Daniel Fisher (politician)

Daniel Fisher (11 November 1812 – 2 June 1884) was a grain merchant and politician in the young colony of South Australia.

History

Daniel Fisher was born in of Wiltshire, and transported to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) aged 15, for what he was later to describe as "an unfortunate mistake" and "a boyish escapade, involving no moral offence" for which he was later exonerated and, on a petition from the Hon. J. Baker received a Royal Pardon. He and his wife Harriet Brown, (md. Hobart Town, Tasmania 6/11/1837) moved to South Australia aboard the Timbo, arriving at Port Adelaide in April 1846.

He set up in business as a cornfactor and seedsman (grain merchant) in Rundle Street. His brother Charles arrived in Adelaide in 1848, for a time working as a contractor then joined Charles as Charles as "Fisher Brothers",^[1] (not to be confused with the earlier hardware firm of the same name run by the unrelated James Hurtle Fisher). Charles left the partnership in October 1856 and set up in Grenfell Street on his own account. Daniel joined the gold rush to Victoria, but returned to Adelaide without having made a fortune. Other members of his family joined him in South Australia. He was convicted of assault after repeatedly charging his brother-in-law George P. Harris (co-founder of Harris Scarfe) on horseback and making threatening gestures.^[2]

Public life

He was prominent in the defence of John Stephens (editor)^[3] He served on the Adelaide City Council from 1852 to 1855 and retired from business in 1856. He visited England in 1861, and in 1865 contested the election for seat of East Torrens in the South Australian House of Assembly but was unsuccessful. Two years later one of the successful candidates, Neville Blyth, resigned on a point of honour, and Fisher won the resulting by-election and served from July 1867 to May 1870. His colleagues were Randolph Isham Stow, who resigned in May 1868 then George Pearce. He made later runs for the Mayoralty of Kensington and Norwood and for the Assembly seat of East Torrens, but was unsuccessful.

Last years

About 1878 Fisher suffered a stroke, which left him paralysed, and withdrew totally from public life. In the last year he lost the use of his mental faculties.^[4] He died at his home Nile Street, Glenelg.

Family

Daniel Fisher (11 November 1812 – 2 June 1884) and his (common-law) wife Lucretia Kelk (c. 1813 – 2 February 1848)^[5] moved to Adelaide in 1846. He married Mary Reynolds (no record of a marriage found) (19 December 1829 – 5 May 1909) around 1850. Their children included:

• Elizabeth Maria Kelk Fisher (2 February 1848 – 12 April 1937) married Frederick Malin (13 July 1843? 1844? – 16 July 1917) of Port Adelaide on 8 August 1866
• Alfred George Fisher (24 February 1852 – ) married Sarah Elizabeth Abbott (1858–) of Norwood on 30 April 1877
• Walter James Fisher (c. 1856 – 8 September 1897) was convicted in 1880 of stealing a purse.^[6]
• Laura Jane Fisher (4 August 1858 – )
• Emily Fisher ( – ) married Adolf Louis Hauschildt (c. 1861 – 10 May 1895) on 25 January 1886. She married again, to Edward George Stephens on 12 September 1898
• William Hartley Fisher (20 August 1865 – 8 June 1944) married Ellen "Nell" Musgrave ( – ) on 20 July 1909

He had a brother and two sisters in South Australia:

Charles Fisher J.P. (c. 1824 – 27 November 1902), grain merchant, married Julia Humphreys Phillips, sister of W. Herbert Phillipps on 22 April 1858, later lived at "Parkholme", Wakefield Street, Kent Town. (Spelling is correct — W.H.P. changed his surname.)

• Charles Hedley Phillipps "Hedley" Fisher (c. 1860 – 25 November 1938) married Helen Napier "Nellie" Birks (20 June 1869 – 27 January 1949), second daughter of Charles Birks, on 14 February 1898
• Frank Fisher
• Beatrice Fisher married Charles Westmacott, nephew of General Westmacott, on 10 September 1898
• Herbert Stanley Fisher married Mary Clavering "Thistle" Anderson, daughter of Col. George Anderson, once MP for Glasgow, on 16 December 1901
• Wanborough Fisher, a well-known singer, married Louie Grant of Laura on 14 March 1905.

Caroline Fisher ( – 27 March 1920) married George Peter Harris (c. 1818 – 26 November 1873) on 14 November 1854 at the Wesleyan Chapel, North Adelaide. Harris, co-founder of Harris Scarfe, arrived in SA 10 February 1849 aboard Candahar. from Plymouth. They left South Australia, died at Shooter's Hill, England.

Elizabeth Fisher (c. 1814 – 13 August 1892) married Alfred Pickford (c. 1820 – 16 April 1908). Alfred had a business in Rundle street, retired around 1870.

References