James Telfer
Biography
Role: Scottish progenitor — father of South Australian immigrant Francis Telfer (1809–1895)
Born: ~1761 — baptised 14 Jul 1761, Castleton, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Died: 19 December 1845 — Castleton, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Buried: Old Castleton Cemetery, Newcastleton, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Spouse: Elizabeth Hutton Telfer (1774–1853) (m. ~1795)
Family
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Elizabeth Hutton Telfer (1774–1853) — Elizabeth "Betty" Hutton (m. ~1795) |
| Son | James Telfer (1796–1863) — m. Elizabeth Beattie |
| Daughter | Isobel/Isabella Telfer (1798–1875) — m. Hunter |
| Son | Adam Telfer (bap. 18 Oct 1799) |
| Daughter | Margaret Telfer (bap. 17 Jul 1801, d. 1884) — m. Armstrong |
| Son | Robert Telfer (bap. 23 Apr 1803, d. 1878) — m. Elizabeth Oliver |
| Son | John Telfer (bap. 20 Mar 1805, d. 3 Mar 1839) — unmarried |
| Son | Francis Telfer (1809–1895) (bap. 2 Feb 1809, d. 1895) — emigrated to SA |
| Son | William Telfer (bap. 6 Apr 1811, d. 1881) |
| Father | John Telfer (of Castleton) (~1731–?) |
| Mother | Elspeth Young (~1722–?) |
Life Summary
James Telfer was born around 1761 in the Liddesdale/Castleton area of Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders. He was baptised at Castleton on 14 July 1761, the son of John Telfer of Castleton. He married Elizabeth "Betty" Hutton around 1795.
James and Betty raised at least eight children in the Castleton parish, Roxburghshire, near the English-Scottish border. Their son Francis emigrated to South Australia in 1838 aboard the Prince George, establishing the Australian Telfer branch.
According to Donald Telfer's From the Borders to the Bush (1989), James was known as a hard-working farm man in the Liddesdale region. His descendants in Scotland continued farming the same area.
James died on 19 December 1845 at Castleton and was buried at Old Castleton Cemetery, Newcastleton. His wife Betty outlived him by eight years.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 14 Jul 1761 | Baptised — Castleton, Roxburghshire, Scotland |
| ~1795 | Married Elizabeth "Betty" Hutton |
| 1796–1811 | Eight children born at Castleton |
| 1838 | Son Francis emigrated to South Australia |
| 19 Dec 1845 | Died — Castleton, Scottish Borders |
| Buried — Old Castleton Cemetery, Newcastleton |
Family Stories
The Greenholm Years
James Telfer didn't start out in Castleton itself. He and Betty lived first at Greenholm, a little farming area in Liddesdale where their first five children were baptised between 1796 and 1805 — James, Isobel, Adam, Margaret, Robert, and John. Life was simple and hard. The Telfers were sheep farmers and hand-loom weavers, like most of their neighbours in the Scottish Borders. They worked their small land holdings with the seasons, shearing and weaving wool to make ends meet.
The Move to Blackburnfoot
Sometime between 1805 and 1809, James moved the family from Greenholm to Blackburnfoot — another farmstead in the same Liddesdale valley. It was there that their last two sons were born: Francis in February 1809, and William in April 1811. Francis would go on to become the one who crossed the world. But back then he was just another bairn in a packed cottage in the Borders, learning the shepherd's trade from his father.
A Hand Loom Weaver's Life
In those days the Telfers of Roxburghshire were what the old parish records call "hand loom weavers" — men who worked wool at home on their own looms, spinning and weaving the fleece from the sheep that grazed the Cheviot Hills. It was honest, calloused-hand work that paid just enough to keep a family fed. The Industrial Revolution was already reshaping Scotland, but up in Liddesdale, the old ways held on a little longer. James lived and died in that world, never leaving the valley he was born in.
(From the Borders to the Bush, pp.17–20)
Sources
- Source: Donald Telfer, From the Borders to the Bush (ISBN 0 7316 6387 X), pp. 17–20 — extract via vision_analyze 18 June 2026
- FindAGrave: James Telfer (1761–1845) — memorial 170769918, Old Castleton Cemetery. Accessed 27 May 2026.
- WikiTree (via son's profile): Francis Telfer (abt.1809–1895) — son's profile confirms mother as Betty Hutton, father as James Telfer. No dedicated WikiTree profile exists for James Telfer (1761–1845). Accessed 27 May 2026.
- Castleton OPR baptism records — FamilySearch batch C11865-1, microfilm 1067953