James Hicks 1810 – 1895 – Obituary

Gravestone James & Margaret Hicks St Augustines Bulli – also their daughter Minnie Blundell (nee Hicks)

Gravestone of James and Margaret Hicks, and their daughter Minnie

(Note – there are some lines missing from the copy that was in my mother’s family history collection  and more recent research has indicated that James spent some time in the southern Illawarra in the 1820’s as a cedar getter before returning to Windsor Castlereagh areas, and finally coming back to the Illawarra in 1842. Also the details on the daughters Annie Broadhead, Deborah Woodford and Mary Jane Collings are inaccurate, plus several other errors eg with respect to Rev H W Taylor of St Augustines, Bulli. Such may occur in such articles- K A Christian)

The Woronora Times and Clifton Helensburgh Gazetteer – New Series Vol. 16 No.25 Bulli, Obituary – Saturday June 22, 1895

Obituary

James Hicks Sen.

Born March 1st 1810     Died June 15th 1895

In the death of Mr. James Hicks, Senr., the colony loses, probably, one of its oldest sons, and a long line of descendants an honoured head. The deceased gentleman was born at Windsor, on March 1sg, 1810, and was consequently 85 years of age at the time of death. The first 32 years of his life were spent in the Hawkesbury, and in Castlereagh; Mr Hicks first taking of his residence in this district in 1842 with his family, the eldest of whom is Mr Henry Hicks, J.P., Mount Hope, Thirroul. What memories these years must summon up in the minds of those of contemporaneous age and experience, while to many thousands of the community of to day they are almost a meaningless blank, illuminated but feebly by the historical records of the more portentious facts and incidents of the past, or feintly reflecting in the pages of the school history and reading book. Surrounded as we are on all sides in the evidences of civilisation, the conveniences which science has placed withn the reach of the humblest, enxuring rapid and safet ransit from place to place, and still more rapid communication between centres of population, it is difficult to imagine, and much less understand the vicissitudes and obstacles which confronted the early settlers on all sides in their up-hill fight for home and independence and those dependent upon them.

Between 1825 when the subject of this notice would be 15 years of age, and in 1895, what a change has taken place in the social, political and religious life of the colony; and going beyond its boundaries – in the life of the Empire. The Queen had not then entered upon her long and prosperous reign. The memory of Waterloo, that consummation of British pluck and valor was still an event as if yesterday in the minds of her sons and daughters

…..of the Corn Laws

….Crimean Wars

….the Indian labors of Watt and

…placed in our hands

…for the expansion

…ny other

… of the

.. neat, and

…ments upon

… acted in

… an whose

… the hal –

… Sunday

…..

……

……

……

of civilisation…

The deceased gentleman leaves a widow now 76 years of age and hale and hearty, and six surviving sons – Henry, Richard, George (?), James, Charles and Hamilton. With the exception of Mr. Henry Hicks of Thirroul, the other sons are settled on the Richmond, at Lismore. Two sons and a daughter predeceased him, viz – William who was killed at the Wodonga some 13 (15 ?) (18?) years ago, and Thomas Hicks died on the Richmond lately from typhoid fever. The eldest son, Captain H. Hicks, J.P. is 59 years of age, the youngest – Miss Hicks – resided with her parents; three are married and reside on the Richmond, Mrs McEwen, a widow at Thirroul; Mrs Collings, wife of Mr Collings, butcher of Mount Kembla, another daughter, predeceased her father some years ago. Altogether the late Mr Hicks left 94 descendants.

On their first arrival in the district, the family resided upon … m. xxxx St, Russell Vale, Bellambi (where) the senior member of the …….. were brought up. Subsequently the property was sold to Mr F. F McCabe. Mr Hicks removing to North Bulli, where the married members of his family subsequently founded their homes. Up to within a few days of his death, the deceased gentleman was remarkably active for on of his patriarchal age. An attack of inflammation of the kidneys was the immediate cause of death, the venerable patient suffering considerable pain. Unconsciousness happily supervening during the closing hours of his life, the aged man passed away at 1.40 a.m. on Saturday morning last in the presence of his son, Captain Hicks, Mrs McEwen, Miss Hicks and other members of the family.

The remains were conveyed from the hearse to the church. The coffin being of the plainest description, on which reposed several choice wreaths. Before the concluding ceremony at the grave, the incumbent, the Re. W.H. Taylor, M.A., gave a brief but expressive address on the uncertainty of life at whatever age, and urged his hearers to have that faith in Christ which robbed the grave of all terrort and gave victory over death. There was a large attendance of relatives and friends at the grave side.