Joseph Henderson : Short Biography

Joseph was born in County Down, Ireland between 4th June 1812 and 11th cApril 1813 according to son Robert's birth cert and Joseph's death cert.  His son William Henry's birth certificate gives his place of birth as county Tyrone.  Joseph's death notice in the Argus newspaper states he was 91 years and nine months of age when he died.  

He married Mary at "about 27" years of age in County Tyrone, Ireland according to his and Mary's death certificates. There's a discrepancy in ages somewhere. His death certificate gives the following information: He died on 11th April 1904, aged 91 years, at 249 Graham Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (which was the home of his daughter Martha and her husband James Millar).  He was married at about 27, and had been in Victoria about 63 years, parents shown as Joseph Henderson (Farmer) and Martha Henderson (formerly Hamilton).  The birth certificate of his son Robert, born 5th June 1856 gives the following detail: He was 43 years old and marriage date was given as 1840.

Joseph and Mary departed Liverpool on 7th February 1841 on the "Frankfield" and arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on the 7th June 1841. Their son James was born aboard the Frankfield on the voyage 5 weeks prior to their arrival in Australia.  The shipping list records Joseph as a mason aged 26 and Mary as a housekeeper aged 25.  They are Protestant, can read and write and their native place is listed as Tyrone.  [On the same ship is a Hugh Henderson aged 19 from Newry, (County Down).  He was Protestant & a labourer who could read but not write. Whether he was a relation to Joseph is unknown].  

Joseph's parents Joseph & Martha, & siblings James, Hugh, Elizabeth, Robert, Mary Martha & William Henry all migrated to the USA, settling in Beaver county, Pennsylvania.  A number of letters exist from Robert, Hugh & Elizabeth giving details of the family and their lives in America.

Joesph & Mary's 1st two children, James and May were baptised in the Presbyterian Church in the Parish of Campbellfield, (Victoria was not yet a state so the baptisms are registered under New South Wales.) They were living in Condell Street, Collingwood when John was born.  Joseph was a Labourer at that stage.

Son, Robert Henderson, told his family  that Joseph worked as a carpenter after his arrival in Australia and built houses, becoming quite wealthy.  On son Robert's and also William Henry's birth certificates, Joseph's occupation was given as bricklayer.

The row of six terrace houses at 32-42 Condell Street was erected in two stages by Joseph Henderson and William Stitson, bricklayers, for Joseph Snadden, of the neighbouring Buck's Head Hotel. The architects were Austin and Ellis. Numbers 32-38
date from 1867 and numbers 40-42 from 1879. The single storey brick structure has a rendered facade. Each house consists of three main rooms the facades simply composed and incorporate front doors with fanlight windows.

Grandson Rennie Henderson's wife said that the Hendersons had been given special permission to wear the Stuart Tartan but did not give the circumstances of why this permission was given.

Joseph was an elder in the Presbyterian Church of Australia, which included clergy from Irish and Scots presbyterian churches, and, when the church accepted involvement by the Government in their affairs, Joseph joined a group of members who split from this branch in 1846 to establish the Free Presbyterian Church and maintain separation of Church and State.  The differences were resolved in 1859 and the Presbyterian churches united for a time but a rift formed again and the differences were not resolved until 1870.  Joseph is mentioned in an article in the Argus of 10th Nov 1870 where the amalgamation took place, and is listed as an elder in the United Presbyerian Synod, the body which rejected interference by the State in the affairs of the Church.

When Mary died on 23rd April 1874, Joseph is recorded as living at Condell Street, Fitzroy and at 33 Collins Street, Fitzroy. When John married in 1877, Joseph's occupation was listed as "City Missionary".  Joseph is also listed as City Missionary on John's death certificate. At his death, Joseph was living at 249 Graham Street, Port Melbourne.  The cause of death was cardiac failure. 

