John Denney

Brother of Thomas Denney.

Married Elizabeth Thompson on June 4, 1846 in Launceston Dist., Tasmania.

Father of Emily (Denney) Rundle, Harriet Maria (Denney) Von Bibra, Frederick Samuel Denney, Katherine (Denney) Bott, Louisa (Denney) Marsden, Bertha (Denney) Elliott, Annie (Denney) Kneebone, Isobella Drysdale "Happy" (Denney) Elliott, John Denney, Charlotte Elizabeth (Denney) McPherson, William Simpson Denney, Osborne Burns Denney, Thomas Angwin Denney, Alice Eliza (Denney) Smith, Henry Harland Denney, and John "Junior" Denney.

Another old colonist has gone to his last resting-place. I refer to Mr. John Denney, who died at his residence at Barrington on Monday morning. The deceased will be remembered as a plumber in Charles Street, Launceston, where he carried on business some years ago. He, with Messrs. Robert Stewart, coachbuilder, Geo. Muggaridge, and others came and settled in the Mersey district. Mr. Denney went into the coal mining, and has resided on the Don at Lower Barrington for a number of years, but for the last year or so his health had been failing, and he had to give up the worry and cares of business. He calmly passed away on Monday morning. His funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Don Cemetery. Great respect was shown by the large number of mourners. The service at the grave was performed by the Rev. Joseph May, assisted by the Rev. Geo Schofield, of Latrobe, and the Rev. Thompson of the Forth. The pall was borne by local preachers of the Wesleyan Church. Mr. Denney was one of the oldest local preachers in the colony. I heard him preach 40 years ago in Patterson Street Chapel. No doubt "Cabby" has heard him also, as he seems to have known many colonists. Mr. Denney was a Christian in every sense of the word, and has been the means of doing a large amount of good to the souls and bodies of his fellow men. He leaves a large family to mourn their loss. During the funeral service the Rev. G. Schofield gave an account of his life as a Christian worker and local preacher. In a former communication I noticed the death of Mr. John Denney, of Barrington. On Sunday evening last a funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Thos. Trebelcock at the Forth Wesleyan Church here to a crowed congregation. The preacher took his text, "Let me die the death of the righteous." He gave a short account of Mr. Denny's life and labours on the North West Coast, he having been one of the pioneers of Methodism on the Coast. There was one thing he must have omitted. Mr. Denney was for many years an advocate on the platform of Temperance. Funeral sermons have also been preached at Latrobe by the Rev. G. Schofield, and at Barrington by the Rev. Joseph May, the pulpit being draped in black in memoriam of the deceased. Business called me to Quamby. I have no objection even to say what it was. It was to make arrangements for some Durham cattle with Mr. Nichols, the Bailie (not "Teetotal" Nichols) for the Australian Bank. The Quamby Estate was such a knotty subject for the bank. No purchasers could be found at that date, and it was too large an item to be written off. On our way home we called at Westwood, or Dr. Landale's farm, where poor John Dry and servant were murdered by the blacks. He was nephew to old Mr. Dry. On approaching the farm we heard singing, and a recent issue of the "Telegraph" announced the death of the man who gave out the hymn – John Denney. What a host of past memories that name recalls! He was a George Whitfield amongst the local preachers 40 years ago – small in statue, but a giant in mind. The first time I heard him preach was at Teibey's Ford – to a road party who were constructing the first bridge. It was a weekday evening in summer time. The sun was just setting. His pulpit was a heap of broken metal, and his hearers as hard. He was with a young man who generally accompanied him on these itinerant journeys. There was a marked difference between them. One was a robust, healthy, Herculean frame. The little man seemed to draw the strength from his partner. The words he spoke from were these: "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." During his discourse he stretched forth his arms and said these words: "The Great Jehovah, our Heavenly Father, loves you with an everlasting love. Now He is stretching forth His arms to embrace you in His paternal love," and at that moment the men who did not fear George Arthur's triangle of gallows bent their knees and wept. I have not the slightest doubt that this discourse is registered in the Book in golden letters. One of those men is still alive, and has been a consistent Wesleyan for many years, and can confirm what "Cabby" has said. There are many of us left who can still remember the transportation meeting held in the infant schoolroom, and that meeting was packed by Blake, Goodwin, Baxter and others with all the roughs of Launceston. The meeting was addressed by Mr. M. Innes, who advocated transportation, and in eulogizing the system spoke of the beautiful roads. Then the little giant arose, and thundered forth these words, that afterwards rang through the British Empire: "True, the roads are good, and so they ought to be, for they were cemented with human gore." The meeting rose to its feet, and hands were stretched forth to pull the giant of words down, when another man rose and said, "You must not; you have done your work well John," and was carried from the building by the many hands that were there. Considering his frail body and the many difficulties he was working under, and among the many hands that will welcome "Cabby" in Spirit Land I hope there will be those of John Denney. The total population of the district (Sheffield) is 2000. The Wesleyans are the principal denomination in this locality. They have three or four chapels situated in different parts, and have lately erected a parsonage at a cost of Twelve Hundred Pounds, raised by voluntary contribution from the people. I regret that there has not been a tablet raised to the memory of the man who was first to proclaim the glad tidings in this district – at that time lonely bush. Neither rain, nor storm, nor the hot sun, nor bad roads, which were actually bush tracks, prevented him from going forth and gathering the twos and threes together. He was not only the preacher, but in many instances the doctor. In the dark and stormy nights he would travel miles to visit the sick, and in many instances alleviate their suffering by his practical skill. As a preacher he was a man of great earnestness and impressiveness, and when his feeble body would allow, and he warmed on his subject, his eloquence and oratory were grand. He established the first Sunday school in this neighbourhood. His name was John Denney. It has always been a source of regret to me that there has not been a kind of record kept of the labors and self denying efforts of many of our early pioneers of the colony.

The Examiner 22nd August 1883

John Denney BIRTH 1814 Devon, England DEATH 20 Aug 1883 (aged 68–69) Lower Barrington, Kentish Council, Tasmania, Australia BURIAL Don Congregational Cemetery Don, Devonport City, Tasmania, Australia MEMORIAL ID 89161852 · View Source