William
Philip Fradd was born on the 10th of December 1837 in Tregurrian,
Cornwall, England. He was one of 5 children born to John and Jane Fradd [nee
Williams]
Tregurrian, Cornwall
Did William get letters from his sister Elizabeth
and Thomas or his younger brother John Joseph Fradd extolling the virtues of
pioneering life in South Australia?
William married Ann Maria Broad (his niece!) at Thomas’ residence on the 31st of October 1873 and they had two children; Annie Maria and William Henry Fradd.
A relationship between related people, such as siblings or cousins, is called consanguinity. The Australian law on consanguinity allows marriage between cousins, an uncle and niece, or an aunt and nephew. Related parents are more likely than unrelated parents to have children with health problems or disorders. The closer the genetic relationship between the parents, the greater the risk of birth defects for their children.
Annie Maria lived until she was 22 years of age and William Henry died in infancy at 3 months old.
To assist with
the regulation and administration of land transactions in South Australia,
counties and hundreds were established. Under the principle of concentration,
new hundreds were usually proclaimed adjoining existing ones. Land could only
be purchased in proclaimed areas, so as the demand for land grew, new hundreds
were declared. The first hundreds were proclaimed in 1846. The hundred was
approximately 100 square miles and one town was surveyed in each hundred. In
the first three years of pioneer settlement in South Australia, over a million
acres were sold in the colony, 60% of these on credit.
Located in the
Mid-North of South Australia, the Hundred of Bright was declared in 1875.
In 1882, William Philip Fradd selected and purchased land in
Hundred of Bright -Burra- Section 20 which amounted to 585 acres for the tidy
sum of £599. - South Australian Land Purchases By Credit, South Australian
Government Gazette.
On each
selection, a hut or house was built, fences erected, dams and wells sunk.
The selector had
to cultivate at least one-fifth of the land each year. The substituted
residence clause permitted a selector to apply to place his son, son-in-law or
male relative or manservant on his land. Many selectors surrendered their
original agreements and took out new agreements under the new conditions. Selectors
failing to fulfil the conditions or to pay amounts due were given a warning
notice in the Government Gazette. A number of these selectors had their
agreement forfeited or revoked. Others applied to transfer their selection to
another farmer giving reasons such as old age, personal hardship, ill health
and insolvency. The administrator of an estate would apply for transfer upon
the death of a selector.
The introduction
of land sales on credit opened up the colony and provided new facilities which
gave the small farmer, the agriculturalist, the opportunity to own his own land
and to provide for his family.
In 1880-1883
drought struck.
In the north
poor rains, attacks of the fungus red rust and locusts ruined the wheat crops.
Winds blew away the cultivated soil. Many selectors had not yet harvested a
paying crop. Farmers in the north of the colony reaped so little grain that
they had no seed wheat for the next year. While some farmers walked off their
land, others under the new regulations were able to revoke their agreements and
reselect in more suitable areas (below Goyder’s Line). Dotted across the
northern lands are many ruins of abandoned stone huts and rusting implements -
memorials to pioneers who were defeated by the drought.
With his family
passed away, it appears that William walked off of his land and headed ‘up
north’.
On 20 Dec
1883 the South Australian Government Gazette William Fradd, a Manager of
Rabbitters living at Parnaroo, had left the district. (County Burra-Hundred of
Bright)
As part of the Vermin Destruction Act of 1879, 245 men were engaged
throughout the colony, to destroy the rabbit pest. These groups were supervised
by ten sub-inspectors of which William Philip was one. The means adopted for
the destruction of the vermin were various, but the principal method was bi-sulphide
of carbon, which was found to be the most effectual means of getting rid of the
pest. In addition to this, phosphorised grain and other poisonous compounds were
largely used. Traps, dogs, and snares were also resorted to; in fact, every
means that could be devised was availed of.
According to a Redruth Magistrate, a "Fradd" was found guilty of
keeping three unregistered dogs and subsequently fined 1 £ each for them, a lot
of money back in 1878. It is not known if they were sheep dogs or hunting dogs;
and whether or not they were Williams or his brothers John Joseph Fradds’ who had
also emigrated in 1857.
To give an idea of how the parties employed were worked it may be mentioned
that during the period from September to April inclusive the men must work from
5 to 11 a.m., rest until 3 in the afternoon, and work again from that hour
until dark, excepting on Saturdays, when the working hours are from 5 a.m. to 1
p.m.
By this arrangement the men were engaged during the time that the rabbits come out to feed
and are most likely to be seen. The dogs chase them to take shelter in the
burrows, which are then dealt with to the greatest advantage by the use of the
bi-sulphide of carbon. From May 1 till August 31 inclusive the men were to
commence at 7 a.m. (being in the field at that hour when work was stopped on
the previous day) and continued work until 1 p.m., when one hour for luncheon
was allowed. Work was to be resumed at 2 p.m. and continued until 5 p.m. Should
the men be too great a distance from the camp to permit of them returning for
luncheon they had to take lunch into the field.
Instructions were issued to inspectors to enforce the Act, and to see that
every effort was made to induce the miscellaneous leases and others to
institute simultaneous action for the destruction of the rabbits and exiting
burrows.
The following 7 years William is listed as an Overseer from 1894 to 1900 in the Sands & McDougall Directory in Yalpara.
The following 7 years William is listed as an Overseer from 1894 to 1900 in the Sands & McDougall Directory in Yalpara.
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| Part map of South Australia showing Kooringa, Parnaroo and Yalpara |
William was next mentioned in dispatches in the Burra Record in 1909.
Rushed by a Bull
Whilst Mr W. Fradd aged 74 years, was crossing Mr Richard Austin's
paddock at the north end of town one day last week he was rushed by a bull, and
knocked down.
The timely aid of W. Sellard averted probable serious results, by
beating the infuriated animal off. Mr Fradd was wearing an overcoat at the time of the occurrence and this was torn to shreds. The old man, however, escaped after a great shaking and receiving many bruises. - Burra Record 21 July 1909
William died on the 16th of December in 1922 in Burra, South Australia.
Headstone of William Philip Fradd
buried with brother John Joseph Fradd in Burra Cemetery
Williams’s
obituary written in the Burra Record in December 1922 stated…
"Mr William Phillip Fradd, a very old resident of the district,
died at the Burra Hospital on Thursday last, at the age of 85 years.
The deceased gentleman, who came from Cornwall a little over fifty
years ago, was a sailor by occupation but on arrival in South Australia settled
on the land.
He afterwards travelled extensively but in his later years made his
home first with his late brother, Mr John Fradd at Copperhouse, and after that
with his sister, Mrs T. Lomman.
His wife and only daughter predeceased him some years ago. - Burra
Record, Wednesday 13 December 1922
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