BOWN AND CLIFFORD HISTORIES IN THE UK, IRELAND AND AUSTRALIA

Our BOWN family history begins with Charles BOWN, who was born 25th July, 1824, probably in Sheffield and certainly in England (his birth date was recorded in the family bible). We do know that Charles BOWN and Ellen ATKIN were married on 17th November, 1851 at St John’s Church in Adelaide, South Australia. It is believed that Charles tried his luck in the Victorian goldfields but he never returned and we have no further knowledge of him. Ellen’s middle son – William Stephen BOWN (27.12.1860 – 19.7.1923) was Trevor’s great great grandfather. William married Helena Ester CLIFFORD and together they had 6 children.

William Norman BOWN (22.4.1890 – 9.11.1971) married Elizabeth Ellen FERGUSON and had one child;
Stanley Washington BOWN (12.11.1891 – 11.8.1975) married Elizabeth Isabella ANDERSON and had three children.
Hilda Eveline BOWN (27.11.1893 – 14.3.1979) married Alfred Stephen TAYLOR and had five children
Frederick Clifford BOWN (27.9.1895 – 5.8.1976) married Nellie TUCKER. They had no children.
Arthur Federal BOWN (10.4.1897 – 5.6.1983) married Hilda Myrtle STEED and had one child. Arthur and Hilda are Trevor’s grandparents.
Jessie Mabel Vera BOWN (22.3.1905 – 13.8.1994) married Thomas Edwin LEWIS. They had no children.

Helena's parents were Patrick CLIFFORD and Ann SHORTLIFFE, both born in Ireland. Patrick came to Australia with the 40th Regiment of Foot in 1852 aboard the SS Vulcan. We have no knowledge of the Clifford family history prior to Patrick's birth. He had married Ann SHORTLIFFE in Cork in 1850 and she came to Australia with him. In April 1858, Patrick travelled to Adelaide, with the regiment, on the Havilah. On the 10th February, 1862, in the Adelaide Army Barracks, Patrick died of apoplexy. We don’t know how Ann supported herself and her four children in the following couple of years although we presume her association with the barracks continued because on the 15th December, 1864, she married Patrick  HYNES, a private in the 40th Regiment. Patrick’s career mirrored that of Patrick Clifford and they would have been well acquainted. Patrick HYNES had more disciplinary confrontations, often losing his good conduct pay and apparently whilst at the Eureka Stockade (in 1854) he was even recorded as a deserter. Ann and Patrick HYNES had one child, James Clifford HYNES born on the 15th January, 1867. Patrick Hynes died at Parkside on the 15th February, 1887 of dysentery. Ann died on the 25th May of the same year .The children from the CLIFFORD and HYNES marriages are-

Richard CLIFFORD - born 1855. He died of thirst in 1916 whilst prospecting in Western Australia;
Rowland Augustus CLIFFORD, married to Mary Ann Elizabeth KING in 1876 with whom he had 6 children. He died in 1906 
Jessie Jane CLIFFORD – born in 1859, married Joseph Stephen TAYLOR. Jessie, Joseph and their 8 children lived in WA where Jessie died in 1937.
Helena Ester CLIFFORD (Trevor’s ggrandmother) was born in 1860 and married William Stephen BOWN. Helena and William had 6 children. She died in 1938..
James Clifford HYNES – born in 1867. He married Mabel Ruth Anderton STEVENSON and died in Broken Hill in 1954.

Names important in our family history: BOWN, CLIFFORD, Ellen ATKIN, William Stephen BOWN, Arthur Federal BOWN, Hilda Myrtle STEED, Helena Ester CLIFFORD, Charles BOWN, Ann SHORTLIFFE, Patrick CLIFFORD.

Cities, events, ships and nations mentioned on this page: 40th Regiment of Foot, SS Vulcan, Havilah, Adelaide Army Barracks, Ireland, Sheffield, England, South Australia, Eureka Stockade.

People we’d appreciate knowing more about: William Norman BOWN, Elizabeth Ellen FERGUSON, Stanley Washington BOWN, Elizabeth Isabella ANDERSON, Hilda Eveline BOWN, Alfred Stephen TAYLOR, Frederick Clifford BOWN, Jessie Mabel Vera BOWN ,Richard CLIFFORD, Rowland Augustus CLIFFORD, Jessie Jane CLIFFORD, Mary Ann Elizabeth KING, Joseph Stephen TAYLOR, James Clifford HYNES, Mabel Ruth Anderton STEVENSON, Mabel Ruth Anderton STEVENSON, Patrick  HYNES.

 

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