James Coomber (G-G-Grand Father)

   Born: England – November 1824

        Died: Brisbane, Australia - 23 October 1899

James was born in November 1824 in Surrey, England[1].

On 19 July 1845 he married Ann Caterer in the Providence Chapel, Peppard, Oxford, England[2].  She was the daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Caterer and was born in Tetsworth, England.

James and Ann had ten children:

                   i.    JAMES COOMBER, James was born on 30 May 1846 in Peppard, England[3] and died 31 May 1906 in Surry Hills, New South Wales[4].  He married SUSAN EVANS in 1869 in Sydney, New South Wales[5].  She was born in 1849 in Sydney, New South Wales[6] and died on 13 August 1922 in Canterbury, New South Wales[7].  James and Susan were both buried in the Rookwood Cemetery, New South Wales[8].

                  ii.    THOMAS COOMBER, Thomas was born on 6 April 1848 in Chichester, England[9] and died on 1 February 1904 in the Brisbane Hospital[10].  He married MARGARET BROWN on 15 February 1869 in Sydney, New South Wales[11].  She was born in 1849 in Scotland and died in 1923 in Brisbane[12].

                 iii.    ELIZABETH ANN COOMBER, Elizabeth was born on 31 December 1849 in Peppard, England[13] and died on 28 February 1863, Mount Lachlan, New South Wales[14].  She was buried in the Independant Cemetery, New South Wales on the 2 March 1863[15].

                 iv.    LOUISA COOMBER, Louisa was born about 1851[16] and died on 2 August 1912[17].  She married CHARLES ALLEN BROWN on 15 November 1871 at Redfern, New South Wales[18].  He was born on 2 February 1850 at York St, Sydney, New South Wales[19] and died 5 September 1908[20].  Louisa and Charles were both buried at the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, Queensland.

                  v.    HANNAH MARINA COOMBER, Hannah was born on 6 November 1853 in Peppard, England[21] and died on 21 October 1896 at Collingwood St, Albion, Brisbane[22].  She married EDWARD WENMAN in about 1871 in Sydney, New South Wales[23].  He was born about 1849 in New South Wales, Australia[24].  Hannah was buried at the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane.

                 vi.    WILLIAM JOHNSTONE COOMBER, William was born in about 1856 at Mt Lachlan, Waterloo, New South Wales[25] and died on 22 March 1859 at Mt Lachlan, New South Wales[26].  William was buried at the Independant Cemetery, New South Wales.

                vii.    ELIZA HARVIE COOMBER, Eliza was born on 12 April 1858 at Mt Lachlan, Waterloo, Sydney[27], and died on 12 April 1859 at Mt Lachlan, New South Wales[28].  She was buried at the Independant Cemetery, New South Wales.

               viii.    FREDERICK JOHN COOMBER, Frederick was born in 1860 in Sydney, New South Wales and died on 1 April 1925 at Sisley St, Ironside Estate, St Lucia, Queensland.  He married JANE ANN SMITH on 28 March 1883 at the Congregational Church, Grey St, South Brisbane.  She was born in 1860 in Middlesex, England.  Frederick was buried at the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, Queensland.

                  ix.    FRANCIS HENRY COOMBER, Francis was born about 1862 at Mt Lachlan, Waterloo, New South Wales and died on 11 May 1867 at Waterloo, New South Wales.  He was buried at Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.

                   x.    EDWARD COOMBER, Edward was born on 13 January 1865 at Mt Lachlan, Waterloo, New South Wales and died on 18 July 1929.  He married his first wife, ELIZABETH LITTLEBOY on 5 April 1886 at Mt Lachlan, Waterloo, New South Wales.  She was born on 20 February 1868 in Brisbane, Queensland and died on 11 October 1913.  He married his second wife, SARAH WILKINSON on 12 May 1915 at The Residence of Mrs H Gibbon at Gympie St, Northgate, Brisbane.

 Edward and Elizabeth are both buried at the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane.

 In 1855 James, Ann and their five children migrated to Australia on board the ship the Lord Burleigh.  The ship arrived in Sydney on 29 August 1855 and the following is an extract from the passenger list:

Ann died on 10 September 1873 in Raglan St, Waterloo, Sydney[29].

On 2 July 1874 James married his second wife, SELINA NAIRN in Raglan St, Waterloo, Sydney[30].  She was the daughter of DANIEL NAIRN and ELIZA WADE.  See ancestors of Selina Nairn (page 37) for further details.

Selina and James had two children::

                   i.    ELSIE WADE COOMBER, Elsie was born 28 December 1879 at Raglan St, Waterloo, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia[31] and died 2 September 1965, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia[32].

                  ii.    ELIZA ELIZABETH (BESSY) COOMBER, Bessy was born about 1875 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia[33].  On 28 August 1901 she married JAMES DAVID McJANNETT in Albion Brisbane[34].  Bessy died 12 November 1936 and is buried with her husband in the Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane.

James died 23 October 1889 in Albion Road, Breakfast Creek (Caboolture District), Queensland, Australia[35] and was buried in the Toowong Cemetery[36].

Elsie Wade Coomber (G-Grand Mother)

                           Born: New South Wales, Australia - 28 December 1879

Died: Queensland, Australia - 2 September 1965

Elsie was born on 28 December 1879 at Raglan St, Waterloo, Sydney[37].  Elsie and her sister Bessie moved to Brisbane with their two half brothers.   She lived with her brother's family while she attended school at Indooroopilly but went into service at about 14 because she was not liked by her Sister in Law.

 On 18 November 1899 she married FRANCIS HEAD at the Residence of Mr Robert Roberts, Royal Terrace, Albion, Brisbane[38].  Apparently her mother in law did not approve due to Elsie's background.  Francis was the son of THOMAS HEAD and MARGARET HAIR.  For more detail on Elsie and Francis see descendants of Francis Head (page 31)

 Elsie and Francis ran a Fruit Shop in Brighton, Brisbane for some time.  Later she used to visit a guesthouse at Kenilworth on holidays.  She became friends with the owners and used to look after the house when they went on holidays.

 Elsie lived with her daughter Alice from 1944 until she died on 2 September 1965.  She was buried in the Hemmant Cemetery Brisbane[39].