Conran, James

CONRAN, James jnr (c1831–1891) was younger son of the Patrick Conran, of Freshford, County Kilkenny, and Mary Dooling. His elder brother, Colonel Edward Conran, 4th West India Regiment, was Governor of Cape Coast Castle, the Gold Coast (Ghana), April 1865–February 1867. James trained at the Royal Staff College, Sandhurst, England and served with the 68^th Regiment, Durham Light Infantry in the Crimean War (after which he may have married Elizabeth Cranfield at Deesa, Bombay in 1856) and in New Zealand, retiring as a Captain. In May 1873, he was appointed as assistant draftsman for Queensland’s Northern Railway despite concern by the Chief Engineer Robert BALLARD that he would be an “old hand too pig-headed to learn and adapt his ways”. Proving however to be a good draftsman, Conran worked on the construction drawings of “bridges, culverts, stations, etc” until October 1874 when he refused to receive a letter from a fellow employee which “knowingly mistered a captain of Her Majesty’s Army”. Conran’s refusal to accede to Ballard’s demand that the work not be delayed by this action was accepted as his resignation. James snr retired to Rockhampton where he was well regarded. His eldest son and namesake James CONRAN of his second marriage to Catherine (Kate) Josephine Coffey) was a surveyor and possible architect in Central Queensland.

Education

Royal Staff College, Sandhurst, Eng.

Migration and Travel

1874

4 May 1874: Arr Brisbane from London, passengers on “Royal Dane”

Employed:

c1850

68^th Regiment, Durham Light Infantry

1861-

15 Feb 1861: Ensign,68^th Regiment, Durham Light Infantry

1864-

12 Mar 1864: Lieutenant, 68^th Regiment, Durham Light Infantry

New Zealand wars

1870

28 May 1870: Captain, 68^th Regiment, Durham Light Infantry, retired

1873-

Assistant draftsman, Great Northern Railway, Rockhampton, Qld.

-1874

Resigned.

Genealogy

[F] Patrick Conran, of Freshford, County Kilkenny

[S, / M] Mary Dooling

[2C/1-2B] Edward Conran (1825–1897) b. c1825, Ireland; d. before 1897 [4th West India Regiment, Governor of Cape Coast Castle, the Gold Coast (Ghana) Edward Conran]
[S1, 1845, Demerara, British Guiana/ M] Frances Watson (?–?) b. ? ; d. ?
[S2, ?] Clara Palacios (?–?) b. ? ; d. ?
[2C/2-2B] Captain James CONRAN (c1831–1891) b. 13 Nov 1835, Freshford, Kilkenny, Ireland; d.16 Aug 1891, Durham Lodge, Rockhampton Qld
[S1, / M]Elizabeth CranfieldElizabeth Cranfield (1838–bef 1863) b. 1838; d. ?
[S2, 15 Jan 1863, Rathmines, Dublin / M] Catherine (Kate) Josephine Coffey (1837–1907) b. 16 May 1837, Westport, Mayo, Ireland; d. 9 Aug 1907, Rockhampton Qld
[5C/1-4B] James Aloysius Conran (1866–1937) b13 Aug 1866, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland; d.4.6.1937, Rockhampton, Qld [surveyor and ?architect, Rockhampton]
[5C/2-4B] Cecil Martin Conran (1868–1961) b. 3 Jan 1868, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland; d. 24 Oct 1961, Sydney, NSW
[5C/G] Mary Kathleen Conran (1869–1951) b. 7 Oct 1869, Dublin, Ireland; d. 17 Sep 1951, Sydney, NSW
[5C/3-4B] Francis St Kevin Conran (1871–1954) b. 29 July 1871, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland; d. 13 July 1954, Qld
[5C/4-4B] Joseph Patrick Columba Conran (1875–1939) b. 1875, Rockhampton, Qld; d. 12 Oct 1939, Brisbane, Qld. [book keeper, 1937]

Other Activities

(contributor) Articles on astronomy, Northern Daily Argus (Rockhampton)

References

WOR/A, 1874/5223, QSA; Daily Northern Argus, 18 Aug 1891, 1-2