Edward Stephens (19 October 1811 – 4 December 1861) was one of the earliest settlers in the

Colony of South Australia In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

. He became a businessman in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, and was one of the founders of

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

in South Australia.

Life

Stephens was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, the tenth child of Rev. John Stephens (1772–1841) who had been president of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. His siblings included

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(1806–1850) and Samuel (1808–1840). He was a clerk and assistant cashier in the Hull Banking Company from 1833 until 1836, when he was appointed cashier and accountant of the

South Australian Company The South Australian Company, also referred to as the South Australia Company, was formed in London on 9 October 1835, after the '' South Australia (Foundation) Act 1834'' had established the new British Province of South Australia, with the S ...

. He sailed for South Australia on HMS ''Coromandel'' and on 17 January 1837 arrived at Holdfast Bay where he set up business in a tent. He bought eight acres in the new city of

. In 1840 when the company's business was divided, Stephens became the Adelaide manager of the South Australian Banking Company, whose local board consisted of George Morphett, R. F. Newland and E. I. S. Trimmer. He was also a nominated member of the Legislative Council and was appointed a justice of the peace. He was one of the founders of Methodism in Adelaide. He was chairman of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society from 1847 to 1848. He returned to London in 1855, where he continued to work in the interests of South Australia. He died at Howard Lodge,

Maida Vale Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is ...

, and was buried at

West Norwood Cemetery West Norwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery. One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the " Magnificent Seven" cemeteries of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Edward English emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian judges Settlers of South Australia 1811 births 1861 deaths Burials at West Norwood Cemetery Members of the South Australian Legislative Council 19th-century Australian politicians Colony of South Australia judges