James Melville Balfour 266
- Born: 1831, Midlothian, Scotland
- Died: 1869 aged 38
General Notes:
An Engineer. Appointed as chief marine engineer to the colony of New Zealand. In a report to the Government he summed up in these words: 'I know too well how these things go; nothing will be done to meet the dangers that Mr. Paterson in his department and I in mine have pointed out to you till some accident occurs and public alarm is roused by the loss of valuable lives'. A few weeks later both Mr. Paterson and James Melville Balfour drowned in different circumstances - both perished in exact fulfillment of his own prediction. At the time of his death he appeared to his brother George in Scotland. So clear an impression did George receive of Jame's visible presence that he wrote at once to New Zealand to ask if all was well. His letter crossed that which announced the fact of Jame's death.
Noted events in his life were:
1. He appeared on the census in 1841 in Colinton Manse, Colinton, Midlothian.
James married Christina Simson.
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