I was repeating what some of the trees said
Some of the trees have him arriving Albany, NSW in 1914
The OP is looking for a birth date in Indiana to put on the son's headstone - I have it as April 1879 from the 1900 census.
There is a WW2 draft for a James Blunt born 24 April 1879 Covington. Indiana (Person who will always know him is John Blunt - Covington - Indiana.)
The same birth date comes up on a WW1 Draft for a James Blunt when he was living in a Hotel in Steubenville. Illinois (with a brother John in Covington. Indiana)
The WW1 Draft for John Blunt 16 Feb 1881 Indiana, residing Covington. Fountain names his brother Arthur as the person who will always know him.
The WW2 Draft for John Blunt 16 Feb 1881 Indiana also mention his brother Arthur.
The WW1 Draft for Arthur 26 March 1887 Indiana refers to his wife as next of kin.
The WW2 Draft for Arthur 26 March 1887 Indiana refers to Maggie Blunt (his wife)
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
these Draft cards are where I began to doubt this was the right James.
The description on WW1 Draft card as medium height and build, b/gray(?) eyed, red hair is the same for James and his two brothers John and Arthur's cards. My grandfather was tall, slim, olive skin (remarkably clear and smooth at 94), brown eyed and brown hair.
My only thought was that maybe James' move to Australia was not "official" hence the WW1 and WW2 Drafts. Could it have been signed by one of his brothers? I don't know how possible that would have been to do? I have one photo of Dora and have met two sons of his step brother and there is some similarity with my grandfather so I am thinking he either took after his mother Dora in all these features or James looked different to his brothers?. I am going to try to gather more images that may assist this line of thought.
Another big question was the name of James mother on his marriage certificate? Unless this was also to hide the truth. Also the statement on his death certificate that he had lived in Australia about 20 years was presumably given by someone that knew him M Collins James' step daughter but hard to know if this was fact also. C Willcox and Elizabeth Willcox (witnesses on the marriage certificate later changed James son Les' name to Leslie Charles Saunders Willcox and either adopted or fostered him (we are still researching this). Seemingly a very strange thing to do but this was C Willcox's name and he had no children. Charles and Elizabeth Willcox raised all the children left orphaned by Dora and James deaths.
I found the missing family 1900 US Census recorded as Blount (I created another tree "Blount family" on ancestry to store this information).
I have been searching "Blunt" living in Sydney for the 20 years prior to James death to see if I can connect something and possibly immigration information.
But persistent!