Richard Ash Kingsford
Richard Kingsford | |
---|---|
Queensland Legislative Assembly for South Brisbane | |
In office 26 May 1875 – 21 August 1883 | |
Preceded by | Thomas Blacket Stephens |
Succeeded by | Henry Jordan |
Personal details | |
Born | Richard Ash Kingsford 2 October 1821 Cairns Pioneer Cemetery |
Spouse(s) | Sarah Southerden (m.1852 d.1890), Emma Jane Dexter (m.1892) |
Relations | Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (grandson) |
Occupation | Draper, Fruit grower, Poultry farmer |
Richard Ash Kingsford (1821–1902) was an
Early life and education
Richard Ash Kingsford was born on 2 October 1821 in Canterbury, Kent, England, the son of John Kingsford and Mary Anne Walker.[1][2]
In 1852, after marrying Sarah Southerden, his first wife, in the fourth quarter of 1851, Kingsford and his wife emigrated to Sydney and, ultimately, relocated to Brisbane in 1854.[3]
Career
Business life
Kingsford was a partner in a drapery business in
Daughter Catherine and her husband William Charles Smith, a bank manager, had moved to Cairns. In about 1883, Richard and Sarah Kingsford followed them there and established a fruit farm near Kuranda.[3] In 1890, he bought the Hambledon sugar plantation from Thomas Swallow (father-in-law of Kingsford's daughter Caroline) and then leased it back to his sons Swallow Bros. Kingsford sold the plantation in 1897 to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.[3]
Public life
Kingsford was an alderman of the
- Finance Committee 1875
- Improvement Committee 1876
Following the retirement of
Following his move to Cairns, he was elected chairman of the
In 1888 Kingsford stood for election in the
Personal life
Kingsford married Sarah Southerden in the December quarter of 1851 at Bridge, Kent, England. The Kingsfords emigrated to Sydney in 1852 and went on to Brisbane in 1854.[3] Their marriage produced four children;
- Catherine Mary (b. 1857 in Brisbane)[2][3]
- Emily Jane (b. 1859 in Brisbane)[2]
- Caroline Elizabeth (b. 1861 in Brisbane)[2]
- Richard Arthur (b. 1863 in Ashford, Kent)[9]
Kingsford was a
Following the birth of Caroline in 1861, the family returned to England, where daughter Emily Jane died in 1862, and son Richard Arthur was born in 1863 (both in Ashford, Kent). They remained in England for a period and Richard, Sarah and the 3 surviving children were recorded in the 1871 census as living at Edenbridge, Kent. Richard's occupation was given as Australian Merchant. The family returned to Brisbane in October 1871.
On 17 April 1878, while living at The Springs, Tingalpa, his eldest daughter Catherine married William Charles Smith.[5] Because of the confusions caused by having such a common name as Smith, the couple adopted the surname Kingsford-Smith (or Kingsford Smith) and were the parents of noted Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.[3]
On 8 April 1885, daughter Caroline married William Swallow, son of Thomas Swallow in
Richard and Sarah moved to Cairns around 1883, where son-in-law William Smith was working as a bank manager. Some time after Kingsford's failure in the 1888 election in Cairns, the couple moved to Tasmania. Sarah died at Fairview House, Launceston, Tasmania on 13 September 1890.[12][13]
On 31 August 1892, Kingsford remarried; his second wife being Emma Jane Dexter in Launceston, Tasmania. The couple had a daughter, Dorothy (b. 20 June 1893 in Tasmania).[3][12]
Kingsford returned to Cairns in 1895 where he built a magnificent cedar and hardwood home called "
Kingsford's widow Emma died on 8 September 1943 in Buenos Aires.[16]
Legacy
Kingsford Street in
His home Fairview in Cairns became the Z Experimental Station during World War II. The building was subsequently destroyed in a fire and in 1996 a 72-apartment complex with six three-storey buildings was constructed on the site.[18][19]
See also
- List of mayors and lord mayors of Brisbane
References
- ^ a b "Descendants of John Kingsford". freepages.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Queensland Registrar-General of Births, Deaths & Marriages
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Walmsley, M. O., "Kingsford, Richard Ash (1821–1902)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 21 March 2020, retrieved 13 April 2020
- ^ a b "Brisbane's founding families revealed - Comments - Local News - News | North-West News". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- ^ The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 24 April 1878. p. 2. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Alderman Richard Ash Kingsford". Brisbane City Council Archives. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 27 May 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ Cairns Regional Council. Archived(PDF) from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ Philp, Louise. "Richard Arthur Kingsford". McKenzie/Walters Family. Ancestry. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ "'K' Street Names" (PDF). Cairns Heritage Page. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 17 April 1885. p. 1. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ a b Australian Vital Records Index 1788-1905
- The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 16 September 1890. p. 4. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ "CM Federation – Far North Queensland – pioneers of land, air and sea". Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- ^ "Cairns Pioneer Cemetery". Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 13 September 1932. p. 12. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ "Catering in Cairns". Conferences incentives & accommodation specialists. Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- Cairns Post. Archivedfrom the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ^ "Project : House on the Hill". Codell Connect. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.