William Paxton was a South Australian colonist who arrived in 1840, became one of the investors in the Burra

Burra, South Australia

Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...

 copper mines and returned to England in July 1855, a wealthy man.

Some sources give his birthplace as Whitby, Cheshire

Ellesmere Port

Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...

, or Whitby, Yorkshire but he was christened on 22 February 1819 in Claydon, Oxfordshire

Claydon, Oxfordshire

Claydon is a village in Claydon with Clattercot civil parish, about north of Banbury in Oxfordshire. The village is about above sea level on a hill of Early Jurassic Middle Lias clay. Claydon is the northernmost village in Oxfordshire...

, a long way from either, and was a resident of Brighton

Brighton

Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

, Sussex

Sussex

Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

 before leaving for Australia, and was a pharmacist by training.

Pharmacy

He arrived in Adelaide on 11 August 1840 on the barque "Lalla Rookh".

In November 1840 he took over W. E. Bayldon's chemist shop "Apothecaries' Hall" at the west end of Hindley Street

Hindley Street, Adelaide

Hindley Street is located in the West End of the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs between King William Street and West Terrace. The street was named after British parliamentarian and social reformist, Charles Hindley....

. He was joined by Dr. L. Moore, who had been the surgeon on the "Lalla Rookh". Paxton became embroiled in a criminal prosecution of a medical practitioner over a death from over-prescription of morphine

Morphine

Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...

. The medico, who had an alcohol problem, had clearly been negligent in his treatment of the patient (he was attempting a cure of a mental problem with an uncontrolled form of deep sleep therapy

Deep Sleep Therapy

Deep sleep therapy , also called prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, is a psychiatric treatment based on the use of psychiatric drugs to render patients unconscious for a period of days or weeks.-History:...

), but was exonerated over a technicality: that Paxton had supplied a different species of morphine from that which he prescribed. According to one account, for some reason he refused to pay the first corporation rates so a large jar of some drug was seized from his shop and sold at auction. In March 1844 he reopened as "Paxton's Medical Hall" opposite "Club House" in Hindley Street, with "Paxton Hall" emblazoned across its facade in letters of vitreous china. The business was taken over by his shop manager George Dale in February 1851 and renamed "Dale's Medical Hall",

Chemists' shops of Early Adelaide

Adapted from "Register" articles on Harry A. Dale (son of George)

Mr. George Dale died, and the firm was managed by W. Goddard, on behalf of the trustees, with Harry as apprentice then was taken over by F. H. Faulding & Co. with Goddard in charge under the business name of "W. Goddard & Co.", then a W. Long took charge. He was subsequently joined by Mr. A. J. Lovely, and the firm became known by the euphonious title of "Long and Lovely".

James Allen had a shop at the corner of Hindley and Morphett streets, then came Dale's Medical Hall, and further on Main and Geyer's establishment, which was situated between Miller, Anderson's and the Ex change Hotel.

In Rundle street F. H. 'Faulding & Co. had a retail business, their wholesale establishment being at the rear of this in Clarence place. Further east was W. D. Allott's shop, and a Dr. Healy had a dispensary at the corner of Rundle and Pulteney streets, which was subsequently carried on by Mr. W. D. Porter. On the other side of Pulteney street Mr. Wood had a pharmacy, close to Tavistock street. A little later Mr. Heuzenroeder started a chemist's business in Rundle street, next to Gercke & Roedemann's. It was subsequently acquired by Messrs. Gunther & Von Doussa, and afterwards by Mr. B. Grummett. Also on Rundle street was Hutton's shop.

Mr. Bickford was in Hindley street next door to Miller, Anderson's, on the west side; and on the death of Mr. Bickford was managed by K. Hutton. In 1884, the firm disposed of it to Mr. J. Provost.

On King William street, two doors from Rundle street was the shop of Henry Watson, maker of Watson's antibilious and digestive pills. Watson had been a customs officer and a partner of J. B. Hack (as Hack, Watson and Co.)

Dr. O'Hea was one of the earliest druggists. His shop was on North Terrace, near Bank street (in the early days some doctors did their own dispensing).

In those days the chemists packed all the important tinctures and liniments in small bottles for sale by the storekeepers. Such lines as citric acid, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, carbonate of ammonia, and culinary essences, were not handled by the wholesale grocers, the retail grocer purchasing them from the wholesale chemist. The line of demarcation was then more clearly defined than is the case at present. There was no restricting Poisons Act. in those days. In all places where there were no retail pharmacists, the grocers stocked lines as spirits of ammonia, sweet spirits of nitre, laudanum; friars' balsam, and so on.

