James Featherstone Howe

  Research Notes:

source: & http://home.iprimus.com.au/tawalsh/howe/howemain.htm where it is noted:
James Fetherstone 1871 - 1939 - an electrical engineer with the railways would marry his first cousin Annie Emma Howe
James Featherstone Howe, a son of Benjamin Thomas Howe and Elizabeth Clarke, was born on 26 May 1871 at Botany Road, Redfern, New South Wales. James married his first cousin Annie Emma Howe on 15 November 1905 at All Saint's Preston Victoria and died on 3 November 1939 at Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay Randwick.
Letters of James indicated that he worked in the railways "April 1904 farewell at Railways Institute was filled with mates at Redfern on receiving promotion to higher duties at Waverly. Whilst on relieving duties at Newcastle, on the occasion of my marriage (1905) I was at Waverly. On leaving Waverly for work outside the Department, nearly 200 men gave me a glorious evening. Entering the Department again at Randwick where I stayed 2 years as I left the works, where 1,500 men were employed, hammers were struck on steel slates and anvils. I went to Melbourne where I was happy in my surroundings."
James Fetherstone maintained a correspondence with his daughter Dorothy Anne which provided much information on the Howe family and events of the time e.g. "William Bryant Howe quarreled with his father, a man of means, because he married Mary Lambert, a Roman Catholic, the father was against the marriage Grandfather (William Bryant Howe) was an engineer employed at Tooth's Brewery, he caught a chill in the freezing room which caused his death, he was buried in St Stephens Churchyard right in the heart of Newtown, I have been there with my father, but he could not find the grave. He was, I believe, a big man with dark curly hair."
The letters also gave so insight to the Great Depression of the 1930's.
~ 25/3/1928 - Somersby, New South Wales, Australia. It is Gran's birthdays today. My 57th birthday tomorrow i.e. born 26/3/1871.
~ Sitting "alongside the old deserted sawmill that I know that my father spent much time in his declining years to help them along"
~ 16/5/1928 Gosford "must leave Gosford soon as I am taking food that they can hardly spare".
~ 29/6/1928 Leeton Hotel, Leeton "saw my nephew, Ben's boy, George James Howe, there (i.e. Goulburn), he is the manager for the Great Western Furniture Company and he was married 2 months ago. I here that Ben is on the point of selling his hotel for £9,000.
~ 22/9/1928 Bathurst. 300 out of 500 unemployed. Spent the last 3½ years in Melbourne (1925-1928).
~ Christmas 1929, Bathurst "My cousin Alice's two sons amongst those camping under the Denison Bridge. My nephew Jack and I may go on the track carrying our swags.

James married Annie Emma Howe, daughter of James Peter Howe and Annie Emma Burchmore. (Annie Emma Howe was born in 1879 and died in 1965.)