John READ
Born 1873 in Wembley, Middlesex, England [20] [21]
Son of farmer Thomas READ and Emma WHITE [P66]
Resided with his parents on the 255 acre Wembley Farm near the village of Wembley in Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, England [20]
Following his father's death in 1877 his mother farmer a downiszed portion Wembley Farm, under the name of Elm Tree Farm [20]
From 1881 to 1901 he was living with his sister Emily and their widowed mother on the 56 acre Elm Tree Farm in Wembley [20]
In 1881 was a scholar and in 1891 was working as a Clerk in the tea trade, however by 1901 was working on Elm Tree Farm [20]
The land he farmed in Wembley, Middlesex, England had been farmed by his family since the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547) [P66]
He served during the Boer War in South Africa in 1900 [P66]
Married Grace Emily SHEARS in 1906 in Middlesex, England [21]
In 1911 he, his wife and their first two children were living with his mother on Elm Tree Farm in Wembley [20]
At the time his 67 year old mother was farming or perhaps overseeing the property while he was working as a Timber Dealer [20]
Along with his wife and their children departed London, England on the steamship Esperance Bay on 5 December 1922 [P66]
Following a month-long voyage they arrived on the Esperance Bay in Fremantle, Western Australia on 5 January 1923 [P66]
They resided in Fremantle for a few months during which time he sought out farmland to purchase [P66]
On 13 March 1923 he purchased 1,165 acres of farmland in Coorow from the Midland Railway Company [27]
The farmland had previously belonged to Joseph GOODHILL, who had taken it up in January 1921 [27]
The farm's 1,165 acres consisted of Lots M968, M969, M1235 and M1236 of Victoria Location 2023 [27]
Named the farm Tokyngton after a Church they had lived near in England [P66]
Farmer of Tokyngton Farm in Coorow, Western Australia 1923-1959 [P66]
Purchased a locally bred horse named Ghandi from J. J. Alford SPICER of Lot 35 Station Street in Coorow in the 1920s [P66]
On 30 May 1925 increased his farm to 1,397 acres with the purchase of the 232 acre Lot M1564 of Victoria Location 2023 [27]
Lot M1564 was also purchased from the Midland Railway Company and cost £127, payable by instalments over seven years [27]
YE8 was his registered horse and cattle firebrand in 1924 [80: 28-Oct-1925]
He had an account with Carnamah blacksmith, wheelwright and motor mechanics Henry Parkin & Son in 1928 [53]
In 1932 he owned a Ford truck registered with the Carnamah District Road Board with license plate CA-297 [4: 12-Nov-1932]
Foundation Committee Member of the Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society 1932-1937 [4: 9-Apr-1932] [5: 13-Mar-1936] [150]
Provided rails for the sheep pens at the Society's Annual Show in 1937 [5: 20-Aug-1937]
Exhibited in the Sheep and Grain & Fodder sections of the first Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show on 8 September 1932 [5: 16-Sep-1932]
Won 2nd prizes for Merino Ram (strong wool) and Merino Ewe (strong wool) in the Sheep section [5: 16-Sep-1932]
Won 1st for Sheaves of Green Oats for Hay; and 2nd for Collection of Fodder Plants and Sheaves of Green Wheat for Grain [5]
On 27 June 1933 hosted the Coorow-Waddy Forest Progress Association's Sheep Demonstration on his farm [5: 9-Jun-1933, 16-Jun-1933]
Won 1st prize for a Border Leicester Merino Cross Fleece at the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show in 1933 [5: 15-Sep-1933]
In October 1933 sold eight bales of wool through Elder Smith & Co for 14½d. per pound [5: 13-Oct-1933]
Purchased two stud Koonoona stud rams and 28 stud ewes from A. E. GRANT of Geraldton in November 1933 [5: 10-Nov-1933]
In January 1934 purchased a new Commer truck from Milton & Son of Coorow [5: 19-Jan-1934]
Purchased horses and sundries at the clearing sale held on Lightfoot & Son's farm in Carnamah on Friday 2 March 1934 [5: 9-Mar-1934]
In mid 1934 purchased three Koonoona stud rams from P. D. Ferguson of Warrengabbie in Barberton [5: 8-Jun-1934]
Exhibited in the Vegetable, Photography, Poultry, Sheep and Wool sections of the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show in 1934 [5]
