FRANCIS BROS
Brothers "Jim" Joseph James, "Fred" Frederick Hargraves, "Wit" Francis Wilfred and "Alf" Alfred Horace FRANCIS [55] [P91]
Sons of Joseph FRANCIS and Mary Ann WEIR [55]
Farmers in Maitland, South Australia [P139]
Purchased two farms in the Carnamah district in Western Australia [P91]
They may have purchased the farms with the intention of one day leaving Maitland and relocating to Carnamah [P91]
The first was East End Farm, which was the 3,501 acre Lot M1563 of Victoria Location 2023 on the Caron Road in Carnamah [27]
The farm was purchased on 10 May 1926 and had previously been owned by Herbert P. OAKLEY and Kenneth W. FORD [27]
On purchase it still had most of its £2,013 of instalments owing to the Midland Railway Company, which they paid in 14 years [27]
A bushfire in Carnamah during February 1927 destroyed 100 acres of crop stubble and 300 Jam-tree fence posts [81: 20-Feb-1927]
In 1930 Wilfred T. BARTON and Thomas H. PERRY shifted from South Australia to share-farm East End [39: 14-Apr-1932]
They supplied the land and machinery while Barton and Perry provided the labour and other requirements [39: 14-Apr-1932]
Unprofitable wheat prices caused Barton and Perry to discontinue the arrangement in 1932 but they kept Perry on as caretaker [39]
Their second farm was a 2,145 acre property in Winchester that bounded the Burns and Carnamah-Bunjil Roads [3] [62]
The 2,145 acres of the farm consisted of Lots M924 and M1221 of Victoria Location 1937 [3]
The Winchester farm was purchased from their brother-in-law Charles Henry MARTIN (probably in the early 1930s) [3] [61] [76]
Their two farms were variously managed and share-cropped by others [P91]
The WATERS, PERRY, BENTLEY and AUNGER families shifted from South Australia to work on their Carnamah farms [P91]
A third farm in Carnamah was purchased on 7 February 1927 by Wit in the name of his wife Mrs Florence G. FRANCIS [P91]
The property was 1,401 acres in size and consisted of Lots M1030 and M1031 of Victoria Locations 1935 and 2023 [27]
The farm was managed / share-cropped by Maurice S. AUNGER, J. Charles HUMPHRYS and then Frederick P. WATERS [P91]
Her farm in Carnamah had been named Celojium Farm by Charlie HUMPHRYS using the names of his family [P46]
It is presumed the farm was run by Charlie HUMPHRYS in partnership with herself as "Francis & Humphrys" [5: 23-Aug-1935]
"Francis & Humphrys" sold 80 suckers for 15/- and 7 lambs for 13/4 per head at the Midland Market in August 1935 [5: 23-Aug-1935]
In September 1935 "Francis & Humphrys" sold another 28 suckers for 12/7 and 45 suckers for 10/6 per head [5: 20 & 27-Sep-1935]
"Francis & Humphrys" sold 130 suckers (90 at 12/8, 40 at 9/4 and 14 ewes at 6/10 at the Midland Market in 19366 [5: 2 & 23-Oct-1936]
"Francis & Humphrys" purchased a Merino ram for 8 guineas at a stud stock sale in Carnamah on 18 September 1936 [5: 2-Oct-1936]
"Francis & Humphrys" sold four bales of wool at 15½d. per pound through Dalgety & Co Ltd at in October 1936 [5: 30-Oct-1936]
Mrs Florence G. FRANCIS sold her 1,401 acre farm in Carnamah to Frederick P. WATERS on 23 April 1938 [3]
None of the brothers resided on the farms, however Fred and Wit travelled to Carnamah relatively regularly to check on the farms [P91]
When they travelled to Carnamah to check on the farms it is believed that they stayed at the Carnamah Hostel in Caron Street [P91]
Fred spent a considerable time on their 3,501 acre property in Carnamah in 1927 [4: 28-May-1927]
During his visit he employed the services of local builder W. PERRY to erect a house on the farm [4: 28-May-1927]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanic Henry Parkin & Son [53]
He returned to South Australia in May 1927 however expected to return before long [4: 28-May-1927]
Wit was in Carnamah in early 1929 on a visit to their property in the district [4: 9-Feb-1929]
He made a donation to the Carnamah Country Women's Association in 1932 to help them purchase premises [5: 2-Sep-1932]
Spent time in Carnamah in July 1933 checking on his and his brothers' farm, and stayed at the Carnamah Hotel [5]
Left Carnamah on Friday 28 July 1933 and the next day caught the train back to South Australia [5: 28-Jul-1933]
In 1947 sold their Carnamah property, East End Farm, to brothers Ronald H. WATERS and Ernest F. WATERS [P46]
In 1949 [3] sold their Winchester property, Dunromin Farm, to Ernest L. GRIFFITH [P88]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Francis Bros' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 10 November 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/francis-bros [reference list] |
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