What can fashion tell us about our family

 

Edward Dash c 1840 - Steve's 3xgreat grandfather

Edward Dash was born in London on 3 November 1818 and baptised at St Ann, Blackfriars on 28 November 1818 to parents Jacob Dash and Charlotte Lawson.  Jacob and Charlotte had married in Kensington, London in 1809 where Jacob worked as a labourer, carman and brickmaker. Despite eight out of twelve children dying in infancy, Edward seemed to gain a good education which took him into his adult life and soon demonstrated that he was highly literate and numerate much more so than might be expected as the son of a labourer.  As was the times, young Edward became a wheelwright but census records and entries in his notebook show that in the 1840s and 1850s he also involved himself in a number of other occupations such as bookkeeper, grocer and confectioner.  He was a committed member of the Baptist church.

In the early 1700's Dash (or Daish) families were living in Hampshire in the south of England but later moved to the Isle of Wight.

The 1840's brought in quite interesting fashion for men.  Prince Albert was the main influence during this time because he was a young, fashionable handsome Prince who married Queen Victoria on 10 February 1840.

Shirts of linen or cotton featured lower standing collars, occasionally turned down and were worn with wide cravats or neck ties tied in several different ways.  Edward is looking very fashionable in the painting above and showing no signs of being a wheelwright with his attire. Edward was certainly rising up in his world.  Edward left a number of journals one of which were "Account Pages from notebook 1840 - 1853" and these indicate that he was working at either bookkeeping or debt collecting using his education to financial gain.  Maybe this was a secondary job to his being a wheelwright.

Example of Edward's account pages

As seen here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1840s_in_Western_fashion

Edward married Susannah Debney on 22 May 1842 in the parish church at Kensington in London.  They had five male children.  According to the census of 1851, Edward's occupation was given as confectioner and keeps another shop where he and his wife reside.  As it happens, the other shop was run by his sister in law, Eliza Debney.  Eliza later arrived in Victoria to be with her ailing sister.

Marriage of Edward Dash and Susannah Debney 22 May 1842

The complete story of Edward Dash can be found here: https://www.dashstory.com/    This is a very interesting read as Edward wrote a journal day by day of his journey to Australia.  This site is hosted by Keith Dash.

Melbourne 1853-1858

The ship, Ann Dashwood, with Edward Dash and about 400 other passengers on board, dropped anchor in Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne, on 9th November 1853 after a 5-month voyage from Liverpool, England. On the passenger list Edward's occupation was listed as wheelwright. Edward and his friend, Charles Redman, landed on shore on 11th November 1853 and obtained accommodation at the Immigrants Home at a cost of 8/- per week for bunks similar to those on the ship and use of the galley fire. Charles secured a job as a porter at Buckley & Nunns, but Edward was unsuccessful in obtaining a position with Mr Langwile, Ironmonger of Collins Street. Despite this initial disappointment Edward must have formed a favourable impression of opportunities in the colony because his wife and their now living four children joined him in Melbourne in September 1854 arriving on the ship, Oracle.

There are many newspaper articles found in Trove regarding the various appointments to The Treasury of Edward Dash as acting receiver and paymaster in Ararat. This was all during the gold rush era in Victoria.  It is also known that he was acting as a Baptist Minister whilst in Victoria.

In the articles below, written in 1855 and 1857 respectively, Edward Dash has written to the Editor of the Age Newspaper, Melbourne regarding not receiving the newspapers he has purchased and for those who should be eligible for assistance at the hospital etc.  Edward was always fighting for the rights of himself and of others using his command of the English language to argue a case.

Letter to the Editor
Trove.nla.gov.au: The Age, Melbourne, 2 March 1855 page 6

Letter to the Editor
Trove.nla.gov.au: The Age, Melbourne, 24 March 1857 page 4

Edward and Susannah Dash in Ararat, Victoria c.1865

In the 1850's it is known that capes like jackets were worn over wide skirts. You can read about these men's and women's fashions here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1850s_in_Western_fashion 

Men's fashion set a new style, the sack coat, loosely fitted and reaching to mid-thigh, was fashionable for leisure activities; it would gradually replace the frock coat over the next forty years and become the modern suit coat.

In the photo of Edward and Susannah above, they are seemingly keeping up with the fashion of the times which I think shows how well they were doing financially. Edward was definitely climbing a successful ladder.  On a sadder note, I believe Susannah was showing signs of being unwell as it is known that Susannah Dash died in Ararat hospital on 2 July 1865 after a long and painful illness.  She died from disease of the liver.

Susannah Dash death certificate (top entry)

Susannah Dash nee Debney - death at Ararat, Victoria
Trove.nla.gov.au; The Argus, Melbourne, 21 July 1865, page 4

Edward Dash remarried on 19 January 1866 at Hamilton, Victoria.

Edward Dash and Catherine MacDonald (2nd wife)
Photos taken in 1880

Edward and Catherine Dash had eleven children giving a total of sixteen children in total for Edward.

It is likely that Edward and Catherine moved from Victoria to Sydney in about 1886.  It was in Sydney that Edward continued his life as a Baptist Minister.  Catherine was the oldest of fifteen children losing her mother Flora McDonald nee Campbell at Ararat, Victoria in 1865. Her father, John McDonald died at Petersham in New South Wales in 1888.  Perhaps Catherine's ailing father was why they moved to Sydney where they eventually settled in Leichhardt.

The photos above show that Edward Dash was looking more like the Baptist Minister that he was however, Catherine is dressed very much in the women's fashion of the day.  Catherine was twenty six years younger than Edward which means it was not surprising that she still enjoyed fashion. Catherine died on 24 June 1890 at Leichhardt in Sydney, aged only 46.  Having given birth to eleven children, she must of given her all for them.  The youngest child, Alfred Campbell Dash was only two years old when his mother died.  Edward outlived both his wives.  Edward Dash died on 17 August 1891 at Leichhardt in Sydney aged 73.

A link to fashion of the 1880's can be seen here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1880s_in_Western_fashion

Edward Dash c.1886

Although Edward Dash was a Baptist Minister during and at the end of his life, he was still wealthy enough to leave four allotments of land, one for each of his four first born sons in Ararat, money to be used for the maintenance and education of all his children from his second marriage and a house in Leichhardt to be sold and proceeds were to be divided amongst all surviving children from his second marriage once they each reached the age of twenty one.  Education seemed to be a very important part of Edward's life which was the likely key to his success.  His wish was to give all his children the same opportunity as he himself had.

Last Will and Testament of Edward Dash

Edward Dash death certificate 17 August 1891