A. G. Chapman

Alfred George Chapman (1834 – 30 January 1914), invariably referred to as A. G. Chapman, was a builder in the early days of Adelaide, South Australia.

History

Chapman was born in Enfield, London.[1] He married and emigrated to South Australia, arriving in Adelaide around 1854 and started working as a carpenter for Beeby & Dunstan, millers, of Grenfell Street, and had a residence in the city.

He was involved in the construction of Charles Todd's telegraph line to Port Adelaide in 1856, the MacDonnell Bridge over the Torrens to Paradise (opened 1857),[2] and the Glenelg jetty (opened 25 April 1859).[3] He also worked for the Railways.

He established himself as a builder and contractor, with an office in Roberts Street, later in Hutt Street. He worked on a wide range of prestigious projects, frequently for architect Daniel Garlick:

  • 1869 servants' quarters at Government House[4]
  • 1870 "superior residence" for Frank Rymill on East Terrace[5]
  • 1870 Northmore's drapery, on part of the DaCosta bequest to St Peter's College[6]
  • 1870 Pulteney Street School additional building[7]
  • 1871 Four shops on Gawler place for Alexander Dowie; houses on Wakefield Street for T. English and Thomas Gattey Brown[8]
  • 1872 Northmore's shop remodelled and doubled in size[9]
  • 1872 Brown & Woods' store on Waymouth Street[10]
  • 1872 Several two-storey houses for T. English in Wakefield Street, one for C. Glover on Gilles Street, two for C. Wadey in Franklin Street, one for S. Whitmore on South Terrace, ...[11]
  • 1873 J. Calder's biscuit factory on Twin Street,
  • 1874 rebuilt the guardhouse to Government House and gateway.
  • 1875 Parliament House extensions[12]
  • 1875 Norwood and Kensington Institute[13]
  • 1876 further expansion of Northmore & Deans emporium, Rundle Street, also part of Wills & Co.'s store on Rundle Street.[14]
  • 1877 an Oyster saloon for G. Moseley and the Crown and Sceptre Hotel for A. Hubble,[15] both on King William Street, also a store and factory on Waymouth Street for Bickford & Sons[16]
  • 1877 Morialta Chambers in Victoria Square and Waymouth Chambers on Waymouth Street[17]
  • 1878 Torrens Chambers, adjacent Morialta Chambers on Victoria Square.[18]
  • 1878 Academy of Music, Rundle Street[19]
  • 1878 Charles Birks emporium, Rundle Street[20]

Each year he held a Christmas get-together of his workers, usually 20 or thirty men, for lunch with their families.[21] Around 1880 he quit the building business.[22]

He invested heavily in land during the boom with some success at first, later lost a great deal, and quit business.

He became a partner in W. F. Gray and Co. (with Frederik William Gray and Henry Snelling), plumbers and sheetmetal workers at the corner of Grenfell and Hyde streets,[23] which he took over in 1891, retaining the name.[24] The company began manufacturing "Snelling & Chapman's Little Gem Spray Pump". In 1908 Snelling sued Chapman for unpaid royalties on the device.[25] By 1904 Chapman had taken his son Allan Chapman into partnership.[26]

His son enlisted with the 1st AIF on 5 October 1915, giving occupation as "Master Plumber", served with the 43rd Battalion, gunshot wound January 1917 rendered him paraplegic, died at 7 AGH, Keswick, South Australia on 6 September 1917. Their son Private Alfred George Chapman (born 1899) died of wounds 18 April 1918.

Other interests

Chapman was a keen cricketer and footballer, and was inaugural president of the South Adelaide Cricket Club in 1875 and of the South Adelaide Football Club in 1876.[27]

He was admitted to the South Australian Chamber of Manufactures in 1877.[28]

Personal

Chapman was married to Sarah Helen Chapman (c. 1832 – 26 January 1883).[29] Their home was on Hutt Street from 1867 or earlier,[30] then "Enfield House", Parkside, from 1878 or earlier, and by 1904 was at Eighth Street, St Peters.[26] They had one son and eight daughters:

