Dinah Flavel
Biography
Role: Second wife of Francis Telfer (1809–1895) — mother of his daughter Jean
Born: 10 June 1821 — Pytchley, Kettering Borough, Northamptonshire, England
Died: 20 March 1844 (aged 22) — Chain of Ponds, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Buried: West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia
Family
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Francis Telfer (1809–1895) (m. 4 May 1839) |
| Daughter | Jean Telfer (7 Aug 1840 – 15 Jul 1892) — m. A.F. Telfer |
Life Summary
Dinah Flavel was born on 10 June 1821 at Pytchley, Northamptonshire, England — the daughter of Joseph Flavel (1797–1840) and Mary Bayes. Little is known of her childhood in England.
She married Francis Telfer on 4 May 1839 — just four months after the death of his first wife Jean Murray. The marriage took place in Adelaide, South Australia. Dinah was 18 years old; Francis was 30 with three young children from his first marriage.
Dinah gave birth to a daughter, Jean, on 7 August 1840 at Chain of Ponds in the Adelaide Hills. She died just over three years later, on 20 March 1844 at Chain of Ponds, barely 22 years old. She was buried at West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.
Her brief life was marked by the frontier conditions of early South Australia — a young English immigrant who married a widowed Scottish farmer with young children, had a daughter, and died before reaching age 23.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 10 Jun 1821 | Born — Pytchley, Northamptonshire, England |
| ~1838 | Emigrated to South Australia |
| 4 May 1839 | Married Francis Telfer (1809–1895) in Adelaide |
| 7 Aug 1840 | Daughter Jean born at Chain of Ponds, SA |
| 20 Mar 1844 | Died (aged 22) — Chain of Ponds, SA |
| Buried — West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide |
Family Stories
The Flavel Family Voyage
According to Donald Telfer's family history (1986), Chapter 2, pp. 23–24: Dinah travelled to South Australia aboard the Prince George with her parents Joseph and Mary Flavel and her six siblings, alongside the Telfer family. Her brother William Flavel later described walking barefoot from Port Misery through the sandhills, the heat running so painfully between his toes that he "had to run from one bush to another till I got clear of the sand." Dinah married Francis Telfer barely four months after the death of his first wife Jean Murray, becoming stepmother to three young children — James (7), Esther (5), and Elizabeth (4).
Sources
- Source: Donald Telfer, From the Borders to the Bush (ISBN 0 7316 6387 X), pp. 21–25 — extract via vision_analyze 19 June 2026
- FindAGrave: Dinah Flavel Telfer (1821–1844) — memorial 166265805, West Terrace Cemetery. Accessed 18 June 2026.
- WikiTree: Flavel-64 — profile for Dinah Flavel. Accessed 18 June 2026.