Biography

Charles James Weedon (1810 - 1874) was born in London, England, in April 1810. He was the eldest son of James Weedon, also of London. He received an English education, and in 1831 he emigrated to Van Diemen's Land on the ship 'Thomas Laurie', which arrived in Launceston on 18^th February 1831 bringing wine, guns, paper, sheep, dried fruits, as well as passengers.

Charles Weedon worked first as managing clerk for the firm of Connelly & Co., in Launceston.

In 1834 he visited Port Phillip with the Henty brothers; this was before Melbourne was established. Then in 1839 he married Charlotte, born 1819, eldest daughter of Charles Browne Hardwicke and Elizabeth, formerly Chapman, both of Norfolk Plains. Charles Hardwicke came to Van Diemen's Land in 1816.

In 1842, Charles Weedon opened his own business as auctioneer and general merchant, a business that grew to become the largest of its kind in Launceston. In the 1980s there was still a firm operating with the name of C.J. Weedon & Co, although by the 2020s, the business had become Harrison Agents, with descendants of Charles Weedon still involved.

He also became agent for the Derwent & Tamar Assurance Co. in 1845. One of his sons eventually took over this agency. Charles had many public and private interests. He was one of the original directors of the Launceston & Western Railway, a director of the Bank of Tasmania, a warden of the Marine Board, and a Member of the Legislative Council.

He was a Freemason as a member of the Lodge of Hope. He was also one of the original members of the Municipal Council in 1853. From 1850 to 1872 he was a trustee of the Launceston Church Grammar School.

Charles and Charlotte were regular attenders at St. John's Church where he was a churchwarden in 1845 and 1846.

Charles died in Launceston in 1874, and Charlotte died 26^th September 1901. An obituary in The Examiner, 11th July 1874 p.3 gives some more details of his life. A font to replace an earlier one was given to St. John's Church in memory of the Weedons. The inscription on the base of it reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD PRESENTED BY MRS. W. MARTIN IN MEMORY OF
HER FATHER AND MOTHER
CHARLES JAMES AND CHARLOTTE WEEDON

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