Josiah Kimberley was born in Kingswinford, Stropshire in 1850. He was the fourth child and fourth son of Tabitha and John Kimberley. The family lived at High Street at the time of the 1851 Census, and the Census Enumerator mixed his bible name and wrote Jonah instead of Josiah. By the time of the 1861 Census the family had moved to Broad Street and remained there for the remainder of Josiah's childhood. Josiah was a studious lad at a time when most of town were manual labourers (including everyone in Josiah's family). In time he became a school teacher in Kingswinford.
In about 1874 his older brother emigrated from England to Australia and this may have made Josiah think about doing the same thing. Josiah came to Australia in the late 1870s.
Once in Australia, Josiah became an Anglican Minister.
He married Margaret Barr on 7 April 1879 in George Street, Redfern and they had four children. The first two were born in Sydney:
- Hugh John (25 April 1880) (named after Margaret's father)
- Harold Roy (1881) (I am not sure if Harold was the name of a family friend as another brother also called one of his sons Harold).
The second two were born in Cowra. In 1882 Josiah was appointed to the newly built Anglican Church in Cowra:
- Zoe (1883) and
- Maude Marie (1886).
Sadly, on 21 February 1887, very shortly after Maude's birth, Josiah died at the age of 37 in Cowra from typhoid fever. He was buried the following day at the Church. The Cowra Free Press reported on his death on 25 February 1887 and the article is transcribed below.
[Cowra Free Press, 25 February 1887] In our last issue we briefly referred to the dangerous condition of the Rev. J. Kimberley, Incumbent of the parish, from the effects of typhoid fever, but we little thought then that his end was so near. For several days the rev. gentleman hovered between life and death, still it was sanguinely hoped by his many friends that his vigorous, wiry nature would enable him to combat the malignant stages of the disease; but, alas, he gradually sank until death seized him for its own of about 9 o'clock on Monday morning last. Happily, the last hours of the dying pastor were soothed by the presence of his fondly attached wife and family who had been hastily summoned from Sydney, whither they had gone for change of air and scene. Some four months ago, typhoid first made its appearance in the rev gentleman’s household, and since then, we believe we are correct in saying, each of its members has suffered from the prostrating influence of that terrible disease. At one period the labour of nursing and watching the invalids entirely devolved upon the late Mr Kimberley, who, up to that stage, had apparently escaped contracting the dangerous malady, hence it is needless to add that such exhausting duties combined with natural anxiety could not do otherwise than to enfeeble one endowed with a peculiarly sensitive organisation. About four weeks ago our late reverend friend accompanied his family to the metropolis, returning to Cowra after an absence of a day or so to resume his clerical duties, as he hoped, but in reality to take to his bed with typhoid fever, that disease having developed during his brief absence. The attack at first was of an unusually mild form, so much so that after something over a week’s confinement he was considered sufficiently convalescent to take a little outdoor exercise. About a fortnight ago we saw himk walking above the town, but upon his returning home the same evening alarming symptoms set in, and thenceforward he gradually grew worse until his end came. During the late Mr Kimberley’s sojourn in the district, something over four years, he has identified himself with every public movement having for its object the progress of our town and the intellectual advancement of his fellow citizens. Through his influence the late Literary and Debating Club was brought into existence and flourished, until its more pretentious and less useful rival, the School of Arts, succeeded in supplanting it. He was also instrumental in causing the erection of the building used as a school of Arts, entering, with nine other townsmen, into a bond to the Commercial Bank for the amount of its cost. In cricket, too, he took an intensely lively interest, and besides holding the position of President of the local Club, he enjoyed the reputation of being one of its most active and brilliant members, consequently by his removal no ordinary vacancy has been created amongst our representative cricketers. When Mr Kimberley took charge of the parish here Church affairs were in a very disorganised state and a heavy debt existed on St John’s, but owing to the admirable qualities of such an indefatigable and energetic pastor as an organiser and leader, parochial affairs were immediately placed upon a workable basis and the debt on the church has been reduced to a mere trifle. Although equal to any emergency in collecting funds towards the liquidation of the parochial debt, the late Mr Kimberley was singularly sensitive about making any reference to his stipend, consequently, we are informed, it has been allowed to run into arrears until a considerable sum was owing to him at the time of his demise. This, under the voluntary system now in vogue may not be considered in the light of a debt, but surely a sense of honour will actuate the parishioners of a pastor to whom they are indebted for so much, to present his widow and orphans with the amount of arrears they are morally entitled to. We, in common with the many friends of the bereaved family, mournfully sympathise with them in their sad affliction, but being aware that mere lip sympathy will not suffice to provide the exigencies of life for humanity, we have ventured to suggest that it should take a sound practical form in the direction above indicated. All that was mortal of the Rev. J Kimberley was borne on the shoulders of four sorrowing parishioners from the Parsonage to St John’s Church, followed by a very large concourse of people of various denominations, many of whom came from a considerable distance out of respect to the memory of the deceased rev. gentleman. A portion of the beautiful ceremonial peculiar to the