San Francisco County
Biographies
JOHN THOMAS JEFFRESS
JOHN
THOMAS JEFFRESS, a citizen of Oakland, was born in London, England, in 1824,
and went to Australia in his boyhood, and there learned the art of
sugar-refining, which has since been his chief vocation. He came to California
in 1848 and engaged in mining in Tuolumne county for
about two years, with fair success. In 1850-‘51 he returned East
and brought out his family - a wife and two children. He had married, at the
age of twenty-two years, in 1846, Elizabeth Kennedy, a native of Glasgow,
Scotland, and a resident of Australia from the age of twelve years. Her parents
were Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Kennedy. Her grandfather Kennedy died at the
age of eighty-eight years, at Riverside farm, near Healdsburg, and her
grandmother Kennedy, died aged sixty-eight, at Sullivan’s creek. The
grandparents Jeffress both lived to an advanced age,
dying in Australia. The great-grandfather Jeffress
reached the wonderful age of 105 years, dying in London, after recovering his
sight.
After
his return to this State Mr. Jeffress conducted the
United States Hotel at Sonora until he was burned out the next year, 1852; then
he began gravel-mining at Sullivan’s creek, in that county. Coming next to San
Francisco, he engaged first in the manufacture of gas. He aided in building the
San Francisco Gas Works, made the first gas and lighted the first lamp. Next he
went to farming in Marin county, where he owned 160
acres of land, but in a short time he accepted the position of superintendent
of the George Gordon Sugar Refinery, which he retained for ten years. He then
built a sugar refinery at the Sandwich Islands. Returning, he became
superintendent of the California Silver Works at Clear Lake, and continued in
that relation until 1883, when he took up his permanent home. His children are:
Mary
Elizabeth, born in Australia and married, in San Francisco, Nelson C. Gould, of
that city, then a boot and shoe merchant.
Thomas
William, born February 14, 1849, brought up here from two years of age, had
some schooling in San Francisco to the age of twelve, then was employed in a
stove and hardware store in Sacramento two or three years, then, on account of
failing health from malaria, returned home, his parents then residing at Clear
Lake. In 1869 he began work in the same line in San Francisco, and was
traveling salesman for fifteen years. He was married in that city in 1872, to
Annie Kirk, who was born in England and reared in California from the age of
about fifteen years, her mother dying when she was but three years old. Her
father, born in Scotland in 1822, is still living. He came to live in Oakland
about 1879, and is still traveling, engaged in mercantile business. Since 1884
he has been bookkeeper-in Pasadena in 1887-returning here in 1888. In April,
1889, he entered the real-estate business, as a member of the firm of Jeffress & White (James E.). He has three children:
William Henry, born in September, 1873; John Thomas, in 1875, and Annie Eugenie,
in 1878. Mr. Thomas W. Jeffress is a member of Orion
Lodge, No. 189, I. O. O. F., and of Pacific Lodge, No. 7, A. O. U. W.
Agnes
Wylie, born and married in San Francisco, her husband being Fred Clifford, a foreman
in the car department of the Southern Pacific railroad.
James
Vigilance, born in San Francisco during the reign of the famous "Vigilance
Committee," June 5, 1856, brought up to the dry-goods business from 1871
to 1890, in that city; married, in July 1881, in Healdsburg, Lulu Geunda Paget, who was born in San
Francisco, January 21, 1861, a daughter of George W. And Jane
(Heron) Paget, both natives of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Her father died past middle life, and her mother is still living, aged about
fifty years. They have one child, Melvin Garfield, born August 1, 1882. Mr.
James V. Jeffress helped to organize the first
parlor, California, No. 1, N. S. G. W.
John
Kennedy Jeffress was born in Michigan, and is now
with W. W. Montague & Company, in San Francisco, dealers in stoves, tinware, etc., since about 1878 - the same establishment
where his brother Thomas had been employed. He married Susie H. Paget, a sister of his brother’s wife, and he has two
children - Mabel and an infant son. Mr Jeffress has passed all the chairs of Oakland Parlor, N. S.
G. W., and is now Past President.
George
Henry, born in San Francisco, is a merchant in stoves and tinware
in Oakland, a member of the firm of Jeffress,
Mitchell & Company.
Walter
Ferdinand, salesman for the last named company.
Alexander Mitchell, with W. W. Montague & Company. He is Past President of Oakland Parlor, N. S. G. W.
Egbert Judson,
clerk for Jeffress, Mitchell & Company.
Transcribed
by Elaine Sturdevant.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 566-567, Lewis Publishing
Co, 1892.
© 2006 Elaine Sturdevant.