Joseph made his will on the 1st March 1899 and names James Millar (husband of his daughter Martha), and his sons Robert and William Henry Henderson as his executors.  The will was witnessed by two employees of James Millar, Thomas Bromley and Thomas Byars.  Joseph divided his estate equally between his children or, in the case of one of these having pre-deceased him, that child's children.  Joseph's estate consisted of his property at 95 Condell St., Fitzroy which was 50 feet x approx 138 feet.  It had four cottages erected on it two of which were brick and two were weatherboard.  The largest brick cottage had 5 rooms, the other had 3 rooms and the two weatherboard cottages had two rooms.  The rent on these was 5 shillings, 4 shillings, and 3 shillings sixpence on the last two.  The property was valued at 600 pounds.  Joseph's personal possessions amounted to one pound in value.

One of Joseph's obituaries states that "he was well known at most of the public institutions, was a life Governer of the Benevolent Asylum, and a visitor to the Austin Hospital [in Heidelberg, Victoria] and the Old Colonists Homes." The funeral service was held at the Fitzroy Presbyterian Church.

Joseph became a life member of the Melbourne Benevolent Society.  His great grand daughter Alison Findlay holds a certificate attesting to this.  His involvement is also listed in an article in the Melbourne "Argus" of 30th May 1879 outlining the details of the ordinary weekly meeting of the board where he is named as a petitioner in defence of the then "dispenser" (pharmacist) who was under threat of dismissal for failing to report the improprieties of an attending doctor.

Joseph was a very generous man who would literally give the coat off his back to someone he felt had greater need of it.  His daughter-in-law had to stop him, on more than one occasion, from giving away the blankets off his bed as there were none to replace them.

An obituary published in the Leader Newspaper of 23 April 1904 reads:
"Last Wednesday afternoon the now seldom used gates of the old Melbourne cemetery were opened to receive the remains of Mr. Joseph Henderson, one of the early colonists, aged 91 years and 9 months. He came from Ireland to Melbourne about 63 years ago, living almost the whole of that time in Fitzroy. Shortly after landing he was connected with the Rev. James Forbes's- Church, situate where Scots' Church now stands. Later he joined the Fitzroy Presbyterian Church, Napier-street, where he was an elder for many years. The late Rev. Dr. Hamilton was then its minister. For 40 years past he devoted his life mainly to trying to alleviate the sufferings of others and in visiting the sick and poor."

Joseph was buried in Grave 503, Melbourne Cemetery and reburied at Melbourne General Cemetery in Church of England BB grave no. 735a?) when the Victoria Market was built over the site of the original Cemetery. Also buried in Grave 735a is an Emma J. Henderson, aged 67, buried 2nd April 1929. 749a, Melbourne General Cemetery is grave of Joseph and Mary's son Robert Henderson, and perhaps above Emma is his wife - see entry under Robert Henderson, son of Joseph and Mary. Grave 503, Old Melbourne Cemetery bore the inscription: "James Henderson died Nov. 2nd, 1868, aged 4 days; Joseph McCracken died Dec. 20th, 1871, aged 4 days; Arthur Henderson died Feb. 15th 1881, aged 15 days; JOSEPH HENDERSON father and grandfather of the above who departed this life, 11th April 1904, aged 92 years. With Christ which is far better. Mary Henderson who died Jan 4, 1847 aged 4 years; also W.H. Henderson died December 1852 aged 10 months; also Eliza Henderson died Oct 4th 1860, aged 16 years; also MARY JANE HENDERSON, mother of the above, who departed this life April 20th 1874, aged 58 years.

Of their children, Mary, Eliza, Jane and John predeceased their father. Anecdotal information provided by descendants Marie Plowman & Diana Medcalf states: that after purchasing the freehold of 10 Condell St, Fitzroy Joseph built his family a home with the help of local aboriginals who helped him collect mud from the Yarra River to make bricks. 

 Marie has one of the family bibles which contained a "family register" written on a slip of paper.  This named all Joseph's children and their dates of birth.

A letter held by Marie Plowman from Joseph's grand-daughter Jean (Henderson) Hey of New Zealand gives the following: "As far as I know the two brothers left Ulster - Northern Ireland.  I do not know how many was left of the family there or if they were married or their age when they came, one to America and the other to Australia.  Joseph, our Grandfather (Poppa Joe as we used to call him) built a home with the help of black labour, it was the first place to be built in what later became Condell Street, it was all bush.  This was two doors up from Smith Street, Fitzroy.