James Downes

James Downes was a child in Redan, 1875-1878.

History
James John Downes was born in 1875, one of ten children of Daniel Downes and Margaret Murray.

James was killed in a road accident near his home in Talbot Street: "A little three year old-boy named James Downes, whose parents live in Talbot street, was run over in that street on Wednesday night by a wood-dray, and when picked up the poor little fellow was found to be dead. The driver of the dray, John Gillespie, stated that the deceased suddenly ran right under the horse's feet, and before the dray could be stopped the boy had been run over. An inquest upon the body will be held to-day." "An inquest was held at half-past eight yesterday morning, by Mr Thomson, P.M., at the Redan Club hotel, on the body of a child named James Downes, who was accidentality killed on Wednesday evening by a dray. A little girl named Mary O'Donoghue gave evidence to the effect that about six o'clock on Wednesday evening she saw the deceased playing with some of her brothers around the wood-dray driven by the man John Gillespie. Deceased had a stick in his hand, and was trying to poke some tar out of one of the fore wheels. Witness saw him suddenly miss the wheel and fell down, and the hind wheel following struck him on the head. A neighbor then took the child into his house, and afterwards called after Gillespie. Witness was sure Downes was not pushed down by one of the other children with him. A laborer, named Heffernan, stated that as he came to the door of his own house on the evening of the accident he saw deceased just falling between the two sidewheels of the waggon and under the hind one. Witness saw the hind wheel come in contact with his head as he lay on the ground, and witness then ran and picked him up. The child was not quite dead when witness picked him up, and after taking him inside, he (Heffernan) ran after the waggon and said to the driver,' You have killed a child,' and he replied, ' I am very sorry for it if I have done so,' and began to cry. He then turned back with witness. He (witness) was about forty yards away from the waggon where the child was killed, and called out to the driver, who, however, did not appear to hear him. Gillespie was sitting on the firewood in the waggon, driving quietly along, and seemed slightly the worse of liquor; but he appeared quite able to drive. From the nature of the load, it was quite possible that the driver might not see a child close to the waggon. Constable P. Boyle stated that he had examined the spot where the accident occurred, and it seemed to him that the child's head had been crushed against a piece of quartz by the wheel. Witness then proceeded to where Gillespie was standing, seeming very much affected by the occurrence, and arrested him on the charge of causing the death of the child by careless driving. Gillespie appeared slightly under the influence of liquor, but quite able to drive. Dr Usher stated that the death of the child was caused by the skull being fractured. John Gillespie (after being duly cautioned) stated that he did not see the children playing about and knew nothing of the accident until Heffernan told him. Ha had had a couple of glasses of beer, but was not the worse of liquor. The jury found that the deceased, James Downes, was accidentally killed, through his head being crushed by one of the wheels of a loaded wood dray; and further, that there was no blame attributable to the driver of the dray."

He is buried with his parents in the Old Ballarat Cemetery, E2, Section 19, Row 2, Grave 6.