Clarendon History
Clarendon Historic Hall & Museum
May 2020 History Month - Bards of Clarendon
The Clarendon Historic Hall & Museum is already planning ahead for History Month next May the theme of which is ‘change’. We are looking for community input and hopefully involvement with this event.
A bard is a poet, storyteller, musician, artist, singer and we hope to use all or some of these mediums to convey the ‘historic tales’ of Clarendon.
We are planning for a walking tour through the town with stops along the way for a presentation or performance – it might comprise one person or it might be a small group.
If you are interested in being involved, have a story, poem, song or historical information that is relevant, an idea to share or simply the enthusiasm to be involved, please contact the Clarendon Historic Hall and Museum history@clarendon.org.au
The Sad Tale of Edward Mitchell, the First Publican of the Royal Oak Hotel
Reproduced from the Clarendon online eNews.
Edward Mitchell had purchased the Tally Ho Hotel in the early 1850’s. He owned 4 properties within the township and had been farming in Clarendon for several years. The Tally Ho was locally known as the Old House and he and his wife lived there while they started on a building project. They wanted to build the best public house they could afford with stone walls and a slate roof in a prominent position in Clarendon. By 1855 the building was ready for use and they applied for a publican’s licence for the New Public House to be called the Royal Oak in June of the same year. All seemed good but by March 1856 the Licencing board required more accommodation at the house or a licence would be refused the following year. Edward Mitchell obliged and extended to 6 main rooms which could be partitioned into 9, a veranda, a balcony, nearly completed cellars, stabling for 7 horses and a good well.
The cost was substantial and unbeknown to Edward, his wife had mortgaged all the properties they owned, including the Tally Ho, seemingly to complete the construction. Edward Mitchel owed suppliers as well as interest on loans and found there was no money to pay. He leased the hotel or Inn as it was then known to a Mr Hubble but payment was not forthcoming. His son George took over running the hotel but Edward was declared insolvent and the property went up for mortgagee sale in April 1858.
Edward was imprisoned as a debtor and later released in October 1858 to appear before the court at a later date. He and his wife were destitute and declared paupers. It was in November the hotel was sold to George Mitchell who continued to run the hotel as a public house. Edward and his wife then moved in with their son George at the Royal Oak. In the same month George sold the hotel and didn’t tell his parents.
The new owner, Mr Wilshaw, wanted them gone. He approached Mrs Mitchell in her bedroom, asked her to leave but she refused, so he knocked a candlestick out of her hand, forcibly pushed her outside and kicked her down a flight of stone steps. A local Doctor was at the hotel at the time and treated her for bruising which took over three weeks to heal. Mrs Mitchell took him to the Supreme Court seeking damages of 100 pounds for assault. As a pauper she could do this without cost. The jury deemed the matter a waste of court time, but Mr Wilshaw was ordered to pay 5 shillings damages.
In December 1858 Edward faced the Destitute Board where he was described as 63 years old, a cripple, under medical treatment and in no way able to earn an income. The board recommended immediate relief. In May 1860 Edward Mitchel applied again to the Destitute Board and was refused help. An application was then received for Edward to be admitted to an asylum in June 1860. Edward died of dropsy in 1872 where it was reported he died peacefully in his hometown of Clarendon.