James Telfer
Biography
Role: Scottish progenitor — father of South Australian immigrant Francis Telfer (1809–1895)
Born: ~1761 — baptised 14 Jul 1761, Castleton, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Died: 19 December 1845 — Castleton, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Buried: Old Castleton Cemetery, Newcastleton, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Spouse: Elizabeth Hutton Telfer (1774–1853) (m. ~1795)
Family
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Elizabeth Hutton Telfer (1774–1853) — Elizabeth "Betty" Hutton (m. ~1795) |
| Son | James Telfer (1796–1863) — m. Elizabeth Beattie |
| Daughter | Isobel/Isabella Telfer (1798–1875) — m. Hunter |
| Son | Adam Telfer (bap. 18 Oct 1799) |
| Daughter | Margaret Telfer (bap. 17 Jul 1801, d. 1884) — m. Armstrong |
| Son | Robert Telfer (bap. 23 Apr 1803, d. 1878) — m. Elizabeth Oliver |
| Son | John Telfer (bap. 20 Mar 1805, d. 3 Mar 1839) — unmarried |
| Son | Francis Telfer (1809–1895) (bap. 2 Feb 1809, d. 1895) — emigrated to SA |
| Son | William Telfer (bap. 6 Apr 1811, d. 1881) |
| Father | John Telfer (of Castleton) (~1731–?) |
| Mother | Elspeth Young (~1722–?) |
Life Summary
James Telfer was born around 1761 in the Liddesdale/Castleton area of Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders. He was baptised at Castleton on 14 July 1761, the son of John Telfer of Castleton. He married Elizabeth "Betty" Hutton around 1795.
James and Betty raised at least eight children in the Castleton parish, Roxburghshire, near the English-Scottish border. Their son Francis emigrated to South Australia in 1838 aboard the Prince George, establishing the Australian Telfer branch.
According to Donald Telfer's From the Borders to the Bush (1989), James was known as a hard-working farm man in the Liddesdale region. His descendants in Scotland continued farming the same area.
James died on 19 December 1845 at Castleton and was buried at Old Castleton Cemetery, Newcastleton. His wife Betty outlived him by eight years.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 14 Jul 1761 | Baptised — Castleton, Roxburghshire, Scotland |
| ~1795 | Married Elizabeth "Betty" Hutton |
| 1796–1811 | Eight children born at Castleton |
| 1838 | Son Francis emigrated to South Australia |
| 19 Dec 1845 | Died — Castleton, Scottish Borders |
| Buried — Old Castleton Cemetery, Newcastleton |
Sources
- Source: Donald Telfer, From the Borders to the Bush (ISBN 0 7316 6387 X), pp. 17–20 — extract via vision_analyze 18 June 2026
- FindAGrave: James Telfer (1761–1845) — memorial 170769918, Old Castleton Cemetery. Accessed 27 May 2026.
- WikiTree: Francis Telfer (abt.1809–1895) — confirms mother as Betty Hutton, father as James Telfer. Accessed 27 May 2026.
- Castleton OPR baptism records — FamilySearch batch C11865-1, microfilm 1067953
Tags
Spouse
- elizabeth-telfer-1774
Parents
- john-telfer-of-castleton
- elspeth-young
Children
- james-17961863
- Adam (1799–?)
- Margaret (1802–1884)
- Robert (1803–1878)
- John (1805–1839)
- francis
- william