K for Kinship

This series of posts focuses on an A-Z theme for April in 2025. I have chosen events that occurred On This Day in April of years in the past. These events are recorded in my genealogy database.

This post records kin near and far, a relative on my husband's maternal line and one on my paternal line.

On this day - April 12

1904 - Death: Jacob JAMES, Ahaura, New Zealand 4 x gt grandfather of my children

Jacob James and his wife Lucy along with 2 little girls Lucy and Elizabeth arrived in Launceston, Tasmania aboard the ship "Whirlwind" in 1855. They had come from Springfield, a town in  Essex County in England. 

At some stage they moved to New Zealand as the fifth child Alfred was born to the couple there in 1860. He is then listed as arriving at Invercargill from Tasmania in May 1863. (1) This would appear to be his second arrival in New Zealand.

Although Jacob had been listed as a farm labourer on his arrival in 1855 there were many opportunities for enterprising workers. So like many others he headed for the goldfields near Nelsons Creek. 

By 1869 he was operating a brewing and cordial business in Nelsons Creek (2) where many miners were fossicking for gold. 

In a report of Up Country Sports during the Christmas holidays in 1870 Jacob at age 47 successfully competed for third prize. 

At the foot of Nelson Creek the foot race for the publican's purse was quite a patriotic affair. The distinguished bungs in the locality mustered in force, and the honor of the trade was ably upheld by Mr Wm Kinsella, of the Nelson Creek Hotel, who came in first, closely followed by. Mr E. Edward, of the Diggers' Rest Hotel, with Mr Jacob James a good third. The rest were nowhere, a fact which they attribute to the fattening qualities of the beer, which is brewed in the neighborhood.

In 1872 he moved his brewery business to Ahaura.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1130, 12 March 1872, Page 3

Map showing Nelsons Creek and Ahaura about 15 kms apart
inland from Greymouth on the NZ south island 

In May of 1874 he was granted a wholesale license in Ahaura. Jacob held this license in the years that followed. Jacob was an active member of his community offering to construct a footbridge over Orwell Creek in 1879. At this stage he was about 57.

A very faded photo of  Jacob and his wife Lucy appears to have been uploaded to Ancestry first in 2009. Unfortunately I am unable to credit ownership.

Using AI I have rendered it as an oil painting. It may represent the James' and provide some idea of the clothes of the era, but is not a true likeness. 

Jacob died on April 12, 1904.

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1904, Page 2
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19040413.2.9.5

This obituary was published in the Grey River Argus in 1904.

On Tuesday there passed away at the Ahaura, a sterling pioneer, in the person of Jacob James, aged 81 years.  Known from one end of the West Coast to the other was this old identity, and respected too. His familiar figure will be greatly missed in the Grey Valley, where he has lived, toiled and reared a large family since the early days. He was the father of Mrs W. H. James, Mrs Stevens, and Mr H. James of Ahaura, for whom, along with the widow, general  sympathy will be extended. The  funeral takes place today at Ahaura  at 2 o'clock. (4)

He had worked in his brewing business for thirty five years and left a substantial sum of £1319.

The inscription on the tombstone in Ahaura cemetery reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY
of
JACOB JAMES
Native of Essex, England
Who died at Ahaura
on April 12th 1904
aged 81 years.

Also
LUCY JAMES
Died Sept 9th 1911
Aged 92 years.

 ***********************************

1.Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 4, 22 May 1863, Page 2  https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18630522.2.3.1

2. Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 478, 6 February 1869, Page 3 

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA18690206.2.21.3

3. Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 772, 29 December 1870, Page 2   https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA18701229.2.12

4. Grey River Argus, 14 April 1904, Page 2 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19040414.2.8

****************************

1973 - Death: Mary Elizabeth HORGAN, (DALEY) - 1st cousin twice removed

Mary Elizabeth who was born in Mintaro, South Australia, was the fourth of eight children born to Thomas Horgan and Mary Carroll. Her Irish born parents had married in the old Navan church between Tarlee and Riverton. Now on their Mintaro farm, life would have been busy throughout Mary's childhood years.

James Daley had been living in Saddleworth with his mother and had bought land at Moppa, east of Kapunda. It is possible that he and Mary met at Manoora Catholic church. Their wedding was celebrated there on the 7 February 1906. Mary was 28 and no doubt looked forward to a long life with her new husband.

Just a few days later on February 15th, James attended a sale in Kapunda and was returning home with a sewing machine for his bride. It was a rough road and he was thrown from the cart and died.(1) Such a sad time for Mary, newly married. 

Mary initially returned to her family at Mintaro as the 316 acre farm at Moppa was advertised for sale in March 1906, with the sale to be conducted on April 11. (2)

It appears that she never remarried and when she died many years later at age 93, she was buried in St Johns Catholic Cemetery alongside her husband. Unfortunately vandals have broken the cross that once would have appeared above this tombstone.

Photo taken 7 March 2025 at St Johns Catholic Cemetery

1. 1906 'THE COUNTRY.', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 17 February, p. 10.  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/55647363

2. 1906 'Advertising', Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951), 23 March, p. 4. ,  

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108375955

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin