Francis Grayson
{{Short description|Australian politician (1849–1927)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Francis Grayson
|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|JP}}
|image = Members of the opposition party Queensland Parliament 1909.jpg
|caption = Members of the opposition party Queensland Parliament 1909 - Grayson is standing on the right, rear row.
| constituency_AM1 = Cunningham
| assembly1 = Queensland Legislative
| term_start1 = 27 August 1904
| term_end1 = 9 October 1920
| predecessor1 = Duncan Watson
| successor1 = William Deacon
| alongside1 =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1849|9|2|df=y}}
|birth_place = Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland
|death_date = {{death date and age|1927|7|27|1849|9|2|df=y}}
|death_place = Warwick, Queensland, Australia
|restingplace = Warwick General Cemetery
|birthname = Francis Grayson
|nationality = Irish Australian
|party = Independent
|otherparty = Ministerial, Kidstonites, Opposition, Liberals, National
|spouse = Jane Bell (m.1872 d.1930)
|known_for =
| occupation = Shopkeeper
| relations =
| alma_mater =
}}
Francis Grayson (2 September 1849 – 27 July 1927) was a shopkeeper and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.{{cite web|title=Former Members|publisher=Parliament of Queensland|year=2015| url=http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=1193182339|accessdate= 14 March 2016}}
Biography
Grayson was born at Lurgan, County Armagh, to parents John Grayson and his wife Jane (née Irwin) and educated at the Church of England School in Lurgan. He left Ireland at age fourteen to come to Australia, arriving in Brisbane in 1864. Almost immediately he set out for the Darling Downs and began work at Glengallan Station which at the time was owned by the Deuchar family.[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175663423/20641059 Mr. Francis Grayson] — Warwick Daily News. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
In 1870, he took up a selection of his own and named it Silverwood. After five years there he moved to Warwick where he opened a general and produce store which successfully operated for the next 27 years.
In 1872, Grayson married Jane Bell[https://www.qld.gov.au/law/births-deaths-marriages-and-divorces/family-history-research/ Family history research] — Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 13 March 2016. and together had two sons and four daughters. He died in 1927 after suffering a short illness and was buried in the Warwick General Cemetery.[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175663398/20641059 Funeral Notice] — Warwick Daily News. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
Political career
Grayson became an alderman on the Warwick Town Council in 1879 and, except for a three-year break was on the council until 1905. He was Mayor on three occasions - 1892, 1896, and 1904.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article183383685|title=1847-- --1936|date=22 June 1936|newspaper=The Telegraph|accessdate=19 October 2017|location=Queensland, Australia|page=20 (CITY FINAL LAST MINUTE NEWS)|via=National Library of Australia}}
At the 1904 state elections, standing as a Ministerialist, Grayson defeated the sitting member, Duncan Watson for the seat of Cunningham in the Queensland Legislative Assembly.[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19298501/1548130 Cunningham (1)] — The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 14 March 2016. He was later a member of successive parties the Kidstonites, the Liberals, the National Party, and ended up as an Independent. He retired from his seat at the 1920 state elections.
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-qld}}
{{s-bef|before= Duncan Watson}}
{{s-ttl |title= Member for Cunningham|years=1904–1920}}
{{s-aft|after=William Deacon}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grayson, Francis}}
Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Category:Colony of Queensland people
Category:National Party (Queensland, 1917) members of the Parliament of Queensland