James BREMNER

 James BREMNER

( late of 264 Bourke Street )

New South Wales Police Force

Regd. # ?

Rank:  Inspector

Stations:  ?, No. 3 Division Darlinghurst ( O.I.C. for 17 years )

Service:  From  ? ? about 1864  to  2 January 1901 =

Awards:  ?

Born:  ? ? 1841

Died on:  Wednesday  2 January 1901

Cause:  Horse accident – pedestrian

Event date:  Tuesday  1 January 1901

Event location:  Centennial Park

Age:  ?

Funeral date:  Thursday  4 January 1901

Funeral location:  Presbyterian portion of Waverley Cemetery

Buried at: Presbyterian portion of Waverley CemeterY

General Vault, Section 16

 Memorial at:  ?

 

JAMES IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance

 

---

 

FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.

PLEASE SEND PHOTOS AND INFORMATION TO Cal

---

 

The inspector was knocked down and killed by a military horse during Commonwealth of Australia celebrations at Centennial Park, Sydney ( 1 January 1901 ). At the time he was supervising 200 police who were maintaining order amongst a large crowd awaiting the Commonwealth Day Procession. As the procession began, a trooper’s horse took fright and bolted into the crowd. Inspector Bremner was knocked down, sustaining severe spinal injuries. He was conveyed to St Vincent’s Hospital where he died at 2.15am the following morning. He had been due to retire a few weeks earlier but stayed on to assist with the Commonwealth of Australia celebrations.

 

The inspector was a well-known policeman in Sydney. He had arrived in Sydney from the north of Scotland some 37 years earlier and had almost immediately joined the police (about 1864). He had been the officer-in-charge of No. 3 Division for seventeen years, supervising the police stations at Randwick, Waverley, Botany and Woollahra. He was apparently a huge man of about twenty stone in weight. He left behind a widow but no children.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald of 4 January, 1901 reported on the very impressive funeral which was afforded the inspector.

 

FUNERAL OF THE LATE INSPECTOR BREMNER.

The funeral of the late Inspector James Bremner, who died at St Vincent’s Hospital on Wednesday from injuries received in the discharge of his duties during the swearing in ceremony of the Governor General at the Centennial Park on the previous day, took place yesterday afternoon. The interment was made in the Presbyterian portion of Waverley Cemetery. The cortege left the late residence of the deceased, 264 Bourke Street, at 3pm. The popularity and respect in which the deceased officer was held were marked by the large presence of all classes of the community, who assembled at the place of departure and along the whole line of route. Moreover, numerous evidences of mourning were displayed throughout Oxford Street. At Darlinghurst Law Courts voluntary guards of honour were formed by the bandsmen of the Irish Rifles and St George s Regiment, who were playing in the neighbourhood. Opposite Marshall’s Brewery a number of blue-jackets who were returning from the review lined up and saluted the coffin as it passed. Passing Centennial Park the same tribute of respect was paid by the troops encamped there…

 

The inspector was born in 1841 and joined the New South Wales Police Force about 1864. At the time of his death he was the Officer-in-Charge of No.3 Division (Darlinghurst).

---