Benjamin, the son of John (a sorter and dyer) and Fanny (nee Mellor), grew up in his birth town but left to pursue an apprenticeship in carpentry. On finishing this he found a position on the London Railway to help establish this new mode of transport in England. He then moved on to Lancashire, chasing the same and purchased a hotel there. 

It was in Kendal that he met and married Isabella Jenkinson.  Their son, Alfred Townley Woodhead, was born a year later and it was then that Isabella became ill and died from Pthsis, when Alfred was just eight months old. 

Isabella was just nine years old when her mother, Bella (Woofe) died and I believe Isabella then went to her aunt and uncle, Mary and Thomas Townley, of course this is a theory but would explain Alfred’s middle name. 

Benjamin quickly married Sarah Clarke, who also had a son, born a few months before Alfred. I wonder if Sarah was bought in to help with Isabella’s son and was maybe a wet nurse. Benjamin had married Sarah within three months of Isabella’s death. 

A year later, their daughter, Fanny, was born and Benjamin secured a job in South Australia to help build the railway there. This was in 1850, tickets were purchased and they set sail on the “SHIP” and arrived in Adelaide in January 1851. Sarah was again pregnant and Adelaide was experiencing a very hot summer. It was not long that Ben and Sarah decided that the climate was not for them and they moved on to Melbourne. Their son Benjamin was born while they were living in Collins Street, Melbourne. 

Favourite Find

When Alfred was married, he listed his mother as Sarah Taylor. My Uncle and Cousin were also both avid genealogists and all three of us spent years trying to find the marriage of Benjamin Woodhead to Sarah Taylor and the birth of Alfred. We did find a marriage at about the right time and were quite excited. It all fitted nicely. One day I took the plunge and purchased the marriage certificate. Of course coming from England it took some time. 

The certificate arrived saying his father’s name was Joseph … his father was John. Benjamin was a weaver … He was a carpenter and his father a carpenter … his father was a dyer and sorter. Also Benjamin was illiterate, however 3 years later he had a beautiful signature, not one of a newly literate person. This was not the right certificate for our Benjamin. 

I then decided to follow up with census information. Benjamin was already in Australia when the 1851 census was taken, however Benjamin and Sarah (Taylor) were there. I knew that Benjamin’s wife, Alfred’s mother, had already passed away so then a search for a different marriage and a possible death of the wife ensued. The next was Benjamin Woodhead to Isabella Jenkinson. This was a likely one and I found that Isabella died about the time Alfred’s mother died. More certificates. This time the information was correct. They had married in Kendal on 27th September 1846. Alfred was born on 22nd July the following year, information in his daughter’s birthday book, which I still have. 

I still could not find a birth or baptism for Alfred. But then… I did find a birth of an Alfred Townley Woodhead and a christening. However, his parents are listed as John and Frances Woodhead, Benjamin’s parents! I then sent for the birth certificate and it was all correct. Parents are Benjamin and Isabella. 

I can imagine the conversation in the church? Baby’s name? Alfred Townley Woodhead. Parents? Oh John and Frances… Benjamin has given his parents names, no Alfred’s. 

Alfred was only eight months old when his mother died. Benjamin married Sarah Clark/e a few months later. She already had a son, John, who took the Woodhead name, and was only a few months older than Alfred. I wonder if she was a wet nurse called in to help with the feeding and caring for a newborn baby to a sick mother. I gather this is where the Sarah came in on Alfred’s marriage certificate, just not sure about the Taylor name. He never used his middle name, Townley, maybe he confused this with Taylor or the registrar. He may have believed this was where his middle name came from. 

                                                             Foundation

Benjamin Woodhead watched as the Foundation Stone for the Fitzroy town hall was laid. A list of names in alphabetical order were etched into the stone, his name, starting with W was last listed. This was Melbourne’s first Suburb and he originally voted against it becoming a suburb siting money concerns. However, this moment was a moment of pride. He would be remembered even if it was only by name.

By the time the town hall was built, in 1874,Benjamin had already served twelve years on the council and was now a Police Magistrate. He had nine children and his own dairy business, which he started soon after arriving in Melbourne. 

After becoming ill a Dr told him that he needed to start drinking a particular bovine milk. He purchased a cow for this purpose but word got around and people began coming to him for this milk. The business grew from there. From my research it seemed the cows were kept on Alexandra Parade, which ran behind his Cecil street Home. 

Benjamin was 82 years old when died  in 1902, he owned a number of houses, a shop (which I believe was his son’s business as a bootmaker) and the Recreation Hotel (which is now a coffee shop and appartments). He never ran the Hotel.