James Ashburner
Contents
Background
Born on 9 December 1827 at Liverpool, England, the son of Joseph Baines Ashburner, a printer, and Elizabeth Curphey. James was a wireworker who came to Melbourne in September 1852 on the Tippoo Sahib.
Goldfields Involvement, 1854
- ... At the Police Court on Saturday, Michael Kennedy, William Develin, John Pardy, Patrick Kennedy, James Sexton, Daniel Macartney, James Ashburner, John Leadow, Herman Steinman, William Wickley, William Somerville, Jeremiah Hogan, William Avondale, Samuel Penny, Patrick Hickey, Joseph Walker, John Kelly, Cornelius Peters, William Stafford, Carl Anderson (a Swede), Patrick Meade, and Michael Gleeson, were discharged. In some of these cases there was either no evidence against the prisoners, or they were only proved guilty of living in the neighborhood of the stockade, and giving no information as to its erection. Edmund Bohen, Michael Meagher, William Galloway, James Barclay, Michael Butler, John Lynch; and Chas Doolan, were defended by Mr Dunne, and discharged. ... [1]
Post 1854 Experiences
He married Jessie Kewley on 19 June 1860. They had three daughters. Jessie died on 3 July 1874 ages 44 years. James married for the second time Emily Eleanor Davies in 1877 and they had two sons.
Ashburner established a newsagents with his brothers William and Thomas. Ashburner's account was published in the Ballarat Courier on 3 December 1904.
One of the veterans of the Eureka stockade, Mr J Ashburner, of Armidale, told the tale of the fight to the Ballarat Trades and Labor Council last night. He was taken prisoner at the affair; but it was not true, he said, that he was a month in gaol, for he was liberated within six days, because there was no charge against him. He stayed on the Stockade long enough for the charge of the soldiers, and somebody gave the order, ‘Everyone for himself.’ A friend told him he knew the way out, and as they were going they met Peter Lalor wounded. He helped to put Lalor under slabs to hide him. The digger leader wanted to see Father Smythe [sic], and as that gentleman had been a shipmate of Mr Ashburner’s he volunteered to go for him, and was very glad to get clear of the place. He found Father Smythe all right. Tim Hayes, a noted character, was living next door, and he would come along with them. He had a gun, but the priest insisted on his leaving it at home. As they came across Bakery Hill somebody pointed out Messrs Ashburner and Hayes as two rebels, and in no time they were surrounded by the troopers, and the ‘bracelets’ put on them. They were whipped off to the camp and put in a log lock-up with about 60 others. ‘It was a miserable, hot Sunday,’ said the veteran, feelingly. A poor lunatic, who was gagged, was one of the prisoners there, and there were one or two bushrangers. One of the latter was a perfect blackguard, and abused the sentinel so much that he swore he would fire in among the lot of them if there was any more of it. The others pointed the bushranger out, and he was taken away. That same evening the prisoners were taken to better quarters – a storeroom. Tim Hayes and the speaker were yoked together, and the former was taken as one of the State prisoners. He believed Tim was not actually in the stockade at the time of the assault, but got out of bed when the noise began. Speaking of the hardships the prisoners endured, Mr Ashburner said everything was taken from them except their shirts. We were a wealthy lot of prisoners. I can tell you,’ said he. ‘When I was discharged I went for my things, but there was nothing for me. I was orderly to Lt Magill. I have heard outsiders say he was a traitor, but I never knew whether he was. Jimmy Magill [sic] he was called.’ Mr Ashburner’s remarks were listened to with great attention, and at the close the members of the council showed the pleasure with which they had heard them by a round of hearty applause.
Ashburner died on 24 November 1922 and is buried in St Kilda Cemetery.
See also
Further Reading
Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
References
- ↑ The Argus, 12 December 1854.
External links
