Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

James Clement Balsom was born on 30 April 1889 at Timaru, the fourth son of Robert Harland and Mary Jane (née Symons) Balsom, and was baptised on 18 December 1889 at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Timaru. Robert and Mary, who both hailed from England, married on 9 October 1880 at St Mary’s Church, Timaru. On 3 July 1882, the Freemasons of Saint John’s Lodge presented a medal to each of the boats’ crews who was instrumental in saving life on the occasion of the shipping disaster in the Timaru Roadstead on the 14th May. Included among the men decorated with medals was R. H. Balsom. Mr Balsom was foreman on the permanent staff of the Landing Service when, in November 1884, the service was transferred from the Harbour Board to the direct control of the Harbour Master and the permanent staff members received three weeks’ notice of dismal. “Captain Webster then engaged as his permanent deputy Mr Balsom, who will henceforth have entire charge under Captain Webster.” It was in December 1893 that Mr Balsom resigned from his position with the Timaru Harbour Board after 14 years of service.

James started his schooling at Geraldine, transferring with some of his siblings to Upper Mangorei School, New Plymouth in April 1901 when the family moved to the North Island. At Geraldine School in 1895 James received a Primer I prize. He left school at the age of fourteen. In December 1900, Mr R. H. Balsom offered for sale his land, etc., at Geraldine, and in early March 1901 a clearing sale – farming stock and plant and household furniture - was held. The family moved to Mangorei, Taranaki.

James Balsom married Mabel Vickers on 21 January 1915 at New Plymouth. In 1917, James Clement Balsom, creamery manager, Motunui via Waitara, was listed on the Reserve Rolls. Also listed there were two of his brothers – Robert Henry Balsom, farmer, Mangorei, married with five or more children, and Anthony Harland Balsom, shunter (N.Z.R.), Upper Mangorei, married with two children. When he enlisted on 28 January 1918 at New Plymouth, he named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs Mabel Balsom, C/o S. Vickers, Omata, Taranaki. His address was Rotunui, via Waitara. He was a cheesemaker of Church of England affiliation. In March 1918, the North Taranaki Dairy Company appealed on behalf of James Clement Balsom, cheesemaker at the factory. “Mr. T. Buchanan, secretary of company, gave evidence that the company employed two cheesemakers and two assistants. He wished to make it clear that Balsom, who had three brothers at the front, was not appealing; it was purely the company’s appeal, on account of the impossibility of replacing him. Decision was reserved sine die.” On 27 July 1918, Private J. C. Balsom embarked with the 41st Reinforcements at Wellington per the “Ulimaroa”. Disembarking at London, England on 4 October 1918, he marched into Brocton. After serving in England during 1918 and 1919, he embarked at Plymouth on 23 June 1919 to return to New Zealand per the “Giessen”. He was discharged on 23 September 1919, on the termination of his period of engagement, and awarded the British War Medal.

Mabel Balsom – the beloved wife of J. C. Balsom – died at her parents’ residence at Omata on 29 December 1922, aged 31 years, and was buried at Waireka Cemetery. James married Muriel Doris Gwendolien MacDonald on 9 July 1925 and they had one daughter. James Clement Balsom died on 16 February 1949 at New Plymouth, aged 59 years, and was buried in the Services Area of Te Henui Cemetery, a Services stone marking his grave. Muriel Balsom died on her 77th birthday, 31 December 1983, and was buried at Karori Cemetery with MacDonald family, her daughter later buried there too.

Three brothers of James Clement Balsom served in World War One – Cecil John Balsom, Charles Thomas Balsom and William Amos Balsom who died of wounds in France on 1 September 1918. Several nephews of James served in World War Two – Harland Kenneth Balsom, Newton Clive Balsom, Leslie Ralph Balsom, Ian Murray Kenneth Balsom and Sydney Neville Balsom, Charles Snooks (Charlie), Douglas James Snooks and Graham Ronald Snooks. Mary Jane Balsom who died in August 1930 and Robert Harland Balsom who died in January 1939 were buried at Te Henui Cemetery, New Plymouth.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [17 December 2023]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [17 December 2023]; School Admission Record (New Plymouth Branch NZSG) [17 December 2023]; South Canterbury Times, 4 July 1882, 12 November 1884, 20 December 1893, Temuka Leader, 21 December 1895, Taranaki Herald, 21 March 1918, Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1922 (Papers Past) [17 December 2023]; Te Henui Cemetery & Waireka Cemetery burial records (New Plymouth District Council) [17 December 2023]; Te Henui Cemetery headstone image (Find A Grave) [17 December 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

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