Anglican persuasion was then performed by the Revs Read (Carcoar), Raymond (Grenfell), and Neild (Blayney), and was followed by a most affecting and forcible address from the Rev Archdeacon Campbell (Bathurst), who, after referring to the personal merits of the lamented pastor, urged his hearers to be prepared to meet their eternal doom, and in conclusion appealed to them to accord the afflicted family that practical sympathy they stood so much in need of. The Dead March in Saul was feelingly rendered on the organ by Mr Booth. The late Mr Kimberley, who was only 35 years of age, leaves a deeply attached wife and five young children to mourn their loss.], but we little thought then that his end was so near. For several days the rev. gentleman hovered between life and death, still it was sanguinely hoped by his many friends that his vigorous, wiry nature would enable him to combat the malignant stages of the disease; but, alas, he gradually sank until death seized him for its own of about 9 o'clock on Monday morning last. Happily, the last hours of the dying pastor were soothed by the presence of his fondly attached wife and family who had been hastily summoned from Sydney, whither they had gone for change of air and scene. Some four months ago, typhoid first made its appearance in the rev gentleman’s household, and since then, we believe we are correct in saying, each of its members has suffered from the prostrating influence of that terrible disease. At one period the labour of nursing and watching the invalids entirely devolved upon the late Mr Kimberley, who, up to that stage, had apparently escaped contracting the dangerous malady, hence it is needless to add that such exhausting duties combined with natural anxiety could not do otherwise than to enfeeble one endowed with a peculiarly sensitive organisation. About four weeks ago our late reverend friend accompanied his family to the metropolis, returning to Cowra after an absence of a day or so to resume his clerical duties, as he hoped, but in reality to take to his bed with typhoid fever, that disease having developed during his brief absence. The attack at first was of an unusually mild form, so much so that after something over a week’s confinement he was considered sufficiently convalescent to take a little outdoor exercise. About a fortnight ago we saw himk walking above the town, but upon his returning home the same evening alarming symptoms set in, and thenceforward he gradually grew worse until his end came. During the late Mr Kimberley’s sojourn in the district, something over four years, he has identified himself with every public movement having for its object the progress of our town and the intellectual advancement of his fellow citizens. Through his influence the late Literary and Debating Club was brought into existence and flourished, until its more pretentious and less useful rival, the School of Arts, succeeded in supplanting it. He was also instrumental in causing the erection of the building used as a school of Arts, entering, with nine other townsmen, into a bond to the Commercial Bank for the amount of its cost. In cricket, too, he took an intensely lively interest, and besides holding the position of President of the local Club, he enjoyed the reputation of being one of its most active and brilliant members, consequently by his removal no ordinary vacancy has been created amongst our representative cricketers. When Mr Kimberley took charge of the parish here Church affairs were in a very disorganised state and a heavy debt existed on St John’s, but owing to the admirable qualities of such an indefatigable and energetic pastor as an organiser and leader, parochial affairs were immediately placed upon a workable basis and the debt on the church has been reduced to a mere trifle. Although equal to any emergency in collecting funds towards the liquidation of the parochial debt, the late Mr Kimberley was singularly sensitive about making any reference to his stipend, consequently, we are informed, it has been allowed to run into arrears until a considerable sum was owing to him at the time of his demise. This, under the voluntary system now in vogue may not be considered in the light of a debt, but surely a sense of honour will actuate the parishioners of a pastor to whom they are indebted for so much, to present his widow and orphans with the amount of arrears they are morally entitled to. We, in common with the many friends of the bereaved family, mournfully sympathise with them in their sad affliction, but being aware that mere lip sympathy will not suffice to provide the exigencies of life for humanity, we have ventured to suggest that it should take a sound practical form in the direction above indicated. All that was mortal of the Rev. J Kimberley was borne on the shoulders of four sorrowing parishioners from the Parsonage to St John’s Church, followed by a very large concourse of people of various denominations, many of whom came from a considerable distance out of respect to the memory of the deceased rev. gentleman. A portion of the beautiful ceremonial peculiar to the Anglican persuasion was then performed by the Revs Read (Carcoar), Raymond (Grenfell), and Neild (Blayney), and was followed by a most affecting and forcible address from the Rev Archdeacon Campbell (Bathurst), who, after referring to the personal merits of the lamented pastor, urged his hearers to be prepared to meet their eternal doom, and in conclusion appealed to them to accord the afflicted family that practical sympathy they stood so much in need of. The Dead March in Saul was feelingly rendered on the organ by Mr Booth. The late Mr Kimberley, who was only 35 years of age, leaves a deeply attached wife and five young children to mourn their loss.
Note that there were two minor errors: Josiah was 37 at the time of his death and I believe there were only four children.
Margaret returned to Sydney, but did not remarry. She died on 7 January 1932 at her residence in Manly.
I suspect he was a very likeable fellow: two of his brothers gave their own sons the name of Josiah.
Relationship to SNR = Great-great-great-great uncle
No comments:
Post a Comment