Shep's Place Family Tree

This early beginning was no doubt the origin of his later proficiency and prosperous years of farming. As was shown in his parents's history, he leased "Old Westbrook" from his mother for 50 pounds per year from August 31st 1867 when he was 22. This was followed by a property between Callington and Monarto in partnership with his brother Ernest. It was usually referred to by the family as the Callington place and here their sister Marion was housekeeper until Allen F. married in 1872.

Allen's bride being a daughter of Oscar Lines, was said ‎(by Marion)‎ to be another of the marriages arranged between Allen senior and his great friend. The marriage had to be delayed some months due to the illness of Oscar Lines who died in the July of 1872. There after Marion was free of housekeeping duties at Callington. The ruby and pearl engagement ring is still in the family of the present Allen Wilson of Point Sturt, and also the circular brooch of topaz and other stones which Allen gave Agnes as her wedding gift.

Allen F. was not well regarded by his sister Marion, as in his youth he had a cruel streak. He shot and killed her much loved pet, Venus, a white bulldog, because she whelped too often. He did not tell Marion until she had spent a full week looking in vain for her lost pet, the one creature that returned her affection and was completely loyal to her. Later, when she had her ears pierced for gift ear-rings, Allen who had been using lime on a building, rubbed his hands over her ears, remarking "that will give you ear-rings", An infection followed with much pain, and she was never able to wear ear-rings afterwards. These incidents rankled, even in advanced age. However he was a kind father and husband so that he must have outgrown his earlier ill-nature.

They were married for 10 years before Emily had a living child. It was said that she had such a violent temper that a series of miscarriages resulted. In 1877 they took orphaned Ethel Davidson without formal adoption or name change into their household. Some further details of Ethel's history will be given later. By the time Emily's own two children were born in 1882 and 1884 they had long left the farm at Callington. There is record at Lands Titles of Crown Lease 3852 but the location is not shown. It was possibly the Callington place as there is nothing in the name of Allen F. to show actual ownership there.

When Yorke Peninsula was opened up for land selection Allen F. purchased section 323E in the Hundred of Dalrymple, in 1874. This consisted of 326 acres, and the cost was 776 pounds. He also paid 492 pounds for 246 acres of Section 326. His brother Ernest, according to Directories was still with him, but had no part in ownership ‎(Lands Titles lists)‎. In 1890 Allen paid District Council Rates of 12 shillings.

He sold this property in 1892 to the Sherriff family. In 1991 the owner was George Sherriff, the 4th generation to hold it. The Allen F. family was still at Yorketown when Allen senior was expelled from Westbrook Farm for his misdemeanour over the sale of the crop. Allen F. took his father in for the last year or two of his life before his last illness required him to be sent to the Adelaide nursing home where he died January 1890 as previously related.

From Yorketown the family moved to Mallala 35 miles north of Adelaide and according to daughter Mabel they remained there until 1908, but Land Titles records its sale in 1907. The Mallala farm was purchased from Leonard Waterhouse on 14 Jan 1894 ‎(transfer No. 2277612)‎. It was in the Hundred of Grace, County of Gawler, sections 588 & 589 - 550 acres in all. On 13 Jan 1898 Allen took out a mortgage with the Savings Bank of S.A. ‎(the amount not stated)‎ and this was discharged in full on 19 Jan 1905. At the time of the mortgage he acquired adjoining sections 607 and 608, so doubling his land holding. Allen sold to Daniel Fahey on 3 May 1907 but the sale was not registered until 1 Apr 1909 so they must have remained until the latter date.

The next and last farm was "Churinga", Balaklava where the Lakeman nieces often stayed, but only one at a time as the house was small and any lady guests had to share Mabel's double bed. Although by now the Allen F. family was quite well off by the standards of that time they lived quite sparsely, due to Emily's parsimonious nature. No matter how cheap an item was, it was always "too much". Lancelot slept on a hession strung between four saplings hammered into the dirt floor of a "tin" room off the back verandah ‎(Violet made the bed for him often enough to know the details)‎.Their diet consisted of home grown mutton that was either roasted or boiled, with garden vegetables ‎(most of the Wilsons have remained keen gardeners)‎, and seven days out of seven the dessert was Hasty Pudding which Emily would have learnt from her mother or step-mother. It was made from skim milk thickened with plain flour and lightly sweetened, but without any other flavouring. The Lakeman girls hated it.

