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RALSTON David
(06/10/1800 - 01/05/1878)
05RAD0 Father: RALSTON *Gavin Mother: Unnamed Siblings: (Half:) Agnes Sarah Hannah Gavin Alexander Adam Married: RALSTON *Janet (12/01/1828, St John's Church, Launceston) Children: Gavin Robert Gavin Robert Eliza Mary *David John |
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By marrying Janet Ralston, the surname Ralston continued to my mother's
generation.
David
Ralston was born in Irvine,
Ayrshire and died on 1 May 1878, at age 78. He arrived in Tasmania (then called Van Diemens
Land) aboard the Andromeda
in May 1823. He applied for a land grant in 1827-1828. In reply
to his query, the Governor received the following reply about David Ralston
dated 09/06/1828. "This gentleman is a half-brother of Mr Gavin Ralston, but
totally unconnected with him in business. Mr David Ralston is 27 years of age
and was married to his cousin last January."
David married 12 January 1828 St
John’s Church, Launceston, Tasmania, *Janet Ralston, daughter of
*Robert Ralston.
Robert Ralston was the oldest brother of David’s father; this means David and
Janet were first cousins. Janet was Robert’s eldest daughter by his wife
Elizabeth Bryce. Witnesses to the wedding were Agnes and John Ralston, sister
and brother of the bride and Gavin Ralston of Launceston, the groom's
half-brother.
David was granted Dalness, 500 acres of land next to Robert Ralston's
original grant at Logan Falls. Later he had a farm at Westwood, at
Cormiston on the West Tamar, Tasmania. He moved to Victoria following
Janet's death.
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Trouble With a Bull In November 1829 David Ralston was in trouble for shooting at and wounding a bull, the property of a neighbour Peter Lette. It appears that Lette's cattle were in the habit of straying on Ralston's rented farm and he eventually became tired of it and took a shot at the bull which was in his stack-yard. The gun was loaded with small shot so as not to cause any serious damage to the animal. The Police Magistrate in Launceston did all he could to have the proceedings suspended, as this was the wish of Lette as well as Ralston, but the case came up before the Supreme Court at Launceston on 13 June, 1830 and Ralston was found guilty but the jury recommended mercy in view of the provocation. The Executive Council on 22 June considered the case and decided to pardon Ralston absolutely |
Article by Anntoinette Ralston
David Ralston died 1 May 1878 in Casterton, Victoria (Vic death
Index 1878 No 4881), and was buried in the Old Casterton Cemetery on 4 May that
year. Janet died on 22 August 1861 in the Launceston District, and was buried in
grounds of the St Andrews Presbyterian Church at Evandale. David and Janet
Ralston’s children were all born Launceston: Gavin 1828; Robert Haywood 1830;
Eliza 1832; Mary 1834; David 1836; and John 1837.
David’s eldest son, Gavin, was born 30 December 1828 Launceston, Tasmania, baptised 23 Sept 1830 Kirklands Presbyterian, Campbell Town, Tasmania. He married first 22 June 1857 Sarah Ralston McClymont and had two children, and second 1866 NSW Agnes Margaret Lowe by whom he had two children. Gavin left Tasmania around 1856. In 1860, after his wife Sarah died, his sister Mary went to him to help [correspondence, Agnes Thompson 1860].
Seaham Cemetery, Durham, Hunter region, NSW has graves said to hold: Gavin Ralston (no date); Margaret Ralston, wife of Gavin (no date) and Mary Ralston (no date). Gavin is probably the Gavin Ralston* whose first wife was Sarah Ralston McClymont (see below), Margaret his second wife Agnes Margaret Lowe whom he married in 1866, and Mary his sister who went to assist him when Sara died. Gavin Ralston was a farmer at Porphyry, Seaham. Where Mary died and is actually buried I am unsure, since there is a possible death for her in 1932, aged 97, Casterton, Victoria. Another hint that Mary might have returned to Victoria sometime is in her father’s Will (PRO Laverton 21/538 David Ralston), dated 1 October 1877, describing Chillon (a property in the parish of Roseneath, Victoria, which had been selected by David Ralston) as under mortgage to Eliza and Mary Ralston, spinsters of Chillon.
John Ralston, David's youngest son, married Eleanor
Parkinson, the eldest daughter of the then late John Parkinson, a surgeon from
Doncaster, England. They were married, 10/10/1887, at Christ Church, Casterton,
Victoria, by the Rev. J. Horton Macfarlane. (The Examiner,13/10/1887)
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