James Nash (1834 - 1913)

Born 5 Sep 1834 in Meltsham, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Murphy) Nash — married 6 Jul 1868 in Maryborough, Queensland (Australia)

Descendants

Died 5 Oct 1913 at age 79 in Gympie, Queensland, Australia

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Biography

James Nash was born in Wiltshire, England.

James Nash has English ancestors.

James Nash is Notable.

James Nash was born at Beanacre, Melksham, Wiltshire, England on the 5th of September 1834. He was the third son of Michael Nash, a farm labourer, and Elizabeth Prosser. Upon leaving school at nine years of age, he obtained work as a labourer. In 1841 James was living at Beanacre, Melksham, Wiltshire with his parents and four brothers. ^[1]

James Nash migrated from England to New South Wales.

Nash migrated to New South Wales about 1857. Six years later, in 1863, he moved to the newly-separated colony of Queensland, working at Calliope and Nanango. ^[2]

During an extensive gold-prospecting tour in 1867 Nash discovered substantial alluvial gold by the Mary River at what is known as Gympie. Nash's naming choice of Nashville lasted less than a year (nevertheless, Gympie is known for one of Australia's largest annual country music festivals). ^[3][4] The discovery was extremely fortuitous for Queensland as the subsequent inflow of people and money saved the new colony from bankrupcy. Nash was rewarded by the government for his discovery to the amount of £1,000 ($2,000). ^[2]

Nash married Catherine Murphy on the 6th of July 1868 at Maryborough, Queensland (the city at the mouth of the Mary River). ^[5] The couple had three sons and two daughters; a son and a daughter passing away in early childhood and the other daughter in her teens.

1. Francis died infancy.
2. Herbert twin, died 1957.
3. Kathleen younger twin, died aged 4 yrs.
4. Allan died at Gallipoli, 1915, married with two sons.
5. Eva died aged 15 yrs.

Nash and a brother won a further £7,000 from their claims, however, unwise investments in mining stock and an ill-fated drapery store soon dissipated their earnings. In 1888, the government graciously made him Gympie's powder-magazine keeper at £100 a year. ^[2]

James Nash passed away, aged 79 years, at Gympie, Queensland on the 5th of October 1913 and is buried in Gympie Cemetery.^[6][7][8] He was survived by his wife and two sons; the younger son being killed in action at Gallipoli just twenty months later. The Queensland Government granted Catherine an annual pension of £50. ^[2]

The Queensland electoral district of Nash, created in 1949 and abolished in 1960, was named in his honour. The James Nash State High School was opened in 1977 to commemorate James Nash. ^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M73T-C3J : 25 May 2019), James Nash in household of Michael Nash, Melksham, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Stoodley, June. 'Nash, James (1834–1913)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1974; accessed online 28 Sep 2020
3. ↑ "James Nash." Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900 - 1954) 14 March 1915: 2 (City Edition). Web. 25 Jan 2020 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203046496>.
4. ↑ "HOW I DISCOVERED GYMPIE." (1917, October 13). The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), p. 11. Retrieved January 25, 2020, from link
5. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index Marriage registration: Name: James Nash; Marriage date:06/07/1868; Spouse's name:Catherine Murphy; Registration details:1868/C/309.
6. ↑ Queensland BMD Death registration: Name: James Nash; Death date:05/10/1913; Mother's name:Elizabeth Prosser; Father/parent's name:Michael Nash; Registration details:1913/C/1602.
7. ↑ [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article189708694 "THE LATE JAMES NASH." Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Qld: 1868 - 1919) 7 October 1913: 2. Web. 25 Jan 2020
8. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images: accessed 11 Nov 2019), memorial page for James Nash (5 Sep 1834–5 Oct 1913), Find A Grave: Memorial #59268254, citing Gympie Cemetery, Gympie, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia; Maintained by Steve Suthers (contributor 47361077)
9. ↑ Wikipedia profile: James Nash