George GURR was born in Chatham, Kent in May 1834, the sixth child of William and Emma GURR. His father William ran a butcher's shop (the family trade for many generations) in Chatham High Street from at least 1827.
Three more siblings were born before George's mother Emma passed away in August 1846 from heart failure, aged just 42. William married again in early 1847 to Elizabeth Mary or Mary Elizabeth, and had a further three children.
William passed away on December 1857.
With both his parents gone, the young George evidently saw little point in remaining in the squalor and filth of the Chatham of the time. George married Mary Ann BLOWN in Dover, Kent on 17th November 1859 listing his occupation as "Draper" and his place of residence as Chatham, less than a month before boarding "The Agincourt" in Plymouth on 14th December 1859 bound for the new colony of Victoria.The Agincourt arrived in Melbourne almost three months later on 6th March 1860.
The Agincourt was carrying only unassisted passages - and so it's likely that George and Mary Ann were paying full fare. At this time, the fare would have been around £25 - or about 10-12 months wages for a manual labourer. The Agincourt also carried George's brother Edward GURR.
Victoria, and particularly Melbourne, had been in the grip of gold-rush fever since 1850. Many young men and women were taking a gamble and leaving England to make their fortune in the New World - particularly if they felt they had little to stay for, or good reason to leave. Might George and Mary Ann's haste in marrying and then boarding ship have some significance?
A year after their arrival, on 25th March 1861 Mary Ann gave birth to their first child Annie Collins GURR. It's worth mentioning here that Collins is a second Christian name, not part of a double-barrelled name. Annie's middle name, as with all the siblings who followed her, commemorates George's late mother Emma née COLLINS.
On Annie's birth registration details, George and Mary Ann list their address as Drummond Street, Carlton. Carlton was an inner-city suburb on the outskirts of the new city of Melbourne - now it's a sought after location. Drummond Street still exists and apparently includes a number of Victorian buildings in excellent condition. Examination of rate books of the period show that they lived at 924 Drummond Street. George lists his occupation as "Draper's Assistant", apparently continuing in the trade he began in England.
Nearly two years later (27 Jan 1863) Mary Ann gave birth to their second child, William Stanton Collins GURR. William was probably named after William STANTON, a contemporary of Mary Ann's father - they had both been marine pilots in Deal, registered with Trinity House, and William STANTON had been influential in the development of pilotage in the Deal area. It's intriguing that William STANTON was commemorated in this way before Mary Ann's own father (q.v.). On the birth registration for William, the family's address is now Argo Street, South Yarra. The Yarra is the river that runs through Melbourne, and South Yarra was one of the first modern suburbs. Argo Street still exists. George's occupation is now listed as "Bookkeeper".
A year and a half later (20 Aug 1864) sees the birth of their third child, Thomas Blown Collins GURR. Thomas was almost certainly named after Mary Ann's father, Thomas BLOWN. The family is still in South Yarra though moved to Chambers Terrace (now Chambers Street). On Thomas' birth registration, George's occupation is now listed as "Cashier", and his age is listed correctly as 30.
It's worth noting that George's professions of "Bookkeeper" and "Cashier" could refer to the same job.
Despite their growing family, less than a year later and George, Mary Ann and their three children would have been back on a ship bound for England. As yet, there's only guesses at what might have motivated them to undertake yet another expensive, arduous and risky journey, this time with three small children. As George was a Cashier, a trawl of the Melbourne Police Archives might prove interesting! George's brother Edward also returned to England, though it's not known whether he returned at the same time. He later emigrated to New Zealand, this time permanently.
George, Mary Ann, Annie, William and Thomas arrived back in England and settled in Hook Green, just outside Lamberhurst, itself not far from Tunbridge Wells. Hook Green is now part of Kent, but was then in Sussex. George Collins GURR was born in Hook Green on 15 Nov 1865, and at his birth registration, George lists his occupation as Innkeeper. George was the licensee of "The Elephant's Head" in Hook Green, a pub dating back to the late 15th century and which still stands today. George GURR is listed as the publican of this period in a short history displayed in the pub.
George's brother William already lived in Lamberhurst – his marriage is recorded in the local church registers in 1857. He must have made an impression on the locals, since in the Vestry minutes for 1865 it is recorded that he was appointed Constable. In 1868, George was appointed Assistant Overseer, and then in 1869 both William and George were appointed “Assessors of the Queen's Taxes”. They were reappointed yearly in 1870, 1871 and 1872. An Overseer was a Parish council official responsible for the collection and distribution of the poor tax - an important role in the local community.
