The DEAZELEY Family
Early Photographers of Suffolk, England & Queensland, Australia

This site was created 17 September 2006 and was last updated 8 May 2013 ©

 
    
Carte de visite photos by John Deazeley, Market Place, Stowmarket, Suffolk
 
 
Rear of carte de visite from Stowmarket studio
ADDRESS OF OPERATION DATES ACTIVE NOTES
John Deazeley (1831-1890)
Ringwood, Salisbury
Ipswich St, Stowmarket, Suffolk
Queen St, Brisbane
Deazeley & Blake (with Thomas Henry Blake)
Brisbane
7 Queen St, Brisbane
89 Brisbane St, Ipswich
67 Queen St, Brisbane
Gill St, Charters Towers (travelling)
Miner St, Charters Towers (travelling)
Deazeley & Blake (with Thomas Henry Blake)
Townsville		  
1859
1864-1871
1873-1875
 
1878
1880-1881
1883
1881-1885
July 1883
July- Sept 1884
 
1885-1886		  
William John Deazeley (1860-1932)
Brisbane St, Ipswich
Excelsior Studio
Stanley St, South Brisbane
Brisbane St, Ipswich
(at Perroux Studios)
Margaret St, Toowoomba
Schaefer & Deazeley
Margaret St, Toowoomba
Margaret St, Toowoomba
Dalby
Melba Studio
Toowoomba
Dalby		  
1882-1888
 
1885-1897
1900-1902
 
<1905
 
1905-1906
1908
1911-1919
 
1920s
1929-1931		  
Trish & Elsie Deazeley
(Francis Beatrice & Elsie Edith Deazeley)
80 Queen St, Brisbane
465 Ruthven St, Toowoomba
Fortitude Valley		  
 
1923-1941
1923-1945
1930s		  
John Deazeley was born in Queen's County, Ireland, the son of an Irish father John William Deazeley and an English mother Eliza Stares. He married Eliza Bail in Salisbury in 1858 who was the daughter of Jonathon Bail, a Suffolk born cabinet maker. The Deazeley's first child, a daughter Catherine was born in Salisbury in 1859. John Deazeley is first noted as a photographer in Ringwood, Hampshire in that year and probably produced ambrotypes. The family then moved to Suffolk where a son William John was born in Wickham Market in 1860. John appears listed as a photographer at Holton Terrace, Holton, Suffolk in the 1861 census (taken in April) and another son Thomas Carlisle was born in Haleworth, Suffolk in that year.

John Deazeley was the first photographer to set up a permanent studio in Stowmarket, Suffolk in 1864 although curiously a Mrs. Drazley (sic) is first listed as a photographic artist in Ipswich St in the 1864 Harrod's Directory of Suffolk. John Deazeley is listed in Ipswich St in the 1865 Kelly's Directory. The town had been visited by John Beattie in 1854 and F. Downing operated a studio there in Ipswich St in 1858. The latter may be the Frederic Downing subsequently listed as a 24 year old auctioneer in Stowmarket in the 1861 census. John Deazeley produced portrait photographs in carte de visite format and he probably practiced photography in Stowmarket up until his decision to emigrate in 1873 to Australia aboard the Shannon, the family first landing in June in Melbourne, then they went on to Brisbane. Arthur Bugg who had previously worked as a photographer in Ipswich was the next person to set up a studio in Stowmarket in Finborough Rd. John Deazeley set up a studio in (the aptly named) Suffolk House in Queen St, Brisbane where he continued his trade as a carte de visite portraitist. Next door he owned a fancy repository run by sisters Charlotte and Emily Blake. In his first year in business he produced an album of 12 views of Brisbane that was published by George Slater & Co.

On 31 January 1875 there was a fire in Deazeley's studio and the mysterious disappearance of a cash box containing £150. John took in Thomas Henry Blake in partnership in his studio for a time. Blake was brother to two milliners who worked for Deazeley. Again working alone Deazeley relocated to 7 Queen St near the bridge to South Brisbane around August 1880, taking over the studio previously occupied by Metcalf and Bennett (Daniel F. Metcalf and William True Bennett). He offered "views of the city and suburbs always in stock" and that having having purchased a mammoth multiplying camera, he introduced the novelty of gem tintypes. For the first two days they were offered free.

