"Adelaide is a thoroughly modern town, with all the merits and all the defects attaching to novelty. It does not possess the spirit of enterprise to so adventurous a degree as Melbourne, but neither does it approach to the languor of Sydney." - R. Twopeny, 1883
Hi history girl,
ReplyDeleteI'm also an old Adelaide history tragic and am constantly researching in this field. I have too many relatives to mention that over the years have come to rest within the city square mile. One of which is John Randall. I came across this article and wanted to know if you could be of assistance? He lived on Eliza st, Adelaide as a boot closer. The article refers to an attempted suicide in Victoria sq. in later years his neighbour kills himself, and shortly after he is witness to a murder. I really want to get a grasp of what his family's (my ancestors) living conditions were like? It appears to be a violent and poverty stricken world back in 1860 -1870's Adelaide West End
. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/50176791?searchTerm=%22John%20Randall%22%20adelaide&searchLimits=l-state=South+Australia
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28591025?searchTerm=%22John%20Randall%22%20adelaide%20Eliza%20street&searchLimits=l-state=South+Australia
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/73070312?searchTerm=%22John%20Randall%22%20shoemaker&searchLimits=l-state=South+Australia
Hi Morgan,
DeleteWhoa, those articles are intense reads.
The best resource I've found about the West End is Patricia Sumerling's essay, which can be found here: http://www.sahistorians.org.au/175/documents/patricia-sumerling-the-west-end-of-adelaide.shtml
It gives a history and an overview of the west end, and it contains parts of interviews with people who actually lived in the area in the Victorian era, so it's very interesting.
I found this other article on Trove about John Randall (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/50176771?searchTerm="John Randall"&searchLimits=l-state=South+Australia), which says his case was dismissed after the Colonial Surgeon decided he was not at risk. There was a John Randall, aged 50, of the John Bull Inn in Currie Street who died in 1876 (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/31969952?searchTerm="John Randall"&searchLimits=l-state=South+Australia|||l-decade=187). If this was him, there's information about west end hotels in Alison Painter's essay (http://www.sahistorians.org.au/175/documents/adelaide-hotels-and-temperance-1860-1930.shtml), but the John Bull Inn isn't mentioned specifically and it's not one I've heard of before, unfortunately.
(c 1830 - 1882)
ReplyDeleteFamily
Spouse: Mary Ann Hall – children: (living not included)
Theophilus John Randall1 b. 14 Feb 1855
Mary Priscilla Eva Randall+1 b. 20 Oct 1856, d. 29 Jan 1918
Alexander William Randall+1 b. 27 Feb 1858
Louisa Sarah Ann Randall+1 b. 28 Mar 1861, d. 11 Jan 1892
Agnes Alice Randall+1 b. 13 Oct 1862, d. 7 May 1943
Elizabeth Emily Randall1 b. 25 Mar 1866, d. 2 Oct 1866
Life Events
John Randall was born circa 1830 in Middlesex, England.
On 20 September 1854, John, married Mary Ann Hall, in Newington, Surrey, England.2
He died on Monday, 29 May 1882, in Adelaide, South Australia.
Citations
[S1] Birth Registrations, SA Births 1842-1906.
[S205] Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921, online unknown url.