Nelson, James Alexander

Fast Facts

Type of person	Individual
Date of birth	1860
Place of birth	Myponga, South Australia
Principal occupation	Carpenter
Date of departure	1911
Date of death	1946
Place of decease	Goodwood, South Australia

James Alexander Nelson was born on 17 July 1860 at Myponga and he was the son of James Campbell Nelson (1822-1877) and Susannah (née McInnis or Mcginnis or McGuinness) (1826-1901). Religion – Church of England. He was a carpenter.

He married Mary Ann Alice Coleman (1864-1938) on 21 April 1885 at St Peter’s at Malalla. Their first child Ethel Muriel was born at Malalla in 1886 but their second child James Campbell was born at Aldinga in 1889 as were all of their subsequent children through to 1909.

They eventually had eleven children (9 boys and 2 girls):

Ethel Muriel (1886-1971) b. at Malalla, m. Frederick Eyles (1884-1943), d. at Canterbury, NSW

James Campbell Nelson (1889-1898) b. & d. at Aldinga, died as a child

Clarence Hubert (1892-1979) b. at Aldinga, served in WW1, m. Miriam K. Pritchard at Randwick, NSW in 1925, buried at Centennial Park Cemetery

Viola Alice (1894-1976) b. at Aldinga, m. Benjamin Walter Franklin (1895-1975)

William Barton (1896-1976) b. at Aldinga, m. Nancy Elva Hollis (1906-1938)

Hugh Percival (1899-1955) b. at Aldinga, m. Mary Ellen Parmenter (1902-1994) d. at Devon Park, SA

Alick Campbell (1901-1956) b. at Aldinga, m. Gladys Dorothy Burford (1900- )

Reginald Allan (1903-1965) b. at Aldinga, m. Pearl Pleasant Chittleborough (1905-1978), d. at Adelaide, SA

Mervyn Albert (1905-1958) b. at Aldinga, m. Birdie (or Bridie) Egginton (1907- ) on 21 Dec 1927 at St Paul’s Church, Adelaide, d. at Grange, SA

James Murray (1907-1981) b. at Aldinga, m. Dulcie Evelyn Eyles (1907- ), d. at Adelaide, SA

Laurence Edward (1909-1971) b. at Aldinga, m. Mavis Ruth Foreman, d. at Goodwood, SA

The Nelson family had moved to Aldinga before July of 1888 when James was involved in the rescue of the survivors of Star of Greece for which he was awarded a letter of commendation from the Chief Secretaries Office for his actions. In 1889 he was appointed as the Minister’s Warden at St. Ann’s Anglican Church, Aldinga and he was re-elected in 1890. James Alexander Nelson nominated for, and was elected as, an auditor for the elections for the Aldinga District Council on at least five occasions between 1895 and 1908. By 1909 the Nelson family had grown to twelve and they were lived in the small cottage at 11 Old Main South Road in Aldinga for more than 20 years. The family moved to Goodwood in 1911.

James Alexander Nelson died on 26 May 1946 and he was buried at Pasadena. He was survived by two daughters and eight sons.

Sources

• South Australian Births – Index of Registrations 1842-1906
• South Australian Marriages – Index of Registrations 1842-1937
• South Australian Deaths – Index of Registrations 1842-1972
• Ratepayer List Willunga & Aldinga Councils 1850-1888
• Adelaide Observer 11 May 1889:32
• South Australian Chronicle 22 June 1895:12
• Adelaide Observer 25 June 1898:11
• Chronicle 9 July 1898:15
• Chronicle 20 June 1908:19

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