Rosewood History

Henry JACOBS and Charlotte BUTLER

Name: Henry JACOBS
Occupation: Butcher; Dairyman; Farmer
Birth: 4th October 1829, Yaverland, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England
Immigration: 3rd September 1854, the Tantivy arrived Parramatta, New South Wales
Land: Vance’s Lots – 36 & 37 (No18 & No 20 Albert Street, Rosewood)
Land: 3rd June 1870, 261 acres parish of Mutdapilly.  Second class pastoral – Portions 162, 163
Land:  Portions 252 (61a) 253 (121a) 254 (102a 1r) parish of Jeebropilly, county of  Churchill.

1851 Census England

Death: 24th January 1914, Rosewood, Queensland aged 84 years
Burial: Stone Quarry Cemetery, Jeebropilly, Queensland
Religion: Congregational
Father: Isaac JACOBS
Mother: Harriet HOLBROOK

Spouse: Charlotte BUTLER
Birth: 1st June 1828 Brading, Isle of Wight, England
Immigration: 3rd September 1854, the Tantivy arrived Parramatta, New South Wales
Death: 10th November 1905, Rosewood, Queensland aged 77½ years
Burial: Stone Quarry Cemetery, Jeebropilly, Queensland
Religion: Congregational
Father: William BUTLER
Mother: Jane WOOD
Marriage: 25th August 1850, St John, Yaverland, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England

Children: 11
Ellen JACOBS (1850-1925) = Alexander Mark GRANT
John Henry JACOBS (1853-1936) = Caroline Elizabeth DUTNEY
Isaac Mark JACOBS (1855-1856)
Harriet JACOBS (1857-1864)
William JACOBS (1859-1860)
James Samuel JACOBS (1861-1918) = Mary Ann BEAVIS
Matilda JACOBS (1863-1948) = William VOWELS
Charlotte Jane JACOBS (1865-1948) = Alfred John PHILLIPS
Laura Louisa Rose JACOBS (1867-1943) = James ELDER
Charles Alfred JACOBS (1869-1936) = Alice Maud CREED
Lilly Ann JACOBS (1871-1936) = Rev. Thomas VIGIS

The Tantivy left the dock at Southampton on 3rd June 1854, and after a non eventful voyage of 90 days, arrived in Sydney. The Jacobs family were amongst 395 Government immigrants on the ship (69 married couples, 79 single men, 36 single women, 58 boys, and 70 girls from 1 to 14 years of age, and 14 children under 1 year old). There were nine deaths and five births during the passage.

Henry’s brother George immigrated with them and they both found employment as gardeners for Major Darvall at the Ryedale Estate in Ryde, Sydney. Major Edward Darvall had an interesting history. He was a Barrister and formerly of H.M. 19th and 9th Light Dragoons. He had immigrated in 1839. He was the father of Mr. Anthony William Darvall, manager of the Ipswich branch of the Australian Joint Stock Bank, who later inherited the Ryde Estate.

After four months in Sydney, Henry and his family, along with George, travelled to Brisbane by the coastal steamer Boomerang, arriving on New Year’s Day 1855. The next day they travelled to Ipswich and found lodgings at the North Star Hotel, which at that time was under the license of Mr. John O’Sullivan. They were anxious to meet up with their brother John Jacobs. They would not wait at the depot for the bullock waggon (which was the only conveyance at that time) to take them on their journey. Instead, the next morning they started out on foot for Mr. Mort’s and Mr. Laidley’s Franklyn Vale Station, a distance of 25 miles, where John (who had immigrated earlier in 1848 aboard the Castle Eden), was working. Henry and Charlotte took turns carrying their infant son John, and the older child Ellen walked beside them a lot of the time. Possessions were shuffled between them George carried the bulk of the them.

On arriving at Franklyn Vale, Henry and George first worked as shepherds. After that they laboured at fencing, splitting, and yard-building. They stayed at the Station for about 14 months. The same firm that owned Franklyn Vale owned Rosebank. This property was later owned by John Richard Keane and became known as “Moorelands”. Henry was transferred there and given charge of a dairy herd. He was a butcher and dairyman and also grew cotton for the next 15 years.

Q.T. 17 January 1867

Henry and Charlotte experienced some sad times during the years. In November 1864 a terrible accident happened involving their seven year old daughter Harriet. After school Harriet and her friend went to the Seven Mile Creek to get water. Harriet tripped over a clump of grass and fell into the water and drowned. A local man, Robert Noonan, retrieved Harriet’s body. 

Another sad accident in November 1870  took the life of an elderly man named James Lenehan, whom Henry had engaged to help clear some land. He was found lying face down, an axe in hand, and a fallen tree across his body. James Lenehan left behind a 14 year old son on the Dawson River and two sons in Brisbane. He had no other property besides his clothing. These were such hard times.

Henry was on the committee for the Seven Mile School in 1878 along with John Armstrong, James Tighe, Carl Bergman and John Witney. George Jacobs was the first teacher at the Ebenezer State School. Later he taught night school and many of the local residents gladly availed themselves of the opportunity of adding to their store of knowledge.

Henry Jacobs then purchased the property known as “Hillgrove”. He cultivated wheat, oats, lucerne, and maize as well as attending to a fair-sized vegetable garden. In 1882 he sold Hillgrove and bought a farm close to Rosewood township from James Ryan.

Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser, Saturday 14 October 1882, page 5
As an instance of the value of agricultural land in this district, within reasonable distance of market, we may state that Mr. James Ryan recently sold a farm containing ninety acres of scrub land near Rosewood-the third farm from the estate and adjoining the railway for £600 to Mr. Henry Jacob. Of course, the property was fairly improved. The greater part of the land being cleared and fenced, and seventy acres fit for the plough. There were also a house, a barn, yards, &c., on the farm. The price still was a good one, all will give some idea of the advance in value during recent years of property in that locality. Mr Ryan is so well satisfied with it that he is now offering an adjoining property for sale.

Henry and his family lived on that farm until 1900, when Henry retired from farming, and he and Charlotte moved into Rosewood.

In 1905 Charlotte Jacobs died leaving 33 grand-children and eight great-grand-children. 

In August 1911 Henry wrote to the Show Society enclosing a donation towards their funds, and asked if he could personally plant some of the new shade trees on the new show grounds, a request which was accepted. 

On Henry’s passing the Queensland Times  Monday 26 January 1914, on page 4 reported:
The greatest part of his residence in Queensland had been spent in Rosewood and surrounding district, and he had seen the Rosewood district transformed from thick standing scrub into one of the premier agricultural districts of Queensland. He was a fine old man, honoured and respected by young and old. It is mentioned, as an interesting incident by one of the sons, that the late Mr. Jacobs purchased one of the first issues of the “Queensland Times” (then the “Ipswich Herald”) and that he had been a constant subscriber to the paper ever since.

Until the time of his death Henry lived with his daughter Laura, Mrs. James Elder. Henry left his estate of £1449 to his sons John Henry Jacobs and James Samuel Jacobs, both farmers.

© Jane Schy, 2024