In 1882 John's son William opened a studio in Ipswich (Queensland). During 1883 John opened a short lived studio in Brisbane St, Ipswich while his Brisbane studio shifted from 7 to a newly constructed building at 67 Queen St. John made visits to Charters Towers in 1883 and 1884 with his brother in law Thomas Blake and they set up a studio in Townsville in 1885 . The Brisbane studio was taken over in 1885 by a branch of Tuttle & Co, a chain of studios set up by Civil War veteran William Nutting Tuttle of Sydney. John Deazeley did not operate a studio under his own name after 1886 but he may have been involved with the Excelsior Studio in Stanley Street, South Brisbane that was managed by his son William in 1885. This became William's main facility after his Ipswich studio closed in 1888. John died in Redcliffe in 1890 and was interred in the Toowong Cemetery.

William Patrick O'Reilly trained in the South Brisbane studio and he later became a travelling photographer before opening a studio in Stanthorpe in 1907. William Deazeley returned to Ipswich for two years in 1900 then after working for a while in Perroux Studios in Toowoomba, he set up in 1905 in Toowoomba in partnership with William Schaefer. After a year in partnership he then traded alone, operating his studio into the 1920s and establishing a branch studio at two different times in Dalby. He died in Brisbane in 1930.

William's son John and daughters Trissie and Elsie trained in the family business. This John Deazley's career was cut short as he was killed in action at the age of 24 in 1915 in the Dardinelles. His sisters eventually established studios in both Brisbane and Toowoomba in 1923 with a short lived branch in Fortitude Valley opening in the 1930s. Trissie lived in Hamiton and operated the Brisbane studio whilst Elsie ran the Toowoomba studio. Their business traded for over twenty years. The Deazeley Studios in Toowoomba is still in existence having been run since 1948 by the Perkins family (see http://deazeleystudios.com).

Telegraph 11 September 1873 

PHOTOGRAPHY. SUFFOLK HOUSE, Queen-street, Brisbane.
J. DEAZELEY respectfully informs the Clergy, Gentry, and Inhabitants of Brisbane and its vicinity, that he has erected a Commodious Studio for the execution of First-class PHOTOGRAPHY, at English Prices, viz.-
     Cartes de Visite, from 10s. 6d. per doz.
     Cabinets    ...         ...   21s.           "
Larger sizes, in proportion. Families waited on at their own residence, at shortest notice. Terms - cash, on delivery.
Holdings:
J. Deazeley, "Photographic views of Brisbane. First series" Brisbane : Geo. Slater & Co., 1873 held in National Library of Australia.
Bibliography:
Harrod, J.G., Postal & Commercial Directory of Suffolk, 1864.
Kelly, E.R. (Editor), "Kelly's Directory of the Counties of Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk: With Maps Engraved Expressly for the Work", London: Kelly, 1865.
Stowmarket History and Heritage
various Queensland Post Office Directories
Pugh's Almanac
Alan Davies and Peter Stanbury, "The Mechanical Eye in Australia", OUP, Melbourne, 1988.
Sandy Barrie, "Professional Photographers in Queensland 1849-1920" and "Queenslanders Behind The Camera", Brisbane, 1988.
Sandy Barrie, "Australians Behind the Camera. Directory of Early Australian Photographers 1840-1945", Booval, Queensland, 2002.
Joan Kerr (ed), "The Dictionary of Australian Artists, Painters, Sketchers, Photographers and Engravers to 1870", Melbourne, OUP, 1993.
The Telegraph
The Queensland Times - http://www.qt.com.au
The North Australian Ipswich and General Advertiser.
DEAZELEY Family History
 
1. JOHN WILLIAM DEAZLEY b. Ireland, m. ELIZA STARES b. c.1801, England.
    Children:
    2.i JOHN DEAZELEY b. c.1831, Queen’s County, Ireland.
    3.ii SARAH DEAZELEY b. c.1842, Limerick, Ireland
    iii FRANCES DEAZELEY b. c.1846, England.

