Send an e-mail to: Amanda TaylorSend an e-mail to: Amanda TaylorA Story of an Early Pioneer Family, Researched and written by present-day members of the Family, themselves.
The following article was written and researched by Grace Douglass & Laurel Legge and published in their book 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road' 1985 (ISBN 0 9589831 0 0 and ISBN 0 9589831 3 5) and is subject to copyright. Written permission is held from the late author Grace Douglass for the writer to publish contents via the Internet. However, although this book is in the public domain, it still remains copyrighted material and may not be copied for any reason without permission. I do not have the right to give permission to others to reprint the book. I was only given permission to put it on line. All copyrights stay with Grace Douglass & Laurel Legge and whoever they appointed, for control of the book. Under no circumstances may it be reprinted for profit.
Extractions of parts of the information for personal use with references to the book as the source is encouraged
A photo of George Ephraim EZZEY is on Page 268 in Book 2 of "Along the Windsor Richmond Road".
Always known as Eph (pronounced 'eep), there seems to have been some consfusion over his name at the time of baptism. Although the child was registered as 'George Ephraim', and that was most definitely his name, the Baptismal Register says 'Henry Ephraim', obviously the minister has confused the name of the child with that of his Father, when making the entry.
As a young man he went to Queensland to work, but unforunately the exact location is not known, however it was in this State that he joined the Australian Contingent to go to the Boer War. He was the only Ezzy Family member to enlist in the Northern State. He joined as a member of the Fifth Queensland Bushman, Pvte No.283, went to South Africa and never returned. No, he was not killed in the War, he stayed there, married and started a new Line of the Ezzey Family in that country.
He left the shores of Queensland on the "Templemore" and was later discharged at his own request in South Africa on 26/3/1902. He was an extremely tall man, very close to six feet in height and had red hair (another throw-back to Jan Ezzy we wonder?). Accordingly to members of his Family who are still living in South Africa, he stayed on in the country because he loved it and was firstly employed by the South African Government on a special Farm in Pietersburg after the War, helping veterans find employment. After that he joined the Public Works Department, building roads, where he became a Roads Inspector. At the time of his retirement he still held this position. In 1927 when a new road was opened outside of Barberton in the Transvaal, a cutting was named 'Ezzey's Pass', so we have left our name on the map of that country also.
Eph's wife was an Australian girl, Catherine Boyd (Kit) whom he married in Pretoria about 1904. We have not been able to establish where Kit was born. The present Family members in South Africa, just know that she was an Australian, like her husband, and 'assumed' that she came from the same area of this country. However, it is the feeling here that she was a Queenslander that he met whilst he was working in the North prior to his departure for the war. Wherever she came from, we know that she was definitely an Australian by birth. When Eph decided to remain in South Africa after the War he sent for his fiancee to join him. Kit suffered very badly from seasickness on the voyage over, and vowed she would never ever cross that ocean again, and she never did. As his wife would not come to Australia for a holiday with him, Eph would not return on his own and so did not see his Family again during his lifetime, other than his brother Ham, and his cousin Les, who both lived in South Africa for a time.
[Note (1): Since 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road' was published I have established that Catherine (Kit) BOYD was born on 5 Mar 1880 in Laidley, Queensland Australia....Amanda]
The couple had four children -- Vera Ethel (106) (Mrs. Dowdle) Kathleen Edith (Kay) (1907) (Mrs. Stead), George Eric (1909) and Norma Edna (1912) (Mrs. Smuts).
George Ephraim passed away in March, 1944, and was buried in Pretoria, South Africa. It has not been established when Kit died.
[Note (2): Refer Issue No.51 March 2003 of 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road Ezzy Family Newsletter'
ISSN-0817-1084 advises of date of death as 25 Oct 1938]
[Note (3): Since 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road' was published I have been advised that
Catherine (Kit) EZZEY died on 6 Mar 1944 in Sabie, South Africa and is buried in Sabie, South Africa..
......Amanda]
In 1932 George married Eileen Constance Morgan, and the couple had two daughters Anthea Joan (Anne) (1933) and Pamela Mary (1934).
George enlisted in the South African Forces in World War 2 and served overseas. Passing through Australia on his way to one of the Battle Zones, in which he was to see action, he stayed briefly in Sydney; however, he had no idea how to go about contacting his relations as there had been no communication between the Families for quite a number of years. My own Grandmother and her younger brother Ham were the two members of the Family who wrote most regularly to their brother and as both of them had died in the early thirties, contact with South Africa had gradually ceased.
Strange to say Uncle Ham's two daughters heard George Ezzey's name mentioned on a radio programme in a listing of visiting servicemen, but when they tried to make contact he had already sailed on a troop ship -- like 'ships that pass in the night' they were not to meet.
George returned from the war and he and Eileen had three more children -- Jennifer Catherine (1944), Martin Boyd (1947) and Lance Edward (1954).
After the war George's health began to fail and he died of Leukemia in 1962, his widow is still living.
George's three daughters all married -- Anne is Mrs. Bender, Pamela -- Mrs. Nozze, and Jennifer Mrs. Dalgety.
I started to try and establish contact with the South African Family in 1979 and for some time had no success. I contacted the Authorities over there and told them where the Family were thought to have settled after the Boer War, but the reply came back to say that there was no trace of them. It was only a week after receiving this reply, however, that I had a letter on its way to Martin Boyd Ezzey, thanks to information I obtained back here in Australia. Shortly after I had made my enquiry to the South African Authorities a 'ripple' or a 'buzz' started going around, which appeared to have started in Queensland --- "Who were the Ezzeys in South Africa?" -- "Who owned them?" -- "Where did they come from?" -- "Were we related?". I quickly acted to claim my missing relatives and discovered that Alton Ezzy, a Great-grandson of Charles son of John, had made contact through a business acquaintance with Martin. Martin had informed him that his Grandparents had originally come from Australia, although he did not know where, & Alton who now lives in Victoria, contacted his Family in Queensland trying to 'fit' Martin into our Family.
Martin and his daughters now correspond with quite a number of 'Ezzeys' and 'Ezzys' in this country in at least three Lines of our Family Tree. They are back in the Family, even though a great distance separates us.
Martin is married to Maureen Joy Stewart and the couple have three little girls -- Susan Merle (1971), Amanda Lorriene (1973) and Tamsim Monica (1979) -- but I tell him that is not much good for the name of "Ezzey" in South Africa, nor "Ezzy" either for that matter.
However, Martin keeps joking to me in his letters that little brother, Lance, is still there, eligible and single, so we are pinning our hopes on him. The name of Ezzey may live on there yet???
My complete Rootsweb database can be seen at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy
Surname List of my Direct Ancestors Individual Name Index
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Amanda Taylor
P.O. Box 5042
Wheeler Heights NSW 2097 Australia
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