Old news from Armidale and New England

The Armidale Chronicle, Saturday, 27 September, 1902

Hillgrove.

(From our Correspondent).

Mr. James Maddox, a respected resident of Hillgrove, died on Tuesday night last. The deceased was respected by all who knew him – a man with scarcely an enemy. He has now crossed the great divide, and his demise will be generally deplored. During the many years the deceased lived amongst us, he showed business capabilities of a high order, but the call came, and poor James Maddox had to relinquish all, and go. Sincere sorrow is felt by the townspeople for Mrs. Maddox and family in their sorrowful bereavement. The funeral takes place this afternoon (Thursday).

James Maddox (c.1862 - 1902) married Deborah Maria Hancox in Sydney in 1893.
They had 6 children of whom 3 lived past infancy:
	Isabelle (known as Isabella) (1894 - 1894)
	Isabel (known as Isabelle) (1895 - 1976)
	Nellie (1896 - 1896)
	Nellie (1897 - 1897)
	Herbert (1898 - 1986)
	William James (1901 - c.1982)

James Maddox was proprietor of the Maddox Cordial Factory in Hillgrove. Prior to that his Hillgrove business was that of a tobacconist. James also owned shares in at least one mine in Hillgrove.

At some point after James’ death, Deborah and the three surviving children returned to England. Deborah and children appear in the 1911 census in England living in Gloucestershire.

Deborah died in 1962 in her 103rd year. Before moving to Australia she lived in Gloucestershire with her parents and worked as a draper’s assistant. Her father was a blacksmith.

Isabelle died in Tiverton, Devon, in 1976, aged 81.
Herbert died in Yeovil, Somerset, in 1986, aged 88.