James Jon Wilshire

James Jon Wilshire was born in 1815 in Somerset, England. He married Mary Ann Bock (nee Spencer) in 1856 and they had three daughters together. Mary also had five sons from her marriage to colonial artist Thomas Bock. He and Mary lived and worked with their family in the centre of New Norfolk. From 1856 to 1872 he was the proprietor of Wilshire’s General Store, Ironmongery, Grocery, Haberdasher and Millinery Shop on the corner of High Street and Burnett Street. James was instrumental in bringing the electric telegraph to New Norfolk. James retired and moved to Sandy Bay and died in 1883 at the age of 68.