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Williams, Mr James

Queanbeyan Age, Tuesday 5th April 1921

Sutton. (From our Correspondent)

The many friends of Mr. James Williams, J.P., in this and the surrounding district, will be sorry to hear of that gentleman's death, which took place at 'Glengowrie', Willoughby, on March 15th. He was a native of Port Fairy but came over to Canberra with his parents when very young, when his father kept the Post Office and blacksmith shop at the crossing over the river near Canberra Church for upwards of 20 years. The family afterwards removed to Sutton, where Mr.Williams, sen. had acquired some fine land, he being the first to settle in the village. He had charge of the Post Office which was opened here soon after his arrival, and he also carried on blacksmithing.

Mr. Williams worked with his father blacksmithing and farming till his early manhood, when he decided to enter the Educational Department as teacher; a position he held up till six months of his demise. His first appointment was to Sutton, where a new public school had just been erected and where he taught for 12 years. Mr. Williams had the knack of imparting a solid education to his pupils and here turned out many really fine scholars.

He was afterwards removed to Collector, and later to Ameroo, near Orange, at which place he was residing when struck down by the illness from which he never recovered, and he passed peacefully away, surrounded by his sorrowing wife and family.

Mr. Williams was educated in the old church school at Canberra, being a pupil first of Mr. Wetherspoon, and afterwards Mr. James Abernethy, both well known teachers of their day. He leaves a wife and a family of six, three sons and three daughters to mourn their loss, also two brothers, Mr. George Williams, Public School teacher at Kangaroo Valley; Mr. Frank Williams; postmaster, Sutton; also two sisters, Mrs. J. Hart, Kyogle, and Mrs. T. Cartwright of Sutton.

Many cards and messages of sympathy have been received by the family from old friends and pupils since the sad news be- came known. Heart failure was the cause of death. He was 65 years of age and was interred in the Waverley Cemetery.
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