Cornelius Jones
| Town/City | Ballarat |
|---|---|
| First name | Cornelius |
| Last name | Jones |
| Country of Origin | U.K. |
| Date of Birth | 2/10/1872 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | circa 1895 |
| Submitted by | Margaret Lewis |
Story
Cornelius Jones was born on 10th February 1872 at 12 Romiley Street, Manchester, Lancashire, England, the son of Susannah Jones. His father is not recorded on his birth certificate, but family tradition suggests he was a Scandinavian sea captain. By 1878 Cornelius and his mother had moved to Hankin Street, near the Liverpool docks. They are recorded as living there when Susannah married Owen Davies, a seaman, also living in Liverpool, but originally from a village located just near Susannah\’s home village of Rhyd-y-foel, near Abergele, Denbighshire, Wales.
By 1881 the family had returned to Denbighshire to the nearby town of Llanddulas. However Susannah and Owen Davies returned to England by 1891 when they were living in another port town of Widnes, Lancashire. Cornelius remained in the Rhyd-y-foel district and worked as a miner in the local slate mines. It was here that he met Ellen Jones, who became his fiancŽe before he left for Charters Towers, Queensland, to work at the Brilliant Mine there. This was circa 1895 and Cornelius prepared a home for Ellen before she joined him in 1898 and they were married on 23rd July 1898 in Charters Towers.
Five children were born to Cornelius and Ellen Jones at their Natal Downs Road home in Charters Towers Ð Elsie May (born 1899), Gwendoline Jane (born & died 1901), Robert (1903), Llewelyn (1907) & Trefor Cornelius Thomas Jones (1910).
Cornelius continued to work as a miner at the Brilliant Mine until after 1910 when he moved to the Black Jack mine. He retired from there circa 1923 due to ill-health. By then his daughter Elsie had married Edgar Philip Edgerton and moved to Mourilyan, North Queensland, so Cornelius and Ellen moved to Mourilyan as well, settling at 28 Bombala Street, Mourilyan. Once out of the mines Cornelius was able to return to work. He worked initially at Horsford\’s Sawmill, New Harbour Line Rd, Mourilyan and later at Mourilyan Sugar Mill where he greased trucks in the weigh bridge.
Cornelius died on 13th August 1935 in the nearby Innisfail District Hospital, aged 63 years. He was buried the following day in the Innisfail Cemetery.