James Telfer
Biography
Role: Eldest son of Francis Telfer (1809–1895) and Jean Murray — vanished at age 13
Born: 1832 — Scotland
Disappeared: July 1844 (aged 13) — Chain of Ponds area, South Australia
Declared dead: ~1845 (presumed)
Family
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Father | Francis Telfer (1809–1895) |
| Mother | Jean Murray (1810–1839) |
| Stepmother (1) | Dinah Flavel (1821–1844) |
| Stepmother (2) | Margaret Wright Telfer (?–1892) |
| Sister | Esther Jane Telfer (1834–1909) — m. John Smith |
| Sister | Elizabeth Hannah Telfer (1836–1916) — m. Charles Farrow |
| Half-sister | Jean Telfer (1840–1892) |
Life Summary
James was born in Scotland in 1832, the eldest of Francis and Jean's kids. He made the voyage on the Prince George with his parents and two younger sisters, docking at Port Adelaide on 26 December 1838. His mother died just 27 days later — leaving Francis with three kids under 7.
James grew up in the Adelaide Hills frontier on his father's farm near Chain of Ponds. By 13 he was working as a shepherd on the family sheep station.
Family Stories
The Disappearance of James Telfer
In July 1844, during a week of heavy rain, James left the sheep station on the River Torrens near Chain of Ponds to round up stray sheep. He never came home.
Francis raised the alarm that night. Neighbours searched for days but the creeks were flooded and rain hadn't let up. Nothing was found. The general feeling was the flood took him. People figured when waters dropped, his remains would turn up in the riverbed or the Reedbeds. They didn't.
The South Australian Register printed this on 10 July 1844 (p.3):
"BOY MISSING — On Tuesday last, during the heavy rain then falling, a youth named Telfer, thirteen years old, left his fathers sheep station on the River Torrens, near Chain of Ponds, to recover some stray sheep, but up to Saturday last had not been heard of. The surrounding country has been searched, but no trace of the wanderer has been found: and from the late inclemency of the weather, there is too much reason to believe that he has perished."
Family stories over the years threw up different theories — killed by aborigines, step-mother troubles, ran away. The most detailed version came from William Flavel: one morning someone walked twelve miles to tell Francis, who rounded up every man in the district. They searched for days, then got the police from Adelaide. Nothing.
Then around 1877 — 33 years later — a newspaper article reported that recent floods had washed away logs and debris lodged against a tree in the river near Adelaide. Amongst the debris was a human skeleton. Police took charge. A doctor said the bones were a boy about 13, probably there for more than 20 years.
Whether Francis ever learned his son had been found is unknown.
Tragically, James was the fourth family member Francis had lost in six years — wife Jean (1839), infant son John (died at sea 1838), second wife Dinah (1844), and now his eldest boy.
(Based on Donald Telfer, From the Borders to the Bush, pp.25–27, and the SA Register, 10 Jul 1844)
Sources
- Donald Telfer, From the Borders to the Bush (ISBN 0 7316 6387 X), pp. 25–27 — story reference, not verbatim
- South Australian Register, 10 July 1844, Page 3, Col. A — public domain newspaper quote