Josiah Hughes

[Admin (Matt)]

[David Price]

Josiah Hughes was born in Rhuddlan in 1829 and after attending schools in Liverpool and Holywell, was apprenticed to a Chester ironmonger. He visited the Great Exhibition in 1851 where he was told about the Australian Gold Rush and the following year he sailed out from Liverpool, settling in Geelong, where he married.  He made a reasonable living as an ironmonger as there was a constant demand for shovels and wheelbarrows, etc. from the gold prospectors. On receiving news of his father's illness in 1866 he returned to Wales and in about 1870 estabished an ironmonger's business in Bangor. He was a member of the Bangor Board of Health and was elected onto the first City Council. Although he attended a Calvinistic Methodist chapel, he had progressive views on religion and described himself as a free-thinker.

Near the end of his life, during a spell of illness, doctors recommended he take a  cruise, so he visited Australia, sailing through the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal, exploring Egypt on the way - even climbing a pyramid. He wrote a fascinating book, 'Australia Revisited in 1890' (published Bangor & London 1891) which gives a vivid description of the cruise and of the many places and people he saw in Australia.  The book includes a short autobiography.  He died in 1893.

The shop, on Castle Hill, Bangor High Street remained a traditional ironmongers until about 1960 when it became the Eateasy Restaurant. It is now the Fat Cat Cafe Bar, one of the most popular eating and drinking places in Bangor.  The building still proudly displays the name of JOSIAH HUGHES in large letters on its imposing facade.    

[Admin (Matt)]

[Admin (Matt)]

Thanks David

The book Australia Revisited in 1890 is online it would appear
Sketch of the Authors Life pp 481 - 496

from http://www.archive.org/stream/australiarevisi00hughgoog

[Admin (Matt)]

JOSIAH HUGHES, Deceased. Pursuant to the Statute 22nd and 23rd Vic., cap. 35 intituled " An Act to further amend the Law of Property, and to relieve Trustees." NOTICE is hereby given, that all creditors and
all other persons having any claims or demands against the estate of Josiah Hughes, late of 159, High Street, Bangor, in the' county of Carnarvon, Ironmonger, deceased (who died on the 25th day of June, 1893, and whose will was proved in the Bangor District Registry of of the Probate Division of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice, on the llth day of September, 1893, by Mary Hughes and John Sorley Montgomery, the executrix and executor thereinnamed), are hereby required to send in the particulars, in writing, of their claims or demands to us, the undersigned, on or before the 30th day of May instant; after which date the executors will proceed to distribute the assets of the deceased, having regard only to the claims of which they shall then have had notice.— Dated this 2nd day of May, 1894. D. OWEN and GRIFFITH, Queen's-building, Bangor, Solicitors for the Executors.


NOTICE is hereby given that the Partnership (heretofore subsisting between Hugh Jones Evans, of Llwyn Adda, Abbey Road, Bangor, in the county of Caernarvon and John Williams, of 4, Gambier Terrace, Bangor aforesaid, carrying on business as Ironmongers, at 159 and 161, High Street, Bangor, under the style or firm of "JOSIAH HUGHES AND COMPANY," has been dissolved by reason of the death of the said Hugh Jones Evans, on the 14th day of February, 1931, as from the 15th day of May last; and all debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid respectively by the said John Williams, who will continue to carry on the said business alone, under the style or firm of " Josiah  Hughes and Company."—As witness our hands this sixteenth day of December, 1931. JOHN WILLIAMS. EDITH TILSLEY EVANS, one of the Execu-
(C23) tors of Hugh Jones Evans, Deceased.

London Gazette