George Lacey

Susannah Mary Proud

On 17 December 1833, Susannah Proud and her brother Christian arrived on the ship the ‘Layton’ to the New South Wales Colony under the assisted immigrants scheme, they were both employed by Captain Thompson of Liverpool. Susannah had been born on 19 April 1812 in the Parish of St George’s Court, London the daughter of John and Mary Ann Proud so she was just 21 years when she set out for the new Colony. On the 14 March 1834, she married convict William Williams, who was convicted for sheep stealing originally being sentenced to death but was transported in 1828 for the new colony on the ‘Morley. In 1828 Census his occupation was a sadler. Special permission had to be granted for the marriage as William was a convict. Susannah and William Williams had four children, the only daughter being Susannah who was born on 24 April 1838 in Liverpool.

1. Griffith b 1835 d 1912
2. William John b 1838 d 1919
3. Susannah b 1838 d 1919
4. Christian b 1841

After the death of William, Susannah Mary Williams, now a widow, married John De Lacey another convict also requiring special permission so they could marry. John De Lacey had been transported on the ‘Boyne’ in 1826, for the crime of highway robbery. Susannah and John De Lacey had seven children:

1. Jane b 1845
2. Enoch b 1847
3. Richard b 1848
4. Robert Ernest b 1859
5. George b 1853
6. Eunice b 1853
7. Ruth b 1856
8. Francis b unknown

Susannah Williams married Augustus Bishop on 25th August 1852 at Wollombi. They had thirteen children:

1. Sarah b 1854
2. John b 1857
3. Lydia (Lizzie) b 1858
4. Clara b 1859
5. William b 1861
6. Joseph b 1862
7. Frederick b 1863
8. Augustus b 1865
9. Andrew b 1867
10. Albert George b 1869
11. Frank b 1872
12. Esther Olive b 1874
13. Arthur Henry b 1876

Of significance to 3 River Street and future owners is that on a marriage certificate in 1902, Walter Arthur Perkins stated James Perkins and Sarah Bishop were his parents. Sarah was the eldest daughter of Susannah Bishop nee Williams, and the granddaughter of Susannah Williams (later De Lacey) nee Proud. Therefore Susannah Bishop was the step sister of George Lacey who purchased 3 River Street in 1904. In 1902 Walter Arthur Perkins married Annie Elizabeth May Schaumann. In 1960 the ownership of the cottage and land at 3 River Street, Yamba passed to Marie Jane Perkins nee Gray who in 1933 had married Herbert George Perkins the only son of Annie Elizabeth May Russell previously Perkins nee Schaumann.

Susannah and John De Lacey’s son George and their daughter Jane were the only ones in the family to move from Liverpool to the Clarence region with George’s surname known by the different spellings of: De Lacey, Lacey and Lacy.

Jane Lacy married Conrad Reimer in Grafton on 30 July 1863. Conrad Reimer was born near Hannover Germany, about 1834 and settled on the Clarence where he traded as a butcher. On his 1872 Naturalisation Certificate he states he was 44 years of age, a butcher, a native of Germany and arrived on the ‘Arago’ in 1857. He wished to be naturalised so that he could ‘posses the privileges of a British subject.’ ¹ Conrad and Jane ‘had a large family of 13 children five of whom died in infancy, tow of their sons, Henry and Walter were master bakers; Henry who married Amelia Williams lived in Wharf Street, Grafton while Walter lived close by in Ryan Street with his wife Alice Martha Newell whom he had married in Murwillumbah.’ ² Another son John William Reimer married Kate Mary Oberfuschuber and Eva nee Bernhardt. Kate and John ‘moved Brushgrove for a while where we assume John was a butcher.’ ³ Later John was to play a significant part in then life of his Uncle George Lacey. Conrad Remier died 11 July 1908 and Jane Reimer nee De Lacey died 10 October 1914.

Nymboida Farmer

In 1878 George Lacey a ‘workman on the roads’ applied for a free Selection of Land at Nymboida. It was much sought after land and along with 45 others competing for the one 320 acres of land he lined up at the Grafton lands Office to try his luck with the ultimate announcement being that ‘the successful applicant was found in George Lacy’.

The 320 acres was in the County of Fitzroy, Parish of Nymboida of the right bank of the mitchell River. It was on the road to Glen Innes just below what is now the township of Nymboida.

George Ellis was the owner of the adjoining property, he was the son of Joseph Ellis and Ann Robinson, his sister was Sarah Hannah. Sarah was born in January 1859 at Aylesby, Lincolnshire, England arriving in New South Wales on 3 March 1865 along with all her family on the ‘Himalaya’ when she was just six years of age.

The connection between George Lacey and George Ellis is seen in 1880 when the two ended up in Court over the illegal slaughtering and sale of a beast in Nymboida. The records show that in 1885 they applied for slaughtering licenses and it is noted in the later sale of George Lacey’s farm at Nymboida it included slaughter yards, butchers shop and all necessary out buildings. It even included ‘Lacey’s Hall’ where local social events were held.

In 1882 George Lacy married Sarah Hannah Ellis in Grafton with their first and only daughter Ruth Ann Lacy being born in 1886.

