjamin, because he was accidentally killed. His accident was reported in many newspapers.

on the 19th. September, 1879, William Clark was knocked off the wharf by a sling of palings. He had sustained a compound fracture of the left thigh and his left arm was broken in two places. He was taken to his home in Hare St. Echuca. The next morning he was taken by train to the Sandhurst Hospital, Bendigo, but he died in conveyance between the railway station and Sandhurst Hospital. An inquest was held at the Bendigo Hospital on the 18th. September. The final outcome was death by accident, death caused by shock. William Clark was buried on 19th. September, 1879 in an unmarked grave at Echuca Cemetery. After eight years of marriage and at the age of almost 34 years William Clark met his end.

ANN BOOTH was born at home at 62 Lowerheadrow, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England on the 21st. December, 1851. Mother - MARY HIRST, Father - BENJAMIN BOOTH (blacksmith). Ann was the first daughter and third child of Benjamin and Mary. Altogether she had four brothers - BRADLEY, HENRY, BEN and BENJAMIN, and two sisters - ELIZABETH and SARAH JANE. Henry, Ben, Sarah Jane and Benjamin all died in their childhood.

On the 5th. August, 1859, aboard the "VaterSmidt", Mary and her two children (Bradley and Ann) migrated to Victoria, Australia. They joined her husband who came out three years prior on the "Salem" on 7th. May 1856. Very little is known of Ann's childhood. She lived in Creswick prior to her first marriage and this is where she met William Clark.

William's death must have been a time of great tragedy for Ann. It would have been a time when she depended heavily upon her faith and the help of God for without this she would have been defeated. Ann was to suffer more tragedy when three of her children died, of diphtheria, in the same week. Ada Lillian died 26-8-1880 at Echuca. Charles Bradley and Emily Grace died 30-8-1880 at Echuca. They are all buried next to their father in unmarked graves in Echuca Cemetery.

On the 12th. April, 1881 at the residence of Bradley Booth (her brother), at Creswick, Ann remarried according to the rites of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Ann was 29 years old and her second husband was 48 years old, a widower and a minerby proffession. JOHN JOHNS and Ann had a family of four daughters. Once again Ann was to confront tragedy. While her husband was working in the mines at Broken Hill, New South Wales, he got an infection in his leg. This must have developed into gangrene, because a year later surgery was performed, at Creswick, to amputate the leg. As a result John Johns died on 18-2-1890.

Again Ann was left alone with young children to care for. The eldest son, William Henry, went to work in the mines when he was about 12 years old to help support his mother, brother and stepsisters.

Wherever Ann lived she was always popular and well loved. She was always going out visiting people and never had a bad word to say about anybody. In later years Ann went to stay with her sister, Elizabeth Robinson, in Sargood St. Coburg, Victoria.

Ann died at her house on the 2nd. December, 1935, aged 83 years. She is buried in a marked grave in the Fawkner Cemetery. Written

by Linda Brown.