James Sampson 1833-1908 & Eliza Lawn 1836-1906

Married on the 13 August 1853 in Burra, South Australia. Witnesses were James N. Wearne ( uncle of James Sampson) and  John Sampson ( the father of James Sampson)

James Sampson

Second child of John and Ann Sampson

Christened: 29 Dec 1833 Perranuthnoe, Cornwall

Died: 16 Mar 1908 Moonta, South Australia

Buried: Moonta Cemetery, South Australia

Obituary as recorded in the Kapunda Herald Friday 27 March 1908, p. 6: Mr. James Sampson died at Moonta last week at the age 76 years. Deceased, who was a brother to Mr. John Sampson, J.P., Kooringa, came to Burra in 1847, and was one of the active workers at the Burra Burra mine. He left for Moonta in 1861, and at the time of his death was one of the oldest engine-drivers in the district. His wife died about 18 months ago. He leaves a large   grown-up family. 

Eliza Lawn

Eliza was the third daughter of William and Elizabeth Lawn.

Born: About 1834 in Camborne, Cornwall.

Died: 14 Feb 1906

Buried: Moonta Cemetery, South Australia

Obituary as recorded in the Kapunda Herald of 2 Mar 1906 p.6: News is to hand of the death at Moonta of a very old resident of the Burra. Mrs Eliza Sampson, wife of  Mr. James Sampson. Deceased, who was 70 years of age, came to South Australia from Cornwall 58 years ago and in 1853 was married to Mr. James Sampson at Burra. When the Moonta mines were discovered, they left for that place, where they have resided until the present. She has left a husband, four sons and four daughters. Mr H. Lawn, of Burra, is a brother.

The first day of school of any kind in Moonta was a Sunday School which was established by Solomon Jewell and James Sampson in 1862; only a few months after Ryan made his discovery [copper]. It met in a paling building, situated where the Mines Bible Christian Church was built later.
Moonta Primary School 1878-1978: a centenary history of education at Moonta Primary School in the Moonta area page 7.It is interesting to note that when James died Mr S. Jewell assisted in conducting the service at the graveside for James.

There are resident in Moonta Mines two veterans in Sunday-school work- Mr. James Sampson, sen., who has been engaged in that department of church work in that town for 44 years, and Mr. James Stephens, who has been, in Sunday-school work for a like, period.There are many ex-Yorke’s Peninsulaites residing on the Barrier who will re-member these gentlemen, each of whom has also quite a circle of relatives in this city.
People column of the Barrier Miner (Broken Hill) Saturday 22 December 1906 page 4

Moonta Mines Sunday School Class circa 1904-5

Back row L to R: Hilda Hand, Annie Bankell, Clarice Nettle, James Sampson, Captain W. Hollands, Ruby Burnell, Amy Hodge Front row: Ada Carter, Emily Sampson, Clarice Pyatt, Pearl Lowry