John Priest (1851 - 1938)

Born 1 Feb 1851 in Patrick's Plains, near Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy (Yeates) Priest — married 1876 in Armidale, N.S.W

Descendants

Died 8 May 1938 at age 87 in Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

John Priest was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

John Priest was born on the 1st Feb 1851 in West Maitland, New South Wales. ^[1] He was the first born child of Charles Priest and Janet McJAMIESON. He learnt his trade (saddlery) in Singleton in the 1860s, before going to Armidale in 1875 for three years to work as a foreman for a Mr Drew.

Here, we would meet Lucy Yeates, who he would marry n 1876. He would have nine children with her: ^[2]

1. George A. Priest
2. Emily Isabella Priest
3. Hester Lucy May Priest
4. Sarah Sabina Priest
5. Ada Florence Priest
6. Stanley Arthur Priest
7. Charles Jamieson Priest
8. Hilda G. Priest
9. Edna Victoria J. Priest

In 1878, he would purchase the branch of Mr Drew's business in Glen Innes (The Mercantile Mutual Insurance Agency) in Glen Innes, and was elected alderman of the borough in 1879. Around 1880-1881 established the Priest's Saddlery.

He died in 1938 in Ashfield, New South Wales.^[3], in high esteem with many people tributing as life as above. ^[4]

^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ NSW Birth Certificate: Reference V18511131 56 / 1851
2. ↑ Lamond, B. & Pillans, B. (1993) A Jamieson History: The family of John McJennison & Margaret Bell,1796-1941. Self Published, Canowindra-Molong, NSW. ISBN-0-646-14815
3. ↑ NSW Death Certificate: Reference: 6886 / 1938
4. ↑ Glen Innes Examiner Tue 10 May 1938 Page 4 An Exemplary Citizen

   : "I was filled with wonder when I sat down beside him. His face was one that I will never forget, smooth as a child's with his small white moustache and imperial beard. A pink shade gave to his face a most youthful appearance.

5. ↑ Glen Innes Examiner (NSW : 1908 - 1954) Tue 10 May 1938 Page 4 A Good Man

   He was one of our civic builders, and assisted materially in laying the foun dation of the fine town which is our proud boast to-day. His intimate as sociation, over a lengthy period of years, with leading public institutions produced a record of true citizenship of which any man might well be proud in the highest possible degree.

   As one of the early day aldermen, as Mayor of the town, as secretary of the P. and A. Society, as a hospital worker, as a member of the Manchester Unity (Loyal Hand of Friendship Lodge), as a sincere and eminently helpful church worker, as a choir conductor, as a bandsman, as a School of Arts president, as a prominent associate of the old Philharmonic Society, and as a helper in many other avenues, his achievements were such as to convincingly denote his high ideals of human endeavour. For John Priest was a Christian — true-minded, generous-souled, warm-hearted, ever ready and willing to extend the helping hand to those who were genuinely deserving of aid in any shape or form.

   He was one of the pioneers of the saddlery and harness-making trade in the northern districts, having operated in this capacity at West Maitland, Tamworth, Armidale, Inverell, and finally Glen Innes, where he conducted business for over 40 years.