My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Joshua Frey Josephson
Joshua Frey Josephson (b. 21 February 1815, d. 26 January 1892)
Notes for Joshua Frey Josephson:
Arrived: Morley 2 1821
came free
Religion: Protestant
Ref: J0957
Joshua became Mayor of Sydney in 1848. M.L.A. and later a Judge of the District East of NSW
Enmore Road,a bush track in the 1830's, became known as 'Josephson's Track' in the 1840's as it skirted the property of Joshua Frey Josephson who had become owner of Enmore House.
Jacob Josephson purchased a portion of Wardell's estate in 1835.Lewisham was named after the estate of Joshua Frey Josephson which was bounded by what is now Pigott Street, New Canterbury Road, Lewisham Street and Denison Road.Josephson, who acquired this estate after the Wardell estate was first subdivided and sold off in 1834, named it after the London Borough of Lewisham, which means 'Leofsa's village' or 'manor'.
Prominent early settler Joshua Frey Josephson was the son of a Christian Israelite born in Hamburg, Germany Jacob Josephson andhis wife Emma Wilson(nee Moss).
His father, a jeweller, was transported in May 1818, sentenced to 14 years for having forged one pound notes in his possession.Joshua and his mother followed him to Sydney, arriving in 1820.Joshua became an accomplished pianist, flautist, and vocalist and by 1834 was teaching music.From 1838 to 1858, he was the first honorary organist at St Peter's Anglican Church.
In 1859, along with other settlers, he marked out New Canterbury Road, which ran through his property.
After his father's death in 1845, Joshua inherited Enmore House.On 17 February 1844 he had been admitted as a solicitor and in1869 was appointed a district judge.Josephson was elected to the Sydney City Council in 1844 and became mayor in 1848.He was an MLA from 1864 to 1869.
Josephson had many and diverse business interests: with T.S. Mort he helped establish the Sydney Dry Dock Co., the Hunter River Railway Co., and the Sydney Insurance Co.He also invested in city real estate and pastoral runs.While in Italy he purchased the large number of pictures and sculptures which adorned Enmore House.
Josephson, who built St Killians, Bellevue Hill, moved there in 1883 where he died, aged 76, on 26 January 1892.He was survived by his third wife, Elizabeth Geraldine, and four sons and nine daughters from his previous marriages. One son, Joshua Percy Josephson, became mayor of Marrickville in 1901.His estate was valued at almost 170,000 pounds and a number of statues from his collection were left to the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Joshua Frey Josephson inherited Enmore House when his father died.Joshua greatly enlarged and improved Enmore House.While in Italy in1859 he bought between 2,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds worth of paintings and sculptures to decorate his home.
Josephson was reputedly attacked by bushrangers on his way home one evening as the surrounding area was still heavily timered and sparsely settled.After this experience he shut and barricaded every door and window of Enmore House at sunset.Anyone who then wished to enter or depart from the house had to do so by means of a ladder to an upstairs window.At 10pm the ladder was drawn up and this window, too, was closed and barred.The house remained in a state of siege until morning.
Further portions of the Enmore estate were subdivided in 1878.When Josephson moved to Bellevue Hill, the remainder was subdivided in 1883 into 332 building lots which were sold at auction.In Enmore, five streets were named after some of Josephson's nine daughters: Clara, Laura, Marian, Pearl and Sarah.
Place of registration: Woollahra
More About Joshua Frey Josephson and Louisa Jane Davies:
Marriage: 1 December 1838, Chapel of St Lawrence, Sydney.
More About Joshua Frey Josephson and Katerina Frederica Schiller:
Marriage: 18 April 1868, St Peter's Church,Cook's River.
Marriage Notes for Joshua Frey Josephson and Katerina Frederica Schiller:
Marriage Reg No: 1414
More About Joshua Frey Josephson and Elizabeth Geraldine Brennan:
Marriage: 1891, Springwood, NSW.
Children of Joshua Frey Josephson and Louisa Jane Davies are:
- Jacob John Wellington Josephson, b. 16 November 1839, Sydney, NSWVol ref: V1839608 23A; reg. no: 0, d. 19 September 1899, Rockhampton, Queensland.
- +Joshua Lewis Josephson, b. 7 May 1841, Enmore, NSW(Reg.No: 0), d. 14 August 1891, Tumut, NSW.
- Thomas Francis Josephson, b. 7 December 1842, Petersham, NSW Registration No: 0, d. 1916, Mosman, NSW(R/N: 9820).
- Emma Jane Josephson, b. 6 July 1844, Cook's River, Petersham, NSW(V184499728, d. date unknown.
- Mary Louisa Josephson, b. 6 July 1844, d. 1919.
- Clara Maude Josephson, b. 22 September 1846, Petersham(V8461013 31A), d. 24 December 1897.
- Ada Josephson, b. 22 July 1848, d. 1 May 1869, St George(registration no: 2343).
- Leila Josephson, b. 28 October 1850, Cook's River, Petersham, NSW(Vol. No: V18501943 35), d. date unknown.
- Alice Cooper Josephson, b. 1 June 1855, "Enmore", Newtown,NSW(V18552554 42B), d. 1927, Sydney, Australia.
- Laura Josephson, b. 1 June 1856, d. date unknown.
- Mary Anne Josephson, b. 24 June 1857, 42 Porchester Terrace, London, d. date unknown.
- Sydney Arthur Josephson, b. 28 April 1859, 42 Porchester Terrace, London, d. 1922, England.
- Grace Isobel Josephson, b. 30 September 1862, Sydney, Australia, d. date unknown.
- Albert Schuldham Josephson, b. 23 December 1863, Kingston, NSW(registration no.: 4049), d. 1925, Gosford, NSW(registration no: 6892).
Children of Joshua Frey Josephson and Katerina Frederica Schiller are:
- Elsie Kate Josephson, b. 25 April 1871, d. 1941, London, UK.
- Elmer Frey Josephson, b. 21 June 1872, d. 26 November 1872.