Stories of John Hurrell

Born 1842 at Jersey, Channel Islands, England, UK; Family Search Ancestral File gives birth 1842 and death 1921.
(Birth date calculated from other doubtful information;
1825 calculated from immigration age, or 1815 calculated from age at death of a John Hurrell.)
Married Ann Elizabeth Webley, daughter of William Webley and Mary Anne Wood, 1867;
Vic. Marriage Index - # 4132; half year ending Dec 1867; HURRELL John (place of birth, Jersey) to WILLIAMS Ann Elizabeth (place of birth, Melbourne).
This is the only marriage I could find for a John Hurrell during the 10 years prior to the births at Byaduk of eight children to John Hurrell and Annie Elizabeth Webley. Birth registrations of their children show seven of the children have their mother's maiden name as WEBLEY, but Alice Beatrice Mary's certificate shows mother's surname as HURRELL!

Williams, Webley & Hurrell are the one and same Annie Elizabeth, mother of nine. Annie Webley married John Williams first and produced a son, then after his death married John Hurrell.

John seems to have been also known as Walter. In the book "Early Byaduk Settlers" he is referred to as W. Hurrell and when Walter H. Hurrell died in 1951 his father was registered as W and mother Annie Webley. He immigrated in 1852; A John Hurrell arrived in Melbourne on board the "Constance" in December 1852. He gave his age as 27 and was an unassisted immigrant.

BYADUK. Situated in the County of Normandy, a postal village with money-order office and post office savings bank, in the parish of the same name, and electoral district of Normandy, on Scott's Creek, 8 miles S. W. from Mt. Napier. Distance from Melbourne, 230 miles; from Hamilton, 15 miles; from Macarthur, 7 miles.

Byaduk is chiefly noted for its remarkable caves which are very extensive, and owing to the mephitic vapours they contain, are only partially explored. Inside these caves are large deposits of guano supposed to be the excreta of countless generations of bats and other living creatures inhabiting the recesses from time immemorial. The fertilizing properties of this guano are said to be considerable, and it is probable that before long means will be found to render it available as an article of commerce. Some fine specimens of ferns are to be found in the neighbourhood, and the locality is a favourite spot for picnics. At the insistence of the population in the vicinity, the site of the caves has been reserved by the Government.

The population is about 500, within a radius of four miles. The town is under the control of the Dundas Shire Council.

("Hamilton Spectator" Almanac, 1875 etc.).

"Joseph Harman was the first shoemaker in Byaduk. He had a small shop near where Wattie Harman's house now is; he started shoemaking in Byaduk in 1863. A few years later, W. Hurrel opened a shoemaker's shop near where Mrs. Crockett's now is; (in 1999 owner is Max Falkenberg) he left in 1888."
(from "Early Byaduk Settlers", from Peter Fraser's diaries 1931, by Ian Black, 1994.)

1999. Mrs Doris Smith of Penshurst Road, Byaduk, says the above information is unreliable.

Borough of Hamilton Rate Books. 1889, 90 & 91 list John Hurrell, Bootmaker, owner of property Helen McKenzie, use of part of allotment 1, section 4. (Thompson Street) NAV 33 pounds, Rates, 2 pounds 17 shillings and 9 pence.

The 1888 Hamilton Spectator Almanac says that the above shop was occupied by Helen McKenzie, a grocer, and that J. Hurrell and Son's shop was in Gray Street. Hamilton Spectator Almanac of 1889, 90 & 91 lists Hurrell's shop in Thompson Street. Legislative Assembly, Electoral District of Dundas - North Hamilton division, List of Ratepayer Electors in 1890-91,1891-92, 1892-93, 1893-94 show that John Hurrell was a resident of Hamilton, occupation bootmaker, rateable property in section 4, i.e. the block bounded by Gray, Thompson, Lonsdale and Brown streets.

Reg # 6526. A John Hurrell died aged 82 in 1897 at Pt Fairy. Don't think this is our John Hurrell.

Is John related to the Hurrells of Innman Valley SA? There does not appear to be any connection , so far.