Edward Meade (also spelled "Mead") "Ned" Bagot (13 December 1822 – 28 July 1886), was a pastoralist and developer who held large properties in

Central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and i ...

History

Edward was born in Rockforest,

Tubber, County Clare Tubber () is a village in the north of County Clare, Ireland. Location The village is part of the barony of Inchiquin, about from Corofin on the road to Gort in County Galway. The village of Tubber in County Clare is the southern part of a l ...

Ireland,'Bagot, Edward Meade (Ned) (1822–1886)'
''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1969, accessed online 6 April 2016. the second son of

Charles Hervey Bagot Charles Hervey Bagot (17 April 1788 – 29 July 1880), often referred to as "Captain Bagot", was an Irish-born South Australian pastoralist, mine owner and parliamentarian, and was the ancestor of a number of notable South Australian citizens. ...

and his wife Mary, née MacCarthy. He was educated at a school run by Dr. King in

Ennis, County Clare Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,2 ...

, and groomed for service with the East India Company, but was prevented by a health problem from taking a position. He emigrated to South Australia with his parents and siblings on the ''Birman'', arriving in December 1840. His father took up a pastoral property at Koonunga in 1841, which Ned helped manage, then in 1843 took a position as accountant and store manager at the newly opened Kapunda copper mine at

Kapunda Kapunda is a town on the Light River and near the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was established after a discovery in 1842 of significant copper deposits. The population was 2,917 at the 2016 Australian census. The southern entrance ...

. In 1850 he was appointed a director of the South Kapunda mine.

Pastoral interests

His properties included the Murthoo Run 1846–, Ned's Corner, on the River Murray, 1854–, Kulnine, Wall Wall, "Beefacres" (now Windsor Gardens) on the River Torrens, from 1853 to 1864, Mudla Wirra (with Richard Bowen Colley) 1865–, description of Beefacres at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50169874 He purchased Northern Territory lease No.1 and No.2 Undoolya Station, some 10km east of

Alice Springs Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...

in 1872, then his son Ted, his stepson James Churchill-Smith (1851 – 3 October 1922), and William Gilbert (1850–1923), son of Joseph Gilbert, drove 1,000 head of cattle to

Undoolya Station Undoolya Station is a pastoral lease east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. It has been managed by the Hayes Family since 1906. It is currently managed by Ben and Nicole Hayes. Early history Central Aranda people hav ...

from Adelaide and built the first homestead. He took out a pastoral lease on

Dalhousie Springs Dalhousie Springs, also known as Witjira-Dalhousie Springs, is a group of over 60 natural artesian springs located in Witjira National Park on the western fringe of the Simpson Desert, 180 kilometres northeast of Oodnadatta in northern South Aus ...

in 1873 and built the homestead (c. 100km north of

Oodnadatta Oodnadatta is a small, remote outback town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia, located north-north-west of the state capital of Adelaide by road or direct, at an altitude of . The unsealed Oodnadatta Track, an outback road ...

), which is now in ruins. This area figured prominently in the search for

Ludwig Leichhardt Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (), known as Ludwig Leichhardt, (23 October 1813 – c. 1848) was a German explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.Ken Eastwood,'Cold case: Leichhardt's dis ...

. Charles Todd ran the Overland Telegraph Line from Port Augusta to Macumba Well (c. 40km north of Oodnadatta), with

Benjamin Babbage Benjamin Herschel Babbage (6 August 1815 – 22 October 1878) was an English engineer, scientist, explorer and politician, best known for his work in the colony of South Australia He invariably signed his name "B. Herschel Babbage" and was frequ ...

supervising that part of the line, which was contracted by Bagot. His son, E. M. "Ted" Bagot, died there in 1881. The property, of of excellent grazing country was purchased by John Lewis (father of

Essington Lewis Essington Lewis, CH (13 January 18812 October 1961) was a prominent Australian industrialist. He was the Director-General of the Department of Munitions during World War II. Biography Early life Essington Lewis was born in Burra, South Austr ...

) in 1896. He was persuaded to take up a mining lease in 1874, and set up the "Golden Reef Company", but dissolved it as soon as he found the claim worthless. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1861 and resigned it in 1876. He was reappointed in 1877 after his insolvency had been settled. (He and partner

Gabriel Bennett Gabriel Bennett (23 December 1817 – 13 September 1895) was an auctioneer, stock and cattle salesman and horse breeder in South Australia. He was a founder of the stock and station agents Bennett and Fisher. History Bennett was born in London, ...

went into voluntary liquidation in 1877; creditors were awarded 5 shillings in the pound, but Bagot refused to evade his creditors as others had done, and by 1880 all his debts had been fully discharged, though it entailed selling most assets, including Undoolya station, on which he had just spent £30,000, at a loss staying on as manager.)

Other interests

He was a successful breeder of cattle and horses, winning many trophies. One of his horses, ''Don Giovanni'', sired the 1873

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbou ...

winner, ''Don Juan''. His thoroughbred mare ''Cowra'' won the

Adelaide Cup The Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred handicap horse race for three-year-olds and older, run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia on the second Monday in March. Total prize money ...

in 1866 and 1867. Another horse, ''Neetlee'' had only one start, in 1867, when she famously threw her rider. Ned was a committee member of the S.A. Jockey Club in 1880. He was used as a test case to prove the validity of the Totalizator Repeal Act, which had the curious effect of exempting "the tote", while not a lawful instrument, from the Lotteries Act. A section of grazing land held by Bagot and Bennett at

Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...

, south of

Henley Beach Road Currie Street is a main street in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.Map
of the

South Australian Jockey Club South Australian Jockey Club is the principal race club in South Australia. First racing events The first horse racing events in South Australia took place at a well-attended picnic meeting held over 1 and 2 January 1838. In August 1838, ridin ...

