Wednesday, March 18, 2015

42.1.7.1.c Montagu and Margaret Durnford - Their children Edward, Montague, Francella and Charlotte


In 1875 when Montagu married Agnes Ryland his children were:


Edward            15
Montague         13
Francella          11
Charlotte            8

From family stories the eldest boys had a difficult life, and their father was cruel to them.  They may have run away from home, which would indicate somewhere at the time he had remarried.

The boys came to Queensland.

But first Francella and Charlotte.

In 1881 Francella had a daughter named Rose Ann
In 1882 she married  James Kelly in Surry Hills.  James perhaps was Rose's father as she took his name.

They had two more children:
   
Edward J. Kelly                   b   1883
Felton William Kelly            b   1890

In 1898 Rose Ann Kelly drowns and the coroner rules it an accident.

In 1899 Francella divorced James Kelly for drunkedness


In 1900 Francella married William J Morrison

Francella died 9th Sept 1940 and is buried at Woronora NSW
William died 15 August 1926 and is also buried at Woronora NSW.


Cemetery:Woronora  NSW
                                                                                         
Woronora Cemetry
Inscription Id:10000754
Surname:Morrison
Given Names:Francella
Death Date:9 Sep 1940
Gender:Unknown
Portion:Mth 2
Plot:0094


An Edward J. Kelly married Elsie Hockey in the Golburn area in 1928.  This may be Edward.  A death cannot be confirmed given the number of Kellys.

Felton William Kelly took his step father's name of Morrison

He married May O'Grady in 1920 and he was a bootmaker

He and May had a son Felton Francis Morrison who served in World War 2.
Felton married Joyce Lillian Dean in 1941. And died in 1942 at the fall of Singapore

Name: MORRISON, FELTON FRANCIS
Service: Australian Army
Service Number: NX19535 (N40302)
Date of Birth: 7 Jun 1919
Place of Birth: ARNCLIFFE, NSW
Date of Enlistment: 26 May 1941
Locality on Enlistment: ARNCLIFFE, NSW
Place of Enlistment: PADDINGTON, NSW
Next of Kin: MORRISON, FELTON
Date of Death: 15 Feb 1942
Rank: Private
Posting on Death: 2/19 Australian Infantry Battalion
WW2 Honours and Gallantry: None for display
Prisoner of War: No
Roll of Honour: Unknown


He died at Singapore and is on the Singapore Memorial Column 124

Memorial:
SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
Additional Information:

Son of Felton and May Elizabeth Morrison; husband of Joyce Lillian Morrison, of Bexley, New South Wales, Australia.

Kranji War Cemetery, in which the Memorial is located, is constructed on a hill with the means of access being via three flights of steps rising over four metres from the road level

 On 8 February 1942, the Japanese crossed the Johore Straits in strength, landing at the mouth of the Kranji River within two miles of the place where the war cemetery now stands. On the evening of 9 February, they launched an attack between the river and the causeway. During the next few days fierce fighting ensued, in many cases hand to hand, until their greatly superior numbers and air strength necessitated a withdrawal. After the fall of the island, the Japanese established a prisoner of war camp at Kranji and eventually a hospital was organised nearby at Woodlands. After the reoccupation of Singapore, Kranji War Cemetery was developed from a small cemetery started by the prisoners at Kranji, by the Army Graves Service.
 

SMH 30 April 1962:
DEATHS
KELLY (Morrison), Felton William. – April 29, at his residence, 67 Knight Street, Arncliffe, dearly beloved husband of May, loved father of Felton (deceased), aged 70 years. Catholic Cemetery, Woronora.

Felton died 29 April 1962 and is buried at Woronora Cemetery.  May died in 1971.


Woronora Cemetery website:

KELLY FELTON WILLIAM Burial ROMAN CATHOLIC MONUMENTAL - SECTION 3 - 0126 29/04/1962

KELLY MAY MORRISON Burial ROMAN CATHOLIC MONUMENTAL - SECTION 3 - 0126 07/03/1971



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Charlotte Louisa Caroline Durnford   - Tryng to trace Charlotte was extremely difficult.

However she married at 16 in 1883 to Henry Tasker.  Henry was born in January 1857 in England and came to Australia in 1880, settling in Newcastle.  All indications are that she was living in Newcastle.

Henry and Charlotte had a number of children

Henrietta Tasker                                born 1885    d  1909
William George Tasker                     born 1886   d  1968  m  Annie Louise Marxen
Margaret Tasker                                born 1880   m  William Benham
Emma Francella Tasker                    born 1892   d  1983  m  John A Evans
Charles M Tasker                              born 1895   d  1896
Eva C Tasker                                     born 1897   d  1901
Mary Eleanor Tasker                         born 1900   d  1994   m    Joseph M.F. Rennie
William Henry Tasker                       born 1904   d 1966  m Phoebe Lily Janvrin
Archibald Samuel Durnford Tasker  born 1908   d 1947  m  Bernice Price

From records it seems that not many of her family are aware of her name, nor out family links.

