William Sandover


William Sandover was a British hotelier and politician in South Australia, the father of Alfred Sandover MBE and great grandfather of Raymond Sandover DSO, ED.

History

He was born in Cornwood, Devon, England, on 21 September 1822, and spent most of his youth in London. He emigrated to South Australia on the Glenelg, arriving on 13 February 1849; William Morgan was a fellow-passenger. He joined the gold rush to Victoria and was moderately successful, and on his return took up hotel keeping.
In March 1854 William Sandover was granted the publican's licence for the Sturt Hotel, Grenfell Street, which was destroyed by fire some 18 months later. He retired twelve years later, and apart from parliamentary duties and three trips to England, lived quietly at his home "Rosslyn" in Rose Park.

Politics

In April 1868 he was elected to the seat of Gumeracha in the Legislative Assembly, with Alexander Hay as colleague. He did not stand at the following election in 1870, but in September 1873 won the vacant seat on the Legislative Council caused by the death of John Bentham Neales. This was in the days when Legislative Council seats were voted for by the entire colony as a single electorate "The Province". He did not seek reelection at the end of his term in 1885.

Family

William Sandover married Mary Billing Bate on 23 January 1854; they lived in Angas Street, Adelaide, later "Rosslyn", Rose Park. Among their five children were:
His sister Louisa died 26 January 1877 aged 56 years