By the census of April 1871, George and Mary Ann's family had grown yet again, with Ellen Collins GURR (born Jan-Mar 1867), Henry Collins GURR (12 Mar 1868) and Edward Collins GURR (Jan-Mar 1871). Emily Collins GURR was born in 1869, but had died by December of the same year. The family also had a servant, Mary Ann HAYWARD. George's occupation is now listed as "Assistant Overseer & Rate Collector". It's likely that despite not listing "Innkeeper" as an occupation, the family still resided at the Inn and possibly paid an employee to run the Inn. The household of 10 would have occupied no more than three rooms.
Also listed in the 1871 census is George's brother William. William was listed in the 1871 census as "Butcher, Farmer and Hop Grower", continuing the trade of his father. Members of the GURR family continued to run a butcher's shop in Lamberhurst until the 1970s, and "Ernie Gurr" is pictured on his horse and trap.
Charles Collins GURR was another addition to George and Mary Ann's family between Apr-Jun 1872, but on 27th May 1874 the family are found in Harrow, Middlesex where the birth of their ninth child Alber tCollins GURR was registered. Here George's occupation is described as "Clerk at a Brewers". It's possible that there's a link to the Brewery associated with the pub in Hook Green.
In 1873, for reasons unknown, both George and William were removed from their positions of authority in the parish – the following entry appears in the Vestry minutes a few months before their reappointment was due:
At a meeting held in the Vestry Room of this Parish on Friday 21st February 1873 (pursuant to notice duly published) for the purpose of nominating two fit and proper persons as Collectors of the Queen's Taxes in the place of Messrs William and George Gurr (whose appointments had been revoked by the Commissioners) for the remainder of the current financial year.
By early 1876, the GURRs had moved to 17 Frank Street, Leicester. In February,tragedy struck - Henry, almost 8 years old died of meningitis. George's occupation is listed on Henry's death certificate as "North Western Cellarman". "North Western" may be a brewery or a railway reference. Just over a year later though (Jan-Mar 1877), Kate Collins GURR was born, and on 1 Aug 1879 Martha Collins GURR became the last known member of the family.
At the time of the April 1881 census George lists his occupation as "Bookkeeper" (and his age erroneously as 47 - he was 45). 17 Frank Street housed 11 family members. Thomas wasn't at home - at 17, family legend has it that he ran away to sea.
Six months later in August 1881 tragedy struck again, and young Martha, aged just 2, died of exhaustion from whooping cough.
Between April and June 1885, George's eldest son William married. In 1886 George Collins GURR married Emma Louisa FREEMAN, a girl from just down the road in Frank Street almost immediately after his 21st birthday. It's likely from the timing that George the elder didn't approve ... particularly as Emma was at least five months pregnant at the time of the wedding.
Between January and March 1887 George became a grandfather, possibly for the first time as George C.'s son George Henry Neal GURR was born (however William may have produced prior children). Three generations of Georges must have made family get-togethers a little confusing.
On Christmas Eve 1889 Ellen married William Henry WATERFIELD, and between July and September 1890 Thomas had returned and was married too.
In the April 1891 census, the household was down to 6 members, with the children Annie, Charles, Albert and Kate being the only ones still at home. Annie, though 30, was listed as 27. It seems from further sources (q.v.) that she was severely ill. George still lists his occupation as "Bookkeeper".
In July 1892 Mary Ann's father Thomas Castle BLOWN died, leaving her £45 18s 9d.
By early 1894, Annie's condition had worsened and she was described as a "confirmed invalid". Indeed, photographs of the time show her pale and drawn in an invalid's bathchair. To make matters worse, her mother Mary Ann was also severely ill. Family recollections are that Annie suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and severe asthma, and that Mary Ann was an alcoholic (she died in 1913 of "acute bronchitis and chronic nephritis" - nephritis being inflammation of the kidneys, a common effect of alcohol poisoning).
On the 10th January 1894, the strain of the family illnesses proved too much for George, and he took his own life. A coroner's inquest (which details much of the sad circumstances surrounding his death and makes for painful reading) returned a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity".
© 2000-2007, David
Gurr
