"Jack" John LAWSON
Born 24 December 1888 in Lilliesleaf, Roxburghshire, Scotland [28]
Son of farmer John LAWSON and Rachel Alston CHARTERIS [28]
He was born at noon on Clerklands Farm in Lillieslef, Roxburghshire, Scotland [28]
Resided with his parents and siblings at the farmhouse on Clerklands Farm in Lilliesleaf [20] [28]
His father, who was a Farm Manager, passed away at the age of 41 years at Clerklands Farm in Lilliesleaf on 14 May 1894 [28]
He was living with his widowed mother and siblings at Faugh Hill Cottages in Bowden, Roxburghshire, Scotland in 1901 [20]
In 1911, when he was in his fourth year as a law student, he left Scotland and sailed for Western Australia [7: page 54]
On leaving Scotland he left behind his sweetheart Lizzie BRYDONE [7: page 54]
Along with his mother and brother Tom departed from Liverpool, England on the steamship Afric on 1 June 1911 [203]
Also on the same voyage of the Afric was early Marchagee farmer Charles H. EMERY of the Marchagee Estate Farm [203]
They disembarked from the steamship Afric in Albany, Western Australia on 7 July 1911 [23]
Initially farmed a 2,000 acre property in Kununoppin, Western Australia with his brothers Tom, David and Bill [P133]
He wrote to the Midland Railway Company inquiring about their Ready-Made Farms on 18 March 1914 [34]
The Midland Railway Company sent him full particulars of their farms which were in Coorow, Winchester and Carnamah [34]
He wrote to the Company again on 11 June 1914 stating he wished to purchase a farm and requested an inspection [34]
On 1 July 1914 he purchased from the Midland Railway Company 445 acres of farmland in Winchester, Western Australia [27]
The 445 acres was Lot M921 of Victoria Location 1937 and came at a cost of £2025, payable by instalments over 20 years [27]
The farm was purchased with financial assistance from his sister Agnes who owned a dairy in Edinburgh, Scotland [P133]
He and his brother Bill left Kununoppin and settled on his farm which he named Mayfield after a locality in Scotland [P133]
It is presumed that Mayfield was after a farm of that name in his parents' native parish of Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire, Scotland [P1]
Farmer of Mayfield Farm in Winchester 1914-1954 [P133]
Took out assistance under the Industries Assistance Board while establishing his farm [34]
In March 1915 applied with the Midland Railway Company to purchase an additional 390 acres for 10/- per acre [34]
His application was successful as in 1915 he extended his farm with the 383 acre Lot M1059 of Victoria Location 1937 for £192 [27]
In 1915 contract seeded using two drills 122 acres on Lot M963 in Coorow for the Midland Railway Company [34]
He planted 400 acres of crop on his farm in 1916, which yielded 18 bushels per acre [34]
In 1916 also cultivated and seeded for 16/- per acre 148 acres on Lot M922 in Winchester for the Midland Railway Company [34]
Later in 1916 his sister Agnes purchased the farm next door (M922) and the crop he'd seeded there yielded 16 bushels per acre [34]
In August 1916 signed a petition which was sent to the Midland Railway Company requesting the price of their farms be reduced [34]
Robert L. GILBERT, Superintendent of the Midland Railway Company's Farm Lands remarked the following in September 1916: [34]
"... he is of a very independent character. Lawson is one of the best workers we have on the settlement ..." [34]
In 1917 grew 400 acres of wheat on his farm in Winchester [10: 19-Jun-1917]
Member of the Winchester-Carnamah branch of the Farmers & Settlers' Association in 1917 [34]
Signed the petition and financial guarantee in 1917 for the Midland Railway Company to provide a doctor at Three Springs [34]
Donated £1 in September 1919 to the Carnamah Hall Fund, which was being raised to build a Hall in Carnamah [10: 19-Sep-1919]
By April 1920 had 400 sheep and a number of cows and horses on his Mayfield Farm [7: page 56]
On 13 July 1920 his sister Agnes transferred to him her 465 acre farm in Winchester (Lot M922 of Victoria Location 1937) [27]
Also in 1920 extended his farm with the purchase of the 757 acre Lot M1075 of Victoria Location 1937 for £663 [27]
He was assisted in the running of Mayfield by his brother Bill until 1920, when Bill obtained his own farm in Winchester [P133]
Waiting until prospects looked satisfactory for his sweetheart Lizzie, he didn't write to her in three years [7: page 54]
Wrote his first letter to his Lizzie on 18 March 1914 and from then on wrote regular letters until 1921 [7: page 54]
Departed Fremantle, Western Australia on the steamship Ormonde and arrived in Plymouth, England on 24 July 1921 [204]
Married "Lisbeth" Lizzie Carlyle Scott BRYDONE on 3 August 1921 at Shear Cottage, Eastgate in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, Scotland [28]
Later in 1921, after a short time in England and Scotland, returned with his wife Lizzie to Mayfield Farm in Winchester [7: page 57]
In 1925 exchanged his Lot M1075 (757 acres) for his brother Bill's Lot M1076 (575 acres), making his farm about 1,800 acres [27]
After a number of good seasons during the 1920s purchased an Armstrong Siddeley car and a Case tractor [7: page 57]
In the late 1920s he intended taking his family to Scotland for a holiday so leased Mayfield Farm to Don ROWLAND for a year [P133]
