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James Hokin (1859 - 1945)

James "Jim" Hokin
Born in Barkers Creek near Castlemaine Victoria Australiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , , , , and
Husband of — married 1881 in Naracoorte, South Australia, Australiamap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , and
Died at about age 86 in Port Pirie South Australia, Australiamap
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Profile last modified | Created 7 Nov 2016
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Biography

James was born about 1859. James Hokin ... He passed away in 1945.[1]

"OBITUARY" The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) 10 December 1945: The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) 10 December 1945
"Old Couple Find City "Too Fast"" News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) 4 April 1945: News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) 4 April 1945
Old Couple Find City ""Too Fast" MARRIED 64 YEARS
Mr. and Mrs. James Hokin, of Rankin road. Torrensville, who have been married 64 years, are going to live at Port Pirie with their eldest daughter because they find city life "too fast."
MR. Hokin is 85 and Mrs. Hokin 81. They have five children, 13 grandchildren. and 14 great-grand children. Their recipe for happy married life is contentment through sharing troubles.
Mr. Hokin says he has enjoyed good health "because he has not taken liquor and has not smoked." He gave both up more than 40 years ago. "The present generation will never live to our age," said Mrs. Hokin. Mr. Hokin has never seen a movie, and his wife one—40 years ago at Quorn.
Mrs. Hokin still cooks their meals, and visits the sick and needy. Mr. Hokin often mends scissors and chairs, and does other odd jobs.
Mr. Hokin retired at 67 from the South Australian Railways in 1927. He had 46 years' service, all but about five driving a locomotive on the North-South and Broken Hill lines. In 1879 he was in the gang which constructed the line from Port Augusta to Farina.

"RAILWAYMAN 47 YEARS" Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954) 12 November 1945: Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954) 12 November 1945
RAILWAYMAN 47 YEARS
Death In Pirie of Mr. J. Hokin
A believer in the maxim that the only way to achieve success was to begin at the bottom and learn the hard way, Mr. James Hokin, (86), who died in Pirie Hospital, had been in the service of South Australian Railways for 47 years when he retired 19 years ago.
Leaving school at an early age, he be gan his apprenticeship in a fitting shop at Castlemaine (Victoria), where he was born, and had "served his time" before his eighteenth birthday. A competent tradesman for his years, he had no diffi cuty in obtaining employment at Mort's Dock, Sydney.
Illness prevented him from furthering his knowledge of marine fitting, and he returned to Castlemaine and his old job. He had been there only a brief time when his father, the late Mr. Charles Hokin. a carpenter by trade, decided to seek a new home at Port Augusta.
James Hokin, came with his family to South Australia in 1879 and began work as a fireman on ballast trains used in the construction of railways north of Port Augusta. The following year he left the North, but continued firing on railway construction work at Naracoorte, on the Melbourne line.
The new line to Melbourne had been completed to Wolseley when he terminated his employment with the construction contractors and returned with his bride (formerly Miss Mary Munro, whom he had married at Naracoorte) to Port Augusta.
Started From "Scratch"
In 1881 he entered the service of South Australian Railways. Instead of applying for a position as fireman, for which he was fully qualified, he chose to "start from scratch" as a cleaner. That was the beginning of nearly half a century on the iron road.
Mr. Hokin cleaned engines for 18 months before he was "sent out" firing. After three years with the shovel he received his driver's ticket in 1886 and continued as a driver until he retired 19 years ago at the age of 67.
Mr. and Mrs. Hokin lived at Port Augusta for about six years, and then moved to Quorn, where they resided 28 years before going to Peterborough. They were there nearly 10 years, and Mr. Hokin retired there.
Even after his retirement Mr. Hokin was active and still a handy man with tools. He remained in perfect health until about 18 months ago. It is about seven months since he and his wife came to Pirie to live with a daughter, and Mr. Hokin spent four months of that time in hospital.
Mr. Hokin left a widow, three sons, and two daughters—Messrs. Harry (railways inspector at Islington), Walter (dentist, of Adelaide), and Alexander (schoolteacher, Croydon), and Mesdames A. Murdoch (Pirie) and J. Crawford (Peterborough).
Pastor A. S. Butler, of Adelaide, con-ducted funeral obsequies in Pirie Cemetery. Pallbearers were Messrs. A. Lang staff, S. Sweet, A. Ford, and C. Bonliam.

Sources

  1. ↑ Genealogy SA 1945 (694/5261) HOKIN James (parents/wife) undefined Pirie
  • BirthVIC BDM Index HOKIN James (parents) Charles & Ann Chamberlain (Crocker) Reg. year1859 Reg. no21168
  • MarriageGenealogy SA 1881(127/35) HOKIN James married MUNRO Mary (Robe)
  • Marriage Rootsweb - James Hokin Marriage between James Hokin (Aged : 21, born circa 1860, Status : Not recorded, Father : John HOKIN), and Mary Munro (Aged : 17, born circa 1864, Status : Not recorded, Father : Alexander MUNRO), at the residence of MrMcInnes Naracoorte on the 1/4/1881. Source - South Australian Marriages 1842 - 1916, Book/Page - 127/35 - District Code - Rob.
  • Death Genealogy SA 1945 (694/5261) HOKIN James (parents/wife) undefined Pirie
  • Death Rootsweb - James Hokin Death Registration name : HOKIN, James. Died : 8/11/1945 in Port Pirie West, South Australia at age 86 years. Relative listed as . Status : Marri ed. Residence listed as : Port Pirie West. Symbol : Died in Hospital o r similar institution. Source : South Australian Deaths 1916 - 1972, B ook : 694, Page 5261, District Code : Pir
  • "Family Notices" Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954) 9 November 1945: Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954) 9 November 1945. DEATHS - HOKIN. - On November 8 at Port Pirie Hospital, JAMES, beloved HUSBAND of Mary Hokin; and father of Harry, Walter, Alex, Flora, and May. Aged 86 years.




