John Clark Mather (1890 - 1930)

Born 1890 in Jarrow, Durham, England, United Kingdom

Died 4 Apr 1930 at about age 40 in Croydon, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

John was born in 1890 at Jarrow, Durham, the son of John C Mather and his wife Catherine, nee McLean.

In the 1891 Census he is living with his parents in Jarrow. He is the only child. His parents are both Scots and his father is a steel works labourer.^[1]

John was a carpenter & joiner by trade having served 3 years of his apprenticeship with Messrs. Barclay Carle & Co. Ltd. shipbuilders of Inchbank, Glasgow, Scotland and 2 years with George Eaglesham, House Joiner of Govan, Scotland.

He then worked mainly on ships, both in construction and repair. He worked at a number of Clyde shipyards. He also worked at Harland & Wolff on destroyers before migrating to Australia.

He married Barbara Edith Cruikshanks in Milton, Scotland in 1914.

John migrated to Australia on the "Athenic", departing Liverpool, England on 23 Oct 1915 for Sydney, NSW. He was married, but unaccompanied. He listed his occupation as labourer and he is identified as Scottish.^[2]

On 08 Feb 1917 John applied to become an Australian Munitions Worker under a joint Australian government/ British government scheme to supply skilled workers for the War effort in the UK. At the time John was married with 2 children and was living in Sydney, NSW. He was working as a carpenter & joiner in Sydney fitting out transports for P&O Orient.

He was accepted and was issued with Australian Munitions Worker Badge No. 1756. He embarked on the SS "Ulysses" from Fremantle, Western Australia on 22 May 1917, arriving at Plymouth, England on 19 Jul 1917.

John commenced work at Russel's Shipyard, Port Glasgow as a joiner on 03 Aug 1917. On 21 Jun 1918 he transferred to Harland & Wolff at Govan, Scotland as a shipwright. In Sep and Oct 1918 he suffered from convulsions and was diagnosed with epilepsy. He was advised to stay off alcohol, but because he could no longer work on scaffolding he was dismissed. It looks as though he was then offered bench work as a joiner in Glasgow.

He returned to Australia on the SS "Kursk", departing Liverpool, England on 21 Mar 1919. His agreement was terminated as complete on 10 May 1919 after disembarking in Sydney.

He was severely injured when he fell under a moving train while attempting to board it at Burwood, NSW on 03 Apr 1930 and died at the Western Suburbs Hospital, Croydon, NSW the next morning.^[3][4]

Sources

1. ↑ John C Mather in the 1891 England Census - Source Citation: The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 4167; Folio: 118; Page: 19; GSU roll: 6099277; Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1891 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.; Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1891.
2. ↑ John C Mather in the UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 - Source Citation: The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; BT27 Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Outwards Passenger Lists; Reference Number: Series BT27-115239; Source Information: Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.; Original data: Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.
3. ↑ FELL ON RAILS (1930, April 4). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 15 (FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved September 6, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223711964
4. ↑ John Clark Mather in the New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937 - Source Citation: State Archives NSW; Series: 2767; Item: 3/957; Roll: 343; Source Information: Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Original data: New South Wales Government. Registers of Coroners’ Inquests and Magisterial Inquiries, 1834–1942 (microfilm, NRS 343, rolls 2921–2925, 2225, 2763–2769). State Records Authority of New South Wales, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.; New South Wales Government. Sydney City Coroner: Registers of Inquests and Inquiries, 1862–1926 (microfilm, NRS 1783, rolls 1391–1396). State Records Authority of New South Wales, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.; New South Wales Government. Reports of Inquests, 1796–1824 (microfilm, NRS 2232, rolls 2232, 2233). State Records Authority of New South Wales, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.

• Birth - UK GRO BDM Birth index - MATHER, JOHN CLARK; MCLEAN; GRO Reference: 1890 S Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS Volume 10A Page 846

• Marriage - ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk - Statutory registers - Marriages - MATHER JOHN CLARK; CRUICKSHANKS BARBARA EDITH; 1914; 644/9 409; Milton

• WW1 Australian Munitions Worker Service File - National Archives of Australia - MATHER John Clarke - Munitions Worker Number 1756 - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6447131

• Death - NSW BDM Death index - MATHER JOHN C; 8385/1930; JOHN C; KATHLEEN; BURWOOD

• Funeral Notice - Family Notices (1930, April 5). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved September 6, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16639304