INTRODUCTION
This page briefly describes a group of graves in a remote corner of the cemetery at Paynesville near Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia and attempts to summarize what is known of the origins and lives of the people buried there. (This little area is, or used to be, known to local people as "the James corner" although there are a few members of other pioneer families also buried there).
This group of graves is so remote from the main burial area that many people do not realise it exists and, of those who do know, many have thought it is on neighbouring private farmland rather than in the particular corner of the cemetery reserve which was closest (as the crow flies) to the home of Elizabeth Maria James (the sixth person to be buried at Paynesville Cemetery and the first to be buried in this corner).
Due to the erection of stockproof fencing around this group of graves (by the recently appointed Cemetery Trust) and to some weed control and general tidying work by a great grand-son of Mrs James, this particular area is now (June 2001) looking much less neglected than has been the case for many years.
This means that, as at June 2001, in this area there has only been one burial in the last fifty-two years, and even that one was thirty-nine years ago.
You may wonder why these burials were in such a remote corner which,
although always part of the cemetery reserve, is still quite a distance from the main burial area.
The following may help explain how this came about.
Early burials in this district were at the Bairnsdale Cemetery before the Paynesville Cemetery Reserve
was gazetted in 1897.
When Elizabeth Maria James died in 1899 there had been only five previous burials at Paynesville Cemetery
and it seems reasonable to think that no pattern such as "religious denomination" or "family group" areas
had been established.
She died at her home, known as "Eaglehurst", which was located near what is now the junction
of Grandview Road and Newlands Drive.
Members of her family visiting their mother's grave would have gone on foot or on horseback
across country and selection of that particular site for her burial was no doubt because it is in the part of the cemetery closest to "Eaglehurst" (whose location is marked by a massive oak tree still standing in property just to the west
of the above-mentioned road junction).
Subsequent James burials took place in that same area.
The Hamilton, and probably Phipps, families were friends of the James family.
FAMILY GROUPS
The 24 people buried in the far southwest corner of the Paynesville Cemetery can
be listed in the following "family groups" :-
1. The James Group (A)
Elizabeth Maria James (d.17Jun1899)
and five of her eleven children, namely :-
Isabella James (d.8Aug1911)
George James (d.9May1902)
Charles James (d.8Nov1918) and his wife Catherine (d.4Oct1910)
Edwin James (d.26Sep1938)
Robert Young James (d.2Apr1943) and his wife Rose Helena(d.22Jul1942)
and six of her grandchildren
who were six of the nine children of Charles and Catherine, namely :-
Catherine Annie James (d.12Jul1936)
Charlotte Elizabeth James (d.6Oct1935)
Helen Maude James (bd.11Sep1946) - no inscription
Charles Young James (d.31Mar1949)
Madeline Isabella Ethel James (bd.13Jan1941) - no inscription
John Stanley James (d.25Oct1928)
(the only other member of this James family known to be buried at the
Paynesville Cemetery - as at June 2001 - is Bessie Elsie James who
is buried, not in this corner, but in the "main burial area". She was the
wife of Robert Stanley James -not buried at Paynesville- who was the
only son of Robert Young James and Rose Helena James).
