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Of Tragedy and Valor
Malen Rumbelow (Malen 1st) and Alice Pitches.
1812 - 1889
West Row, Suffolk England
Malen Rumbelow (Malen Senior) was born in West Row, near Mildenhall, Suffolk England on 29th March 1812, the 6th child of Robert and Sarah Rumbelow.
Its likely Malen Rumbelow was named for his mother’s maiden name - Sarah Maling. Sarah was born in 1777 in Mildenhall and her parents were John Maling & Elizabeth Godfrey. Robert Rumbelow married Sarah in 1797.
Malen, a labourer, married Alice Pitches in 1831 at St Mary's Church in Mildenhall, Suffolk.
Malen’s oldest sister Mary had married Mark Last, and two of their sons (Mark, aged 27 and Joseph, aged 20) left England for Australia in 1851. The two nephews may have sent reports back from the colony which encouraged Malen and Alice to take the courageous step that changed their lives forever.
St Mary's Church is a 14th century Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Mildenhall, Suffolk.
The St Mary's Church dominates its surrounding settlement as the largest church in Suffolk, almost 60m long and 20m wide, with a tower 40m high. It is a church of superlatives; the 14th century west window is considered one of England's best, the roof the finest in East Anglia.
In 1854 Malen, Alice and their nine children (six girls and three boys) set sail from Southampton UK 112 days aboard the barque Pestonjee Bomanjee. They arrived at Port Adelaide on October 9th 1854.
The family stayed at Port Adelaide for a short period before they trekked by bullock dray along the coast to the whaling settlement of Encounter Bay. The trip took a fortnight in the heat of summer and was not without danger and hardship from the local aborigines and the rough bush track. It must have been very arduous for Malen's wife Alice who was heavily pregnant at the time. Very soon after arriving, their eldest girl Alice married Cain Jelliff, a seaman from the Pestonjee Bomanjee, at the Tabernacle Chapel at Encounter Bay on 24th January 1855.
The first few years were marked with sadness, due to the deaths of three of the children, an infant girl, the baby boy and eldest son in his early 20s.
The whaling industry was nearing an end at Encounter Bay and Port Elliot, the outlet for the wool and goods shipped down the Murray River by paddle steamer and barge, was the major centre for the district until Port Victor came to the fore later.
Malen Snr was employed for a time in the store shed of the whaling company and, in fact, helped cut up the last whale harpooned by this company at Encounter Bay. Interestingly, when whaling was abandoned at Encounter Bay, a harpoon gun came into the hands of the family and was later presented to the SA Museum. It is recorded that Malen 1st owned several acres of land in different sections of Encounter Bay and when his children married he gave them an acre of land as a wedding present.
Malen was also employed as a farmer, contractor, working on the Port Elliot breakwater and the stone wall on Cut Hill, as well as fishing and encouraging tourism.
The six daughters all married, several twice, and interestingly, three married the same man.
Malen 1st died at 77 years of age on 17th October 1889, and his wife, Alice, on 8th December 1890. They are buried at the Victor Harbor Cemetery.
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