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THE LATE T. J. BRIGGS
A Fine Old Western Australian
By the death of Thomas James
Briggs, of Claremont, on Sunday last,
the rapidly-declining band of old Western
Australian pioneers was reduced.
Mr. Briggs, who was 76 years of age.
was a robust character right through
his lifetime, and until his last illness.
He was born at South Fremantle, in
1858 being the son of Thomas Briggs,
an Imperial army officer and an In-
dian mutiny veteran, who was one of
the earliest colonists of this State.
At the age of 14 years the late Mr.
T. J. Briggs joined the "Fremantle
Herald" newspaper staff, but a year
later started lime and charcoal burning,
a business with which he was associated
up to the time of his death.
In 1875 he was engaged driving a horse
team drawing trucks of timber over a
THE LATE T. J. BRIGGS Help
THE LATE T. J. BRIGGS
light wooden tramway from Jarrahdale
to Rockingham for shipment from
that port to all parts of the world.
This journey to and from Rockingham
used to occupy two days. In 1878 he
went to Cossack in the schooner Rosetta,
of 70 tons, to carry out a contract
at Hanover and Woodbrook
sheep stations, and remained there for
six years. Later he was connected
with the late Mr. A. Sherwood in the
Swan Brewery, and was afterwards
one of the first to reach Coolgardie in
the gold rush, with a waggon-load of
provisions. He occupied the position
of Mayor of Claremont for eight years,
and was one of those elected to the first
Claremont Council. Amongst his many
other and varied activities he had always
found time to devote to church
affairs, and had been a member of the
vestry of Christ Church, Claremont, for
many years.
The funeral, which was largely attended,
took place on Tuesday afternoon,
the remains being interred in
the Church of England portion of the
Karrakatta cemetery after a service at
Christ Church. Rev. Archdeacon L. W.
Parry conducted the obsequies, and referred
to the very active and useful
life the deceased lived in the community
and State in which he was
born and moved for over three-quarters
of a century. The chief mourners
were Mrs. T. J. Briggs (widow),
Messrs. A. J., E. A., and C. H. Briggs
(sons), Mesdames P. Bower and E.
E. Ellery (daughters), Mrs. R. Howson
(sister), and many other close rela-
tives.
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