Family background
James Peter Howe was born on 3 November 1854 in Sydney, NSW, son of William Bryant Howe and Mary Lambert. He married Annie Emma Burchmore on 27 November 1878 at St Paul’s, Sydney, NSW and they had 4 sons and 5 daughters. James Peter Howe died in a private hospital, late of ‘Cranford’ Hotham Street, South Preston, Victoria, on 1 July 1917, aged 62 years and he was buried in Coburg Cemetery. He had a boot warehouse at 21 Botany Road, Waterloo.
Occupation & interests
Howe was educated in Chippendale under Mr S Burrows. From the age of 15, he worked as a patent and fancy leather dresser with Anderson & Sons and by 1890 he was its Branch Manager. In later years he moved to Melbourne and set up the firm of J P Howe & Co Pty Ltd in Preston and was a Director of the Australian Mercantile Loan & Guarantee Company Limited and while with this company he was convicted on 31 October 1891 on a charge of having conspired to defraud the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company Limited which resulted in a sentence of 7 years imprisonment. He was released after 3 years and 7 months.
Community activity
Howe was President of Redfern Protection Union. Supporter of friendly and benefit societies. A Freemason becoming Senior Grand Warden of NSW. Member of Preston Masonic Lodge.
Parliamentary service
Howe was Member for Redfern 1889-1891 and Bourke in 1891. He was later Councillor and President of Preston Shire Council, Victoria
Local government service
James Peter Howe was an alderman on Waterloo Council in 1886-1891. He was mayor in 1888-89.
References
‘Municipal Elections’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 February 1886, p. 2, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111191435
‘A Sydney Legislator’, Australian Town and Country Journal, 28 September 1889, p. 33, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71123848
‘Financial Troubles’, The Newcastle Morning Herald, 15 October 1891 p. 5, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/135844514