Second Generation

2. JOHN DEAZELEY b. c.1831, Queen’s County, Ireland, d. 21 MAY 1890, Humpybong, Queensland, buried: Toowong Cemetery, Queensland, m.(1) 3 APR 1858, Saint Thomas, Salisbury, Wiltshire, ELIZA JANE BAIL b.c. 1824, Holborn, London, d. 10 AUG 1884, buried: Toowong Cemetery, Queensland (daughter of JONATHON & ELIZA JANE BALE), m. (2) 26 DEC 1884, Christ Church, Milton, Queensland, CHARLOTTE JANE BLAKE b. c.1851, Stowmarket, Suffolk, d. 12 NOV 1910 (daughter of JOHN PITT BLAKE and JANE ELIZA PEEBLES). CHARLOTTE remarried 1906, Sydney, NSW, to JOHN F. MARR.
    Children of John Deazeley & Eliza Jane Bail:
    i CATHERINE ELIZA DEAZELEY  b. 1859, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
    3. ii WILLIAM JOHN DEAZELEY  b. 1860, Wickham Market, Suffolk.
    iii THOMAS CHARLIE DEAZELEY  b. 1861, Haleworth, Suffolk.
    4. iv ELLEN DEAZELEY  b. 1866, Stowmarket, Suffolk.

3. SARAH DEAZELEY b. c.1842, Limerick, Ireland, m. 25 JUL 1873, Manhattan, New York, NY, GEORGE JORDAN FIRMIN b. 18 DEC 1826, Colchester, Essex (son of GEORGE FIRMIN & SARAH FENTON). Previously married 2 FEB 1847, Old Church, Saint Pancras, London, to ANNA LOUISA PENNY b. c.1826, London.
    Children of George Jordan Firmin and Anna Louisa Penny:
    i MARY LOUISA PENNY FIRMIN b. 1848, London, Middlesex.
    ii ROBERT GEORGE PENNY FIRMIN b. 1851, London, Middlesex, d. 13 MAR 1926, Southwark, Surrey, Fine Art Dealer in London, m. 19 JAN 1869, St. Pancras Church, Middlesex, ANNA MARIA AMELIA DOEBRSCHIITZ b. 1845, Germany.
    iii ALBERT GEORGE PENNY FIRMIN b. 1851, Stockwell, Surrey.
    iv NICHOLAS CHARLES PENNY FIRMIN b. 1859, London, Middlesex, d. 8 DEC 1939, Richmond, Surrey, m. 4 SEP 1878, Parish Church, St. Pancras, Middlesex, AMELIA CUFFE (daughter of JOSEPH CUFFE).
    v HAROLD JAMES PENNY FIRMIN b. 17 NOV 1861, bap. 20 DEC 1861, Saint James, Paddington, London, d. 13 JAN 1938, London, Middlesex.
 Children of George Jordan Firmin and Sarah Deazeley:
    4. vi GEORGE DEAZELEY FIRMIN b. 3 AUG 1865, Ongar, Essex.
    vii ZOE D. FIRMIN b. 1867, Romford, Essex.
    viii HENRY DEAZELEY FIRMIN b. 1861, Islington, Middlesex.
    ix WILLIAM FIRMIN b. 1871, London.
    x ETHEL F. FIRMIN b. 1872, Pennsylvania.
    xi MAUD ELIZABETH. FIRMIN b. c.1875. Pennsylvania.
    xii JOHN DEAZELEY FIRMIN bap. 4 SEP 1877, St. John's Episcopal Church, Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania.
    xiii BEATRICE DEAZELEY FIRMIN b. c.1879, Pennsylvania.

Third Generation

2. WILLIAM JOHN DEAZELEY  b. 1860, Wickham Market, Suffolk, d. 18 JUN 1932, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, m. 26 DEC 1883, Queensland, EMILY BEATRICE BLAKE, b. c.1858, Stowmarket, Suffolk, d. 28 MAY 1930 (daur. of JOHN PITT BLAKE & JANE ELIZA PEEBLES).
     Children of William John Deazeley and Emily Beatrice Blake:
     i EVELYN ELIZA JANE DEAZELEY b. 24 NOV 1884, Queensland, d. 16 NOV 1888, Queensland, buried: Toowong Cemetery, Queensland[1].
     ii FRANCIS BEATRICE DEAZELEY b. 10 MAR 1886, Queensland, d. 25 JUN 1948, Hamilton, Queensland.
     iii ELSIE EDITH DEAZELEY b. 24 DEC 1887, Queensland.
     iv JOHN FIRMIN DEAZELEY b. 29 SEP 1890, Queensland, d. 28 JUN 1915, Gallipolli.
     v NELLY DEAZELEY d. 25 AUG 1895, Queensland.
     vi. WILLIAM CHARLES RONALD DEAZELEY b. 29 JAN 1897, Queensland, m. 13 JAN 1938, ALMA JOAN CARPENTER
     vii. ROY DEAZELEY.

