BACON, James Rudkin
| Service Number: | 35 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry |
| Born: | Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 12 May 1873 |
| Home Town: | Pittsworth, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Drover |
| Died: | Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 5 February 1943, aged 69 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
North Rockhampton Cemetery, Qld Plot: ROMAN CATHOLIC Sec 6 Row 10 Grave No 50 |
| Memorials: |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 35, 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 35, 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 463 notes 3rd QMI embarked 1 Mar 1900 aboard Duke of Portland arriving Cape Town 2 Apr 1900. | |
| 19 Jul 1900: | Promoted Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Corporal, 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 467 notes promoted to Corporal 19 Jul 1900. | |
| 21 Jun 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Corporal, 35, 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 465 notes 3rd QMI embarked 9 May 1901 at Cape Town returning to Australia aboard Morayshire arriving Sydney 7 Jun 1901 (rail to Brisbane), disbanded 21 Jun 1901. |
James Rudkin Bacon
James Rudkin Bacon was born 12 May 1873 in Queensland, to John Ward Bacon and Julia Jane Bacon (nee Chambers).
(Source: Findmypast: First name(s) James Rudkin; Last name Bacon; Registration year 1873; Registration number 1873/003648; Birth date 12 May 1873; Father's first name(s) John Ward; Mother's first name(s) Julia Jane; Mother's last name Chambers; State Queensland).
He enlisted in the 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry in around late 1899. Initially ranked as Private, he was later made Corporate on 19/07/1900 (Source: AWM; Murray Remarks, page 467).
He married Laura Maud Ezzy in 1904 (Source: Qld BDM Reg#C708; 1904). Together they had at least three children, Laura Margaret (born 1905), John Arthur (born 1907-died 1971) and Julia Jane (born 1909) (Source: Qld BDM Reg 1905#B9621; 1907#C11594; and 1909#C12354).
On the 1913 Electoral Roll, James and wife Laura were living at Kooroongarra, just outside of Millmerran, in SE Queensland. James' occupation is listed as Farmer.
James must have had a keen interest in local matters, as in 1921 he nominated for Councillor for Division No. 1 in the Shire of Millmerran Elections (Source: Shire Elections (1921, June 29). Pittsworth Sentinel (Qld. : 1919 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198548162).
On 28th June 1921, The Returning Officer (George H. Simpson) of the Shire Council office at Millmerran published a notice publicly notifying that James Rudkin Bacon was one of Councillor's duly elected for the Millmerran Shire Council (Source: Advertising (1921, July 9). Darling Downs Gazette (Qld. : 1881 - 1922), p. 10. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182754559).
In the 1925 Electoral Roll, James and Laura are now living at Turallin, just north of Milmerran. James' occupation is Storekeeper.
By 1936, the Electoral Roll shows he was living at Goondiwindi, on the Qld-NSW border; occupation was labourer. Wife Laura is not listed in the same Electoral Roll for the district.
By the 1943 Electoral Roll, he is living at 178 South Street, Toowoomba, with wife Laura and daughter Laura.
At the time of his death on 5th February 1943, he was staying with his brother A. E. Bacon at Ridgelands, north west of Rockhampton (Source: Family Notices (1943, February 15). Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56139940 and Qld BDM Reg#C1016; 1943).
James' funeral was held at St Joseph's Cathedral, Rockhampton and he was buried at North Rockhampton Cemetery. He was buried in Section 6 Row 10 Grave 50 and his religion is noted as Roman Catholic (Source: North Rockhampton Cemetery Burial Index - http://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/Council-Services/Cemeteries/Burial-Indexes).
Submitted 12 November 2016 by Timna Green
Biography contributed by Claude McKelvey
James Rudkin Bacon served twice in the South African (Boer) War. The nominal roll collated by P L Murray lists him as James Rudkin Bacon when he first served as a Private (rising to Corporal) S.N. 35 in the 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry. For his second service the nominal roll records him as James Bacon, however, the Boer War Dossier Attestation Paper held by the National Archives Australia includes his middle name of Rudkin for this service. Hi second service was as a Corporal S.N. 246 in the 7th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse.
James was born 12 May 1873 in Toowoomba, Qld, a son to John Ward Bacon and Julia Jane Bacon (nee Chambers). He married Laura Maud Ezzy in Qld on 11 Oct 1904 and James passed away in Rockhampton on 5 Feb 1943. During his first Boer War service he wrote several letters to home from South Africa which are held as a manuscript by the State Library of Qld (see links).
(sources: AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 467 & 536; National Archves Australia - Boer War Dossier).
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