Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA) Wednesday 22 January 190852993

Mrs. James Kilsby.-An old and re-
spected resident of the Mount Gambier
district, in the person of Mrs. James
Kilsby passed away at " Bentley," the
residence of her husband, on Friday last.
The deceased, who was in her 74th year,
was one of the fast diminishing band of
pioneers who laid the foundations of the
Australia of to-day. Born near the manu-
facturing town of Leeds, in Yorkshire,
England, in the year 1834, she emigrated
to Australia with her father, Mr. James
Pratt, about 1848. She lived first in
Melbourne, and there Mr. Kilsby met her
in 1852, on his return from a rush to the
Victorian gold diggings. Mr. Kilsby had
arrived in the colonies on March 18,  
1850, and on the date of the  
sixth anniversary of his landing  
he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza
Pratt. The ceremony was performed in
Adelaide, and afterwards Mr. and Mrs.  
Kilsby went to reside at Bald Hills, near
Gawler, where Mr. Kilsby was engaged    
in farming. After spending several years
there Mr. Kilsby sold out, and Mr. and
Mrs. Kilsby and their family came to
reside at Mount Gambier. This was
about 50 years ago, and they have lived
here continuously since, at "Bentley,"
on the Casterton road. A short time  
ago Mrs. Kilsby and her husband were  
prostrated by influenza, but they re-
covered sufficiently to be able to leave
their beds. Mrs. Kilsby, however,  
suffered severely during the recent spell
of intense heat. Last week complica-
tions sent in, and although two doctors
were called in and an operation performed  
she never rallied, and passed quietly away  
on Friday afternoon. The deceased leaves  
her aged life's partner and a family of
eight children—six sons and two daughters
—to mourn her loss. The sons are
Messrs. G. H., A. A., E. J., and C. E.  
Kilsby, of Mount Gambier ; Mr. F. W.
Kilsby, of Adelaide; and Mr. A. E.
Kilsby, of the Wimmera; and the  
daughters Mesdames Kilsby, of Mount  
Gambier, and Bruce, of Victoria. There  
are 36 grandchildren and five great grand-  
children. Mr. and Mrs. Kilsby celebrated  
their golden wedding in March, 1906,  
when a large gathering of relatives and  
friends assembled at " Bentley" to do  
them honor. The funeral was appointed  
to leave " Bentley " at noon on Sunday,
but in consequence of the disastrous fire  
at Glenburnie the cortege had to be
delayed, and did not reach the Mount
Gambier cemetery until late in the after-  
noon. Mr. G. B. Renfrey carried out  
the mortuary arrangements.