Caroline died 25th June 1957

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The boys Edward and Montagu.   


As a child I knew nothing about Montagu.   Lucky though information can be sourced.

Firstly Edward Andrew Felton Hadley Durnsford.  He was born around 1860, but there is no record of his birth to be sourced.  Given that thee are so many records missing, it is either a mistake on the transcription or the birth was not recorded.

He and his brother arrived in Queensland at some point in time, and the following records have been sourced from early Queensland Government Gazettes.

Edward held in 1884 at a selection called Roughlea which is in the Roma area. Roughlea is a run attached to Durnham Downs station.

Durham Downs Station most commonly known as Durham Downs is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in South West Queensland, Australia. The property is situated in a remote and arid location along Coopers Creek where it often experiences drought and floods. It was originally established in the 1870s and now belongs to the Kidman family. In the 1940s, overgrazing by wild horses left little food for stock and led to the implementation of a culling program.
Established prior to 1873 the property was producing quality cattle for market and Messrs McGregor and Co., who owned the station, sold a batch of 205 bullocks and cows in 1875 averaging a price of about A£11 apiece.

In 1883 the station was put up for sale, following a couple of years of drought, when the partnership between Duncan McGregor and D and R Mailler dissolved. The station was advertised as being composed of 42 blocks with an area of 2,456 square miles (6,361 km2) containing over 14,000 head of cattle, 2,500 sheep and 309 horses.Duncan McGregor formed new company and purchased the property in 1884 for A£78,582
From the Stockman's Hall of Fame shearer's camp at Durnham Downs










In 1884 he also had a run at Yeulba which is on Warkon Station in the Maranoa, near Surat
In 1886 he was at Warenda Station, it is in Hughendon and was one of the largest stations in Queensland once carrying about 12,000 cattle and 125,000 sheep.*
In 1890 and onwards he was on Oxford Downs which is a Station in Nebo and he won the contract to deliver the mail.

Oxford Downs

HIGH-QUALITY Nebo district cattle property Oxford Downs is under unconditional contract after being passed in at auction on June 15 for $8.1 million.

Buyers are the Symonds family, which also owns Mt Flora and Cluven cattle properties near Clermont and Tolsworth at Nebo. A line of 2300 cattle was included in the offering.

Rich in history, Oxford Downs was first selected as Crown land in the late 1850s by George Stuart.
Greenhide, as he was well known, was the great-grandfather of the current owners, John and Alex Stuart. Oxford Downs passed from the hands of the Stuart family for a period during the late 1800s and early 1900s, then came back into the family name in 1942 under the astute management of Graham and Norma Stuart, parents of John and Alex. Graham, a returned soldier, and his wife Norma were great community stalwarts and were involved in many activities in the area.



*Another possible connection to Anthony Durnford's great grandmother, is Charles James Anthony Brabazon born 1869 grandson of James Brabazon.  He was part ownr at Warenda Station in 1910.

Of interest is that one J.F. Durnford was in 1888 at Hughenden.  

Montagu and Edward must have been fairly close to each other.  Life in Nebo, or Fort Cooper went on as usual, with balls, and the local pub.  They also drove cattle from Rolleston.

                         







In 1892 Edward married Sarah Ann Hewitt. Her father arrived in Queensand in 1864 from Ireland, her mother was from England.

She and Edward had 7 children

Margueritte Isabel Durnsford                                    d 1897
Francella Sarah Durnsford                         b  1893     m Edward Sydney Grisbrook
Edward Harvey Felton Durnsford             b  1895   d  1971   m Isabella Eliza Findlay d 1964
George Hinton Mc Connell Durnsford      b   1899   d 1915
Montagu John James Durnsford                b  1901                m  Amy Florence Marion
Stanley Walter Hadleu Durnsford              b  1903  d  1964   m   Miriam McKerihan
Susan Eva Myrtle Durnsford                     b  1906  d 1915


Unfortunately Edward died in May 1908.  He was run over by his bullock cart.

  


His son also died aged 15 from a shooting accident, while he was at the Annandale station.





   





His son Edward Harvey Felton Durnford elisted in World War 1, his Service number was 3356.
He enlisted in Mackay and of all people, his instructor was on Claude Annesley who was my husband's grandfather, but using an alias for his name.  That was a bit of a shock!




 

 



Let's hope that he didn't pick up on any of Claude's bad habits!





The town of Nebo was officially known as Fort Cooper; however, in 1923 the name was changed by popular demand to Nebo, derived from Nebo Creek. In the early years Nebo Township was strategically situated at the crossroads of the main south-to-north track and the east-to-west track now known as Peak Downs Highway. During the establishment decade, Nebo's primary production was dominated by sheep and wool growing. However, the area proved unsuitable for sheep and they were eventually replaced by cattle.