. His skills as a judge of livestock were regularly called for by the Show Society.

Last days

His end was a matter of newspaper speculation for nearly a week. He had gone missing after leaving a Hunt Club celebration at H. E. Downer's at

Magill ''Magill'' was an Irish politics and current affairs magazine founded by Vincent Browne and others in 1977. ''Magill'' specialised in investigative articles and colourful reportage by journalists such as Eamonn McCann (who wrote its anonymous ' ...

. He was well-known (and loved) for his eccentric dress — knee breeches, gaiters, shooting coat, and a terribly out-of-fashion broad-brimmed belltopper hat, even in the hottest weather — and there was no shortage of sightings up to North Adelaide but then the trail went cold for the hundreds of citizens and police out searching for him. Eventually he was found dead at the bottom of a Dry Creek quarry where he had presumably stumbled and fallen. His residence on Brougham Place was purchased by George Edward Fulton.

Family

Edward Meade "Ned" Bagot (13 December 1822 – 24 July 1886) married Mary Pettman (1830 – 5 March 1855) on 1 August 1853. He married again, to the widow Anne Smith, née Walworth (1830 – 16 February 1892), on 30 July 1857. Anne had at least one child, James Churchill-Smith (1851 – 4 October 1922) by her previous marriage. Ned Bagot's family included: *Edward Meade Bagot Jr. "Ted" (17 July 1848 – 5 June 1881) was born to Mary Pettman before her marriage to Ned Bagot. Ted died at Dalhousie Springs. * James Churchill-Smith (1851 – 4 October 1922) was adopted by E. M. Bagot on his marriage to James's mother. He was educated at St. Peter's College and worked all his life for his stepfather then for Bagot Shakes & Lewis Ltd. He married Lucy or Lucie McManus (c. 1868 – 14 December 1959) on 12 January 1890. :*James Churchill-Smith, MC and Bar (15 October 1894 – 15 March 1968) served as a Major in both World Wars. His diaries are an important record of World War I. *George Wallwall Bagot (2 March 1858 – 3 July 1919), often described as Ned's eldest son, married Ellen Keynes (c. 1858 – 12 January 1925) of Keyneton on 14 April 1881. He was a director of Bagot's Executor and Trustee Company, became partner in Bagot, Shakes & Lewis, land agents, with James Shakes, John Lewis (father of

), A. L. Harrold, W. Gilbert, H. W. Hughes, David James and George Dowling. The company absorbed Luxmoore, Dowling & Jeffrey Ltd. in 1906 then was absorbed into Goldsbrough Mort and Co. Ltd. in 1924. :*George Wall Wall Bagot Hughes,

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

, (15 September 1878 – 9 December 1940). The son of Mary Ellen Hextall, he assumed the last name of Hughes after his step-father. *Richard Neetlee "Dick" Bagot (11 July 1860 – 20 January 1934) married Agnes Adeline King (c. 1860 – 4 August 1951) on 27 December 1887. Residence 7 Marlborough Street, St Peters. :*Frank Neetlee Bagot ( – ) married Caroline Martha Holmes on 28 November 1918, with Elder, Smith & Co., Limited, living at

Subiaco, Western Australia Subiaco (known colloquially as Subi) is an inner-Western suburbs (Perth), western suburb of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. It is approximately west of Perth's central business district, in the City of Subiaco local government area. H ...

. :*John Neetlee "Jack" Bagot (17 December 1898 – 1977) married Margaret Beatrice Fisher (1898–1987) on 11 June 1932. Margaret was a granddaughter of George Napier Birks. :*Richard Neetlee Bagot (26 February 1904 – ) married Phyllis Heggaton ( – ), daughter of P. T. Heggaton :*Edward Meade "Ned" Bagot (3 October 1888 - 23 September 1976) married Dorothy Edith Lane (1898-1981) on 13 December 1924 at SCEGS Chapel, North Sydney where he was a maths and physics teacher and house master for 50+ years. *William Watermit Bagot (20 August 1861 – 16 July 1862) *Charles Mulcra Bagot (9 March 1863 – 22 July 1895) married Ada Annie Westmacott, lived at Oodnadatta to 1907 then 30 Marlborough Street, College Park :*Charles Ernest Bagot (twin) (26 December 1893 – 7 December 1915) died of wounds at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

. :*Almerta Annie "Girlie" Bagot (twin) (26 December 1893 – ) born at Oodnadatta married E. Wilson in September 1926 :*George Edgar Bagot (24 April 1895 – 1987) dairy farmer of

Echunga Echunga ( ) is a small town in the Adelaide Hills located south-east of Adelaide in South Australia. The area was settled by Europeans during the period of British colonisation of South Australia in 1839, with the town laid out in 1849. The na ...

married Isabel Galbin on 9 October 1928. *Mary Bagot (25 August 1864 –) born at "Beefacres" *Lucy Cowra Bagot (18 November 1865 – 5 February 1898) born at "Beefacres", died at (which?) brother's place, Walkerville *Lille Nellnell Bagot (2 July 1867 – 1956) married sportsman and administrator Griffith Mostyn Evan (22 September 1861 – 25 December 1924) on 7 October 1891 *Sophie Rose Bagot (14 February 1869 – 5 November 1889) at Brougham Place, North Adelaide *Annie Meade Bagot (31 July 1870 – 4 May 1910) *Edgar Watermeit Bagot (8 September 1872 – 13 April 1895) With Bank of New South Wales; died at Coolgardie. *Allan Walter Bagot (24 March 1874 – ) (a mourner at E. M. Bagot's funeral, and mentioned in will of John Haimes) For some details of the extended Bagot family, see Bagot Family

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagot, Edward Meade Australian pastoralists 1822 births 1886 deaths Irish emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian businesspeople