Source:
The Aldine centennial history of New South Wales illustrated / W. Frederic Morrison Morrison, W. Frederic Sydney. The Aldine Publishing Company, 1888
Details:
SYDNEY E. J. CLOSE was born at Maitland, New South Wales, in 1841, and has been connected with pastoral interests all his life. When very young his parents removed to Campbelltown, where he was reared. In 1863 he came to the Parkes district, and purchased the Curra Station, on the West Bogan, which he still owns. He has paid special attention to the improvement of his sheep, and by careful breeding secured very satisfactory results. His stud sheep and cattle have gained several valuable trophies and some scores of certificates at the various shows of the colony. He has resided in Parkes for seven years, and filled the office of alderman from 1884 to 1887. He is a member of the Hospital Committee and of the Parkes Pastoral and Agricultural Association. In addition to his pastoral interests, Mr. Close is connected with many mining ventures in the district, and carries on the business of auctioneer and stock and station agent. He was married in 1872 to the daughter of Mr. John Govers, of Sydney, and has three daughters
First Name:
Edward Charles
Details:
Sudden Death of Mr. E.C. Close Senior It is with deep regret that we have to chronicle the unexpected death of one of the oldest colonists, and perhaps the most respected resident, of the district Mr. Edward Charles Close of Morpeth. The deceased gentleman on Sunday last was in his usual health, and though for some time past his advanced years, and partial palsy of the right side, arising from his having met with several accidents, had made him feeble, he attended Divine service on Sunday morning at St. James church, Morpeth. He retired to rest on Sunday evening, and made no complaint of any illness or weakness. Early yesterday morning Mr. George Close entered his room, and beheld his father lying on the floor near the bed and on approaching him, to his grief, he found life had departed. It would appear that the deceased gentleman had during the night got out of bed, and was returning to it when he fell, and died in an attack of apoplexy. His features were placed, and no signs of a struggle with death were visible. Mr. Close was quite cold when discovered, and apparently had been head several hours. Mr. Close was born at Rangamatti, in India, in the year 1789, and was brought up and educated at a place called Chantrey in Ipswich, Suffolk, the residence of his uncle Charles Strencham Collinson, high sheriff of the county. Mr. Close s early education was imparted with a view to fit him for the ministry of the Church but as he advanced to manhood the warlike spirit of the period gained possession of him and won him to the profession of arms. He entered the British army under the Duke of Wellington and during the peninsula War he saw much service and was present at seven engagements. His career in battle won for him the Peninsula medal; and this decoration with seven clasps bearing the names of the battles which he had shared the fortunes of, he occasionally wore. The fields named on these clasps are famous in history Toulouse, Orthes, Nivelle, Vittoria, Albuera, Bussco, and Talavera. In the year 1817 Mr. Close arrived in this colony with the 48 th regiment of Foot in which he held a Lieutenants commission. Four years afterwards he received a grant of land, as was usual in those days, and he close the site of the present town of Morpeth, and the land adjoining it. He settled in Morpeth in the year 1821 and resided there from that time a period of forty five years. He was the first police magistrate of this district, and that office he held for a number of years. He was eight or nine years a member of the first Legislative Council of these colonies. Until a very late period he was Warden of the Maitland District and in that capacity as in all others he fulfilled his duties with honour to himself and benefit to his adopted country. To his credit it can also be said that he filled all these offices without emolument he never received a shilling from the revenue of the colony Of the Maitland hospital he has long been the honoured president and has always been a liberal supporter of that excellent institution. In recognition of his efforts on its behalf a number of the friends of the institution some time ago had a fine portrait of him taken in oil colours and the painting now adorns the committee room. Throughout life Mr. Close maintained the character of a sincere Christian. His Christianity was no mere outward show of sanctity He was always a liberal contributor to his own church, and to the churches of other denominations he presented valuable sites for the erection of places of worship. The poor and afflicted ever found a helping hand extended with the kind words of comfort he would utter. As a landlord he was indulgent in the extreme especially in seasons of distress; his sympathetic heart was ever ready to respond to the appeal of the distressed. His tenants will ever gratefully venerate his memory. It is but rarely that a whole district is found uniting in deep and sincere regret for a gentleman, one of whose prominent characteristics was a very modest estimate of his own ability and influence. Mr. Close never was a fluent or ready speaker at public meetings, and he used always laughingly to remark that he never was a speaker nor would he when appealed to ever attempt even to repeat the expressions he had used, so strong was this conviction with him. Yet we have repeatedly seen Mr. Close turn the current of feeling at a meeting where people had got warm and angry. He was a man of singularly y genial and cordial manner, equally pleasant in demeanour to the rich and poor, and influential and the retiring, and never himself arousing any angry feeling by his words or acts, and being a man of strong common sense and clearness of thought, hi hesitating short speech would be listened to with the deepest respect, and would often still the clamour and anger that more ready speakers had tried in vain to allay. But though not a public speaker, Mr. Close was eminent for conversational power, and charged the most intelligent men by his quite humour and genial enjoyment of the passing joke, These qualities united with readiness to take part in nearly all public movements made Mr. Close, in the days of his strength the favourite chairman of this part of the hunter. We have had among us and we happily can still number among our leading residents some true specimens of the fine old English gentleman, but we have never known anyone who was a finer or truer example than Mr. Close.
Surname:
Darley (nee Close) (obit)
First Name:
Rosanna Sophia Ives
Details:
A general feeling of regret and sympathy was expressed in town yesterday when it became known that this lady, wife of Mr. Cecil Darley, Resident Engineer, had suddenly expired at her residence, Church-street. on the previous night. The deceased lady, who was the daughter of E. C. Close, Esq., of Morpeth, was only taken ill on the previous day, with what at first appeared to be a slight cough, but afterwards developed into an affection of the throat, which steadily pursued its course until death ensued, notwithstanding all that medical aid could do to avert so sad an ending. It may be consoling to Mr. Darley to know that in his hour of sorrow, he has the cordial sympathy of all with whom she has come in contact; and unmixed feelings of regret are felt by those who were privileged with the acquaintance of his late amiable and estimable lady. The funeral will take place to-day, and a special train is announced to leave the Newcastle station this morning at 10 o clock, for Morpeth, to convey the remains to their last resting place in that town
Details:
Marriage of Louisa Slade Platt to Edward Charles Close on 24 July 1847 at St. James Church
