John Arthur Knowles (1903 - 1983)

Born 28 Feb 1903 in Williamstown, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Bryda Mae (Medcraft) Knowles — married 28 Dec 1934 in St.Peter's on the Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 17 Apr 1983 at age 80 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Biography

John was born in 1903. He is the son of Arthur Knowles and Elizabeth Dudley. Following the death of his Mother (when he was four) and his Father (when John was twelve), John (or "Little Jack") lived at 70 Electra Street, Williamstown, and was cared for by his maiden aunt, Sarah Dudley and his two bachelor uncles, William and Thomas Dudley. He inherited part of the estate of John George Pennell, (a relative by marriage of his grandmother's), who died in 1917, when John was 14 years old.^[1][2] John also inherited the family dairy farm and the dairy itself in Ferguson Street, Williamstown. John and his Aunt remained together until she died in 1951.^[3] By this time, John had married Bryda Mae Medcraft and had a daughter Karyn. John, himself, died in 1983, aged 80, at Ballarat and is buried in the Werribee Cemetery.

Growing up, John attended Miss Molland's school in Williamstown, then Williamstown South State School. His secondary education was gained at Scotch College, Melbourne until he tried to run away to sea as a cabin boy (about 1915). He was taken from the ship at the Heads by the pilots and was then sent to Geelong College. He later commenced studies towards Electrical Engineering, but, upon reaching the age at which he could control his own destiny, he decided he would become (and remained) a professional fisherman. During the years he fished from Werribee South and Williamstown, he met and befriended several other fishermen, but his closest relationship was with a Yugoslavian (Croat/Dalmatian), Mati Botica, who became his partner in business. The families were great friends and lived closely together until Mati died in 1974.

John's father, Arthur Knowles, had acquired land in Kororoit Creek Road, North Williamstown, (part of which is these days referred to as the "Kororoit Creek Fishing Village"), which became the dairy farm. This land, which comprised 63 acres, was inherited by John Arthur Knowles. About half of that was sold to the Vacuum Oil Co. (now Mobil) in 1947 and the remaining 27 acres were sold to the City of Williamstown (in 1948) and now form the J.T.Gray Reserve (off Maddox Road). ^[4][5]

No more info is currently available for John Knowles. Can you add to his biography?

Sources

• Peter Knowles. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Peter and others.

• Karyn Ogden nee Knowles, firsthand knowledge.

References

1. ↑ "The Argus" May 2, 1917
2. ↑ Williamstown "Chronicle" May 5, 1917
3. ↑ "The Argus" April 18, 1951
4. ↑ Victorian Heritage Database at: [ http://www.vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au].
5. ↑ Entered by Peter Knowles, Dec 9, 2011