John Laurence LeClare (Jack) Nicholson

  General Notes:

Jason Crosskey passed on a website by Tim Hill where it is noted:
John Laurence LeClare Nicholson was a clerk in May 1915.⁴ He was a clerk circa 1921 at Kuridala, Queensland. He was a bookkeeper for Burns Phillip in 1922. He was a bookkeeper for Holliman's hardware store in 1925. He was a clerk for Ross River Meat Works. In the off season he would work as a cattle buyer by phone in 1929 at Townsville, Queensland.
John and Amy bought 5 acres of land at Arcaciavale (now Aitkenvale) in Townsville. they kept cows and raised chickens and a couple of geese, the eggs of which John and his sons would sell door to door. John bought his son Laurence a horse for his help. He lived in 1934 at Wellington St, Acaciavale. He was a mason at Harmony Lodge No. 371. He was a clerk and storekeeper at the Ross River Meatworks in 1940 at Ross Plains, Townsville, Queensland.
John died on 18 February 1942 at Ross River, Townsville, Queensland at age 46. Whilst riding his bike, his toe clipped a bridge, causing him to fall into the flooded river. His body was recovered downstream several hours later. However, bystanders report that something hit him before he fell.
John had the circumstances of his death recorded: on 19 February 1942:
ROSS RIVER DROWNING
Heroic Attempts at Rescue
Despite heroic attempts at rescue by Constable Leo Barnes and Corporal Charles Bean, Mr. John L. Nicholson, head storeman of the Ross River Meatworks who drowned in the Ross River on Wednesday morning. Attempts to recover the body, which were made throughout the day, failed. About 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Senior Sergeant J. J. Sproule and Constable Barnes were about to cross the Ross River in a truck from the south, or Meatworks, side, when they saw a man and a bicycle fall over the kerbing into the fast flowing river on the downstream side of the bridge. The river at the time was swollen, being about three feet from the bridge, and the current was exceptionally strong. The police party drove along with all speed until opposite the spot where Mr. Nicholson had disappeared. When they stopped the engine of their motor vehicle, they noticed that he was about thirty yards downstream and struggling against the waters. He was also being carried along by the current. 'I am up hill and handicapped by the cost I am wearing.' shouted the victim of the accident. In reply to directions which were shouted at him by Senior Sergeant Sproule. The Senior Sergeant was advising Nicholson to head ror the southern bank, which was the nearer to him, but it was noticed Mr. Nicholson was being carried down by the strength of the current. Observing the plight in which Nicholson found himself, Constable Barnes immediately divested himself of his clothing and plunged into the fast running stream. Corporal Bean, also appreciating the seriousness of the position, likewise threw off surplus uniform, and ran down the bank of the river from the bridge, hoping to plunge in and head Nicholson off. Both the rescuers were struggling hard with the current, but it was seen that the force of the stream and the distance they were from Nicholson rendered their task almost impossible. While the constable and corporal were making frantic efforts to reach Nicholson, who all the time was being carried from them by the current. It was apparent to Senior Ser geant Sproule from the bridge that the man was getting weaker. When Nicholson had reached a spot about 200 yards downstream from the bridge and near a meatworks shed. Senior-Sergeant Sproule observed that his head went under water and failed to re-appear. In the meantime, the two rescuers had made gallant efforts to reach the victim, he was too far separated from them for them to overtake the current, and although they swam in the vicinity for some time they could not find any trace of the missing man. Later, ten police, wiih the assistance of employees of the meatworks, dragged the spot with grappling irons while a search of either bank was made as far as Hooneys mill. All endeavors to recover the body, however, to a late hour last night had proved futile. The late Jack Nicholson was a foot runner of no mean repute. In his younger days, and for many years had been in the employ of Hollimans Ltd., in the city, prior to taking up a position with the meatworks. He was a highly respected citizen.

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection. Annette & Kenneth Nicholson are linked to me in the following way:
Kenneth Nicholson (c1950) married Annette? (c1950)
His father was Laurence Nicholson (1918)
His father was John Nicholson (1866)
His father was Daniel Nicholson (1859)
His father was Donald Nicholson (1812) & he also had Margaret Nicholson (c1847) who married Hugh Sutherland (1841)
They had Alexandra Sutherland (1869) who married Henry Rogers (1866)
His father was George Rogers (c1834) who married Margaret Ramsay (1835) who also married Andrew Ramsay
They had Andrina Ramsay (1850) who married Alfred Stafford (1853)
His father was John Stafford (1834)
His father was William Stafford (1811) who married Elizabeth Goodall (1814) & they also had William Stafford (1842)
He had Eva Stafford (1874) who married Arthur Clinton (1868)
They had James Clinton (1895) who married Martha Walker (1901)
Her father was Thomas Walker (1854)
His father was William Walker (1820) & he also had Martha Walker (1865) who married John Sutherland (1861)
His father was John Sutherland (1829) who married Margaret Elliot (1835)
They had Elizabeth Sutherland (1863) who married John Nicol (1844)
They had Margaret Nicol (1889) who married G. A. Davies (1925)
He had Colin Davies (1925)
He had me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

John married Amy Gill on 27 Feb 1915 in Kuridala, Queensland Australia. (Amy Gill was born on 24 Feb 1899 in Moor St, Charters Towers, Queensland Australia and died on 28 May 1981 in Rankin Park Hospital, Newcastle, NSW Australia.)