Memories: 1
Enter a personal reminiscence or story.
Bevan Hokin
Charles and Ann had two daughters and four sons, including James (Jim). Along with the local lads of Castlemaine, mischief was the chief sport. Most mischief was targeting Chinese gold prospectors – and stealing their gold without getting caught, the best prize of all. Prospectors panning for gold would work from the creek banks. After working each pan of sand and gravel, they would transfer their ‘colour’ to a small glass bottle left on the bank with their other personal effects. The ‘lads’ would target a Chinese prospector who was focused on his panning. The game was to sneak up silently, and lift his bottle of gold. This was not easily achieved, so it wasn’t long before the boys began working as a team, targeting several miners simultaneously, with one acting as a distracting decoy. The Chinese woke up to this new tactic and retaliated by having one prospector only pretending to be panning, when he was in fact acting as a lookout for the rest of the group. Jim was acting as distracting decoy, when he was identified by the lookout. The alarm was sounded, and all the group of prospectors fell in to give chase. Jim was quick, but he was being outrun by the posse – and he did not welcome the prospects of a thorough beating or worse – his pursuers were very angry. Jim made for the center of town, trying to find an escape. He ran through the front door of the local bakery, and out the back. The mob followed him through the bake house. As a young lad, Jim had part-time employment with this baker, most specifically, delivering bread to customers, and was well known and well liked. With the posse catching up, and Jim getting tired, he made another circuit through the bakery. The owner grabbed Jim, and placed him in a flour bin. As the mob raced after him, he pointed to the back door, “That way”, he yelled, while pointing. The mob continued with their chase and eventually gave up. Jim scrambled out of the flour bin when he was given the ‘all-clear’, and made his way home, exhilarated, recognising he had been lucky, and a lot wiser.

The pistol involved in the shooting of the would-be robber (See memories of Charles Hokin), featured again, this generation. Three of the brothers, armed with the pistol were hunting parrots for parrot pie. The shock wave of one bullet shot through a flock of birds would cause several to fall and be caught (If a ½’” ball hit a parrot, there would be nothing left). After a successful hunt, while passing through a paddock on their way home, a large local bull charged them. They could not outrun the bull, and there were no trees or other opportunities for shelter, so they did the only thing possible. They held their ground, and as the bull charged, one of the boys raised the pistol and fired. The bull crashed to the ground at their feet, dead, a bullet right between the eyes. The boys fled. Next day a £5 reward was offered for information leading to conviction of who ever had shot the prized bull. In spite of this enormous reward, no one owned up!

James became a steam engine driver and lived in Port Augusta. He drove the Ghan from Port Augusta to Tarcoola (original station just South of Alice Springs) and Broken Hill to Kalgoorlie. The trips were always interesting. Flash flooding and sand drifts over the tracks were common. Jim owned a telescope that he always carried on his trips to scan the tracks ahead, ensuring safe passage. This telescope is still with the family. James Hokin became a Seventh-day Adventist while he was working for SA Rail. This became a problem, as he would not drive the trains (work) from sunset Friday, to sunset Saturday – the Sabbath. He came to an accord with SA Rail management as he was a highly valued employee. When he was rostered over his Sabbath, a second driver was assigned his trips. Just before sunset on Fridays, he would stop the train and hand over to his relief driver. The relief driver continued the journey, while Jim Hokin spent the Sabbath reading his Bible in the guards’ van. At sunset Saturday night, the process was reversed. Jim Hokin’s obituary spells out the arrangement:

7/1/1946 AUSTRALASIAN RECORD Official Organ of the AUSTRALASIAN UNION CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS Editor: A. G. Stewart

HOKIN.—"Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season." This scripture was fulfilled in the case of Brother James Hokin, who passed away in the Port Pirie Hospital on November 8, 1945, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. In 1904, under the labours of Pastors Rogers and Craddock, Brother Hokin first heard and embraced the truths of the third angel's message, and his life was spent in witnessing to the power of that message. For forty-seven years our brother was employed by the South Australian Railways, and for twenty years of that period he gave a living testimony to the truth by observing the Lord's Sabbath faithfully every week while engaged as a locomotive driver. Brother Hokin served as elder of our Quorn and Peterborough churches and also as a member of the executive committee of the South Australian Conference. Messages of comfort were given to those who mourn, at the home of his daughter, Sister Murdoch, and also at the graveside. Brother Hokin left his widow, our dear Sister Hokin, three sons, including Brother Alex Hokin of our Thebarton church, and two daughters to look forward to the grand reunion day, when their loved one will be restored to them in immortal life and beauty. Pr. S. C. Butler.

posted 6 Dec 2016 by Bevan Hokin   [thank Bevan]
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with James by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with James:

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Bevan Hokin
James (Jim) Hokin had several children (see Obituary) in addition to Alexander. Need DOB to add them
posted by Bevan Hokin

Rejected matches › James Malcolm Hogan (1858-1945) › James J Hawkins (abt.1858-)

Featured National Park champion connections: James is 17 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 14 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 20 degrees from George Catlin, 19 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 29 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 20 degrees from George Grinnell, 22 degrees from Anton Kröller, 19 degrees from Stephen Mather, 16 degrees from Kara McKean, 23 degrees from John Muir, 17 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 33 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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