The Mallala farm was handed down from Daniel Fahey to John, then Thomas until 4 May 1954 when it was sold to Woodleigh Ltd. of Mt. Gambier. Balaklava is 42 miles N.W. of Gawler ‎(which is 25 miles north of Adelaide)‎ and Allen F. had most of Block "R". This was in the Hundred of Balaklava, Goyder, Inkerman & Stow counties of Gawler with Stanley laid out as Werocata. It is under Werocata that "Churinga" was registered, when Allen took out a mortgage with the Savings Bank of S.A. for 2500 pounds on 2 Apr 1909 when he purchased from Stanley Kell) "in fee simple". The mortgage was No. 486404 and was paid in full on 6 Apr 1916. The land was bordered by the railway line and besides the 110 acres of Block R. Allen also acquired 1159 acres adjoining of section 215 on two titles, as well as more land in the Hundred of Minlacowie.

In 1916 part of this land was transferred by Allen to his son and registered in Lance's name on 6 Apr 1916 which he must have farmed for himself while still living at the family home. Emily died the following year ‎(1917)‎ and Mabel became her father's housekeeper. He engaged Miss Ethel Woods to be her companion-helper ‎(where she slept has not been revealed)‎ but as the cousins slyly observed, Miss Woods cast too kindly an eye on Lance, and when Mabel realised this, away went Miss Woods.

Allen retired two years later and sold to Clarence Arthur Nankivell on 2 Sep 1919 and on the same day Lancelot sold his 340 acres and "other land" to Mr. Nankivell of Brentwood, farmer. Allen F. was by then aged 74, He purchased a house at Church street, Mitcham where the foothills above Adelaide commence, but was there only two years as he found the winters too cold though only 3 miles south of the city. He then purchased what has come to be called a Federation house ‎(of bluestone with be windows at Malvern, then called "Malvern Estate", at 22 Dover Street. Domestically he was much more comfortable than at any time during Emily's reign. Daughter Mabel continued as his housekeeper and companion and they lived there placidly until Allen F. died aged 88 in 1933. He was taken back the 67 miles north of Adelaide to be buried with Emily at Balaklava. He left a prosperous estate divided between his two children though Lancelot was the larger beneficiary. Mabel never needed to seek employment and Lance was able to buy his own farm. E.M.S. can remember visiting the Dover Street house with its second block of land attached.

EXTRACT from the "Cyclopedia of 1909" - Vol. 2, page 371.

ALLEN FREDERICK WILSON - Farmer and grazier of Mallala, is a son the late Mr. Allen Wilson of Mt. Barker, S.A. and formerly of Kent, England, he was born in 1844 at Mt. Barker (error-1845)‎ at Pt. Gawler. At the conclusion of his education at the same place ‎(Mt. Barker)‎, at the age of 22, he took up some scrub land on the Murray Flats which he cleared and brought into order for agricultural purposes. He continued for 8 years with fair success. Mr. Wilson then sold his holding and moved to Yorke Peninsula in the neighbourhood of Yorketown where he purchased a property of 640 acres, but owing chiefly to the salty character of the soil, the 18 years in farming this land was not wholly profitable in results. Accord-ingly in 1892 he decided to try the district of Mallala and relinquishing his Yorketown property he became possessed of 550 acres of really excellent and partly uncleared land in the locality, about one third of which was covered with mallee scrub; but the work of grubbing up the tenacious roots once accomplished, and crops sown, the aspect of things was materially altered and well ordered harvest fields soon replaced the native products of the soil, with all appointments of a typically northern farm. Irrigation is provided by connection with the Barossa Valley water supply and this very considerable advantage added to the benefits obtained from the use of artificial manures has been the means of bringing Mr. Wilson's agricultural operations to a most successful issue.

Mr. Wilson is a member of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of Two Wells and on various occasions has been a successful prize winner for his heavy draught stock at the shows held by this body in the district. He also served with the Committee of the Agricultural Bureau of Mallala of which he has been a member since its inception. During the time spent at Yorke Peninsula he served about three years in the District Council of Dalrymple. He is connected with the local Anglican Church and acts as auditor for the organization. In 1872 Mr. Wilson married Emily Agnes, 2nd daughter of the late Mr. Oscar J. Lines of Woodville and has one son who assists in the management of the estate, and one daughter.

‎(It should be noted that by the time the Cyclopedia was printed the Wilsons had left Mallala for Balaklava.)‎