Edward Baker Darby

     (For a brief history and context on the Darby family see this page)

NOTE: The information on this page is my research to date and is subject to change as I become better informed. I very much welcome any corrections or additional info you might have - my email address is at the bottom of this page. Whilst historical facts are not copyright, my writing about these facts are. If you wish to use any text from this site on Ancestry or on any other website, please ask me first - Tim Hill.


Edward was born on Tuesday, 5 February 1850 at Morphett Vale, South Australia.¹ He was the son of Thomas Darby and Jessie Nicholson.¹ Edward was the first of eight children to be born to Thomas and Jessie over the next 16 years, and was named after Reverend Edward Knight Baker.² Edward Baker Darby was named for He was perhaps named for the Revered Edward Baker who was minister at his father's church and a relative of his uncle John's wife. an unknown person.

When the Darby family moved to Minlacowie, South Australia, by travelled by bullock dray and on arrival cultivated the land, which was scrub, with a single furrow plow and one horse.³

He may have attended the wedding of his sister in the marriage of John Nancarrow and Alice Darby at her parent's house on Thursday, 3 October 1878 at Minlacowie. John and Alice went on to have some 10 children together.⁴

He may have attended the wedding of his brother in the marriage of John Darby and Edith Watson at the residence of George Wright on Saturday, 12 October 1878 at the Adelaide suburb of Woodville. Edith and John went on to have nine known children together.⁵ Edward Baker Darby was a farmer in September 1883 at Minlacowie.⁶ He took up 451 acres of land at Koolywurtie, County Ferguson at 1 pound per acre. It was bought by selection on credit from the Land Office. Together with his father they had close to 1500 acres on 20 September 1883.⁶

He may have attended the wedding of his sister in the marriage of William James Long and Jessie Darby in a baptist ceremony conducted by John Nancarrow at the Baptist Church on Wednesday, 24 September 1890 at Minlacowie, South Australia. William and Jessie went on to have two known children together.^7,8

He may have attended the wedding of his sister in the marriage of George James Denness and Louisa Margaret Darby at her parent's house on Thursday, 16 April 1891 at Minlacowie. George and Louisa went on to have three children together.⁹

He married Elizabeth Smith, at St. Pauls on Sunday, 29 June 1913 at Adelaide..¹⁰ Edward lived in November 1917 at "Hopelands", in Minlacowie, South Australia.¹¹ He was a farmer in February 1921 at Minlacowie.¹²

Edward likely died on 17 November 1926 at Minlaton, South Australia, at age 76.¹³

Edward may have died on 27 November 1926 at Minalton Hospital, in Minlaton, South Australia, at age 76 of pneumonia.¹⁴