Awarded 1st prizes for Potatoes, Half Dozen Photos, female Black Opington, Muscovy duck and 2nd for Muscovy Drake [5]
Received 1st for Three Merino Ewes Under 1½ years and 2nd for a Strong Wool Merino Fleece [5: 7-Sep-1934]
Attended the funeral of Mrs Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
Came equal second in the Fallow Competition conducted by the Carnamah District Agricultural Society in 1934 [5: 22-Feb-1935]
Exhibited in the Vegetables, Wool, Pig, Poultry sections of the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show on 5 September 1935 [5: 13-Sep-1935]
Won 1st prize for Radishes, and 2nd for Swedes, Onions, Potatoes, Best Fleece, Two Porkers, and female Black Orpington [5]
Advertised in October 1935 that he had thirty Black Orpington roosters aged about twelve months for sale for 2/6 each [5: 4 & 11-Oct-1935]
Sold 6 suckers at 15/7 per head, 1 sucker for 6/7 and 14 shorn ewes and wethers at 7/1 per head on 8 October 1935 [5: 11-Oct-1935]
Sold 14 bales of wool through Elder Smith & Co Ltd on 28 October 1935 - 10 bales at 15d. and four at 14½d., per pound [5: 1-Nov-1935]
Through Elder Smith & Co Ltd sold six baconers on 27 November 1935 - two at £2/10/- and four at £2/8/6 per head [5: 29-Nov-1935]
With a plot of Merredin wheat came 3rd in the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's 50-acre Crop competition in 1935 [5: 20-Dec-1935]
Sold 35 shorn ewes through Elder Smith & Co Ltd on 15 January 1936 - 18 at 11/7 per head and 17 at 8/10 per head [5: 17-Jan-1936]
When opening a gate on his farm a piece of wire snapped off and pierced the top of his eyelid went into his eye [5: 7 & 14-Feb-1936]
He was admitted to the Saint John of God Hospital in Perth where treatment was unsuccessful, and the eye had to be removed [5]
He was discharged from hospital and returned to Coorow in late February 1936 [5: 28-Feb-1936]
Sold 70 wethers (7 at 15/1, 9 at 14/10, 37 at 12/7, 17 at 9/10), 2 wethers at 14/10, and 1 ram at 12/- on 22 April 1936 [5: 24-Apr-1936]
In early August 1936 purchased a new McCormick Deering tractor from Carnamah agent W. George MULLIGAN [5: 7-Aug-1936]
Member of the Coorow Rifle Club in 1936 and 1937 [5: 6-Nov-1936, 20-Aug-1937]
Exhibited in the Poultry, Grain & Fodder and Vegetable sections of the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show on 3 September 1936 [5]
Won 2nd prizes for female Black Orpington and Bronzewing Turkey; and received both 1st and 2nd for Brown Oats [5]
Awarded 1st prizes for Turnips and Potatoes, and 2nd prizes for Radishes and Collection of Vegetables [5: 11-Sep-1936]
Sold a pig baconer for £2/18/6 through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at the Midland Market on Wednesday 7 October 1936 [5: 9-Oct-1936]
Sold three steers at £6/9/2 and one cow at £4/17/6 through Elder Smith & Co Ltd at the Midland Market on 3 March 1937 [5: 5-Mar-1937]
Presented the trophies at the Waddy Forest Tennis Club's Presentation Dance in Waddy Forest in June 1937 [5: 18-Jun-1937]
Sold 17 pigs at Midland Market in 1937 - 1 chopper at £5/7/6, 9 baconers (3 at £4/1/-, 6 at £3/15/-), 7 porkers at £2/8/6 [5: 20-Aug-1937]
Donated £1/1/- to the Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society in 1937[150]
Steward of the Cattle and Poultry sections at the Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society's Annual Show in 1937 [150]
Exhibited in the Sheep, Wool and Vegetable sections of the Show and won four 1st and two 2nd prizes [5: 10-Sep-1937]
Won 1st and 2nd for Three Merino Ewes under 1½ years and Strong Wool Merino Fleece; and 1st for Best Fleece and Pie Melon [5]
Through Elder Smith & Co Ltd he sold three head of cattle (vealers) at £2 each at the Midland Market in September 1937 [5: 17-Sep-1937]
Attended the funeral of Waddy Forest farmer Stanley L. FOLLAND at the Moora Cemetery on Monday 25 August 1941 [4: 30-Aug-1941]
Father of Joan, John, Elizabeth and Thomas [P66]
Passed away at the age of 85 years at the North Midlands District Hospital in Three Springs [1]
Died 14 July 1959; buried at the Winchester Cemetery in Carnamah, Western Australia (Row F, Plot 11) [14]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'John Read' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/john-read [reference list] |
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