  • Maria Mary Chapman (1855– ) married Frederic William Gray on 9 November 1875[31] (Cowell in 1914)
  • Mary Ann Chapman (1857– ) married Samuel James Whitmore on 13 November 1878[32] (Adelaide)
  • Margaret Jane Chapman (1859– ) married George Stephens of Castlemaine, Victoria on 20 August 1879[33]
  • Agnes Hume Chapman (1861– ) married Ernest Govett of Paddington, London, on 13 December 1887[34] (London)
  • Jessie Louisa Chapman (1863 – ) married Robert McCosh Pratt on 11 May 1892[35] (Grange)
  • Eva Helen Chapman (1967– ) (Prospect).
  • Allan Hume Chapman (1871–1917) married Emily Gogan on 28 October 1892.[36]
  • Emily Maud "Emmie" Chapman (1873– ) married Carl Pfeffer (not Pfeiffer) of Heidelberg, Germany, on 28 January 1904 at Bayswater, London (Buenos Ayres)
  • Katie Edith (Katy Edyth?) Chapman (1875– ) married Walter Knight Dixon on 26 December 1999[37] (Perth)

References

  1. ^ "Mr A. G. Chapman". The Observer (Adelaide). Vol. LXXI, no. 5, 475. South Australia. 7 February 1914. p. 39. Retrieved 18 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Opening of the MacDonnell Bridge". South Australian Register. Vol. XXI, no. 3388. South Australia. 14 August 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Opening of Glenelg Jetty". The South Australian Advertiser. Vol. I, no. 247. South Australia. 26 April 1859. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "City of Adelaide". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXIV, no. 7221. South Australia. 1 January 1870. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Private Buildings". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXIV, no. 7221. South Australia. 1 January 1870. p. 3. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "City Improvements". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXV, no. 7480. South Australia. 3 November 1870. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Building Improvements for 1870". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXV, no. 7529. South Australia. 31 December 1870. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Building Improvements for 1871". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXVII, no. 7866. South Australia. 1 February 1872. p. 3. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Commercial". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 8157. South Australia. 8 January 1873. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Commercial". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 8157. South Australia. 8 January 1873. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Commercial". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 8157. South Australia. 8 January 1873. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Improvement of the Assembly Chamber". Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXXII, no. 1753. South Australia. 8 May 1875. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Norwood and Kensington Institute". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XII, no. 3, 548. South Australia. 11 September 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "Commercial". South Australian Register. Vol. XLI, no. 9098. South Australia. 12 January 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Latest News". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. IX, no. 2598. South Australia. 18 July 1877. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Building Improvements During 1876". The South Australian Advertiser. Vol. XIX, no. 5687. South Australia. 10 January 1877. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Building Improvements". South Australian Register. Vol. XLII, no. 9416. South Australia. 18 January 1877. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "Latest News". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. X, no. 2847. South Australia. 13 May 1878. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "News of the Week". South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail. Vol. XXI, no. 1, 046. South Australia. 7 September 1878. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Building Improvements for 1878". South Australian Register. Vol. XLIV, no. 10, 025. South Australia. 1 January 1879. p. 1. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Latest News". The Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. V, no. 1517. South Australia. 26 December 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Latest News". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. XV, no. 4359. South Australia. 2 May 1883. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "Advertising". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. LVII, no. 17, 506. South Australia. 23 November 1914. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "Advertising". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XXVIII, no. 8, 185. South Australia. 13 March 1891. p. 1. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ^ "Local Court — Adelaide". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XXXII, no. 9, 459. South Australia. 22 May 1895. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ a b "Local Court — Adelaide". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XLI, no. 12, 249. South Australia. 28 July 1904. p. 1. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ^ "General News". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XIII, no. 3, 728. South Australia. 13 April 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ^ "Chamber of Manufactures". The South Australian Advertiser. Vol. XX, no. 5912. South Australia. 29 September 1877. p. 6. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. ^ "Family Notices". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XX, no. 5, 715. South Australia. 27 January 1883. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. ^ "Inquest on a Fire in Hutt Street". The South Australian Advertiser. South Australia. 11 June 1867. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  31. ^ "Family Notices". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. VII, no. 2088. South Australia. 12 November 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Vol. XLIII, no. 9988. South Australia. 18 November 1878. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  33. ^ "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Vol. XLIV, no. 10, 228. South Australia. 26 August 1879. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  34. ^ "Family Notices". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. XIX, no. 5779. South Australia. 31 December 1887. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  35. ^ "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Vol. LVII, no. 14, 209. South Australia. 28 May 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  36. ^ "Family Notices". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. XXXV, no. 10643. South Australia. 26 November 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  37. ^ "Family Notices". The West Australian. Vol. XL, no. 7, 046. Western Australia. 25 December 1924. p. 1. Retrieved 19 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.