James Ford

  General Notes:

James opened and worked in the general store at Hopetoun with brother Robert Ford (engineer with rheumatoid arthritis). Mr Lascelles who owned the large wool store, Denys Lascelles, in Geelong was speaking to Robert Ford (father of James) - he said that he didn't know what he would do with his wool store in Geelong because it was being badly run. Robert said, what about James who had been dux of Hamilton College, was a qualified accountant, and he was running the Hopetoun general store with Bob. Lascelles said, he's the very man, and James became managing director of Denys Lascelles, which he immediately turned into a highly successful company. James also received directorships from several other companies (eg. Northern Insurance Co.) and finally retired from DLs at age 60, under his "retire at 60" rule.

James married Elizabeth Hyatt Jenkins, daughter of Colin Jenkins and Flora Long, in Jun 1911 in Hopetoun. (Elizabeth Hyatt Jenkins was born in 1883 in Terang, Vic and died in 1917 in Hopetoun, Vic.)

James next married Florence M. Jenkins, daughter of Colin Jenkins and Flora Long, on 5 Jun 1918 in NSW.

  Marriage Notes:

After Elizabeth Jenkins died, her sister Florence lived as housekeeper to look after the 2 young children. At that time, it was illegal in Victoria to marry your dead wife's sister, therefore James and Flo were later married in NSW.