Milling

Paxton was purchasing wheat for cash in January 1846 and was for a time in partnership with William R. S. Cooke in the flour milling business of Wm. Cook and Co, presumably as underwriter, and he was named that year as owner of the new steam mill (later the "Albion Mill") in Grenfell Street. The partnership was dissolved in January 1847. He showed his continuing interest after his return to England by offering a prize for the best British wheat grown from South Australian seed.

Copper Mining

He was one of the founders of the South Australian Mining Association in April 1845, purchasing 28 shares of £5 in the Burra Special Survey, afterwards known as the Burra Burra and Princess Royal Mines. At their peak, each £5 share was worth £225 and was returning a dividend of £40 per annum.
He also invested in the company town Kooringa, building four hotels and more permanent accommodation, including those now called "Paxton's Cottages".
Election of officers 1845
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/27450010

nominated for directors (of these seven were to be chosen, three to be replaced each year and ineligible for reelection for one year):—
George Bean

Bean Brothers

Bean Brothers was a company based in Adelaide, South Australia involved in tanning, leathergoods and shipping ventures in the latter half of the 19th Century. Bean Brothers Ltd was set up by the principals to consolidate their assets and develop as wool and produce brokers...

, Charles Beck, Tom Cox Bray, Edward Castres Gwynne, Hon. Jacob Hagen (Hagan?), John Cundy Sieman (Sleeman?), Henry Mildred, William Paxton, Samuel Payne, Alderman William Peacock, Robert Sanders, Matthew Smith, Emanuel Solomon, Samuel Stocks. junr. and Thomas Whistler. Other early subscribers were: J. Dickens, Michael Featherston, J. B. Graham, G. S. Kingston, Henry Mildred, John Newman, J. B. Neyles, John Ridley

John Ridley (inventor)

John Ridley was an English-born miller, inventor, landowner, investor, farming machinery manufacturer, farmer and preacher who lived in Australia between 1839 and 1853. He is best known for the development, manufacture and invention of "Ridley's Stripper", a machine that both reaped and threshed...

, George Stevenson.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/27450031

Property

He purchased sections 97 and 144 of around 250 acres "Lockleys Estate" in the early 1850s, which was used by pastoralist Charles Brown Fisher (ca.1918 – 1908) for his stables and horse paddocks. He sold it to Fisher in 1853.

He purchased section 1049, Semaphore South with sea frontage in the region of Hart Street, Stella Lane and Paxton Street; the area being given the name "Whitby".

In 1848 and 1849, William Paxton and Samuel Stocks jun. purchased part of section 1 of the 'Gawler Special Survey' being "part of a public highway found unsuitable for such purposes". After Stocks' death in 1850, Paxton developed it as the town of Willaston

Willaston, South Australia

Willaston is a northern suburb northeast of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the Town of Gawler.-History:William Paxton and Samuel Stocks obtained land in the area in 1848 and 1849. After Stocks died in 1850, Paxton laid out the village called Willaston...

.

He purchased land on the outskirts of Gawler

Gawler, South Australia

Gawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...

, which he subdivided and sold by auction.

He had considerable landholdings in Burra, including the Paxton Square houses and all four Burra hotels three in Kooringa: the "Burra Hotel", "Lord's Hotel" and the "Pig and Whistle" (which two were run by the Cowper brothers), and the "Smelters' Arms" (later "Opie's Hotel") which he built as a competitor to Stacy's "Southampton Arms" in the suburb of Aberdeen. The "Burra" became White's School, then the Hospital. The "Pig" burned down ca. 1900.

In 1855 he purchased Town Acre 142 on Grenfell Street, which had been set aside as Church property and required a special Act to enable the sale.

Politics

In 1851 he was invited by petition, as was the practice, to represent Kooringa in parliament. He modestly declined, preferring the role of kingmaker

Kingmaker

Kingmaker is a term originally applied to the activities of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick — "Warwick the Kingmaker" — during the Wars of the Roses in England. The term has come to be applied more generally to a person or group that has great influence in a royal or political succession,...

. He did however stand for the Municipal elections in 1852 in both Hindmarsh and Gawler wards, winning them both! And then he put his name forward in at the Port Adelaide by-election of 1853 (brought about by the resignation of Captain Hall

George Hall (Australian politician)

George Hall, M.L.C., often styled "Captain Hall", was a South Australian shipping agent, company director and politician....

), but was defeated soundly by Captain Scott and became the object of some hilarity. He resigned his Aldermanic post in 1854; his place being taken, albeit briefly, by Thomas Reynolds.

