Above: James Glover and his wife Mary Jane Mottershead and their children.
I believe this photo would have been taken in September 1901 at the wedding of William Hector Glover and Sophie Olsen. Pictured Standing: L to R Walter 20, Herbert 18, James 26, William 24, Henry 16. Front: L to R Ethel 5, James Glover Sr 56, Arthur 8, Leonard 11, Mary 43 and baby Sydney 20 months.
James Glover (1845-1905)
According to his marriage certificate, James Glover was born in London, Middlesex, England in 1850 however when he died in Charters Towers his daughter was the informant and believed he was born in 1847. The only James Glover I could find with a father, James and a mother Elizabeth was born in 1845 in Bethnal Green, Middlesex but his mother was Elizabeth Goode. I am not sure this is the same person.
Further research leads me to believe James Robert Glover was born in Bethnal Green, London on 18th February 1845 to James and Elizabeth Glover. He was christened at St Leonards Shoreditch 1st June the same year.
In the 1851 Census James 33, a bricklayer, and Elizabeth 30 were living at 5 Mount Street Tower Hamlets with four children- Elizbeth 9, James 6, Caroline 4, and William 1. There was also a servant, Joseph Lusby 24 living at the same address.
By 1861 the family circumstances had changed. Elizabeth 39, a laundress had moved to 10 Henrietta Street Bethnal Green. Three children were with her – James 16, Caroline 14, William 11 and George 7. I believe James senior had died most likely in the area around Bethnal Green. The following need investigating – Bethnal Green Vol 1c pg 163 (1852) and V0 1c pg 226 (1854) and possibly Islington Vol 1b p 118 (1853) and Whitechaple Vol 1c p334 (1855).
Bethnal Green was a particularly poor and in fact according to British History Online, by 1871 it was the porest area London. In 1939 life expectancy for laborours and servants was just 16, tradesmen 26 and the gentry 45. They were tough times!!! It is no wonder James decided to make his way to Australia. There are however many questions I have to explore: did he come with anyone else in his family and when and on what ship did he leave?
James arrived in Australia before 1877 and on his death certificate his daughter says he was here 42 years putting his arrival around 1863. At this stage I have not been able to confirm when or on what ship he arrived. There was a James Glover who arrived in Brisbane 2nd November 1862 aboard the ship Prince Consort. He claimed he was 24. James may have looked older. He would have been 17 if it was the same person. There was a James Glover aboard the Steamship Telegraph which arrived in Sydney from Brisbane in 1862 however by that date I believe the Telegraph was no longer an immigrant ship but plying passengers between the major Australian ports. He may have arrived in Brisbane and decided to head to Sydney almost immediately. The numbers would tie in- 10 years in Sydney and 32 years in Queensland would bring the year up to 1905.
Mary Jane Mottershead
May Mottershead was born in Manchester in 1858.
James Glover and Mary Jane Mottershead
James and Mary were married and had ten children together in the city of Charters Towers.
JAMES ROBERT GLOVER AND MARY JANE MOTTERSHEAD HAD 10 CHILDREN ALL BORN IN CHARTERS TOWERS BETWEEN 1877- 1899.
James 1875-1919 William Hector (Willy) 1877-1915
Walter Nestor (1881-1915) Herbert (1883-1923)
Henry (1885-1941) Hetty (1887-1889)
Leonard (1890-1941) Arthur Victor (1893-1935)
Ethel May (1896-1960) Sydney Norman (1899-1967)
James Robert was a miner. The family lived in a large house on Marsland Street Charters Towers. James was a miner.
See https://historicalaustraliantowns.blogspot.com/2018/03/charters-towers-town-they-called-world.html for more photos and information on ‘The World’ at the time.
Charters Towers Gold Mine 1872
Northern Miner (Charters Towers, Qld. : 1874 – 1954), Monday 6 March 1905, page 5
Death of Mr. James Glover.
Another old resident of Charters Towers, Mr. James Glover, passed away yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock after a fortnight’s Illness. Mr. Glover at the time of his death was 58 years of age. He was a native of London and came to Australia 42 years ago. He landed in Sydney and spent 10 years in New South Wales and the other 32 years were spent in Queensland. Mr. Glover went to the Palmer Rush on his arrival in Queensland, with Mr. McMillan, and was one of the first white men on the Palmer Diggings after the prospectors.
Mr. Glover was one of those who took part in the serious conflict with the blacks at Battle Camp, in which a large number of aborigines made a determined attack on the diggers in in the camp; but they were beaten by the latter.
Mr. Glover spent a short time on the Palmer, then visited the Gilbert and Etheridge Goldfields, afterwards coming to Charters Towers, nearly 32 years ago, and remained here until his death. He assisted in sinking shafts on the following reefs in the early days of this field: St Patrick, Alabama Block, Great Britain P.C., and the Mystery. He worked for nine years to the Victoria Gold Mine and was subsequently engaged assisting to erect the Brilliant Block Mill. He remained in the employ of the Brilliant Block Company about the mill and cyanide works, up to the day of his first sudden attack of illness a fortnight ago.
Mr. Glover leaves a wife to mourn his loss, also a family of nine, the eldest being 29 years of age, and the youngest six years. The funeral leaves his late residence, Marsland Road at 3 p.m. to-day.
Mary Jane had four children at home -Leonard 15, Arthur 12, Ethel 9 and Sydney 6.
The Tagney Hood 