3. ELLEN DEAZELEY b. 1866, Stowmarket, Suffolk, m. 9 FEB 1887, Queensland, EDWARD JOHN HOLMES.
    Children of Ellen Deazeley and John Holmes:
     i MORTON MacDIARMID HOLMES b. 8 FEB 1888, Queensland, d. 3 MAR 1889, Queensland, buried: Toowong Cemetery, Queensland.
     ii PHYLLIS NETTA HOLMES b. 30 ARP 1889, Queensland.
     iii JAMES HARVEY HOLMES b. 26 FEB 1893, Queensland.

4. GEORGE DEAZELEY FIRMIN b. 3 AUG 1865, Ongar, Essex, d. 1948, Florida, USA, m. 1891, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, LOUISA LOCKWOOD GOLDSBOROUGH b. 23 NOV 1864, MD (daughter of ALEXANDER MILLER GOLDSBOROUGH & LITITIA LOUISA LOCKWOOD).
    Children of George Deazeley Deazeley Firmin and Louis Lockwood Goldsborough:
     i MARIAN GOLDSBOROUGH FIRMIN b. 16 APR 1895, Pennsylvania, m. WILLIAM MATHIAS CLINE b. 10 MAY 1891, Port Huron, Michigan.

Telegraph 11 September 1873 

PHOTOGRAPHY. SUFFOLK HOUSE, Queen-street, Brisbane.
J. DEAZELEY respectfully informs the Clergy, Gentry, and Inhabitants of Brisbane and its vicinity, that he has erected a Commodious Studio for the execution of First-class PHOTOGRAPHY, at English Prices, viz.-
     Cartes de Visite, from 10s. 6d. per doz.
     Cabinets    ...         ...   21s.           "
Larger sizes, in proportion. Families waited on at their own residence, at shortest notice. Terms - cash, on delivery.

The Queenslander, Brisbane, Saturday, December 8, 1888 - Deaths
 
DEAZELEY--On the 16th November, at her parents’ residence, Twine-street, Wickham-terrace, Eva DEAZELEY, aged 4 years.

Brisbane Courier 30 May 1890 p.6

 DEAZELEY.-On the 21st May, at Woody Point,
 Humpybong, John Deazeley, aged 59.
Blake Family History
 
1. JOHN BLAKE b. c.1787, d. 1869, Bungay, Suffolk, m. 21 AUG 1818, South Elmham All Saints and Saint Nicholas, Suffolk, CHARLOTTE WEBB b. c.1797, Bungay, Suffolk, d. 1891, Wangford district, Suffolk.
    Children of John Blake and Charlotte Webb:
    i THOMAS PATRICK BLAKE bap. I JUL 1819, Saint Mary, Bungay, Suffolk.
    ii MARIANNE ELIZABETH BLAKE bap. 19 APR 1821, Saint Mary, Bungay, Suffolk.
    iii CHARLOTTE BLAKE bap. 22 MAR 1823, Saint Mary, Bungay, Suffolk, d. 1840, Bungay, Suffolk..
    2.iv JOHN PITT BLAKE bap. 2 JUN 1825, Saint Mary, Bungay, Suffolk.

Second Generation

2. JOHN PITT BLAKE bap. 2 JUN 1825, Saint Mary, Bungay, Suffolk, m. 8 FEB 1848, Chipping Campden, Gloucester, JANE ELIZA PEEBLES bap. 8 AUG 1823, Banbury, Oxfordshire, d. 1872, Stowmarket, Suffolk (daughter of ROBERT PEEBLES & MARTHA WHEELER).
    Children of John Pitt Blake and Jane Eliza Peebles:
    3.i CHARLOTTE JANE BLAKE b. 1850, Stowmarket, Suffolk.
    4.ii THOMAS HENRY BLAKE b.1 DEC 1851, Stowmarket, Suffolk.
    iii CHARLES JOHN BLAKE b. 1853, Stowmarket, Suffolk.
    5.iv EMILY BEATRICE BLAKE b. c.1858, Stowmarket, Suffolk, d. 28 MAY 1930
    v HERBERT BLAKE b. 1859, Stowmarket, Suffolk.

