Obituaries Australia

Swiftly the fine old band of pioneers that blazed the trail at the Hawkesbury and other districts of this State in the long ago are disappearing from the scenes of their activities. Lately I received the sad news that the last surviving grandson, but one, of pioneer Matthew James Everingham (obit. 1817), in the person of Mr. James Henry Everingham, had died at the M.R.D. Hospital, Taree, New South Wales, at the great age of 94 years.

The latter deceased gentleman was born at the Hawkesbury River on May 22nd, 1834, his father being James Everingham (I.), and the mother's name before her marriage was Miss Cologne Goddard. They were married at the Lower Hawkesbury on the 2nd March, 1833, by the Rev. Thomas Sharpe, Chaplain at Wiseman's Ferry.

Mrs. Cologne Everingham bore Mr. James Everingham 7 children, the eldest being a son, the late Mr. James Henry Everingham, who died at Taree on Saturday, October 27th, as stated. Some few years ago, while the latter was residing at Five Dock, Sydney, with his good wife (nee Nixon) also deceased, I knew this fine old couple fairly well, but as city life did not agree with them they returned to the Nabiac and Wallamba River district, where their sons had extensive sawmilling interests.

The late Mr James Henry Everingham's father, James Everingham (I.), was twice married. The other children by his first wife (nee Cologne Goddard) were respectively: — (2) Jonathan Everingham, who married Miss Sarah Roberts; (3) Elizabeth Everingham, who married Mr. James McGrath (senior); (4) Selina Everingham, who married Mr. James McGrath (junior); (5) Sarah Everingham, married Mr. James Watt (both deceased), of Adelaide; (6) Lydia Everingham (deceased), married Mr. James Sly; and (7) Matthew Everingham, who died at Dubbo, (N.S.W.) about the year 1922.

James Everingham's second wife was Miss Lavinia Musgrove — a sister to Thomas Musgrove, who married Miss Jane Everingham, eldest daughter of Matthew James Everingham (II.). Five children were born by the second marriage of James Everingham (I.) to Mrs. Lavinia Everingham (nee Musgrove). They are respectively: — (1) George, (2) Arthur, (3) Emily (deceased, was married), (4) Lavinia (who married Mr. J. Thomas, chemist, Lewisham), and (5) Enoch Everingham (Ashfield).

James Everingham (I.) and his second wife lie at rest in the Methodist cemetery at Rookwood, the former dying at Leichhardt at the age of 85 years, on 25th July, 1895 — and I have now to chronicle the passing of the eldest son, by James Everingham's (I.) first marriage, the late Mr. James Henry Everingham, who was a splendid type of a good sturdy man, and Australian of the third generation, and pioneer of the Manning River where he settled at the age of 25 years.

By the pioneer's death there is now living in Australia only one grandson of Founder Matthew James Everingham (1788) from whom every person in the Continent bearing the name has descended. I refer to Mr. Cyrus Everingham, of "Rooyah," Armidale, a son of George Everingham (I.) and Keturah Stubbs. From the ancestry of one of the founder's sons, it will be seen that the descendants of only one branch are a very extensive clan in Australia. May their descendants never grow less and all increase with prosperity and honor.