| [Index] |
| James FRANCIS (1856 - 1938) |
|
|
| b. 29 Aug 1856 at Hampton, Middlesex, England |
| m. 08 Nov 1877 Elizabeth YOUNG (1856 - 1915) at Merton, Surrey, England |
| d. 03 Aug 1938 at Esk, Queensland, Australia aged 81 |
| Parents: |
| Joseph FRANCIS (1827 - 1909) |
| Ellen HEATHFIELD (1833 - 1886) |
| Events in James FRANCIS (1856 - 1938)'s life | |||||
| Date | Age | Event | Place | Notes | Src |
| 29 Aug 1856 | James FRANCIS was born | Hampton, Middlesex, England | |||
| 08 Nov 1877 | 21 | Married Elizabeth YOUNG (aged 21) | Merton, Surrey, England | ||
| 06 Aug 1879 | 22 | Birth of daughter Ada Maria FRANCIS | Merton, Surrey, England | 18 | |
| abt 1880 | 24 | Birth of son WIlliam Joseph FRANCIS | Merton, Surrey, England | 18 | |
| 19 Nov 1881 | 25 | Birth of daughter Ellen Teresea (Nellie) FRANCIS | Merton, Surrey, England | ||
| 02 Nov 1883 | 27 | Birth of daughter Alice FRANCIS | Merton, Surrey, England | ||
| Jun 1884 | 27 | Immigration | Australia | per "Waroonga" | 18 |
| 03 Oct 1885 | 29 | Birth of son George FRANCIS | Ipswich, Queensland, Australia | 1885/C7056 | 18 |
| 01 Feb 1886 | 29 | Death of mother Ellen HEATHFIELD (aged 53) | Merton, Surrey, England | 17 | |
| 16 Sep 1887 | 31 | Birth of son James FRANCIS | Ipswich, Queensland, Australia | 1887/C7920 | 18 |
| 09 Mar 1890 | 33 | Birth of son Charles FRANCIS | Esk, Queensland, Australia | 1890/C11330 | 18 |
| 26 Nov 1891 | 35 | Birth of daughter Eliza FRANCIS | Esk, Queensland, Australia | 1892/C10930 | 18 |
| 14 Sep 1893 | 37 | Birth of son Frank FRANCIS | Esk, Queensland, Australia | 1893/C10547 | 18 |
| 03 Apr 1909 | 52 | Death of father Joseph FRANCIS (aged 82) | Merton, Surrey, England | 17 | |
| 24 Mar 1915 | 58 | Death of wife Elizabeth YOUNG (aged 58) | Esk, Queensland, Australia | ||
| 03 Aug 1938 | 81 | James FRANCIS died | Esk, Queensland, Australia | ||
| Personal Notes: |
|
James married Elizabeth Young of Bridport, Dorset Their address in Surrey in 1881 was 2 Kelvis Cottage, Merton. Embarking at Plymouth on 23 April 1884 with their then four children, Ada, William, Nellie and Alice, they left their home and emigrated to Australia.
