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
Photos of my great-great grandmother Grace are on Pages 265 & 266 in Book 2 of 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road'. Additional photos and further information can be seen at my page regarding Naomi Grace (Grace) and on a personal note, I would love to hear from anyone who shares my great-grandmother's ancestry, or the ancestors of her husband William Frederick (Fred) TAYLOR
Naomi Grace (1870 - 1930)
My Grandfather WAS an Englishman! I am able to claim this quite truthfully and without any fear of contradiction -- even though my co-researcher was quite amused when she heard me make the statement the first time! William Frederick Taylor (Fred), was born in Buckingham Palace Road, London in 1869, within sight of the Palace itself. He was the son of William Frederick Taylor snr and his wife Mary Ann Porch. My grandfather obtained a Degree in Music in London, as did other members of his Family. After their Father died young, Grandfather and his younger brother, Charles, began working on overseas liners as members of the ship's orchestra to help support their young brothers and sisters. Charles was murdered on the London Docks, after he returned from a voyage, the reason is thought to have been to steal his pay-packet, but Fred lived on to become my English Grandfather. First however, Grace Ezzey, as she was always known, had a little growing-up to do.
Her birth was registered as Naomi Ezzey, without a single mention of the second name. She then married as Grace Ezzey, without a mention of her first name! A researcher's nightmare, except that I already knew the surrounding 'facts' too well. As you are already aware she spent her childhood in the Kurrajong until she reached the age of sixteen years when she went to Sydney to take care of the young Family of her uncle, Robert Witney , who had just been widowed for the second time. Robert had lost two wives in childbirth, and although in each case the infant had died two, on both occasions he was left to care for older children. When his second wife died in 1885 his eldest daughter was only 12, and with four children under the age of 15, he needed some-one to care for them until he was old enough to take over the reins. Grace Ezzey stayed with her Uncle for several years, and then when Elizabeth, his daughter was able to manage the household, Robert obtained a position for his niece in the home of a Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Peet at Neutral Bay as a Cook and housemaid. Edith Peel had no daughters of her own and soon accepted the young country girl into her home as a member of the Family. The Peel's son was an engineer on an overseas liner. When the lad's ship was in the Port of London, he stayed with a Family at Battersea, named Taylor, and when the ship was in the Port of Sydney, young Mr. Peel brought to his home a young man named 'Fred'. There were many voyages back and forth to England before the couple married in Sydney in 1894. They were married in the Minister's study of a protestant church, the reason for this possibly being that Fred was of the Roman Catholic Faith.[Perhaps as their marriage took place on the 19 Jul 1895 in the Methodist Church, Elizabeth Street Sydney and their first child William Frederick TAYLOR was born less than two months later on 13 Sep 1895, I personally believe this gives another possible reason for the place of their marriage? ...Amanda ...April 2006]
Their first child, a son, was born 13/9/1895, and in keeping with Family tradition was baptised William Frederick, as had his Father, Grandfather, and ancestral Grandfathers before him. The infant, however, survived only a couple of months and was buried at St. Thomas' Church, North Sydney, before the end of the year.
The parents', of course were grief-stricken and as my Grandmother, failed to regain her health, a voyage to England 'to meet the Family' was decided on as the best cure. There is no record of when the couple exactly left Sydney, however, their next child, Elsie Grace was born in Battersea 19/6/1897. So far as we can establish Grace Ezzey was the first member of the Ezzy Family to return to London after William had been banished just over 100 years before. She was followed soon after by a quite a number of others -- Leslie Ezzy (1900) and Albert Ezzy (1901), both sons of Richard Ezzy; David William from the line of William James was there early in the 1900's, and Percival Norman Ezzy, a Grandson of Richard Ezzy was there in convalescent hospital during World War 1, only a short time before he was killed in action.
Grace Ezzey disliked life in England and longed for Australia and especially for Kurrajong. She had left her Father, Henry Ezzey in failing health, and in the year following her daughter's birth, she received news first of her Father's death and then of her Grandfather's (Edmund Witney).
Like many members of the Ezzy Family, past and present, Grace Ezzey suffered from deafness. By the time she reached her late teens, she had become almost totally deaf, and for the most-part had to rely on lip-reading to take part in a conversation. Whilst she and her husband were overseas, they consulted many specialists to see if anything could be done to improve her hearing, but to no avail. Although we have no record of this affliction affecting members of the Family, prior to her generation, it still appears to be quite prevalent in the Family to-day. Although now it is possible to help the sufferer to some extent, it still 'appears' quite often at a very early age.
In 1899 with another child expected early the following year, Grace Taylor asked her husband to taker her home as she wished her next infant to be born in Australia. Fred complied with his wife's wishes and their second son Leonard Sydney was born 23/2/1900 at Newtown. His Mother refused to comply with 'tradition', her first son's early death was still too fresh in her mind. She named her new son, Leonard, which was also a Taylor Family name, and Sydney, because she was glad to be home. The Family moved next to Enmore where two more children were born, Felix St. George 3/9/1901, and my Mother, Queenie Florence 6/5/1903.
Several weeks after my Mother's birth the Family moved to Stanmore -- No 28 Cavendish Street, and Grace's sister 'Minna Ezzey - 28 Cavendish Street, Stanore' in his diary, even though he fails to mention Grace Taylor or her new infant!
The couple's sixth and youngest child was born 23/9/1904 and this time my Grandmother decided to comply with tradition and named the new infant, William Frederick So 'Our Fred' as my Mother often refers to him now, although he passed away several years ago, became the youngest and last-born member of the Family, instead of the firstborn.
The Family lived in various places throughout Sydney. My Grandfather taught music and also played in theatre orchestras in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Grace Taylor suffered a second attack of Diptheria in middle Life, which was blamed for weaking her heart, and after several strokes she died on 14/8/1930 and was buried in the Church of England Section of the Northern Suburbs Cemetery, at Ryde, six weeks before I was born. (Section B6. No. 55)
William Frederick Taylor lived for another sixteen years, so of course I knew him well. He passed away on 11/5/1946 and was also buried in the Northern Suburbs Cemetery, although not with his wife as he was still a member of the Roman Catholic Faith and so was buried in that section of the Cemetery. Both graves have headstones.
My Grandfather never returned to England, so he never saw his Family again, nor did his Mother see the remainder of her Australian Grandchildren.
My complete Rootsweb database can be seen at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy
Surname List of my Direct Ancestors Individual Name Index
Prepared by:
Amanda Taylor
P.O. Box 5042
Wheeler Heights NSW 2097 Australia
Send an e-mail to: Amanda Taylor