Ethel MCLEAN

Notes:

"Dunach: In the Shadow of the Mount" by Rita Hull.
McLean, Malcolm - came from the Isle of Skye. With two of his sons, Donald and Alex, he established a farm on the western perimeter of the plains in the late 1870's. After Alex married he lived near the Hoffnung mine and also worked in the mines. Donald also lived in Dunach after he married, and had a large family. When Henry Thornton died the family moved into the store and carried on a short while until affairs were finalised and in1907they bought a bakery in Talbot, and later still moved to Clunes.
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The housewives of Dunach had several stores to choose from. Henry Thorton established a store beside the Hoffnung Hotel and sold groceries, drapery, hardware and household items. Thornton died in 1906 and Donald McLean ran the store a short while until affairs were finalised.
Clunes Guardian and Gazette:
The annual sittings of the Licensing Court took place at Creswick on Monday, when the following renewals of licences for the Clunes district were made:-
D. McLean, Town-hall.

Notes from Clunes Historical Society:
Former Town Hall Hotel, 65 Fraser St, Clunes, was built about 1870. During the early part of the twentieth century, the building was extended for use as a bakery and a large wood-fired oven was constructed.
Daughters Ethel and Mabel were enrolled at the Clunes State School
All the children were enrolled in the Dunach State School over this period.

Donald married Margaret Annie MOUNSTEVEN on 11 Jan 1881 in McCallum's Creek, Victoria, Australia. Margaret (daughter of John Henry MARTIN and Caroline SWANWICK, daughter of John MOUNSTEVEN and Mary Stacey SMITH) was born on 23 Jun 1860 in Burrumbeet, Victoria, Australia; died on 5 Apr 1942 in Ligar St, Clunes, Victoria, Australia; was buried on 7 Apr 1942 in Maryborough Cemetery, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 5 Apr 1942, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia

Notes:

There is some mystery surrounding Margaret (Annie) and her connection to the Mounstevens.

A birth certificate for MARGARET ANN MARTIN (June 1860) gives her parents as:
John Martin, age 29, farmer, born Rothesay Scotland.
Caroline Swanwick, age 27, born Nottingham.
Married in May 1852, Geelong (cannot find marriage or immigration)
Caroline and John had ten children registered between 1853 and 1875. Three children died very young. They were all born at different places but mostly around Ballarat/Burrumbeet areas.
I can find no record of Caroline's or John's deaths on the Victorian bdm indexes either.

Margaret's marriage certificate (January 1881) quite clearly states that her parents are John Mounsteven and Mary Stacey.
The minister states that the marriage was conducted with the written consent of the Bride's Father John Mounsteven.
Margaret gives her father John Mounsteven's occupation as Storekeeper and describes herself as a Storekeeper's daughter. Her age is given as20(which matches her birth certificate).
Her present and usual residence is McCallums Creek, Talbot.
She signs herself as Margaret Annie Mounsteven.
One of the witnesses is Norman McLean, Donald's brother.
All these facts on her marriage certificate are correct.

The birth certificate of her first child, Malcolm John, in October 1881, has some interesting information. Her name is given as Annie McLean, but her maiden name was MARTIN, age 20, birthplace Burrumbeet.
The details of her marriage are correct - 11 Jan 1881 at McCallums Creek. One of the witnesses to the birth is MRS MOUNSTEVEN. The informant was her husband Donald.

The birth certificate of her next child, Sylvia Mary, in July 1883, gives the same information as on Malcolm's certificate. This time one of thewitnesses is Mrs McLean, with no mention of Mrs Mounsteven (Mary had died in April 1883). The informant is Annie herself.

She gave birth to 11 children, and 9 lived to at least middle age. All were registered in Talbot under the name of ANNIE MARTIN.

On her death certificate, her father is given as John Henry Martin, farmer, and her mother as Caroline Swanwick.

John Mounsteven was living at Burrumbeet by July 1861, 18 months after Margaret Annie was born. The Martin’s moved to McCallum’s Creek before 1864 when a son was born there. The Mounstevens may have followed them there.
Margaret was under twenty-one when she marriedand so needed her parents’ written consent to marry; John and Mary Mounsteven possibly acted as her ‘defacto’ parents to make her marriage easier. Margaret may have been working in the Mounsteven’s store for some time and become their ‘adopted daughter.’

Malcolm married Flora MCLEOD. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Caroline SWANWICK in May 1852 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Caroline was born about 1833 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; died in 1881 in Fernihurst, Victoria, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]