Hi Peggle, His Death Record suggests he was born about 1861.
Have searched the Pioneers Index, 1803-1899 for Tasmania. No mention of a Matthews birth.
There is a birth for a James SMITH 14th August 1861 at Horton ( now Circular Head near Stanley)
Parents, James SMITH and Sarah MATTHEWS. There were a number of TIFFEN's in Longford about this period. Let me know if I can help further.
Kind regards
clancam37
James Ralph Matthews married Lillian Tiffen in Broken Hill NSW June 1891.
They were married at The Manse ,Sth. Broken Hill according to the rights of the Baptist Church. The marriage certificate says James was a contractor and that his parents are unknown.
Hoping that James' death certificate would provide his parents names also proved fruitless.
James died in Ascot Vale in Victoria 23 May 1922,aged 61.
It says he was born in Longford Tasmania.
His wife Lillian is still living. The children listed are;
Nettie May 32 (Nettalie May)
James Robert 30 (James Robert was informant)
Ivy Lily 28
Dorothy 25 (Mary Ann Dorothy Louisa)
Herbert 23 (Herbert William)
Walter 20 (Walter Clem)
Nora 19 (Nora Ellen)
Violet 17
Olive 16
Ernest 13 (Ernest Ralph)
Elsie 11 (Elsie Elizabeth)
Tyrill 6 (Tyrill Evelyn)
James met Lillian in Wilcannia NSW. He held an Engine Drivers Certificate according to his son Walter Clem and was working on digging dams on large outback properties. It's understood that James returned to Tasmania to start work with the Emu Bay Railway, most certainly before October 1898 as Herbert William was born there.
James' son believed that his father had 6 or 7 brothers and that he didn't know where they were.
James' first 4 children were born in Wilcannia and Broken Hill NSW.
His remaining children were born in and around Emu Bay Tasmania.
The Emu Bay Estate included Ridgley which is about 15 km. south of Burnie and formed part of the Van Diemens Land Company.
Walter Clem,known as Clem and his sisters Violet and Netallie, known as Nellie were pupils at Ridgley School.
So James Ralph Matthews is our brick wall......we cannot find a record of his birth in Tasmania.
Any help would be so very much appreciated please, before I go loopy.
Kindest regards,
Peggle
