Flower, Humphrys, Smith & Thomas Family Ancestry, 1717-2015 From
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SAMPLE only - ie only the first page of each section displayed. Flower, Humphrys, Smith & Thomas Family Ancestry, 1717-2015 from Somerset & Cornwall UK to South Australia including Clarence Humphrys WW1 diary 1916-1917 Pencil Sketch by Clement Humphrys, c1930. Neil D Brooks 1 SAMPLE only - ie only the first page of each section displayed. Forward to the book “Flower, Humphrys, Thomas, Smith Ancestry”. Having compiled the book “Redruth Cornwall to The Burra SA”, I wish to stress the importance of compiling family historic records. Following the publication of my book, I was invited to an annual get-together by the “Genealogy Society of South Australia”, of those who published family histories during the year. They commented on each particular publication, offered helpful advice, and stressed the importance of such records, not only of the family records but the inclusion of the early development of the area of white settlement. The period we are looking at is from about late 1840’s, South Australia was proclaimed in 1836 and records were not very meticulously kept in those early years. Burra was the largest town outside of Adelaide at that time in South Australia. Many came from Cornwall in particular to work in the mine, but sought to find a livelihood in other industries such and farming and grazing. As the Humphrys book links with the Thomas history it fills a valuable record of that branch of the family. Of course each book follows a particular line of a family such as the Thomas descendants, so this researches the Humphrys family from 1717, for which they were fortunate to be able to trace that far back. This is not always possible as early records in the UK were kept mainly in church parishes and many of these have been lost or destroyed for various reasons. It was from 1st July 1837 that government records were kept. The early 1800’s are a particularly difficult period to research. I commend Neil for his efforts in putting this record together. It appears to have been researched quite thoroughly. I thank him for the privilege of contributing in a small way. Reuben D. Thomas, March 2015. Compiled and edited by John H Brooks and Neil D Brooks, May 2015 ISBN 978-0-646-93783-0 Published by Neil D Brooks 20 Brookside Crescent Seaford Rise 5169 South Australia Printed by Digital Reproductions, Suite 7 112-114 Bains Road, Morphett Vale 5162 Appendices 1. John Humphrys (presented BBC Radio 4's “Today” programme since 1987) 2. A diary of the Voyage to SA on the ship, “William Money”, 1849 3. A copy of Jesse Humphrys 1909 Will, from the SA Probate Office. 4. A copy of James Flower’s 1891 Will, from the SA Probate Office. 5. A copy of Joseph Flower’s 1919 Will, from the SA Probate Office. 6. Annie Adelaide v John Penna Court Case 1894 7. Clement Humphrys Court Case 1926 8. Notable Humphrys weddings - 1916-1941 9. Hassage Park/Farm and barn ruins photographs May 2015 10. Stony Gap Wind Farm approved Nov 2014. 11. The Working Man’s Handbook to South Australia 1849 12. Clarence Melvin Humphrys’ WW1 Diary 1916-1917 2 SAMPLE only - ie only the first page of each section displayed. Contents: 1. Introduction. page 6 2. Flowchart of the Family Tree page 7 3. Julia and Luke Teddy Descendants list page 8 4. The Thomas family in Cornwall page 12 5. John 1 and July Thomas – 1799-1877 – Life in Australia. page 14 6. Julia and Luke Teddy – 1827 – 1904. page 19 7. The Flower family in Somerset –from 1717 page 23 8. The Humphrys family in Somerset from 1772 page 27 Hassage Manor Somerset UK page 29 9. James and Hannah Flower – Life in Australia page 31 Rachel Flower and Thomas Warnes page 40 Ann Flower and Robert Warner page 44 Joseph Flower and Catherine Calliss page 45 Elizabeth Flower and Ernest Blesing page 51 Jabez Flower and Emily Dunn page 52 10. Jesse and Isabella Humphrys - Life in Australia. page 53 11. Isaac and Grace Turner at Black Springs page 63 12. William Thorn Humphrys – Life in Somerset and Australia page 66 13. Elijah Thorn Humphrys siblings. William Mark and Frances (Zincraft Jones) Humphrys page 70 Sarah Anne (Humphrys) and John Allen Duke page 73 Jesse and Emily (Duke) Humphrys page 74 Flower and Mary (Rogers) Humphrys page 76 Isabella (Humphrys) and Herbert James Scrutton page 80 Emily (Humphrys) and Thomas Jones page 80 Mary Ann (Humphrys) and Charles Hansen page 81 Elizabeth Humphrys b1875-1875 page 81 14. Elijah Thorn (1865–1919) & May (Teddy) Humphrys (1868–1955) page 82 15. Minetta Pauline May (Humphrys) Ford 1895-1977 page 90 16. Clarence Melvin Humphrys