Thomas Napier carpenter to Australia^1,2

Thomas Napier 1802-1881

Parents:

• Birth*: Thomas Napier carpenter to Australia was born on 18 July 1802 at Marykirk, Kincardine, Scotland, .¹
• He was the son of James Napier weaver and Margaret Sutor.¹
• Marriage*: Thomas Napier carpenter to Australia married Jessie Paterson, daughter of James Paterson of Montrose, on Wednesday, 3 August 1836.²
• (Deceased) Death*: Thomas Napier carpenter to Australia died on 7 February 1881 at Melbourne, Australia, , at age 78 Funeral Notices - The remains of the late Thomas Napier, Esq, will be interred in the melbourne General Cemetery.
  The funeral is appointed to move from his residence, Rosebank, Essendon, on Wednesday, at 11, and will pass the junction of Elizabeth Street and Sidney Road about half past 12 o'clock.
  Alf. Aug. Sleight, undertaker, no 83 Collins Street east, and High street, St Kilda.^2,4
• Obituary: The obituary of Thomas Napier carpenter to Australia was was published on 11 February 1881 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, . THE LATE THOMAS NAPIER,
  ESQ. J.P. OF ROSE BANK ESSENDON
  The late Thomas Napier, Esq. J.P., of Rose Bank, Essendon, whose death at the ripe age of seventy-nine was announced in our last by telegram, was well known and highly respected by many in this district. Mr. Napier was one of the very few purchasers of town land in Melbome at the first land sale in the Port Phillip the district on the 1st of June, 1837, who retained it to the last, and who has now beneathed it to his family. When Mr. Napier first left Scotland, where he was of the born on the 11th of July 1802, he went to London, and resided with an uncle, by whom he was engaged in business, but wishing, after a time, to go to India he took his passage by a vessel chartered for Tasmania, intending to proceed thence to his final destination. But on arriving at Tasmania, an opening presented itself for his entering into business as a contractor in Hobart Town, and he embraced it, taking the late Mr. John Brown, owner of the Como property, South Yarra, into his employ, not entering into business
  with him, as has been erroneously stated, either in Hobart Town or in Melbourne, as a partner. After remaining in Hobart town for about 4 years, Mr Napier came to Melbourne in the early part of 1837, having left England for Tasmania in 1833, and he bought the land in Collins street on which the "Argus" office and the Commercial Bank now stand, and the Essenden property, to which he afterwards removed, and on which he resided till the day of his death. His first residence in Victoria was in Collins street, Melbourne, in a house built on the site of the present "Argus" offices, and there the first Baptist Church in Victoria was formed, Mr Xapier, and his amiable and
  most intelligent partner, both being Baptists. Mr. Napier has left behind him a widow and two children, a son and danghter, and whole troop of friends, who were greatly attached to him, to mourn bis loss. He was a liberal-minded and open-handed Christian, doing good by stealth, and taking care that his richt hand should not know what his left hand did. His daughter is married to Mr. George Barker of Staywood Park, Warrnambool, a successful sheep-farmer, and his son, Mr. Theadore Napier, was educated in Sscotland, and is now a medical student in the Melbourne university. Mr Napier never took any active part in politics, but he always ready for the discharge of his duties as a good citizen. He was much respected in his district as an able, upright, and conscientious magistrate, and was never absent from the meetings of the Shire Council, of which he was a member from the first. In manner, Mr. Napier was quiet and unobtrusive, but always firm, and ever ready to give reason for the hope that was in him.
  For some months he knew that his end was approaching, although he had no particular disease, and he quietly and patiently awaited the event. It was simply a breaking up of the system - a wasting away of the vital powers - withont much to pain or distress him. He died in the faith and hope of the Gospel on Monday morning last, and his remains were interred in the Melbourne Cemetery on Wednesday. The funeral cortege was large, between thirty and forty well-filled carriages following his remains from Eassendon to their final resting place, a distance of nearly six miles.⁵
• Obituary: The obituary of Thomas Napier carpenter to Australia was was published on 12 February 1881 at Australia, . DEATH OF A PIONEER COLONIST.- Death has been busy lately among the ranks of our oldest colonists. To-day we have to record the death of Mr. Thomas Napier, who was one of the pioneers of the colonization of the Port Phillip district, but who for many years past has not come prominently before the public. Mr. Napier was born near Montrose, in Scotland, on the 11th July 1802, and was consequently nearly seventy-nine years of age at the time of his death. He became a partner with the Iate Mr. John Brown, who was afterwards known in Victoria as the owner of the Como property in South Yarra. Messrs. Napier and Brown carried on business together at Montrose for some years as contractors, but in 1832 they left Great Britain for Hobart Town in Hobart Town in the early part of 1833. They continued their partnership as building contractors for about four years, when in 1837 the partnership was dissolved. Mr. Napier chartered a small vessel, which he loaded with timber, and sailed for the new settlement in Port Phillip, where he commenced business on his own account. At the time of his arrival there were about three hundred inhabitants on the site where the city of Melbourne now stands, and the people lived either in tents or wattle and daub huts. The first land sale in the district took place on the 1st June 1837, when the late Mr. J. P. Fawkner purchased the first allotment that was put up for sale,namely, the block at the corner of Flinders and Spencer streets. Mr. Napier purchased for £40 for his late partner Mr. Brown the allotment in Elizabeth-street on which twenty years afterwards were erected the blue stone premises known as Brown and Stewart's premises. Mr. Napier for himself purchased the ground in Collins-street on which the present Commercial Bank building is erected. He afterwards bought the land in Collins-street on which the Argus office was subsequently built. Mr. Napier was one of the last survivors of the original hands of the purchasers at the first land sale in Melbourne who retained his property till the last through all the vicissitudes through which the colony passed. After living in Melbourne for about eighteen months, Mr. Napier took up a cattle station near Dandenong, where he lived for some years, and took part in the various politics of the day. Mr. Napier was made a justice of the peace some years ago. He died yesterday morning at his residence at Essendon from old age. He has left a widow, a son, and a daughter.-Melbourne Argus, Feb. 8.⁶