Nebo musterThe district has had eight towns since 1865; Epsom on Mt Spenser Station, 30 kilometres east of Nebo Township; Hazeldean on Black Waterhole Creek, halfway between Mackay and Nebo; Elphinstone, at the northern end of Lake Elphinstone; Mt. Britton, the goldmining town on Oaky Creek; Dullawunna, a small village several kilometres along the Nebo/Mt. Britton Road; Blue Mountain, a settlement in the east of the area.






Allan Crowther Williams (1889-1976), known as Crowther, was the son of Allan Williams (d.1931) and Harriot Williams (nee Homer) and brother of Edward Homer Williams (1885-1915), Edith Williams, Elsie Williams, and Henry Stuart Homer Williams (1892-1918).

 Both of his brothers enlisted in the army in World War I, and it being customary for one son to remain at home, Allan Crowther Williams did not enlist. Both brothers were killed in action. In 1915, he married Bessie Johnston and afterwards took charge of his parents' property, Burrenbring, near Nebo, Queensland. When, in 1920, his parents retired to Sydney, Crowther took control of the family's extensive pastoral interests.

 Burrenbring was subsequently sold and Crowther and his wife settled at Homevale station, also near Nebo. Crowther maintained his father's enthusiasm for horse racing. Crowther and Bessie Williams had six children, one of whom, Stuart Maxwell Williams, a show rider and amateur jockey, was killed in 1942 at age 24, when his horse reared and fell backwards onto him.



Mr. Allan Williams died at his home at Pomona-street, Pennant Hills, on Friday, aged 91. He was a native of Inverness, near Scone, and commenced station life as a jackaroo on Keera station, near Bingara, in 1857. Mr Williams afterwards went to the New England district, and while there came in contact with Thunderbolt, the bushranger.

*In 1894 Mr. Williams became the owner of Burrenbring station in the Mackay (Q ) district. He was chairman of the Nebo Divisional Board for about 38 years, and was president, for nearly 40 years, of the Nebo Jockey Club. He retired to live in Sydney in 1920, and is survived by his widow, one son, Mr Crowther Williams, who is carrying on the family pastoral interests at Homedale, near Nebo, Queensland, and the Misses Edie and Elsie Williams, of Pennant Hills. 

Two sons, Edward Homer Williams, of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, and Henry Stuart Williams, 38th Battalion, AIF, were killed in the Great War, the former on Gallipoli, at Chatham's Post, and the latter during an engagement at Villiers Bretonneau.

The funeral took place at the Northern Suburbs Cemetery on Saturday, the service at the graveside being conducted by the Rev. R. H. Bootie.


Frances Brown financed the “Phoenix” quartz crushing battery in the area.


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My cousin's words when I asked him if he knew much about his g.grandfather.


Apparently they were big for their ages and very good horsemen and were able to get jobs probably put their ages up. Uncle Jack was a very good horseman also  did a bit of buck jumping etc.
an old German dude that used to work for my dad and uncle told me a story how uncle Jack chased a cow that kept getting out and eating the young cane. The story goes like this he grabbed the cow by the tail and threw it and by the time it hit the ground it had its throat cut. I think Uncle jack took over driving the bullock wagon after his his fathers death, he was only 12 years old so I was told


My Dad and uncle Jack also worked for the Williams family think his name was Crowther ( not certain about spelling ) Annandale Station. 


There is so much to know. Another little bit of info, Dad and Uncle Jack hunted Koalas in the off season on the station, that is how they got the deposit to buy a farm. Had to be a good shot so as not to damage their fur.Williamses were white Indians, Dad spoke about Crowther a lot, I think he may have been a father figure




My GF was run over by a bullock wagon going up the Eton Range, he slipped under the wheel.
As far as I know your GF was killed when his horse stumbled and fell.


You can see how history gets distorted.


On my birth certificate my fathers name is Aderly, mum told me my GF  dropped his h. Apparently they ran away from home as our GGF was going  to send them back to England to do military service. Apparently he was  cruel as well and used the stock whip on them. These are just things
 handed down. They used their mothers name when they fled home which  was Mc Connell ( not sure about the spelling ) Our GGF caught up with > them some time must have been when they were married. He was angry  when he found they had added an s to our name. I guess you know how
 our GFs died. I remember seeing a old news paper story about your GF,  how he was an excellent horseman and always jumped gates rather then open them.
The descendants of Stanley Durnsford. Their mother died aged 99 years.




And thank you to Brian for his encouragement and support during the difficult time researching Anthony Durnford.





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Many of the stories on this family website can be found through on-line research, generally the information sourced in the first instance from wikipedia.  With such a huge amount of research, any additional research is acknowledged to the original source where possible, and in keeping with copyright laws, however if on occasions an omission has been made, then it has been done so only in error, and unintentionally. 

The aim of the research is to provide an online educational tool for those members of the family of our ancestors, and hopefully can assist others researching any of our family members.  


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