WW1 1917-1918 page 91 17. Clarence Melvin Humphrys Diary in England 1917 page 92 18. Thomas and Mary Smith – Life in Australia page 99 19. Ellen Smith, William Henry Pascoe and William Snider. page 103 20. Annie Adelaide Pascoe Snider Bennett. page 112 21. Annie Adelaide Snider and John Penna. page 115 22. Clement and Maude Humphrys page 119 23. Caroline Grace (Elvey) Humphrys page 129 24 Clement’s children (Viva, Thelma, Dorothy, Laurel, Arnold, John) page 133 3 SAMPLE only - ie only the first page of each section displayed. “What this book is about”. This is about 3 families that emigrated from Cornwall and Somerset areas of the UK to South Australia in the 1850’s. Two families went to the Burra region, one family to the Kingston area. Family 1. John and July Thomas and family, emigrated in 1849 to Burra. John had been hired as a mine manager by the Burra mine agents in England because of his expertise of “timbering” in Cornish mines. He was also to be involved in the installation, operation and maintenance of the Cornish Steam driven pump which had been recently purchased to de-flood the Burra workings. John and his sons were also involved in supply of timber for the shaft supports, as fuel for the boilers of the pump, and also for the smelting process. John was shrewd enough to realise that a better life was to be had on the land, and as the government was surveying and selling off the land around Burra, he invested his Burra Mines income in land north of Burra, near Mt Bryan. The second daughter Jane Thomas was to marry a Henry Collins, and that branch of the family would go on to create the world famous Collinsville Merino Stud near Mt. Bryan. The eldest daughter Julia, however was to marry a young Cornish miner, Luke Teddy, who turned out to be a not so successful farmer, but a popular character. He had a Wood and Chaff business and was also an enthusiastic member and elder of the Wesleyan Church at Burra. The youngest of the Teddy family was a Mary Teddy, a talented church organist, and later to marry Elijah Thorn Humphrys, a farmer of Hanson and Farrell Flat. Family 2. James and Hannah Flower were small farmers and butchers who emigrated from Timsbury, England with their children to Adelaide in 1854. The eldest daughter Isabella however, had married a local farm lad, Jesse Humphrys from nearby Wellow before they had left for Australia, so Jesse came along as part of the family. After 5 years working with farmers, such as Mr J Johnson (Reedbeds), and Mr Browne (Buckland Park/Pt Gawler), they moved to, and purchased land at Stony Gap, 9 miles south of Burra. Jesse and Isabella Humphrys had 3 children while living near Adelaide and in 1859 followed the Flower family to Stony Gap, and purchased land adjoining the Flower’s. Stony Gap was on the main bullock team track from Burra to Black Springs, and the land had been leasehold. James Logan was one of the earlier pastoralists that had leased the land at 10/- a square mile, and consequently the area has Logan’s Hut, Logan’ Flat, Logan’s Farm, Logan’s Creek and Logan’s Gap in the area. The 1860 Almanac had the Humphrys and Flower farms at Logan’s Flat. The farms were at the base of rolling hills, and the farms built near the creeks from those hills. The hills were perfect for grazing sheep, and the flat land below was good cropping land. The Humphrys and Flower families, expanded with 5 more children to Isabella. The families succeeded at sheep farming, and each were to extend their holdings by 1000 acres. James Flower purchased the land south, directly opposite, then to the east on Burra Creek which he and his two sons Joseph and Jabez were to work until James’ death in 1891. Jesse Humphrys managed to purchase a 1000 acres, 5 miles to the south east near Emu Downs and Black Springs. The Stony Gap community of the Flower, Humphrys, Delamere, Escott, Porter and Logan built a school house, and a church, both on James Flower’s land. Robert Zincraft Jones of Black Springs, was appointed by the Education Board, as teacher for Stony Gap between 1864 and 1874. The Humphrys family was to be devastated, firstly in 1874 by the death of the second son, Alfred, only 16, then in 1875 Isabella died in the childbirth of a daughter, Elizabeth, who did not survive. Jesse was left with a young family of 6 children ranging from 3 to 18 years of age. 4 SAMPLE only - ie only the first page of each section displayed. In 1876 Jesse married a widow, Grace Turner, who had 2 young children herself. He leased his Stony Gap farm to the Koonoona Estate, then purchased another 600 acre property in the Hundred of Hanson, near Farrell Flat from a Thomas Glasson.