John Bagot J.P. was a businessman and politician in the colony of South Australia.
History
Bagot was born the second son of Christopher Michael Bagot and Margaret Elizabeth Bagot, née Watts at his father's property "Koonunga", near Kapunda, South Australia. His mother was a daughter of Capt. John Watts, who was at one time Adelaide's Postmaster-General. His grandfather, who selected the property, was Capt. Charles Hervey Bagot, of the 59th Regiment, who arrived in South Australia on the Birman in December 1840. It was on this same property that copper was discovered by Captain Bagot's youngest son Charles Samuel Bagot, which incorporated with the F. S. Dutton's adjoining property "Anlaby", became Australia's first copper mine. Bagot was educated at St. Peter's College, then for several years worked for the National Bank of Australasia. In the 1870s he and his brother C. M. Bagot took up the Peake cattle run, between Warrina and Lake Eyre, which they continued to run until around 1900. He also owned the "Springbank" property near Burra for a few years. For a long period he was a director of Bagot, Shakes, & Lewis, Limited, Broken Hill Pty., the National Bank, the South Australian Brewing Company, the Alliance Assurance Company, and the South Australian Mining Association. He represented the seat of Victoria in the South Australian House of Assembly from April 1884 to April 1887. He married Lucy Josephine Ayers, a daughter of Sir Henry Ayers, on 24 September 1878. Walter Hervey Bagot, a noted architect, and founding partner in Woods and Bagot was the only child to survive to adulthood. They lived at Buxton Street, North Adelaide, later Park Terrace, Fitzroy until 1901, then "Forest Lodge", 19 Pine Street, Stirling, where John established a fine garden. His library included a valuable collection of Australiana. For several years prior to his death Mr. Bagot was an invalid, and was obliged to retire altogether from public life, living on Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide, where he died.
Recognition
His widow endowed a prize for botany at the University of Adelaide in his name from 1912.
Family
"Captain Bagot" married Mary MacCarthy around 1815. They emigrated on the Birman, arriving in South Australia in December 1840. He was a member of the Legislative Council for a number of terms between 1844 and 1869. Among their descendants were:
Christopher Michael Bagot married Margaret Elizabeth Watts on 6 August 1846. Margaret was the eldest daughter of John Cliffe Watts.
Mary Elizabeth Bagot married William Jacob on 31 August 1842. William was a draftsman with Col. William Light Jacobs Creek is named for their family.
Edward Meade "Ned" Bagot married Mary Pettman on 1 August 1853. He married again, to Anne Smith, née Walworth, on 30 July 1857.
Charlotte Owen Bagot married Captain William H. Maturin C.B. on 2 October 1845
Sir Charles Samuel Bagot married Lucy Francisca Hornby on 29 July 1851 in Lancaster, England
;See also For a more complete chart of Bagot family members, refer to Charles Hervey Bagot
