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Biographical Dictionary - Coorow, Carnamah, Three Springs


Surname

Grace Edgar MCMASTER / JAMES / GLOSTER

Born 1876 in Coleraine, Victoria, Australia [15]
Daughter of Dougald MCMASTER and Isabella EDGAR [15]
Registered at birth with given names of Margaret Grace, however on later occasions gave her names as Grace Edgar [2] [15] [19] [54] [66]
Married (1) Thomas Robert JAMES in 1901 in Victoria, Australia [54]
     Her husband had been in the goldmining town of Field's Find in Western Australia from as early as 1897 [6]
     Resided in Field's Find, where her husband was a Storekeeper in partnership with Alexander Burns GLOSTER 1901-1903 [6]
     They also resided in Field's Find in 1904, during which year her husband was Hotelkeeper of the Field's Find Hotel [6]
     Resided in Perth in 1905, when her husband was Hotelkeeper of the Empire Hotel at 575 & 577 Murray Street, Perth [6]
     Resided in Moora in 1907 and 1908, where her husband was the licensee of the Moora Hotel and Refreshment Rooms [6]
     Resided at 333 Barker Road in the Perth suburb of Subiaco for at least the years 1910-1914 [6]
     Her husband Thomas, late of the Perth suburb of Subiaco, passed away on 18 March 1915, aged 50 years [2]
Married (2) her late husband's former business partner Alexander Burns GLOSTER in Perth in 1916 [66]
     Her husband enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 1 March 1916, and on 13 October 1916 left for active service [30]
     Following her husband's departure for the war she resided on Saladin Street in the Perth suburb of Osborne Park [30: item 4770004]
     During the war she appears to have shifted to England, her address later being care of Cook's Tourist Office in London, England [30]
     Her husband was captured by German Forces on 11 April 1917 and was a Prisoner of War from then until the end of the war [30]
     Following her husband's return from the war they resided at the Freemason's Hotel in Busselton, Western Australia 1919-1921 [6]
Resided at the Commercial Hotel in Moora 1923-1929 [6] [10: 22-Jun-1923]
     Along with her son Austin JAMES left Moora on a motor trip to Busselton on Monday 18 May 1925 [9: 22-May-1925]
     In August 1925 travelled to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to see her daughter Miss Isobel JAMES [9: 21-Aug-1925]
     Her daughter was in Melbourne studying at the Conservatory of Music and had holidayed in Moora earlier in 1925 [9: 13-Feb-1925]
After leaving Moora they resided briefly in the Perth suburb of Mount Lawley before moving to Coorow [81: 12-Jan-1930]
Resided with her husband at the Coorow Hotel on Main Street in Coorow 1930-1933 [4: 4-Oct-1930] [5: 11-Nov-1932] [19]
     Ahead of the hotel's opening, he and his wife shifted to Coorow during August 1930 [12: 21-Aug-1930]
     It was reported the residents of Coorow were "congratulating themselves" on "two such excellent people to conduct the hotel" [32]
     She preferred living at and running hotels as she felt there wasn't enough to look after in an ordinary home [4: 23-Aug-1930]
     The Coorow Hotel was the 25th home she had lived at during her lifetime [4: 23-Aug-1930]
     Attended the Valedictory Dinner tendered to her husband at the Coorow Hotel on Monday 3 July 1933 [5: 7-Jul-1933]
     Along with her husband shifted back to Moora in July 1933, where they resumed management of the Commercial Hotel [5: 18-Aug-1933]
Resided at the Commercial Hotel in Moora 1933-1937 [5: 18-Aug-1933] [50]
Travelled to London, England with her husband to see the coronation of King George VI on 12 May 1937 [39: 14-Jul-1937]
     They departed Fremantle, Western Australia on the steamship Ascanius and arrived in Liverpool, England on 2 May 1937 [204]
     She witnessed the coronation, and then just days before they were to return to Australia she fell down a flight of stairs and died [39]
     Her husband departed London, England with her ashes on the steamship Cathay on 11 June 1937 bound for Fremantle [203]
Mother of Isobel Mary Austin JAMES, Dougald William Burns Austin JAMES, and Hector Thomas Austin JAMES [15]
Died 4 June 1937 in London, England; ashes buried Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth WA (Presbyterian, AA, 76A) [2] [39: 14-Jul-1937]


From The Moora Herald and Midland Districts Advocate newspaper, Tuesday 23 March 1915:
Obituary
"The death occurred last Thursday, at Subiaco, of Mr Thomas R. James at his residence, from a sudden attack of heart failure. Mr James was well-known in Moora, where has considerable property, including the Moora Hotel. Mr James, some years ago, after leaving the northern goldfields, settled in Moora for a few years, and conducted the Moora Hotel personally. Latterly, however, he has resided in the metropolitan area and paid out occasional visits to this town. He had just returned from one of those visits to Moora when he was overtaken with the unfortunate ailment that ended his life."


From The West Australian newspaper, Wednesday 14 July 1937:
Tragic Coronation Trip - Moora Resident's Death
"The ashes of the late Mrs. Alexander Gloster, for many years a well-known resident of Moora, were brought back to Western Australia by the liner Cathay which reached Fremantle yesterday from Great Britain. With her husband, who returned by the vessel, she made a trip to London to see the Coronation. Three days before the ship left for Australia she fell down a flight of stairs at a London hotel and was fatally injured. The body was cremated, and the ashes were bought back to this State, where they were buried yesterday afternoon at the Karrakatta Cemetery. The late Mrs. Gloster's first husband was the late Mr. T. James, one of the fathers of the Moora township. He built the Commercial Hotel, Moora, and was for many years engaged in the hotel trade in the town. Following his death she married Mr. Gloster, with whom she carried on the business. The funeral ceremony yesterday was carried out by the Rev. F. W. Gunning, of Mt. Hawthorn, and formerly of Moora."


Reference:  Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Grace Edgar McMaster / James / Gloster' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 15 October 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/grace-edgar-mcmaster [reference list]




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