2. The James Group (B) (not known to be related to "James Group A")
George James (d.24Nov1905)
and his daughter :-
Lillian M Neill (d.31Oct1909)
3. The Hamilton Group
Thomas MacKnight Hamilton (d.26Dec1907)
and his wife Martha (d.5May1928)
and three of their children, namely :-
Eliza Ruth Hamilton (d.6Nov1942)
William Rutledge Hamilton (d.12Oct1948)
Robert Ian Hamilton (d.12Oct1948)
and their grand-daughter :-
Edith Maybelle Hamilton (d.4Dec1930)
4. The Phipps Group
John Blakemore Phipps (d.12Mar1906)
and his wife Lavinia Mary (d.6Jun1902)
BURIALS (in order of burial date)
James, Elizabeth Maria d.17 Jun 1899
James, George d.9 May 1902
Phipps, Lavinia Mary d.6 Jun 1902
James, George d.24 Nov 1905
Phipps, John Blakemore d.12 Mar 1906
Thomas MacKnight Hamilton d.26 Dec 1907
Lillian M Neill (nee James) d.31 Oct 1909
Catherine James d.4 Oct 1910
Isabella James d.8 Aug 1911
Charles James d.8 Nov 1918
Martha Hamilton d.5 May 1928
John Stanley James d.25 Oct 1928
Edith Maybelle Hamilton d.4 Dec 1930
Charlotte Elizabeth James d.6 Oct 1935
Catherine Annie James d.12 Jul 1936
Edwin James d.26 Sep 1938
Madeline Isabella Ethel James bd.13 Jan 1941
(no headstone or inscription)
Rose Helena James d.22 Jul 1942
Eliza Ruth Hamilton d.6 Nov 1942
Robert Young James d.2 Apr 1943
Helen Maude James bd.11 Sep 1946
(no headstone or inscription)
William Rutledge Hamilton d.12 Oct 1948
Charles Young James d.31 Mar 1949
Robert Ian Hamilton d.8 Jul 1962
INSCRIPTIONS
Grave reference numbers and the wordings of inscriptions on "momuments" are listed below :-
P'ville Gr Ref #6 (+ re-open for 50,162 & 165)
(The following is on a large vertical headstone)
In Loving Remembrance
of
ELIZABETH MARIA
widow of the late
GEORGE JAMES
|| Ridgeway - Hants, England ||
Born 2nd Oct 1823
Died 17th June 1899
"The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want"
"I will live in the house of the Lord forever"
also ISABELLA JAMES
second daughter of the above
Born 14th Dec 1842 Died 8th August 1911
(At the very bottom of this headstone is what is obviously the makers'
name : "A & G Ballantine Melbourne")
(The following is on the horizontal surface of the grave, on a small tablet
in memory of the following who are also buried in this grave).
ROSE H JAMES
Died 22nd July 1942 Aged 82 years
and
ROBERT Y JAMES
Died 2nd April 1943 Aged 84 years
(The following is on another small tablet on the horizontal surface of the grave)
In loving memory of
IAN
dearly loved son of
B & R James
loved brother of
Bryan, Molly and Margaret
who perished at Higaturu, Papua
in the Mt Lamington eruption
Jan 21st 1951 aged 20 years
Notes:-
1. The George James mentioned above as the late husband of Elizabeth Maria (nee Beale) died at his home "Ridgeway" near Southampton, England on 18 Jan 1877 and is buried at Jesus Chapel, Parish of St Mary Extra, Hampshire UK.
Several of their sons, namely George jnr.(d.9 May 1902), Charles (d.8 Nov 1918), Edwin (d.26 Sep 1938) and Robert Young James (d.2 Apr 1943) are buried here at Paynesville near their mother.
