James GRIFFITHS

GRIFFITHS, JAMES (b. Wolverhampton, England, 1850; d. Bayswater, Vic, April 1925). Melbourne tea merchant.

James Griffiths worked as a grocer before marrying his cousin Emily Moore (b. 1842) at Wickhambrook in the early 1870s. In 1873 they migrated to Australia because the English weather threatened Emily with consumption. They settled in Melbourne where Griffiths began work as a tea merchant. In 1875 his younger brother John Moore Griffiths (q.v.) migrated and joined him in the business which became Griffiths Brothers Pty Ltd, trading in tea, coffee, cocoa and chocolate. The firm prospered and became known Australia-wide as Griffiths Brothers Tea and Coffee. It was later sold to the Robur Tea Company.

The brothers bought land in Kew in the 1880s and later owned mansions on their country properties at Upwey (John: 'Forest Park', purchased 1902) and The Basin (James: 'Ferndale', built c. 1890) where they entertained frequently. James and John Griffiths were examples of committed lay evangelicals (in their case Anglican) who gave generously of their time and substance to both denominational and nondenominational evangelical causes. In 1902 James and Emily Griffiths opened a Training Home for Women which they called 'Hiawatha' in Victoria Road Fitzroy to replace Dr and Mrs Warren's Training Home for Missionaries (CIM) which had been opened in 1892 and which closed in 1901. 'Hiawatha' was intended to provide training for female missionary candidates for both CIM and the Church Missionary Association of Vic (later CMS). After a few years it was amalgamated with St Hilda's (a deaconess training institution begun by Rev C H Nash (q.v.) in 1901) under the name St Hilda's. In 1907 St Hilda's moved to a new two story building in Clarendon Street East Melbourne which was provided by James and Emily Griffiths. It was recorded of them that 'St Hilda's, East Melbourne, will ever stand as a silent witness to their whole hearted devotion'.

Griffiths was a lay reader in the Anglican church and also supported other churches in the area and built the Mechanics Hall in Sassafras: one of the conditions was that any Protestant denomination would be allowed to use it free of charge for religious services. He often took services and preached at the Methodist church in The Basin. Every evening at Ferndale James Griffiths led family prayers including hymns and Bible readings before supper: staff and guests were expected to attend.

James and Emily Griffiths did not have any children of their own but brought out from England five of the children of a brother who had died and raised them as their own. James Griffiths was a kind generous and good natured man. Full of good works and respected by his peers he continually provided food parcels for needy people in the Scoresby area during the depression in the 1890s. Many of the guests at Ferndale were family or clergy who otherwise could not have afforded a holiday.

In April 1925 the wagonette James was driving was struck by a train at a level crossing at Bayswater and he and Emily and two of the passengers were killed. A memorial service was held in St Paul's Cathedral on 16 April with Abp Harrington Clare Lees (q.v.) taking the service.

DARRELL PAPROTH