James Clarke

  General Notes:

source: & http://home.iprimus.com.au/tawalsh/howe/howemain.htm

  Research Notes:

source: & http://home.iprimus.com.au/tawalsh/howe/howemain.htm where it is noted:
James Clarke was born in England circa 1821 and most of his people are buried in Chiswick Churchyard. James married Sophia Featherstonehaugh of Staines England where her father was in the brewery business. Sophia was given £1,400 on her wedding day which her husband James Clarke lost through buildings on Turnham Green for which he did not have the rightful deeds.
Following the loss of Sophia's wedding gift James swore that he would never breathe the air of England again. James, Sophia and their children sailed aboard the "Asiatic", a 900 ton vessel, as assisted immigrants, arriving on 26 May 1855 after a voyage of nine months.
James was a blacksmith having served his apprenticeship at the Great Eastern Railway works. Upon arriving in Sydney James obtained a job with the New South Railways, starting under a tarpaulin structure on a grassed paddock that later became the site of the main railway station. According to his grandson James made the first spring made in Australia and helped to couple up the first train that ran and rode on it to Parramatta & back.
It appears that James made and lost several "small fortunes". After the railways he built the Captain Cook Hotel on Botany Road, was foreman smith at Hudson's railway carriage works in Redfern, built a blacksmith & engineers shop in Wattle Street, Ultimo.
James was killed by a bolting horse at Forest Lodge when 77 years old. The Coroners Report indicated the cause of death as "Injuries accidentally received through falling down at corner of Charles and Cross Streets Forest Lodge on 14 October 1894".

James married Sophia Featherstonhaugh, daughter of John Featherstonhaugh and Sophia Gunnell. (Sophia Featherstonhaugh was born circa 1825 in Staines District, Middlesex England.)