Newspaper

He helped found, with John Baker, John Ellis, William Allen and Andrew Murray, the "Adelaide Morning Chronicle" in January 1852, in opposition to the "South Australian Register", which was sceptical about their motives. It folded in March the following year.

Horseracing

There is no record of Paxton being a rider, but he owned a number of racehorses, the most successful being the bay gelding "Highflyer". He acted as Treasurer for the first Gawler races, was a member of the South Australian Jockey Club

South Australian Jockey Club

South Australian Jockey Club is the principal race club in South Australia, Australia.The first incarnation of the South Australian Jockey Club was in 1850, when it ran a race programme at Brighton on 14 February. Thomas Shayle was the Hon. Sec...

, and on occasion, acted as Steward.

Family Life

He married Mary Ann Cowper in 1843

• son 20 June 1844 (Eldest son Robert Charles Paxton M.A., a barrister, married Marion Tod on 1 June 1871)
• son 19 October 1845 (a J. Paxton, with W. Paxton, was a mourner at the funeral for William Peacock
  William Peacock
  .William Peacock was a British water polo player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was part of the British team, which was able to win the gold medal.-External links:*...
  
   8 January 1882.)
• there may have been a daughter ca.1848 who did not survive, as Alice is described as their third daughter, and the Paxtons returned with only two daughters.
• daughter Catherine Elizabeth Paxton (ca. 1850) married Charles Lewis (Tincler) Blennerhassett on 3 February 1883.
• son Harry Leonard (5 October 1851 – 16 January 1852)
• third daughter Alice (20 November 1852 – 3 December 1854)
• daughter 7 November 1853

• son Alfred William Paxton (ca.1855 – ca. 15 September 1898) was an investor with a seat on the London Stock Exchange and a partner in Hay, Graves and Paxton, owners of Marra Station. He committed suicide at Bondi, New South Wales
  Bondi, New South Wales
  Bondi is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi is located seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council. The postcode is 2026.-Location:...
  
   by a revolver shot to the head. Well-known at the racetrack, he was an inveterate gambler and had recently made significant losses.

The Paxton home for many years was on North Terrace

North Terrace, Adelaide

North Terrace is one of the four terraces that bound the central business and residential district of the city of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It runs east-west, along the northern edge of the CBD.-North Side of North Terrace:...

. He was to appeal to the Supreme Court in 1855 against the erection opposite, of the Adelaide Hospital

Royal Adelaide Hospital

The Royal Adelaide Hospital is Adelaide's largest hospital, with 680 beds. Founded in 1840, the Royal Adelaide provides tertiary health care services for South Australia and provides secondary care clinical services to residents of Adelaide's city centre and inner suburbs.The hospital is situated...

. It was later sold to Henry Ayers

Henry Ayers

Sir Henry Ayers GCMG was Premier of South Australia five times between 1863 and 1873, but is perhaps best remembered for having Uluru/Ayers Rock named for him.- Overview :...

 and is now famous as "Ayers House"

Paxton, his wife and two daughters returned to England in 1855 and never saw Australia again. At his farewell speech, John Baker, M.L.C.

John Baker (Australian politician)

John Baker was an early South Australian pastoralist and politician. He was the second Premier of South Australia, succeeding Boyle Finniss; however, he only held office for 12 days from 21 August to 1 September 1857 before being succeeded by the third Premier of the colony, Robert Torrens.-Early...

 made a barbed reference to the number of colonists who, having made a fortune, retired to England taking their wealth with them.

According to one account, he had a favourite cow, and pensioned her for life on a piece of land in Tavistock street

Frome Road, Adelaide

Frome Road is a connecting road in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. It starts from North Terrace in the Adelaide city centre, running in a northerly direction past the University of South Australia, the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science and the...

.

In 1863 he presented to the South Australian Institute a collection of coins and medals, 670 pieces in all.

His home in 1869 was Linden House, Cheswick

Cheswick

 Cheswick is a village in Northumberland, England. It is situated approximately south-east of Berwick-upon-Tweed, between the A1 and the North Sea coast.- Governance :Cheswick is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed....

; in 1871 was 1 Palace Gate, Kensington

Kensington

Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...

, and when he died was Palmeira Square, Brighton.

Recognition

His caricature by S. T. Gill

S. T. Gill

S. T. Gill , also known by his signature S.T.G., was and English-born Australian artist.sheet 20.2 x 25.7 cm...

entitled "Throw physic to the dogs" (referring to his days as a druggist) is held by the State Library of South Australia.

Paxton Cottages, Paxton Terrace and Paxton Square in Burra are named for him.

A street in Semaphore South where he had considerable property is called Paxton Street.