George Milner Stephen (1812 - 1894)

Born 18 Dec 1812 in Wells, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Hindmarsh) Stephen — married 9 Jul 1840 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Died 16 Jan 1894 at age 81 in Brunswick, Victoria, Australia

Biography

George Stephen is Notable.

George Milner Stephen was a South Australian and Victorian politician, and a faith healer.

He was the sixth son of John Stephen and his wife Mary Anne Pasmore. He was born on 18 December 1812 at Wells, Somerset.^[1]

He immigrated to Australia with his family, arriving in Sydney in August 1824 on the ship Prince Regent.^[2]

After studying at Sydney Grammar School, George, who had been a clerk in the Supreme Court of Van Diemen’s Land during his brother’s time as solicitor-general, and who had briefly worked with Francis in his legal office in Sydney in 1836, became advocate-general and crown solicitor in South Australia in 1838 as a result of a lucky confusion of himself with Alfred and was acting Governor at one time.

He married Mary Hindmarsh, the daughter of Sir John Hindmarsh, the first Governor of South Australia, at Adelaide on 9 July 1840.^[1][3]

He returned to England to further his legal education and was called to the bar at Middle Temple in 1845. In 1846 he returned to Australia then practised as a barrister in South Australia and Victoria. He was in Europe in 1854, returning to Melbourne in 1856 as the chief manager of the British Australian Gold Mining Co. Among other activities he was elected in 1859 to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as member for Collingwood.^[1]

In his later years, he claimed he had spiritual powers to heal people through the touch of his hands and travelled extensively spruiking his powers as a faith-healer.^[1]

An account of the healing powers of Mr Stephen Goulburn Herald (NSW) Sat 30 Jul 1881

In 1887 Stephen went to London, where his wife died on 27 December and where he was said to have treated the Prince of Wales. He returned to Melbourne in 1889 still active as a healer. Paradoxically he suffered terribly himself from 'an internal affliction' and after an operation he died on 16 January 1894 at his home in Brunswick. .^[4][5]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} 'Stephen, George Milner (1812–1894)', Australian Dictionary of National Biography (accessed 2 May 2020)
2. ↑ Sydney Gazette, 12 Aug 1824, p2, "On Saturday arrived from London, which she left the 28th February last, having called at Bahia, and since been at Van Diemen's Land, the ship Prince Regent, Captain Lamb ... Passengers ... J. Stephen, Esq. Mrs. Stephen, Miss Stephen, Miss M. A. Stephen, Miss C. Stephen, Master Stephen, Master G. Stephen ... all from England."
3. ↑ 'Married', Southern Australian (Adelaide), 10 Jul 1840, page 2. Trove (accessed 2 May 2020). "MARRIED—On Thursday last, by the Rev. C. B. Howard, M.A., Colonial Chaplain, GEORGE MILNER STEPHEN, youngest son of the late Judge Stephen, to MARY, youngest daughter of CAPTAIN HINDMARSH, R.N., K.H., late Governor of South Australia."
4. ↑ 'Death of a well known faith healer', The Age (Melbourne), 17 Jan 1894, page 6. Trove (accessed 2 May 2020)
5. ↑ 'Deaths', The Argus (Melbourne), 17 Jan 1894, page 1. Trove (accessed 2 May 2020). "STEPHEN.—On the 16th inst., at his late residence, No. 21 Blyth-street, Brunswick, George Milner Stephen, F.G.S. London, M.N.H.S. Dresden, F.R.S. Australia, barrister-at law Middle Temple, ex-Acting Governor of South Australia, ex-member of the Legislative Assembly, Victoria, only brother of the Right Hon. Sir Alfred Stephen, P.C., K.C.M.G., late Lieut.-Governor and Chief Justice of New South Wales,aged 82 years."

See also:

• Wikipedia: George Milner Stephen
• For a more detailed account of the life of George Milner Stephen see: 'Stephen, George Milner (1812–1894)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stephen-george-milner-1294/text3771, published first in hardcopy 1967, accessed online 5 September 2023.