James Coghlan

James Coghlan
1895
Born	1827 Wexford, Ireland
Died	January 1902 Ballarat
Years active	1863-1895
Known for	Magill and Coghlan Ballarat Brewing Company Phoenix Brewery
Home town	Ballarat
Spouse(s)	Susanna Griffith

James Coghlan was a brewer and hotel owner in Ballarat, <1863-1902>.

History

James Coghlan was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1827. He went to sea at an early age, and acquired a ship masters certificate. He arrived in Victoria in 1853. After unsuccessfully mining in Ballarat he got a job at Murphy's Wharf Brewery in Melbourne in 1856. He established a brewery at Warrenheip in 1857.

Coghlan was a director of the Ballarat Brewing Company, and owner of the Phoenix Brewery at Warrenheip.

Coghlan married Susanna Griffiths in Melbourne in October 1863:

COGHLAN—GRIFFITH. — On the 22nd inst., at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, by the Rev. J. J. Bleasdale, D. D., James Coghlan, Esq., Phoenix Brewery, Warrenheip, brother to W. Coghlan, Esq., Collector of Customs, Wexford, to Susanna, daughter of the late Mr. John Griffith, Inspector of Fisheries, Coleraine, County Derry, Ireland. No cards.

In October 1871 a burglary was reported at his house in Warrenheip:

A robbery was committed on Saturday night last at the house of Mr James Coghlan, Warrenheip. A room, which though not opening into the house, is connected with it, was entered in the night and some boots and wearing apparel removed. This room is surrounded almost by others in which a large number of persons slept, but no one heard noises which were likely to lead to the belief that a robbery was taking place.

In August 1873 he was one of the original shareholders in the Atlantic Quartz and Alluvial Gold Mining Company of Smythesdale, having purchased 80 shares at £2 2s each.

In November 1895, Coghlan took over the brewery operated by Leggo and Sons:

Negotiations have been completed by Messrs. Coghlan and Tulloch, the proprietors of the Phoenix Brewery, Warrenheip, and of the Royal Standard Brewery, Ballarat respectively, for the purchase of the brewing business on the Creswick-road, conducted by Messrs. Leggo and Sons. It is intended to form a company to carry on the three breweries, which in the aggregate are valued at £150,000. Messrs. Coghlan and Tulloch will hold a large interest, and the balance of the shares will be probably readily taken up by investors.

Coghlan died in January 1902:

I regret to have to announce the death of the late Mr. James Coghlan, K.S.G., which sad event took place at his residence, Ballarat, on last Saturday morning. The deceased gentleman (who had previously been captain of a vessel to Victoria, and returned again to the old country), arrived in Ballarat about the year 1853, where he worked for a few years as a digger, but not being successful, went back to Melbourne, where he was for a time employed as a clerk in Murphy's Brewery. He afterwards, in 1857, opened the Phoenix Brewery, at Warrenheip, in conjunction with the late Mr. Magill, under the style of Magill and Coghlan, and on the death of Mr. Magill carried on the business for some time under the same name. A few years ago the business was formed into a limited liability company, the Ballarat Brewery Company, in which Mr. Coghlan retained an active interest. He took an active part in mining, and was a large shareholder in several companies. He was also a member of the Hospital and Benevolent Asylum committees, and twice held the office of president of the former institution. Some years ago, he was made Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by His Holiness Pope Leo XIII., and by virtue of that appointment occasionally took a seat within the sanctuary of the Cathedral. During last year, he, accompanied by some members of his family made a trip to Europe and returned to Ballarat in November last in bad health; but it was hoped that he would soon regain it. These hopes however, were futile, and although the family medical adviser, Dr. Cussen, and Drs. Pinnock and Tremearne, did all that skill and science enabled them to do; still their efforts were unavailing, and the deceased succumbed to the disease (dropsy) on Saturday morning, as before stated. Mr. Coghlan was a native of Wexford, and leaves a widow and a numerous family to mourn their loss, Requiescat in pace.