Marin-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Tunstead, James 1842 - 
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Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. Publishers (1880)

  James Tunstead. The subject of this sketch is the son of Thomas and Deborah
Tunstead, and was- born in county Carlow, Ireland, January 18, 1842. In the
Spring of 1849 he accompanied his parents to America, and with them settled in
Newark, New Jersey, where he attended school. There he resided until the year
1856, when he shipped before the mast on board the ship "Robin Hood," Captain,
M. Ginley, following a sailor's life until March 21, 1861, the date on which he
left for California on board the clipper ship "Galatea," and arrived in San
Francisco August 10th of that year. Mr. Tunstead early showed that determination
of character which, in after life, has stood him in such good stead; he lost no
time but at once commenced teaming in San Francisco, and the better to increase
his stock of knowledge he was a regular attendant at the night schools. In that
city he sojourned until 1862, the time of the gold excitement in Cariboo,
whither he went and engaged in prospecting and mining, enduring many hardships
until obliged to work his passage back to San Francisco in the steamer
"Hermann," in the Fall of that year. Once more in San Francisco, Mr. Tunstead
reverted to his old occupation of teaming, being successively employed by Mr.
Martin and Horace Davis, of the Golden Gate Flouring Mill, with whom he remained
until coming to Marin county in October, 1866. At this period he served in the
McMahon and National Guards of the State Militia. On his arrival in Marin, he
rented a farm from James Black, on the Pacheco Rancho, and there pursued his
farming operations until September, 1875, when he was nominated for the office
of County Sheriff on the Independent ticket, and was elected by the handsome
majority of two hundred votes. He was nominated for a second term in  1877, on
this occasion on the Democratic ticket, and being again elected, held the office
until March, 1880. He did not accept re-nomination. It is no fulsome flattery so
say that few more able, keen-sighted or efficient officers have ever been found
on the roll of officials, while a more popular citizen does not exist than James
Tunstead.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA;
INCLUDING ITS
Geography, Geology, Topography and Climatography;
TOGETHER WITH
A Full and Particular Record of the Mexican Grants; Its Early History and
Settlement, Compiled from the most Authentic Sources; Names of Original Spanish
and American Pioneers;

A Full Record of its Organization; A Complete Political History, including a
Tabular Statement of Office-holders since the Formation of the County;

Separate Histories of Bolinas, Nicasio, Novato, Point Reyes, San Antonio, San
Rafael, Saucelito, and Tomales Townships;

Incidents of Pioneer Life, and Biographical Sketches of its Early and Prominent
Settlers and Representative Men;
ALSO
An Historical Sketch of the State of California,
In which is embodied the Raising of the Bear Flag

ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 
ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1880.


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