James Manuel

James Manuel's parents are William & Eliza nee Shepherd and is the 9th child of 10 children. He was born on the 27th November, 1851 in Paterson, Uralla, New South Wales, Australia. Baptised on the 24th July, 1855 in St. Mary's Church of England at West Maitland, New South Wales. James died on the 9th November, 1929 in Tamworth aged 78, and buried in the Methodist cemetery in West Tamworth.

James had 2 wives, 1st: Elizabeth Smith (b 3/9/1857), 2nd: Alvina Augusta Smith aka Winnie, ( b 21/11/1876, d 25/10/1946).

James and Elizabeth had 7 children: Eliza, Charles, Lucy, Amos, Millicent, Clara and Ernest.

James and Alvina had 11 children: Colin, Glen, Elba, Lyell, Clarice, Connie, Renie, Hazel, Russ, Elsie and Roy.

In 1870 James selected land at Salisbury where his first two children from his first marriage were born. By 1880 James had moved to Yarrowyck where he appears to have had land on conditional lease. Here the remainder of his first family were born and his wife died.

In 1900 he was listed as living at Rocky River where most children of his second marriage were born. Here he had a bullock team with which he carted wool to the railhead and stores back to properties. He also worked with sheep.

Teh family moved to Moonbi where Jaes had a dairy whick didn't pay, so he grew wheat with little more success.

Later he moved to West Tamworth and then to a small farm at Woolomin where he remained until his death. His widow moved to Newcastle with her youngest son, Roy, where she ws fatally injured when struck by a tram in her 70th year.