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Irish Roots of the Australian Clampett Family


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Grenfell New South Wales

Actually, the Clampett’s were one of the earliest families to settle in the township of Grenfell, having moved there within a year of the town being established.[10]   Grenfell grew around the Emu Creek diggings after gold was discovered there in 1866; this led to a gold rush in 1867.  It was also the birthplace of one of Australia’s most famous writers, Henry Lawson, who was born there in 1867. 
Ellen gave birth to two children in Grenfell, William on 14 January 1868, who  was baptised at St. Mary’s, Young twelve days later; and Mary on 24 November 1869, her baptism taking place a month later by Father P Riordan probably at Cootamundra.  Like many young mothers of the time, Ellen knew the agony of losing an infant when her second child, Joseph, died of ulcers in Grenfell at the age of one and a half years in 1868.

The Clampett’s left Grenfell at the end of 1869.  Late in July 1869, D Manson gave notice that he intended to retire from business and sell off both his Young and Grenfell Stores.[11]   The date of that closure is not known but after it, the Clampett’s probably moved to Burrowa where Manson had opened up a new store. 

It is interesting to note that the Grenfell Electoral Roll for 1870-71 shows a George Clampett living in Grenfell but not Joseph whose name appears on the electoral roll for the Forbes district in 1870-71.  George may have been a relative of Joseph perhaps his older brother (or maybe his son!).

Joseph may well have worked with Manson & Co for a considerable time, maybe even coming to Young with them from the Victorian goldfields.  The Young store was opened in 1862 (previously known as Lambing Flat the town was renamed Young in 1861).

At one stage, Manson had stores in Young, Forbes, Grenfell, Braidwood, Araluen and Albury NSW and Beechworth, Chiltern and Morses Creek Victoria.  The Victorian stores were the first to be opened.

Certainly Joseph and Ellen’s arrival in Grenfell coincides with the opening of a Manson and Co branch in George Street, and it seems reasonable to assume that Joseph was the manager of this store.  It is probable that he made his money through storekeeping rather than mining.   Certainly the presence of gold mines is a constant in all the areas with which he was associated and storekeeping was very lucrative on the goldfields.

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