Harry Drax Bloxham (1823-?) was born at Badsey Vicarage in 1823, the fifth of ten children of the Reverend Charles Bloxham and his wife, Mary Hope (née Ouchterlony). He was baptized in St James’ Church, Badsey, on 4th October 1823. He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Guildford, Surrey, which was also the alma mater of his brothers, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His mother died in 1836 when he was 13 years old.
Harry’s whereabouts at the time of the 1841 census are unknown; he was not at home in Badsey with his widowed father and younger siblings. In 1851, Harry was working as a banker’s clerk in London. He lived at 6 Sudeley Street, Islington.
Harry emigrated to Australia in 1851, following in the wake of his brothers, Edward, James and Arthur. He arrived in Melbourne aboard the Troubadour on 10th August 1851. He became branch manager of the London Chartered Bank Melbourne. In March 1860 he became manager of the London Chartered Bank, Sydney, arriving there by the Wonga Wonga on 1st March 1860. A newspaper report in The Sydney Mail of 15th August 1863 mentions Henry Drax Bloxham, manager of the London Chartered Bank, in connection with charging a man with forgery.
An 1865 Return of Pastoral Rental for First & Second Class & Unsettled Districts listed Harry Drax as landowner of 15 pieces of land. His name appears in The Brisbane Courier of 14th January 1868 in connection with taking up a run of Crown Land in Leichhardt district.
It is known when Harry died. Information that he died in Melbourne in 1875 and was buried in Melbourne General Cemetery has proved to be unsubstantiated. All we know for certain is that he had died by October 1893 when an obituary for his brother, Edward, in The Town and Country Journal, described Harry as deceased.
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With thanks to Bob Bakkers for further information on Harry Drax Bloxham.