Cr. Jonathan Stephens, Mayor of Footscray

Male 1844 - 1914  (70 years)


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  • Name Jonathan Stephens 
    Prefix Cr. 
    Suffix Mayor of Footscray 
    Born 1844  Cornwall, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Life Story 19 May 1906  Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location 
    THE MAYOR AND MAYORESS OF THE CITY

    CR STEPHENS AND MRS STEPHENS

    The Mayor and Mayoress of Footscray, Cr Jonathan and Mrs Stephens have re ceived numerous congratulations during the week upon their succession to the Mayoralty of the City. Herewith we reproduce photos of the new Mayor and Mayoress and some interesting particulars of their careers, and as Cr Stephens is a colonist of 60 years standing his experi ences are specially noteworthy. Cr Stephens' father was a miner in Corunall, England, and was killed at his work when the subject of this sketch was but two years old. In 1848 the mother and family embarked as emigrants bound for South Australia. The sons of the family turned to copper mining at Burra Burrs in that State where they remained till the gold fever caught them up in 1852 and swept them along with others to the Ballarat fields. Cr Stephens was a boy of eight when the most stirring incidents in the gold field's history transpired. He had reason to vividly remember some of those days. When the police rode out on one occasion on their daily hunts to round up miners who had not paid their license money of £2 10s a month; Cr Stephens brother, a boy of twelve, fell into their hands whilst fossicking. Young?? It was then 12 The boy was taken prisoner because he hadn't a license. The handcuffs were put on him and in this ignominious plight the boy was led round the gold fields for the miners to take warning, until seven o'clock at night. It might have gone badly wilth those troopers had they crossed the path of his stalwart brothers at the time. Cr Stephens well re members the Eureka Stockade and the oratory of its noted leader before that episode occurred when Peter Lalor used to harangue his followers on the stump. At seventeen, Cr Stephens migrated to Bendigo where he was one of the first employees of'the late George Lansell, the Quartz King. Returning.to Ballarat four years later, where he was married, Cr Stephens shifted again to Clunes, remain ing on the mines there for 15 years. In 1885 he came to Yarraville and twelve mouths later started the business which he carries on now in the same premises in Ballarat-street. He has grown with the district. It was about ten years ago when he was induced to enter public life, his first position of the kind being a seat on the School Board of Advice. Municipal honors were not long in claiming him. Six years ago he won his seat at the Footscray Council as one of the represen tatives of the South Ward, defeating the retiring councillor, Mr J. W. Fraser, and he has since retained his seat without opposition. Last Week Cr Stephens was unanimously elected by his colleagues as Mayor of the city, a dignity most worthily conferred on a worthy subject. The term will expire in August when Cr. Stephen's office as councillor also ends and when he has definitely decided to retire, so that his public career will terminate with the highest honors he can win in that sphere on his shoulders which is a most fitting end. The Mayoresse, Mrs Stephens, to whom the Mayor owes a greiat part of his suc cess, was born in Scotland and like her husband came in early years to this state. Her father, Mr John Thom, is one of the old survivinug pioneers of Ballarat, where his family was brought up.

    Independent (Footscray, Vic. : 1883 - 1922) Saturday 19 May 1906 
    Died 1914  Footscray, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Name: Jonathan Stephens
      Death Place: Footscray, Victoria
      Age: 70
      Father's Name: Stephens Wm
      Mother's Name: Rebecca Couch
      Registration Year: 1914
      Registration Place: Victoria
      Registration number: 9716
      Estimated Birth Year: abt 1844
    Buried 1914  Footscray Cemetery, Melbourne, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I11049  Hickey, List, Bundesen, Thomsen, Jensen, Jessen
    Last Modified 22 Mar 2013 

    Father William Stephens,   b. circa 1800,   d. 1846, St. Austell, Cornwall, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 46 years) 
    Mother Rebecca Couch,   b. circa 1799, Cornwall, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1857, Vctoria, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 58 years) 
    Married 9 Nov 1822  St. Austell, Cornwall, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1841  St Austell, Cornwall Find all individuals with events at this location 
    STEPHENS, William M 40 1801 Cornwall
    STEPHENS, Rebecca F 40 1801 Cornwall
    STEPHENS, Thomas M 15 1826 Cornwall
    STEPHENS, William M 15 1826 Cornwall
    STEPHENS, Elizabeth F 14 1827 Cornwall
    STEPHENS, John M 11 1830 Cornwall
    STEPHENS, Henry M 3 1838 Cornwall
    STEPHENS, George M 0 (6 months) 1841 Cornwall
    Piece: 146
    Book/Folio: 1/41
    Page: 29
    Registration District: St Austell
    Civil Parish: St Austell
    Address: Watering Or Charles Brook, St Austell
    County: Cornwall 
    Immigration 19 Sep 1848  Bristol via Plymouth to South Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    STEPHENS Rebecca (w), ch Thos, John, Hy, Martha, Geo arrived in SA 1849-01-03 aboard William Money from Bristol via Plymouth 1848-09-19 [Source:6,7,8,30] 
    Family ID F3816  Group Sheet

    Family Isabella Morris 
    Children 
     1. George William Stephens,   b. 1870, Brunswick, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location
     2. Jonathan Stephens,   b. 1871, Clunes, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location
     3. John Stephens
     4. James Henry Stephens,   b. 1876, Clunes, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1948, Yarraville, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years)
     5. Rebecca Stephens,   b. 1879, Clunes, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location
     6. Albert Pollux Stephens,   b. 1881, Clunes, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1947, Brunswick, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 66 years)
     7. Edward Castor Stephens,   b. 1881, Clunes, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1949, Parkville, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years)
     8. Rebecca Stephens,   b. 1884, Victoria Find all individuals with events at this location
    Last Modified 21 Mar 2013 
    Family ID F3814  Group Sheet


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