James Crase

James Crase was born in Penryn, Cornwall (UK) in 1819 to George and Elizabeth Crase (nee Harris).^[1] James also had two brothers and two sisters; Mary Ann (1802 - 1823), Henry (1826 - 1868), Elizabeth (1826 – 1902) and Thomas (1831 - 1844).^[2] James was baptised at St Gluvias Church on the 28th of February 1819 in the Parish of St Gluvias Cornwall.^[3]

  George Crase worked as a butcher, a trade in which his son, James would later follow.^[4]

  James emigrated to Australia on board the Waterloo. The vessel left London on 13 June 1840, stopping at Falmouth on 5 July 1840. It then sailed under Captain George Robinson, arriving at Port Adelaide on 8 November 1840.^[5]

  James returned to Cornwall to marry Mary Ann Vivian Moyle, on the 3 May 1847, at Camborne, Cornwall. James’s occupation was listed as “miner”, whilst Mary’s was listed as a “spinster”. They were married by Father Banns, with the ceremony witnessed by Thomas Bawden and John Duckham.^[6]

 Mr Crase first worked in Port Adelaide building embankments that helped keep the seawater out of the township. He later lived in Kensington, and eventually moved to Allen’s Creek near Kapunda. In 1847 he worked as a miner at the Allen’s Creek Mine, from which he saved enough money to open his own business in Kapunda, a butcher and slaughterhouse.
 Crase opened a butcher store in Hill Street, where the information centre stands today. He worked as a butcher, but also as a stock dealer and wheat trader. He soon had enough money to invest in a farm on Clare Road, on which he would sometimes host sporting or social events.

Crase left Kapunda for the Victorian goldfields during the gold rush of 1852. It is thought this may have been where the money came from that later allowed him to improve his hotel and invest heavily in other areas of the town. He travelled to Melbourne from Adelaide on board the barque, Dreadnought, in September in 1852.^[7]  Crase returned to Adelaide, from Melbourne on the steamer, 'Cleopatra' on the 8 May 1853, returning from the Victorian Gold Fields.^[8]

 

Upon returning from the Victorian Goldfields, now flush with cash, Crase renewed his slaughtering licence, which was first granted in 1851, and re-granted in July 1853.^[9] James’ address was listed as Section 1401, at North Kapunda.^[10]

In 1854, James Crase purchased the North Kapunda Arms Hotel, which he would own for around 22 years. In 1865, Crase invested huge sums of money into his hotel, and rebuilt it in 1865, in readiness for a royal visit from Prince Alfred.
 James Crase served on Kapunda’s first council as the elected member of East Ward.

Crase was heavily involved in local goings-on and was a founding member of the local branch of the Oddfellows (M.U.) and the Foresters Lodge.

 

Mary Crase, who was well known, and much loved across South Australia, died in November 1884, which dramatically changed James’ life.^[11]  He retired from work in 1890 and moved to Dulwich to live with his daughter. James Crase died on 8 May 1905 at Dulwich, he was 85 years old. He was buried the following day at the Clare Road Cemetery alongside his wife, Mary.^[12]

A memorial for Mary from her daughters: "In loving memory of father and mother, who died May 8, 1905, and November 9, 1884. Not forgotten. —inserted by loving daughters, Mary, Lizzie, and Nellie." ^[13]

 

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018

Thanks to Jacki Williams for the link to a photo of Mr James Crase - obtained from the State Library of South Australia: [B 76601] - https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+76601

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[1] "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SGJX-BDF : accessed 12 September 2018), entry for James /Crase/; file (2:2:2:MMSM-GYN), submitted 4 May 2011.

[2] James Crase in household of George Crase, Camborne, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

[3] Gill Hart and Bill O’Reilly, ‘James Crase’, Cornwall OPC Database, (2021), http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/more-info/?t=baptisms&id=2053023.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Diane Cummings, Waterloo 1840, State Library of South Australia, (2017), https://bound-for-south-australia.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/1840Waterloo.htm.; 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', Adelaide Chronicle and South Australian Literary Record, (11 November 1840), p. 3.

[6] http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/more-info/?t=marriages&id=1045477.

[7] 1852 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 30 September, p. 2., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38459800.

[8] 1853 'SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 11 May, p. 3., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38462630.

[9] 1853 'BENCH OF MAGISTRATES.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 5 July, p. 3., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48548113.

[10] 1851 'BENCH OF MAGISTRATES.', Adelaide Observer (SA: 1843 - 1904), 13 September, p. 8., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165042820.

[11] 1884 'Family Notices', Kapunda Herald (SA: 1878 - 1951), 11 November, p. 2., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106579948.

[12] "THE LATE MR. JAMES CRASE." Kapunda Herald (SA: 1878 - 1951) 12 May 1905: 5. Web. 13 Sep 2018 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108433836>.

[13] 1884 'Family Notices', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900), 10 November, p. 2., viewed 13 Sep 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43807190.