Through correspondence with officialdom, business associates and amongst themselves, a forgotten pioneer Australian merchant-shipmaster and his family are brought back to life.
Captain Joseph James operated out of Sydney, New South Wales from 1811 until become the first merchant at George Town, Van Diemen's Land in 1820. With his death in 1844 leaving his family virtually penniless, it was his son Captain William Henry James' duty to rebuild the family fortune.
This book gives a first-hand look into some of the difficulties faced by our commercial pioneers - inconsistent Government decisions, unscrupulous business partners, perils of the sea and the uncertainty of life and death itself.
Contents:
Introduction
Notes, Acknowledgements and Select Bibliography
Joseph James, Merchant of Sydney
Joseph James of George Town
Joseph James, the Citizen and his Family
Philatelic Notes
The Correspondence of Captain Joseph James 1813-1843
The Correspondence of Jane James and her Family 1844-1857
Indexes to People
Indexes to Ships
