JAMES KEOUGH
James 'Jim' Keough was born in 1826 in Ireland.
On the 27th day of March 1854, he married Rebecca Stanley in Shinrone, Offaly, Ireland.
James and Rebecca had one child in Ireland: James in 1853. (ancestry 2016)
On the 27th day of March 1854, he married Rebecca Stanley in Shinrone, Offaly, Ireland.
James and Rebecca had one child in Ireland: James in 1853. (ancestry 2016)
The family emigrated to Australia in 1855. They arrived at Port Adelaide on the 23rd day of August 1855 aboard the Glentanner. (ancestry 2016)
After their arrival in the colony of South Australia, they moved to Strathalbyn.
They had five children: Sarah Jane in 1859, Robert Henry in 1861, Arthur in 1863, Julia in 1869, and Frances Stanley in 1871. (ancestry 2016)
They had five children: Sarah Jane in 1859, Robert Henry in 1861, Arthur in 1863, Julia in 1869, and Frances Stanley in 1871. (ancestry 2016)
James was the driver of the Strathalbyn coach and was described as 'a well-known character on the Eastern and South Eastern Roads......and afterwards held the ribbons on the Goolwa Road." (1873 SA Advertiser)
James initially worked for Mr. Rounsevell, and later Cobb & Co. He then worked under Sampson Hall. For a considerable time, he drove the Judges along the overland route to Mount Gambier when they attended the sittings of the Circuit Court in the southeast of the colony of South Australia. (1873 General News)
In 1861, James was presented with a bugle and watch & chain, as a recognition of 'his services as an obliging and careful driver.' (1861 SA Weekly Chronicle)
Above: Article from the South Australian Weekly Chronicle, Sat 12 Oct 1861. Image c/o Trove
Coach driving was a dangerous profession in the 1800s. James was involved in several accidents over the years. (1873 General News)
In October 1868, James was in control of the Goolwa mail coach. He was walking inside the Strathalbyn Post Office when the horses set off towards the Terminus Hotel. The coach was overturned and 'ran along on its side for some distance, but eventually it toppled over with a grand crash.' (1868 SA Chronicle)
The horses and coach were found near the Police Station. The horses were uninjured, but the coach was 'smashed up.' (1868 SA Chonicle)
He became the ostler at the Commercial Hotel at Strathalbyn. An ostler is employed at an inn to feed, stable, and care for travellers' horses. (1873 General News)
James died on Tuesday, the 4th day of February 1873, at his home in Strathalbyn, aged 47 years. His cause of death was bronchitis (1873 General News) (ancestry 2016)
The South Australian Advertiser reported, "Few coachmen have been more widely known, or more liked and trusted than Jim Keough." (1873 SA Advertiser)
Above: Article from The South Australian Advertiser, Fri 7 Feb 1873. Image c/o Trove
James is buried at the Stathalbyn Cemetery. He does not have a headstone. His grave can be located at Plot 219, Row E, Division 2.
References.
- 1861, South Australian Weekly Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1867), 12 October, p. 3. (Supplement to the South Australian Weekly Chronicle.), viewed 31 Jul 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page8357742
- 1868, South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1868 - 1881), 17 October, p. 4. , viewed 31 Jul 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page8395306
- 1873, The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1889), 7 February, p. 2. , viewed 31 Jul 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page2274577
- 1873 'GENERAL NEWS.', Southern Argus (Port Elliot, SA : 1866 - 1960), 7 February, p. 2. , viewed 31 Jul 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128490440
- ancestry (2016). Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. [online] Ancestry.com.au. Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/ [Accessed 31 July 2026].