Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: James Tolson
Ancestor's date of birth: 17/04/1869
Ancestor's date of death: 03/12/1931
Cause of Death: Pneumonia
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Born in Dalton, Kirkheaton, Yorkshire. Educated in Sydney and at the Brisbane Grammar School. Jackeroo on Lammermoor sheep station, head stockman on Uanda sheep station, manager of Corinda, Aramac and Cambridge Downs sheep stations.. all in Western Queensland.
Service Number: Officer - no number
Colony or State of enlistment: QLD, Place of Enlistment: Brisbane
Unit: 7 Bn Australian Commonwealth Horse
Rank attained in Boer War: LT, Date Effective: Detail not provided
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evidence of post Boer War service
Murray Page: 535
Contingent: Third Australian
Ship: Custodian, Date of Sailing: 19/5/1902
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: NIL
Personal Characteristics: Gregarious, hard-working, loved horses, a keen sportsman, considered "one of the best amateur riders ever known in Western Queensland" quote from The Longreach Leader newspaper (23 May, 1936)
Reasons to go and fight: Keen to volunteer for service.
Details of service in war: Arrived in South Afrca after the war ended.
Service and life after the Boer War: RManager of Vindex, managing partner of La Planta, and owner of Glenmore Downs sheep stations in Western Queensland. "Mr. Tolson has always been keenly interested in sport, having been a prominent exponent of football and other secondary school games in his college days and a whole-hearted supporter of the sport of kings throughout his whole career as a pastoralist. For many years he was regarded as the most successful amateur rider in Queensland, and in the same capacity won laurels on the Sydney and Melbourne turfs. He is a member of the executive council of the Central Queensland Racing Association and was for three years chairman of that body, and is the present president of the Peak Downs Amateur Racing Club.. At time of writing he is president of the Peak Downs Pastoral and Agricultural Society.He married in the year 1915 Kathleen, daughter of the late Arthur Macdonald, an Australian of old Scottish descent, who throughout his life has been prominent as a citizen of the Mother State. Of the union there is one daughter, Margaret, who was born on December 3, 1918. Mr. Tolson is a member of the Rockhampton and Clermont Clubs." -- A History of Queensland: Its People and Industries, by Matt. J. Fox, States Publishing Co., 1921, page 721
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Rachel Loosemore, The Gap QLD
Relationship to Ancestor: Great-Great-Niece
