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Sally
Holden
The grave of Sally (Sarah) Holden at the Hope Valley Cemetery is
one of the oldest graves to be found in the cemetery. Although
the headstone is badly worn the inscription reads, �Death is
the Gateway to Eternal Life�.
Sally Holden was
born Sarah Ellis on the 14th January 1805 at Hailsham, to
parents Edward and Frances (nee Hawkins) Ellis.
Sally met
William Holden in Preston, East Sussex, who was an apprentice
tailor and they were married in the Calvanist Chapel on the 22nd
November 1831 where Sally was a member.
After the birth
of their first three children, Sally and William moved to
Chichester, where unfortunately two of the children died with
only George (their second son) surviving. William took a job as
a salesman in a local bookshop. He had received a classical
education, so was well learned. While living at Chapel Street,
Chichester, they had two more daughters, Frances and Cecelia and
continued to live there until they decided to apply for
residency in the new colony of South Australia.
After filling
out embarkation papers in September 1837, Sally and William
boarded the boat, the �Lord Goderick� ready to start their
new life. As there was an outbreak of measles on the boat, they
were transferred to another boat called the �Trusty�. They
boarded the �Trusty� on November 30th 1837 and set sail on
December 3rd from Gravesend with 129 passengers on board.
The
journey to South Australia was not easy, with foul winds and
sea-sickness. Sally coped well, keeping a watchful eye on her
children who had to stay below deck most of the time, but on
occasions where allowed up on deck for fresh air. At this time
Sally realized that she was pregnant, but happiness turned to
sadness when her youngest daughter Cecelia died and was buried
at sea. With food running low the ship finally reached Cape
Town. After replenishing supplies they continued on to Australia
past the Amsterdam Islands. It was here that Sally gave birth to
her third son whom she named Steven Trusty Holden.
The Holden
family arrived in South Australia on May 14th 1838 and stayed
with Jacob Pitman and his family in Adelaide. Sally had become
great friends with Emma Pitman on the voyage over. Sally had
another child (John) in 1840 while living in Adelaide.
After purchasing
land from Jacob Pitman, Sally and William moved to Hope Valley
where they built a store, butcher shop and had a farm. After
being burnt out by a bushfire William said, �I could not feel
despondent, in fact I feel inspired by hope�, hence the name
Hope Valley, which he named at the time.
Sally gave birth
to her last child William in 1844. Unfortunately he died when he
was only two and half years old.
Both Sally and
William became ardent members of the New Church of Jerusalem
after hearing Jacob Pitman reading the Sunday services. She and
Emma worked tirelessly for the church, making clothing for the
children and in her spare time tendered to her gardens.
Sadly on Friday
21st February 1851 Sally was thrown from her horse and died.
There was an
inquest into her death, which was reported in the �Register�
newspaper. Later that year William became a reporter for the
�Register� where he worked for nearly fifty years.
The Coroners
Inquest reads as follows:
�Fatal
Accident - Coroners Inquest - There was an inquest on Friday
last at Hope Valley, before G.A. Anstey Esq. on the body of Mrs.
Holden, wife of the Postmaster of that place, who was killed
that morning. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased
was on her way to see a female recently confined. She was
accompanied by her son, a lad about 12 years of age; both were
mounted, but the saddle on which the deceased sat was not such
as ladies usually ride on. One of her feet was supported by the
stirrups; her other foot rested in the loop of a strong leather
strap, where it became entangled, when she was by some
unexplained means displaced from her seat. Her foot being thus
fast, her head struck the ground forcibly, when she fell,
and the horse-a vicious brute- set off at a gallop, kicking at
and trampling on the poor creature during a progress of more
than half a mile. Besides the son of the deceased, several
neighbours witnessed the horrible circumstance without being
able to rescue the woman until she was nearly dead. When the
horse was stopped and the woman extricated, it was found that
one of her legs was broken and her body and limbs one complete
mass of contusions, from the effects of which she died in a few
minutes. Both the Coroner and the Jury were astonished at a
female�s venturing to ride in such a manner, as, apart from
the saddle being such as males alone generally ride on, the way
in which the deceased had her foot in the strap rendered it
impossible for her to extricate herself from the horse when she
fell. The Jury returned a verdict of �Accidental death�. A
very general feeling of regret for the deceased and sympathy for
the bereaved family pervades the neighbourhood of Hope Valley,
where they are much and deservedly respected�.
Sally died at
the age of forty-six, leaving behind a husband and four small
children who where looked after by friends. William Holden moved
back to Adelaide and later remarried and had 2 more children.
Like many others
who came to Australia, full of courage and high hopes, Sally
portrayed the true spirit of the early pioneers of South
Australia.
References for
information:
Diane Roberts
� Descendant of the Holden family.
Inquest article
from the �Register� newspaper.
Local history
room � Tea Tree Gully Library.
Ian Auhl �
From Settlement to City.
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