• Anecdote forWeb*: Sent to London to be clerk to his uncle, Mr W Napier, a timber and produce merchant at Blackfriars Bridge, remaining there for 6 years. Whilst in London, he attended the best schools of painting, and was for two years in the British Museum Gallery, but did not persue the art, except in a private way.²
• Anecdote forWeb*: Returned to Scotland, learned the carpentering trade, and started in business for himself, building several houses in Montrose.²
• Anecdote forWeb: (an unknown value.)²
• Newspaper Article*: He was mentioned in a newspaper article DEATH.
  NAPIER. - On the 7th inst., at his reisdence, Rosebank, Essendon, Thomas Napier, J.P., in the 79th year of his age. Home papers please copy. on 7 February 1881 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, .⁷
• (Spouse) Death: His spouse Jessie Paterson died on 28 August 1890 at Rosebank, Farendon, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, ; Napier - on the 28th inst., at her residence, Rosebank, Farendon, Jessie, relict of the late Thomas Napier; and mother of Mr T Napier, Magdala, Farendon, and of Mrs G P Barber, of Staywoodpark, Warrnambool, aged 74 years. A Colonist of 54 years.^2,8

Notes

• Note for Web: Thomas Napier carpenter to Australia More info about Thomas Napier
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Napier_(builder)
  
  http://www.strathmore3041.org/napierfm.html
  
  https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/1483598?c=
  
  https://www.daao.org.au/bio/thomas-napier/
  
  https://books.google.com.au/books?id=wrMbGY3_K6MC&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=Sarah+Myers+born+Napier&source=bl&ots=KR788P1y_i&sig=ACfU3U0ie8IkLmkT9613uwdj1ubgAUXQkg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwifkfG48tfpAhWHbisKHbJXCLgQ6AEwAHoECAkQAQ&#v=onepage&q=Sarah%20Myers%20born%20Na&f=false.
• Note for Web*: He made Justice of the Peace in 1860.²