John Richard Stephens

John was born on the 11 Oct 1827 at St. Agnes, Cornwall, England. His father was John Stephens who was born on the 8 Nov 1792 at St. Agnes, Cornwall, England. When John was 34 years old he married Susannah Stephens aged 26 years old. They married on the 25 Dec 1826 at St. Agnes, Cornwall.  John Richard (Riccardo) was born on the 11 Oct 1827 at St. Agnes, Cornwall.

A few months after John’s birth the family emigrated to New Brunswick in Canada, but the winters caused them to visit the Bermuda Islands.  Here an opening for business was taken up by John senior.  John junior became involved in the Methodist church and became a preacher. Between 1827 and 1832 John and his family moved to the Island of Bermuda in the West Indies where they had more children.

·         Julia or Juliana was born on the 19 Dec 1832 at Bermuda.

·         Stephens was born on the 29 Sept 1834 at Bermuda. He died on the 1 Oct 1834.

·         Phillipa Ann Barry was born on the 14 Dec 1835 at Hamilton, Bermuda.

·         James Prout was born on the 26 Jan 1839 at Bermuda.

·         Eliza Susan was born on the 22 May 1841 at Hamilton, Bermuda.

·         Henry Francis was born on the 5 Nov 1843 at Bermuda.

·         Thomas Tuzo was born on the 23 July 1845 at Bermuda.

·         Mary Ann was born on the 13 August 1847 at Bermuda.

John Stephens died at Bermuda Aged 90 years old and his wife Susannah died on the 8 Feb 1873 at Bermuda aged 72 years old.

While waiting for a position in the Theological Institution of London, the Victorian goldfields opened up and influenced by the excitement he came to Australia.  He was at the time employed by the Government where he was sent to London before securing a position as chaplain on the ship Ramillies bound for Adelaide.  He arrived in 1853 and was placed on the South Adelaide Circuit plan.

When he was 26 years old he married Eliza Elizabeth Susan Sims aged 22 years old. They married on the 27 Dec 1853 at Adelaide. John and Eliza had the following children:-

·         Susan Jane was born on the 29 Nov 1854 at Adelaide. She died on the 12 Dec 1854.

·         Julia Maria was born on the 6 July 1856 at One Tree Hill.

·         Louisa Wilson was born on the 12 August 1857 at Burra.

·         Maria Phillipa was born on the 28 May 1859 at Burra. She died on the 5 Aug 1859 at Kooringa.

·         George Riccardo was born on the 3 August 1860 at Burra. He died on the 8 April 1861 at Kooringa

·         Horace Steele was born on the 27 Oct 1861 at Burra.

·         Lillian Bruse was born on the 4 Jan 1865 at Burra.

While in Bermuda he had been engaged in teaching that the Rev D.J Draper desired him to take up a teaching position in the country.  At first they lived at One Tree Hill. John was a teacher and began teaching at One Tree Hill School in 1855 but in 1856 he moved to Precolumb school for one year.  As there was no church in the area, John immediately organised services in the local schoolhouse. This led to the One Tree Hill Church establishment.

After two years, he was called to take charge of the Wesleyan school at Burra.  They then moved to Kooringa School, Burra. In 1859 an inspector commented that (under the eye of an assiduous and vigilant master the system of monitorial teaching has been attended with unequivocal success). He remained teaching there until December 1871.

In 1906 a journalist on the Kapunda Herald reminisced about Burra in the Good Old Days saying “John Richard Stephens did more to educate the Burra folk of that time than any man I have known before or since. He had a hard fight but pulled through and I believe is still hale and hearty and doing good somewhere in the south. Many of his former scholars now occupy prominent positions. One of his first pupils was the Rev. W. Williams who made his mark not many years ago in Victoria”.

After leaving teaching in 1871 he became a Miner, homeopath and physician.  John had begun to study medicine with the view of becoming a medical missionary.  In 1875 he visited America with the purpose of completing his medical degree.

Eliza died on the 15 Sept. 1886 at Parkside, two years later on the 22 Dec 1888 he married Mary Jane Holman aged 42 years old.   

In 1892, he moved to Gumeracha, residing there until he died on the 2 Sept 1912 at Gumeracha aged 84. His wife Mary Jane died in 1927 aged 81 years old.