Arthur was born on 20 November 1868 at Inman Valley. Listing in the “Biographical
Index of S.A. 1835 - 1885” reads as follows:
JARVIS ARTHUR B 1868 parents Joshua and Mary Ann nee Barratt. Occ: Policeman, labourer. carpenter, fisherman. res: Gawler, Mt. Gambier, Victor Harbor.
mar: Eliza Jane nee James b 1868* Balaklava S.A. children
Keith (1891 – 1916)
Harold (1894-1956)
Eric Roy (1896 – 1967)
Reginald (1899 – 1983)
Leslie Douglas (1904 – 1984)
Marjorie Alice Edith (1909 – 1993).
* (Note Eliza's birth date should be 1867)
After the death of his father Joshua, the family returned to the Inman Valley area where Arthur and Walter were brought up by their grandfather Barrett, known as “Old Grump”.
It is recorded that these two brothers cut timber for firewood delivering and selling it in Victor Harbor. They cut hubs from timber for wagon wheels. (Reference: “The Echoing Valley” page 22. A tribute to the pioneers of Back Valley compiled by Eric Richardson, Victor Harbor).
On 1 October 1889 Arthur joined the S.A. Police Force as a 3/C Foot Constable then became a 2/C and moved to Mount Gambier on 3/1/1894, then Gawler on 13/1/1897.
He was suspended on 4/12/1899 and discharged on 12/12/1899. I believe the reason to be that he did not “get on” with his superiors - this is hearsay not fact. His listed occupations were boat builder, builder's labourer, carpenter with S.A. Railways, policeman and caretaker of a city building.
On the 5th January 1891 he married Eliza Jane James who was 23 years old having been born on 12 June 1867. Arthur was 22 years old and a police constable in Adelaide.
Eliza's place of residence was listed as Adelaide at the time of their marriage.
The Fathers' names appearing on their marriage certifïcate are Joshua Jarvis and Abel
James. Witnesses were Emma Jarvis (sister to Arthur) and H. Trenery. They were
married at the residence of Mr. Nichols, on the corner of Morphett Street and North
Terrace, Adelaide. Officiating Minister was W.H. Cuse. I assume that Mr. Nichols was
the caretaker of the church - Holy Trinity.
Arthur and Eliza had six children:
Keith
b 18-10-1891 d 10-12-1916
Harold Arthur
b 01-08-1894 d 22-09-1956
Eric Roy
b 02-08-1896 d 13-11-1967
Reginald Lancelot
b 13-04-1899 d 05-11-1883
Leslie Douglas
b 18-02-1904 d 09-04-1984
Majorie Edith Alice
b 24-09-1909 d 1993
Keith single
Harold married Belle Whiting - 1 daughter Peggy
Eric Roy married Alice Scott - 2 children Keith and Shirley
Reginald Lancelot married Eunice Harris - 3 children Ronald, Margaret and Kaye
Leslie Douglas married Kathleen Robson - 3 children David, Helen, Peter
Marjorie Edith Alice married Gordon Milkins - no children
After his discharge from the Police Force. the family moved back to Victor Harbor. He had ideas of going fishing, however he obtained a job building railway cottages at Tailem Bend.
Keith Jarvis (grandson) told me he had a reputation for building wooden dinghys and used to get “knees” from the mangroves. He owned a magnificent set of carpenter's tools.
Arthur was a member of the Lifesaving Club and the Victor Harbor Municipal Band.
In 1914 he joined the Army along with his three eldest sons Keith, Harold and Roy (Copies of enlistment and discharge documents were obtained from the Department of the Army Archives). Reg volunteered but was rejected because of varicose veins. He always said that his father was instrumental in his failure to be accepted for active service.
Arthur joined the Remount Unit on 21 Sept 1915, third squadron A.I.F. His enlistment
papers puts him as 46 years 9 months old, living at Victor Harbor, carpenter, apprentice from the School of Mines with 2 children and wife Eliza. Address Bridge Terrace, Victor Harbor.
To the question - “Do you now belong or have you ever served in His Majesty's forces?” - The answer was “Yes, the Royal Garrison Artillery - 3 years Mounted Infantry”.
He was paid 6/- per day in wages.
Description on enlistment: Age 46 years 9 months. Height 5 feet 8 inches. Weight 151
lbs (10 stone 11 lbs). Chest measurement 37 - 39 inches. Complexion fair. Eyes hazel.
Hair turning grey. Religion Congregational.
Arthur was sent home from active overseas duty and discharged. The discharge document stated that he was discharged because he suffered from arthritis. He then joined the Australian Imperial Force, Home service Intelligence Department on 30 September 1916 where he was promoted to Sergeant.
