William Giles (27 December 1791 – 11 May 1862), occasionally referred to as William Giles, sen. to distinguish him from his eldest son, was the third colonial manager of the South Australian Company, and a South Australian politician, prominent in the founding of the state of South Australia.
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Early life
Giles was born on 27 December 1791 in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England, and was educated at Kimbolton School in nearby Cambridgeshire.
Travel to South Australia
The new British Province of South Australia was established on 19 February 1836 when King William IV signed Letters Patent under the South Australia Act 1834, signalling the final action needed to establish the Province under United Kingdom law. Giles, a close friend of one of the founders of the South Australian Company, George Fife Angas, left England for South Australia on the ship Hartley sixteen months later, in June 1837. He was accompanied by his new (and pregnant) second wife, Emily Elizabeth (née McGeorge) (c. 1814 – 5 August 1876) and their 1-year-old daughter Emily jnr, together with all nine children from his earlier marriage to Sarah (née Roper). Emily gave birth to her second child, George Hartley Giles during the voyage.
The Hartley was a three-masted vessel measuring 27 x 7 x 5.6 metres built at Sunderland in England in 1836. Her owner and captain was Thomas Fewson. On 16 October 1837 the Hartley arrived at Kingscote, Kangaroo Island where the Company's first settlement was founded. Once in South Australia, William and Emily had a further ten children. By November 1837, the European population of the new province had reached approximately 2,500. The pre-settlement indigenous population of South Australia is estimated to have been approximately 15,000.
Business life
Shortly after arrival on Kangaroo Island in 1837, Giles, T. H. Beare, and Henry Mildred imported a flock of Merino ewes from Van Diemens Land, some of the first brought into the colony, though stock losses on the unusually long trip aboard the Cygnet were considerable.
Giles was appointed Stipendiary Magistrate by Governor Hindmarsh in 1838 then appointed as the third colonial manager of the South Australian Company in January 1841, succeeding David McLaren. He continued as manager until 1861, when he retired.
Political life
Giles stood for the Electoral district of Port Adelaide in the first elected parliament in July 1851, but was narrowly defeated by Captain George Hall.
He was elected as member for the District of Yatala for five sessions of the South Australian Legislative Council, from July 1851 until 1854. He was a devout Congregationalist. As a legislator he opposed state aid to religion, as did his close friend, Rev. T. Q. Stow.
He died at his home in Beaumont on 11 May 1862.
Family life
William's second daughter, Jane Isabella, described the family's new life, using pseudonyms, in her book "Family Life in South Australia", published in 1890.
A précis of Jane's book was compiled in 2015 including references to the actual family members.
Family
William married twice:
to Sarah Roper (25 November 1791 - 6 October 1833) on 1 November 1813, and
to Emily McGeorge (7 December 1813 – 5 August 1876) on 12 January 1835.
In total his two wives had 21 children from 1814 to 1852, resulting in 78 grandchildren.
Children with Sarah Roper
1. William Giles, (9 October 1814 – 14 January 1875) married Margaret McFarlane (11 June 1821 – 22 October 1901), daughter of Allan McFarlane; home at Hackney then George Street, Norwood. He later had a business in Kanmantoo and was not involved in public affairs. Their son Alan McFarlane Giles ( – 24 November 1888), stationmaster at Tennant Creek, was the sole survivor of a relief party sent to Attack Creek in 1883, saved by an Aboriginal woman, and died of brain fever at Renner Springs five years later, following a murder to which he was a close witness.
2. Henry Giles (10 June 1816 – 10 February 1888) married Jane Leslie (1825 – 13 November 1892) in Scotland in 1845; home "Braemar", Stirling West. Co-founded stock and station firm Giles & Smith. Their eldest daughter, Amy, married George Fullerton Cleland in 1878.
3. Mary Giles (4 August 1818 – 19 September 1893) married Josiah Partridge (1805 – 27 November 1897) on 22 June 1840; home "Malvern", near Clarendon.
4. Thomas "Tom" Giles (20 May 1820 – 12 February 1899) married Mary O'Halloran (died c. 1 October 1915) on 20 January 1859. He developed pastoral leases on the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas.
Dr. W(illiam) Anstey Giles (c. 1860 – 7 May 1944)
T. O'Halloran Giles (1863 – ) married Jean Balfour St. Clair Barr Smith (20 December 1864 – ) on 4 October 1888. She was a daughter of Robert Barr Smith.