2. James Ian James was lost without trace in the Mt Lamington eruption and consequently has no specific burial location.
P'ville Gr Ref #15 (+ re-open for 149)
In loving memory
of
GEORGE JAMES
of Ridgeway, Southampton, England
late Capt HM 34th Regiment
Born 20th June 1844
Died 9th May 1902
He is not dead but sleepeth
Rest
also the sixth son
EDWIN JAMES
Back to "Sequence" list
P'ville Gr Ref: #63 (+ re-open for 84 & 131)
In loving memory
of
THOMAS MacKNIGHT HAMILTON
Born in Argyleshire, Scotland 4th May 1843
Died at Bells Point, Metung 26 Dec 1907 aged 64 years
and his wife
MARTHA
Born in Sydney 30th March 1844
Died at Paynesville 5th May 1928
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since & lost awhile
Also their grand-daughter
EDITH MABELLE HAMILTON
Born 7th June 1923
Died 4th Dec 1930 aged 7 years
Back to "Sequence" list
P'ville Gr Ref: #123
In
loving memory
of
JOHN STANLEY JAMES
Died 25th Oct 1928
aged 39 years
Back to "Sequence" list
P'ville Gr Ref: #46 (+ re-open for 80)
Sacred
to
the memory of
CATHERINE
dearly beloved wife of
Charles James
who died 4th Octr 1910
aged 58 years
Until the day break
Also our beloved father
CHARLES JAMES
of Ridgeway, Lake Victoria
Born May 6th 1846 Died Nov 8th 1918
and our dearly loved brother
ROBERT HENRY
(BOB)
Gunner, 2nd Section, 4th Divisional
Ammunition Column died of wounds in
France Sept 29th 1918 aged 26 years
Love is stronger than death
Thou will keep in perfect peace
Back to "Sequence" list
P'ville Gr Ref: #145 (+ re-open for 158)
In
loving memory
of
CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH
second daughter of
Charles and Catherine James
Born 20th Sept 1877
Died 6th Oct 1935
And ye are the children of God
(It is understood that her sister, the fourth daughter, Madeline Isabella Ethel JAMES is also buried in this, or a nearby, grave)
P'ville Gr Ref: #148 (+ re-open for 181)
In
loving memory
of
CATHERINE ANNIE
eldest daughter of
Charles and Catherine James
Born 14th Dec 1875
Died 12th July 1936
And underneath are the everlasting arms
(It is understood that her sister, the third daughter, Helen Maude JAMES 1880-1946 is
also buried in this, or a nearby, grave)
P'ville Gr Ref: #190
In
loving memory of
CHARLES YOUNG JAMES
eldest son of Charles and Catherene James
Born 24th Jan 1882
Died 31st Mar 1949
(Note: The mother's name is spelt incorrectly on the
stone - should be Catherine)
Back to "Sequence" list
P'ville Gr Ref: #163 (+ re-open for 188 & 238)
ELIZA RUTH HAMILTON
Born Werrongurt 19 Dec 1875
Lived Ensay Station 1884-1912
Ilfracombe, Paynesville 1912-1942
Died 6th Nov 1942
In thy presence is fullness of joy Psxvi
Also her brothers
WILLIAM RUTLEDGE HAMILTON
Born Drysdale Ballangeich 8.7.1874
Died Bairnsdale 12.10.1948
ROBERT IAN HAMILTON
Born Warrnambool 15.7.1878
Died Bairnsdale 8.7.1962
(The following is in explanation of a reference on this stone, and is not on the stone.
Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is the fulness of
joy , at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore).
P'ville Gr Ref #29 (+ re-open for 45)
In loving remembrance of
my dear husband & daughter
GEORGE JAMES
Born 5th Nov 1860 Died 24th Nov 1905
also
LILLIAN M NEILL nee JAMES
Born 29th Jun 1889 Died 31st Oct 1909
Safe in their Father's home
(Note: Although the name George James appears on two other stones in
this section of the Paynesville Cemetery, there is no evidence that the
people buried in this grave were in any way related to members of the
other James family buried nearby. It has been suggested that these people
had some family retationship with C C Neill, Shipwright and Boatbuilder
of Paynesville.
Some recent research has revealed the following information, although no attempt has been made to prove the data by obtaining certificates :-
George James 1860-1905, son of William James and Elizabeth Taylor, died at Paynesville in 1909, aged 45 (Ref:13917).
Lillian Mary James was daughter of George James 1860-1905 and Elizabeth Shearing. Lillian, born England, married in 1909 (Ref:4433) to Walter Thomas Waverley Neill who was born "at sea off Austn. Coast".Lillian died at Carlton in 1909, at the age 20 (Ref 4689 or 11689 ?).
P'ville Gr Ref #17 (+ re-open for 31)
JOHN BLAKEMORE PHIPPS MD
died at Mitcham
12th March 1906
aged 76
also his wife
LAVINIA MARY PHIPPS
died at Paynesville
6 Jun 1902 aged 77
There is more information available on many of the 24 names listed.
I hope to add more details as and when time permits.
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