Their son Keith contracted a disease whilst serving at Suez, from swimming in contaminated water. He is buried at Suez. This was a great blow to the family. Along the foreshore at Victor Harbor, Norfolk Island pine trees were planted in memory of the men who were killed whilst on active service, Keith among them.
After the War they moved to Torrensville (ed. correction - Torrens Park) where they lived in Barrelder Road. Roy and Alice Jarvis, built (and owned) this house through a War Service Loan. Roy who worked for the Postmaster Generals Department was often moved interstate or to country areas.
Whilst living here they received occasional visits, on a Sunday afternoon, from “Em and Harry Duell, dairy farmers from Salisbury, their two daughters, and Ede (a single lady)”. Em and Ede were Pa's sisters. The Duell's had a motor car, something that Arthur never owned.
Pa ran a detective agency, was a caretaker of the Liberal Club on North Terrace with a flat provided on the top floor. He and Eliza again lived in Roy's house in Barrelder Road.
When he became sick with complications associated with diabetes, he was admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Ron Jarvis recalls visiting him and describes the visit as follows.
“I recall visiting him in his sick bed in a ward which must surely have been designed if
not built, during the Crimean War. The room was a long rectangle one with 19 or 20
beds on each side. A central open fireplace provided the only gesture towards comfort."
No more than three or four chaps could crouch before it, to stir the ashes as necessary.
The rest of the victims lived and died in their beds. Pa had a large carbuncle (ed. large boil) on his forehead and was wandering in his mind when I visited him. Treatment for his diabetes at home had been by a sugar free diet. I don't know if he was ever given Insulin. Pa avoided sugar but usually laced his cups of tea with a couple of tablespoons of honey.”
He died on 16 September 1946 at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and is buried in the West Terrace Cemetery. Two of his pallbearers were his grandsons David and Keith Jarvis. (ed. Keith crossed out his name).
Families often have a “skeleton” in the cupboard to rattle around in a closet. When Mr.
Scott (father of Alice who later married Roy Jarvis) was away overseas during World War 1, Arthur - Pa - had an affair with Mrs. Scott resulting with the birth of Pa's illegitimate daughter Lily Scott. Lily resembled Marj Jarvis in looks and eventually suffered from diabetes and went blind. She was raised as one of the Scott family at their home in Thebarton.
The photograph of Pa at the end of this chapter was taken in his uniform as a member of the “Legion of Frontiersmen”. This was a right-wing organization active in the late l930's and whose aim was to save Australia from Labour politicians. The Legion expired with World War 11.
Arthur was not a good husband, father or provider for his wife and family. He had many “lady” friends and was often absent for long periods from the family home, not supporting them emotionally or financially.
His wife Eliza was a small, quiet woman, a good sewer of clothes and managed to keep the family fed and clothed only through her own efforts.
She had a disappointing, unhappy hard life trying to make ends meet. She lived within her own thoughts and used to sing to herself as she went about her daily chores.
Arthur was not well liked by his close family, however, he was a handsome man with a
good personality making many friends and “charming” the ladies, even well into his 70's.
He had no qualms about “borrowing” money from anyone and never attempted to pay it back, mainly living on his wits.
I did not know Arthur “Pa” Jarvis. I would like to thank Ron &. Keith Jarvis; grandsons who passed on their memories which are recorded above. I was also able to gain some insight into the personality of Arthur from Alice (Scott) Jarvis wife of Roy Jarvis.
Port Victor Lifeboat crew 1911
Standing - L to R. Charles Rumblelow, Alfred Moyle, Arthur Jarvis, Capt. Fred Jeffrey (Harbor master), Joe Joy, Errol Williams, Harry Battye, Walter Jeffrey, and Joe Lush. Seated - Keith Jarvis, Cliff Williams and Ern Hyde. In November 1911 the Lifeboat “Lady Daly" went to the rescue of the Norwegian “Margit" which loaded with wheat, ran aground on the coast near the Coorong. The ship's crew were saved and put ashore, but the lifeboat crew spent three stormy and anxious days and nights before they finally returned to Port Victor.
Ed: The uniform is probably correct. Although the website of the Australian division (frontiersmen.org.au) has been discontinued, the Wayback Machine archive revealed the following image. The centre figure has the same diagonal belt and ring support. The jacket is a different design but has the same buttons and shoulder epaulets. The members either side have the same lapel badges. As a member of the Police Force and detective agency, Pa would have been most likely drawn to such an organization.