Third Generation

3. CHARLOTTE JANE BLAKE b. 1850, Stowmarket, Suffolk, d. 12 NOV 1910, QLD, m. (1) 26 DEC 1884, QLD, JOHN DEAZELEY b. c.1831, Queen’s County, Ireland, d. 21 MAY 1890, Humpybong, QLD, buried: Toowong Cemetery, QLD, m. (2) 1906, Sydney, NSW, JOHN F. MARR. JOHN DEAZELEY previously m. 3 APR 1858, Saint Thomas, Salisbury, Wiltshire, ELIZA JANE BAIL b. c.1824, Holborn, London, d. 10 AUG 1884, buried: Toowong Cemetery, QLD (daughter of JONATHON & ELIZA JANE BALE) .
    Children of John Deazeley & Eliza Jane Bail:
    i CATHERINE ELIZA DEAZELEY b. 1859, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
    ii WILLIAM JOHN DEAZELEY b. 1860, Wickham Market, Suffolk.
    iii THOMAS CHARLIE DEAZELEY b. 1861, Haleworth, Suffolk.
    iv ELLEN DEAZELEY b. 1866, Stowmarket, Suffolk.

4. THOMAS HENRY BLAKE b. 1 DEC 1851, Stowmarket, Suffolk, d. 1 APR 1897, Hawthorn, Victoria, m. (1) 30 JUL 1878, South Yarra, Victoria, MARIA LOUISA PURDEY b. 28 MAR 1857, Kandy, Ceylon, d. 20 JUN 1892, Hawthorn, Victoria (daughter of ROBERT PURDEY & HANNAH WILSON), m. (2) 11 OCT 1893, Carlton, Victoria, MARY HAWTHORNE.
   Children of Thomas Henry Blake and Maria Louisa Purdey:
    i. WILLIAM HENRY BLAKE b. 21 APR 1879, Melbourne, Victoria.
    ii CHARLES JOHN KILBY BLAKE b. 4 APR 1881, Ipswich, QLD.
    iii BEATRICE ELIZABETH BLAKE b. 8 JUL 1883, Ipswich, QLD.
    iv RUBY ETHEL BLAKE b. 4 OCT 1885, Ipswich, QLD.
    vi VERA ROSETTA BLAKE b. 6 MAR 1888, Hawthorne, Victoria.
    vii LESLIE RUSSELL BLAKE b. 28 OCT 1890, Hawthorne, Victoria, d. 3 OCT 1918, France.
    Children of Thomas Henry Blake and Mary Hawthorne:
    vii UNA QUEENIE HAWTHORNE BLAKE b. 4 FEB 1895, Elsternwick, Victoria.
    viii TESSIE HAWTHORNE BLAKE b. 15 OCT 1897, Elsternwick, Victoria.

5. EMILY BEATRICE BLAKE, b. c.1858, Stowmarket, Suffolk, d. 28 MAY 1930, , m. 26 DEC 1883, QLD, WILLIAM JOHN DEAZELEY b. 1860, Wickham Market, Suffolk, d. 18 JUN 1932, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, QLD.
    Children of Emily Beatrice Blake and William John Deazeley:
    i EVELYN ELIZA JANE DEAZELEY b. 24 NOV 1884, QLD, d. 16 NOV 1888, QLD, buried: Toowong Cemetery, Q QLD .
    ii FRANCIS BEATRICE DEAZELEY b. 10 MAR 1886, QLD, d. 25 JUN 1948, Hamilton, QLD.
    iii ELSIE EDITH DEAZELEY b. 24 DEC 1887, QLD.
    iv JOHN FIRMIN DEAZELEY b. 29 SEP 1890, QLD, d. 28 JUN 1915, Gallipolli.
    v NELLY DEAZELEY d. 25 AUG 1895, QLD.
    vi. WILLIAM CHARLES RONALD (ROY) DEAZELEY b. 29 JAN 1897, QLD, m. 13 JAN 1938, ALMA JOAN CARPENTER 
Thankyou to Sandy Barrie, John Rossiter, Blake descendant Beryl Hazlett and W. P. O'Reilly's descendant Dianne Chambers. Information sourced from the IGI; Rootsweb (http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/ENG/ENG-SFK-STOWMARKET.html courtesy Neil Langridge and Michael Isherwood); the censuses of England 1841-1901; censuses of USA 1860-1920; Queensland and Victorian birth, death and marriage indexes; Toowong Cemetery index and the Australian War Memorial.
I welcome contact from descendants and relations of the Deazeley and Blake families. I can provide copies of various census entries and many examples of photography by the Deazeley studios.
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©2011. This site  is maintained by: Marcel Safier, Photohistorian and collector,
P.O. Box 239, Holland Park QLD 4121, Australia; E-mail: msafier@ozemail.com.au