Name |
Ward,
George Watford |
Date
of Birth |
March 3rd 1853 |
Place
of Birth |
Walpole, England |
Date
of Death |
18
August 1933 |
Place
of Death |
Prospect
SA |
Place
of Burial |
North Park Cemetery
(headstone-buried with wife July Ann died 6 August 1931) |
Arrived
in South Australia (date/ship etc.) |
October 1887/SS Hiberia (wife
and children followed in SS Ormus, June 1888. Arrived in Adelaide July 17th,
went to Pt Pirie) |
Lived
in Prospect (dates) |
From 1893 (possible lived at
Islington SA); |
Addresses
in Prospect |
89 Prospect
Road, Prospect; then 39 or 43 Myrtle Street, Prospect. |
Names
of houses (if any) |
Leeds
Villa, 89 Prospect Road, Prospect |
Parents |
Robert Ward (born 22nd October
1815 in Walpole St Peters Norfolk England ) and Isabella Watford (born 5th
August 1815 in Kingscripton Huntington, England). |
Spouse(s) |
July Ann |
Date(s)
of Marriage(s) |
May 1874 |
Place(s)
of Marriage(s) |
Leeds, England |
Children |
12 children (6 boys & 6
girls) |
Occupation(s) |
Farm servant (age 11 yrs); left
farm life (16 yrs old in 1869); engine man Midland Railway 1869; Hon. T Playford, then Premier
SA, offered him work with railways- transferred to Pt Pirie driving in May
1888; train-driver transferred from Pirie to Islington in 1893 driving on the
North Line Passenger trains. Retired
from SA Railways in June 1923. |
Interests |
Started the Associated Loco
Engineers & Firemen’s Society at Leeds;
1886, elected Chairman of the Leeds branch of the railways E & F
society and held that position up to the time of the Big Strike 1887. Active in SA Enginemen’s &
Firemen’s and Cleaners & elected President for 4 yrs; oversaw the State Association
federated & elected their first President. Established Railway Hospital
Fund; & an Appeal Board for Railway Men. |
Religion/Churches
|
Formed a Sunday School in own
home & built Baptist church circa 1893 Port Pirie SA; from 1893, joined
the North Adelaide Baptist Church, Railway Christian Mission & Literary
Society. Also held offices in Orange Grand Lodge, & Rechabites Lodge. |
Notes
(points of interest etc.) |
Prospect
Councillor for St John Woods Ward 1909/10 - 1911/12. World trip on April 14th 1914
included guest of the London County Council and brought back for the Prospect
District Council many valuable reports on the latest methods of road making
in England and America. House
at 89 Prospect Road, Prospect restructured
as site of former police station and courthouse and various
restaurants-currently Shankar’s. |
Sources
of information |
Family history including
original notes by George Watford Ward in June 1923: http://ronebergcairns.com/2012onwards/sharonhistoryknowles_068.html |
Principal
Researcher |
Kristina Barnett - Prospect
Local History Group |