The family sailed on the ship 'Waroonga', 1614 tons, under Captain Fyfe. They travelled via Suez, Colombo, Batavia, Thursday Island, Cooktown, Townsville and Rockhampton, putting down passengers at each place. About the middle of June the family disembarked at Brisbane. The number of passengers totalled 491. The ship was owned by the British India Steamers Service and was at first unwelcome with local traders on the Queensland coast who resented the intrusion of an ocean going liner putting down passengers at ports within their region. The family came out under the 'Bounty Scheme'. The Bounty system, established in New South Wales in 1837, involved the payment of set amounts of money or 'bounties' per immigrant to persons who arranged and paid for the passage of certain categories of immigrants. In particular femille domestic servants, shepherds, mechanics and agricultural labourers were needed in the colonies. The system was financed from the sale of Crown Lands. James and Elizabeth first settled at Tivoli, a suburb of Ipswich, where James obtained employment. On 7th March 1887, he applied to select a portion of virgin Crown Land on the Cressbrook Creek at Biarra near Esk in the Brisbane Valley area. This, his first rural land (he added to this holding with further blocks later) was 160 acres described as Agricultural Farm, Selection No 730, Portion 48V, Parish of Biarra, County of Cavendish, Land Agents District of Ipswich. When he received his Conditions of Lease five years later, and received a Deed of Grant, the Lands Department recorded he had erected improvements to the value of ninety-six pounds fourteen shillings, comprising house, hut, stockyard, fowl-house, garden, fencing and some land clearing. He named his property 'Merton Hall Farm' after 'Merton Hall Farm' at Merton, Surrey, England, his former home town. He soon successfully engaged in dairying, farming, citrus growing and cattle raising. There were still some aborigines in the area when he settled there and the family had to learn to come to terms with the original inhabitants of their land. In Australia, James and Elizabeth had five more children - George, James, Charles, Eliza and Frank, completing their family of nine children. In 1908, James and Elizabeth returned to their homeland after 24 years absence and visited their English relatives with whom they had regularly corresponded. Accompanying them on their journey was a pet kangaroo that created a good deal of interest in the 'home country'. The kangaroo was ultimately left in England and cared for by a zoo. After a short illness, Elizabeth died at Esk in 1915. Nellie Mears remembered the incident well. She had taken ill early in March and was carried from Biarra to Esk on a hard litter. There were no car ambulances available then. Elizabeth died a week later of acute enteritis and heart failure. Nellie remembered her as a 'very nice generous person whom everyone loved'. The following newspaper item was printed in 1908 after James and Elizabeth Francis had departed on a holiday visit to relatives in England. "A couple of very highly esteemed residents in the persons of Mr and Mrs James Francis of Merton Farm left on Monday last for a trip to the old country. After 20 years hard yet successful battling with the elements they have deservedly earned a holiday and no doubt will enjoy their trip to their native land. Their intention is to visit friends in the neighbourhood of the great Exlubition that will soon be opened. Before their departure a few residents gathered at Merton Farm to wish the worthy couple bon voyage and a safe return to Biarra. Mr C Langton proposed the toast and in the course of a few remarks said he only hoped he could follow his friends Londonwards in the future. Mr Perrett joined in wishing the departing guests a happy trip and hoped that on their return they would find everything as prosperous as they left it. Mr Francis thanked those present for their kind remarks and good wishes, and trusted on their return to meet them all and have a jolly night together. A typical Australian taken to England by Mr Francis is a tame kangaroo which had been reared almost from birth by them. This should be a curiosity as the animal is extremely tame and will eat anything from corned beef to fried fish so that it should be no trouble on board ship from that standpoint." James' obituary appeared in the Kingaroy Herald and Burnett Advocate on 29 August in 1938. It was also printed in the Queensland Times. "The death of Mr James Francis occurred at the home of his daughter Mrs Walter Himstedt, Esk, on August 3. He was an old identity and pioneer settler of the Biarra district. Born at Hamptonwick, Middlesex, England, 82 years ago he lived there and at Merton, Surrey until after his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Young of Bridport Dorset. With his wife and family of four young children he came to Australia in 1884 and settled in Ipswich for a short period. Over fifty years ago he took up land on Cressbrook Creek, where he made his home and spent most of his life on the property known as 'Merton Hall Farm'. Biarra. Here he successfully engaged in dairying, grazing and growing citrus fruits. In 1908 the late Mr Francis, accompanied by his wife, enjoyed a holiday visit to England and twice since his wife's death, which occurred 23 years ago, he revisited the land of his birth - once in 1926 and again in 1932. He leaves a family of five sons and four daughters, all of whom are married; and there are also 32 grand children and 7 great grandchildren. The sons are Messrs William, George, James and Frank Francis. all of Kumbia, and Charles Francis who lives at the old homestead at Biarra. The daughters are Mrs F Himstedt (Yarraman), Mrs AJ Himstedt (Moore), Mrs WH Hirnstedt (Esk) and Mrs JH Andison (Northgate). The whole of the bereaved family were present at the funeral, which took place to the Esk cemetery. Rev Smith (C of E) officiated at the graveside: The late Mr Francis was held in high esteem throughout the district." |
| Source References: |
| 18. Type: E-mail Message, Abbr: e-mails general pool, Title: e-mails general pool |
| - Reference = Tracy Berry email 29-1-09 (Immigration) |