James Claxton Dodman ⁸²⁶

  Noted events in his life were:

• note. ⁸²⁶ General Notes: James Claxton Dodman was the fourth son of Robert Dodman and Mary Claxton. He was born on the 16th of September 1875 at 54 Argyle Street Gateshead which is now part of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England. James arrived in Australia at the age of 18 months. After his arrival in Adelaide, James and his family lived on Taylors Bridge Road ( Main South Road ) Torrenside. On the 2nd of May 1878 a younger brother Charles Wesley was born, but unfortunately he died on the 24th of June 1880. James by now had started school at the age of 6. James's father Robert commited suicide on the 9th of November 1881, and another brother William George was born on the 13th of November 1881. James continued at school until the age of 13. He then attained a job at Reed and Beaver's in the Royal Exchange in King William Street. James and his family were now living at Islington on Lower Main North Road, now known as Churchill Road. James's mother Mary was the Postmistress at the genaral store at Islington from 1883 to 1887. James stayed at the Royal Exchange until he was 16 then he stared in the South Australian Railways in September 1891. He started at the loco depot at Port Adelaide cleaning steam trains. He spent the next 10 years riding around the Port Adelaide area on steam trains. On the 1st of December 1901 James was transferred to Port Pirie as a fireman. On the 2nd of March 1902, James married Prscilla Miller from Redruth ( Burra Burra ) in the Franklin Street West Weslyian Methodist Church. After there marriage James and Priscilla lived in Solomon Town where James worked as a fireman. There first child Eric Foxwell was born on the 8th of February 1903. James worked between Port Pirie and Petersburg ( Peterborough ) driving T Class 4-6-2 narrow guage steam trains. On Friday the 6th of January 1905 James was transferred to Petersburg where he spent the rest of his life. James and priscilla first attended the Kitchener Street Methodist Church on the following Sunday. James's first shift in Petersburg was shunting in the yard. His first pay in Peterborough was 5 pounds 6 schillings for a 65 hour week. His first main line trip was on 11th January to Cockburn on T-177 on the down no.8 starting at 4-30pm and finishing at 5-45am, a shift of 13.5 hours, they then returned on the first up train from Cockburn on the same loco on the 13th of January, the return trip took 13.5 hours. On the 13th of May 1905, James fired on a special water train from Quorn to Hergott Springs ( Marree ) on T176. On the 13th of July 1905 a second son Norman William was born then, Mary Jean on the 19th of July 1909, and Thelma May on the 17th of May 1910. James received his engineer's certificate on the 16 April 1910. James then learnt the Marree line known as the Great Northern Line. Pertersburg was changed to Peterborough in 1918. James often drove the East - West ( Ghan ) passnger train from Port Augusta to Quorn. James also drove on the Hamley Bridge to Gladstone line, and Hamley Bridge to Willimgton line. He attended lectures on electric signalling on the 10-4-1916. On the 1-1-1926 the Commonwealth Railways took over the line to Oodnatta. James retired from the railways on the 7th of October 1940 after 49 years service. James and Priscilla remained in Peterborough for the rest of their lives. James died on the 20th January 1960 and Priscilla on the 16th of May 1970. I meet Priscilla once when i was about 10 years old, i remember a short white haired lady who spoke very quietly, she would have been 91 years old. They lived at 118 Moscow Street. They are buried in the Peterborough Cemetary.

• connection. ⁸²⁶ The connection between Brenton Dodman & myself is as follows:
Brenton Dodman (1960)
His father was Noel Dodman (1931)
His father was Eric Foxwell Dodman (1903)
His father was James Dodman (1875)
His father was Robert Dodman (1840) & he also had Robert Dodman (1867)
He had Frederick George Dodman (1899) who married Mary Smith (1895)
Her father was Abraham Smith (c1852) who married Annie Kearns (1863)
His father was Abraham Smith (c1814) & he also had Mary Smith (1877) who married John Robinson (1845)
They had Elizabeth Robinson (1880) who married William Stephens (1877)
They had Elsie Stephens (1919) who married Arthur Hiscock (1907)
His father was Frank Hiscock (1873) who married Emily Wallis (1875)
Her father was William Wallis (1849) who married Victorine Groube (1851)
Her father was Rev Horatio Groube (1814) & he also had George Groube (1847)
He had Edith Groube (1880) who married Percy Howe (1866)
His father was Robert Howe (1833)
His father was Frederick Howe (1805)
His father was James Howe (1777)
His father was George Howe (1741) & he also had Sarah Howe (1775)
She had Alexander Moss (1811)
She had James Moss (1846)
He had Laura Kershaw Waldock or Moss (1864)
She had Winthrop Larkinson (1889)
He had Dulcie Larkinson (1926) who married Colin Davies (1925)
She had me- Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

Another link between Brenton Dodman & myself is as follows:
Brenton Dodman (1960)
His father was Noel Dodman (1931)
His father was Eric Foxwell Dodman (1903)
His father was James Dodman (1875)
His father was Robert Dodman (1840) & he also had Robert Dodman (1867)
He had Frederick George Dodman (1899) who married Mary Smith (1895)
Her father was Abraham Smith (c1852) who married Annie Kearns (1863)
His father was Abraham Smith (c1814) & he also had Mary Smith (1844) who married John Robinson (1845)
They had Elizabeth Robinson (1880) who married William Stephens (1877)
His mother was Martha Stephens (1850)
Her father was Charles Stephens (1809) who married Ann Prior (1811)
Her father was Samuel Prior (1785) who married Louisa Phillips (1784)
Her father was Ralph Phillips (1761) who married Ann Brookwell (c1760)
His father was Thomas Brookwell (1722) & he also had Thomas Brookwell (1748)
He had Elizabeth Brookwell (1783) who married Thomas Dearling (c1793)
They had Rebecca Dearling (1819) who married George Knight (1806) who also married Mary Bassett (1805)
They had Sarah Knight (1830) who married William Windley (1829)
They had Joseph Windley (1853)
He had Eva Windley (1892) who married Ira Parsons (1899)
His father was * Henry Parsons (1849) & he also had Leland Parsons (1892)
He had Lois Parsons (1937) who married Kevin Nelson (1939)
His father was Laurence Nelson (1918) who married Doris Brannigan (1919)
Her father was William Brannigan (1897) who married Thomasina Emery (1899)
Her father was John Emery (1867) who married Phoebe Davies (1876)
Her father was Joseph Davies (1852) & he also had George Arthur Davies (1894)
He had Colin Davies (1925)
He had me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

Another link to Robert through Dawes line is as follows:
* Henry Parsons (1849)
His father was Matthew Parsons (1809)
His father was John Parsons (1777) & he also had Reuben Parsons (1805)
He had Enos Parsons (1847) who married Emma Dawes (1847)
Her father was George Dawes (1802)
His father was Aaron Daw (1779) & he also had Edward Bannister Dawes (1813)
He had James H. Dawes (1843)
He had Annie Florence Dawes (1873) who married Arthur Augustus Bray (1869)
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur Bray (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

James married Priscilla Miller on 5 Mar 1902 in Franklin St Methodist, Adelaide, South Australia.⁸²⁶ (Priscilla Miller was born on 28 Dec 1877 in Copperhouse, Burra, South Australia, died on 16 May 1970 in Peterborough, South Australia and was buried in Peterborough, South Australia ⁸²⁶.)