{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} '''Edward Burton Gleeson''' (1803 – 2 February 1870), also known as '''"Paddy" Gleeson''', was a South Australian settler, farmer and founder of the town of Clare, which he named for the county of his birth.<ref name=founder>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97642725 |title=The Founder of Clare |newspaper=The Northern Argus |volume=LIV |issue=3,250 |location=South Australia |date=6 June 1924 |accessdate=17 September 2016 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}} This article has much additional material not as yet used in this article.</ref>

==History== Gleeson arrived in South Australia on 27 July 1838 with his wife Harriet Gleeson ''née'' Llewelyn (c. 1799 – 6 June 1896) on board the ''Emerald Isle'' from India.<ref>[http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1097&c=5264 SA Memory]</ref> He became involved in pastoral activities in Adelaide and settled east of the city in what is now the suburb of Beaumont. He established a property which he named ''Gleeville'' near the current Dashwood Road – Sunnyside Road junction,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35761075 |title=Early suburban development in the young colony of South Australia. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=12 October 1946 |accessdate=17 June 2015 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and also took up pastoral runs north of Adelaide, near the Wakefield River. In 1840, he established the ''Inchiquin'' run in the Clare Valley area,<ref>[http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/search.php?state=SA&region=122&view=836 Australian Heritage website]</ref> and in 1842 laid out a plan for a town.<ref>[http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/search.php?state=SA&region=122&view=836 Australian Heritage website]</ref> This would have a number of different names, but from 1846 would eventually be called Clare, after Gleeson's home county in Ireland.

Gleeson became insolvent on 30 July 1846 and as a result, sold ''Gleeville'' to Samuel Davenport<ref>{{cite book|last=Cockburn|first=Rodney|year=1999|title=South Australia – What's in a Name?|publisher=Axiom Publishing|isbn=0-9592519-1-X}}</ref> and moved all his farming interests to the Clare Valley. ''Inchiquin'' then became his main property and business concern. He was well liked by members of the community and eventually earned the informal title the '''''King of Clare'''''.

Throughout the rest of his life, he had a variety of interests in the area, including being the town's first mayor and a special magistrate for the region. He died at ''Inchiquin'' in 1870, leaving six children.

Hampton Carroll Gleeson, MHA for Flinders, was a nephew.

==Family== Edward Burton Gleeson married Harriet Llewellyn (died 1896). Their family included: *eldest daughter Fanny Eliza Gleeson ( – 19 September 1913) married Jonathan Filgate (c. 1821 – 6 April 1866) on 6 December 1854. Filgate was proprietor of Clare Brewery. *John William Gleeson (1834 – 13 November 1895) married Christina Alston (c. 1832 – 18 April 1900) on 4 July 1859. He was a successful horse breeder and auctioneer until injured in shooting accident. He drowned on his own property. *Edward Gleeson ( – 1853) died in riding accident *Sarah Ann "Annie" Gleeson (1840 – 20 November 1928) married George Hamilton Ayliffe (25 May 1840 – 2 November 1906) on 26 February 1864 <!--*son 17 August 1838 must have died, else John not "only son" *daughter 15 February 1841 at "Gleeville", Beaumont -->

His brother John Hampton Gleeson, and his wife ''née'' Carroll (died 1896) also emigrated aboard the ''Emerald Isle'', with their son Hampton Carroll Gleeson and daughter Harriet Gleeson (died 1882). Another passenger was one Robert Gleeson.

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gleeson, Edward Burton}} Category:1803 births Category:1870 deaths Category:Politicians from County Clare Category:Australian pastoralists Category:Settlers of South Australia Category:Mayors of places in South Australia Category:19th-century Australian politicians Category:19th-century Australian businesspeople Category:Politicians from the Colony of South Australia