Unfortunately that year's crop was a disaster and deprived them of the finances needed for the trip to Scotland [P133]
As they then had nowhere to live, due to the farm being leased, they resided in a humpy on Mayfield [P133]
Soon after had a new cement brick home constructed which was named Liberton [P133]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Winchester farmer John RAFFAN at the Winchester Cemetery on 9 October 1928 [4: 20-Oct-1928]
Had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son from the 1920s to the 1940s [53]
On 23 January 1930 sent a letter to the Education Department requesting a school be established nine miles east of Winchester [7: page 77]
Secretary of the Billeroo School Hall Committee in 1930 and 1931 [7: page 78] [4: 30-May-1931]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Winchester farmer Hans HÄUSSLER on 7 July 1931 at the Winchester Cemetery [4]
Attended the funeral of "Father of Carnamah" Donald MACPHERSON at the Winchester Cemetery on 14 August 1931 [4: 22-Aug-1931]
Member of Carnamah's branch of the Wheatgrowers' Union in 1932 [4: 13-Feb-1932]
On 14 November 1933 he helped locate local school teacher Arthur JACKSON who hadn't returned after shooting [5: 17-Nov-1933]
Pallbearer at the funeral of Mrs Mary POOLE at the Winchester Cemetery on 22 December 1933 [4]
Member of Carnamah's Ratepayers & Citizens Association in 1934 [4: 13-Jan-1934]
Purchased all the sheep at the clearing sale held on Lightfoot & Son's farm in Carnamah on Friday 2 March 1934 [5: 9-Mar-1934]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
He wrote a letter to the editor of the North Midland Times newspaper, which was published on Friday 8 February 1935 [5: 8-Feb-1935]
He questioned the way Road Board chairman James K. FORRESTER had set out for reducing the debt on the Carnamah Hall [5]
Presided over the Farewell Social given to Thomas and Laura POOLE at the Billeroo School Hall on 10 April 1935 [5: 12-Apr-1935]
Through Westralian Farmers Ltd sold 18 ewes 12/1 and 13 ewes for 18/4 each at the Midland Market in late July 1935 [5: 2-Aug-1935]
Sold another 32 lambs for 14/1, 21 wethers for 14/10, 12 ewes for 5/10, and 8 lambs for 5/10 on 7 August 1935 [5: 9-Aug-1935]
During September and October 1935 sold through Westralian Farmers Ltd and Dalgety & Co Ltd: [5: 20-Sep-1935, 18-Oct-1935]
97 suckers (10 at 15/7, 44 at 14/10, 43 at 13/7), 10 shorn wethers (9 at 9/7, 1 at 5/-), 2 shorn lambs at 6/-, 3 shorn ewes at 7/6 [5]
Sold four bales of wool at 15¼d. per pound through Westralian Farmers Ltd on Monday 25 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
Unsuccessfully requested the Carnamah District Road Board equip a soak north of Winchester with a windmill and tank [5: 20-Dec-1935]
Sold an unstated number of wethers at 15/10 per head and lambs at 14/10 per head on Wednesday 4 March 1936 [5: 6-Mar-1936]
Under the Farmers' Debts Adjustment Act he applied in 1936 for his debts to be written down or suspended [5: 24-Apr-1936]
In May 1936 purchased a new 16-33 rigid tyne Horwood Imperial combine from Westralian Farmers Ltd [5: 15-May-1936]
Sold 81 sheep through Westralian Farmers Ltd with two consignments to the Midland Market in 1936 [5: 25-Sep-1936, 23-Oct-1936]
The 81 sheep were 30 suckers at 12/10, 5 rams at 8/10, 10 ewes (5 at 7/10, 5 at 7/4), 6 lambs at 7/10, 30 undisclosed at 10/1 [5]
Vice President of the Billeroo Cricket Club in 1936-37 [5: 9-Oct-1936]
In February 1937 he offered a reward for two strayed Corriedale stud ewes with brand UL6 and Mundara ear tags [5: 5-Feb-1937]
Ran but was unsuccessful as the Member for the Winchester Ward on the Carnamah District Road Board in April 1937 [5: 2 & 23-Apr-1937]
Sold 37 ewes (23 at 15/10, 14 at 14/1) through Westralian Farmers Ltd at the Midland Market on 18 August 1937 [5: 20-Aug-1937]
Private in the local Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War [16]
Financial Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society 1946-1952 [13]
Obtained the telephone in 1948 - was telephone number Carnamah-9K [60]
Breeder and owner of his own Corriedales sheep stud known as the "Liberton Stud"[13]
Member of the Corriedale Sheep Society [P133]
Sheep from the flock of Liberton Stud, which was registered number 517, was the Champion at the Perth Royal Show in 1948 [13]
Advertised his Liberton Stud in the schedule of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Annual Show in 1949 [13]
"Corriedales Liberton Stud, Reg. No. 517. The Ideal Wool and Mutton Sheep." [13]
"Flock maintained at 500 Stud Ewes - Rams used in Flock from leading studs in New Zealand, New South Wales and Victoria" [13]
"Enquiries Invited - Inspections Arranged through associated agents or direct to John Lawson, Winchester" [13]
Farmer in Winchester until his death in 1954; following which his farmland in Winchester was farmed by his son Charles [P133]
Father of Betty, Charles and John [P133]
Died 17 March 1954 in Perth; ashes buried at Winchester Cemetery in Carnamah, Western Australia (Row A, Plot 1) [1]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'John Lawson' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/john-lawson [reference list] |
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