Taphophile Tragics # 16 - No hard feelings

No image of the inscription on this marker, it is too hard to read. However, look at the symbol his family and friends chose. It is a Sydney tramways car.

This gravestone is in the old Presbyterian section of Rookwood Cemetery, and celebrates the life of James Ross Logan, born in Scotland in 1841, died in Sydney in 1890, aged 48 years. He was a tram driver, and was trundling along Botany Road, Botany when his tram rolled with him underneath. Not sure about you, but under these circumstances, I would think twice about putting a tram motif on his headstone!

Argh!! You all stung me into action. So into Trove I went and found the gruesome details. I had to chuckle as each witness had their own pet theory as to the cause. Things have not changed much down through the years! Use the slide-bar down the bottom RH corner to increase the size of the font. I have also included two photographs of this model of tram which I believe is a DD. I will get my expert Mr Casperson to check for me. Anyways, the above two images are about that era, maybe 1885. The first image shows Tram No. 23. The second image is too dark to read the number, but was taken at the intersection of Market & Elizabeth Streets where Hermes now stands (opposite DJs and near St James Station). The building on the right is the old Albion Hotel.


James Ross Logan was from Renfrewshire in Scotland, where he married Margaret Thomson in 1862. There were already three children of the union - James, Alexander, and Agnes - when James and Margaret emigrated to Australia on the Wansfell in December 1863. James was 22 and Margaret 24. They were to have another 8 children, two of whom died in infancy - Isabella in 1872, and John Ross in 1874. They could be interred with their father. They are most certainly named on his gravestone.

When James Ross Logan died beneath his tram in 1890, Margaret was aged 51 with 9 children ranging from 32 year old James, to 9 year old Margaret. My guess is that the tramways union assisted with funding for the erection of this monument. Margaret died in Marrickville in 1915 aged 76. Her youngest daughter lived until 1967.

This is my contribution to the Taphophile Tragics community.