It is at this point we see the closeness of George Lacey with his nephew John Reimer a son of his sister Jane Reimer nee Lacey. As noted earlier, John was a butcher and George Lacey’s farm included a butcher’s shop. The local history book of the Nymboida area states: ‘At some time about the turn of the century, John Reimer took his family to Nymboida where he went to work for George Lacy … In the early 1920’s after the death of John Bennett John Reimer became the council punt operator.’ ⁴

On 6 May 1902 George Lacey’s home life was to change drastically when his wife Sarah Hannah filed for a judicial separation. ‘Sarah Hannah Lacey petitioned for a judicial separation from her husband, George Lacey … After the case was opened it was intimated that the parties were endeavouring to effect a settlement, and the court adjourned for a short time. On resuming … the suit had been withdrawn on terms that would be kept private. there was a large number of witnesses on this proceeding.’ ⁵ A notice was placed in the newspaper on 27 May 1902 dated 1st April 1902 stating; ‘I will not be responsible for any debts contracted in my name, after this date, by anyone without my written authority. G. Lacey, South Grafton. 1st April, 1902.’ ⁶

By November 1903 George Lacey was looking to sell his properties with the statement on the advertisements noting; ‘Special attention is called to this sale, as it is rarely that an opportunity occurs to secure such valuable stock and property. The vendor having decided to retire from active life, places the whole of his property before the public for sale by auction.’ ⁷ The properties did not all sell in 1903 however the original Nymboida farm consisting of 400 acres did sell in 1906 for a staggering sum of £3200 when George Lacey also went on to sell all his household effects and furniture.

In 1905 we learn a little more about George’s wife Sarah Lacey and their daughter Ruth Ann, a talented student who on 17 December 1904 received a Junior University Certificate from the Grafton Superior Public School.⁸ Ruth Ann went on to train as a school teacher with the Public Service Board promoting pupil teacher Ruth A. Lacy, Taloumbi and in November 1906 she was transferred from Taloumbi to South Grafton as a pupil teacher. Ruth went on to become a teacher and marrying another school teacher, Edward John Hinman a 29 year old bachelor from Kinbale, Ireland on 27 November 1920 at All Saints Church, Petersham. He was the son of Edward Hinman (Naval Instructor) and Sarah Emily Andrews. John Hinman’s Obituary tells a little of their life together and much about the man she married. Ruth Ann Hinman Nee Lacy died on 28 November 1982 in Queensland Registration details: 1982/9232.

3 River Street, Yamba

It is at this point that the two Lots of 2 River Street and 3 River Street are sold separately. The original bakery site built by James Ryall was sold by Ellen Fuller Brown to James Jospeh Dwyer which included ‘Lots 3,4,5 and part of Lots 2 and 6’. On 16 March 1907 George Moore (Engine Driver) had sold his property at 4 River Street to Samual Amos a Woodford Island farmer. The transfer of the 3 River Street Yamba property is dated 10 June 1908 with the transfer being produced and entered on 4 December 1908.⁹ The map below shows the owners in 1908 and the boundary adjustments from the original Section 10 6 allotments subdivided by Henry Alderson.

On Saturday 12th December, 1908 George Lacey again placed his thirteen properties on the market ; ‘As Mr Lacy has definitely decided to leave the district at an early date, we are instructed to sell the whole of the above valuable properties at the present market rates, believing that the public are fully seized with the growing importance of South Grafton, now that the advent of the North Coast Railway is an accomplished fact. It should be patent to far-seeing speculators, and persons in search of comfortable homes, that this is an opportunity that may not occur again in a lifetime. One word more: It will pay intending purchasers to inspect these desirable properties, and obtain full particulars from the Auctioneers before the day of sale.’ It would appear by the number of properties and the advertisement that George Lacey was speculating in the property market. This is also perhaps evident by the fact that the certificate of transfer from Ellen Fuller Brown to George Lacey for the property now known as 3 River Street was transferred on 10 June 1908 with the title being produced and entered on 4 December 1908 and it was included in the sale notice as Lot 13 as part of the sale of all his properties.

However, George Lacey again did not leave the district at this time, nor did he sell the cottage at 3 River Street Yamba. From 1909 onwards George Lacey appears to have been boarding at local hotels and was in Court several times seeming to indicate a decline since retiring and after the loss of his wife.

From 1909 George was again placing advertisements for the sale of his properties and again in 1914 the sale notice states ; ‘Mr Lacy has decided to leave this district, and has placed this land in the market for sale’ ⁹

George Lacey also owned horses and was involved with mining. In 1921 after he had finally moved to Sydney where his wife, daughter and son in law were living, an interesting Court Case involving a Bank Manager named and Mr Bracegirdle and George Lacey was again fought out in Court. By this stage George was an elderly man of 75 years of age and it appears as with the earlier reports in Grafton Courts that he had suffered some decline in his health.

George Lacey died in Liverpool on 30 October 1923 in Liverpools, Sydney with his occupation listed as ‘Farmer’. The Executor of his Estate was his nephew John Frederick Reimer of Conway Avenue, Rose Bay. His Will stated that he was to be buried in the Church of England Cemetery in Liverpool with a monument erected at the sole discretion of his Executor. He left the whole of his Estate to his ‘only child Ruth Ann.’

Portion of Allotment 10 Section 10 – 3 River Street Yamba

The Everson family were fishermen and oyster farmers from Iluka. It is more likely that one of the sons of William and Caroline Everson were leasing the cottage. On 2 June 1908 Joseph Everson married Rebecca Searle of Freshwater so it is possible that the young couple leased the cottage after their marriage.

George Lacey did eventually sell the property 3 River Street Yamba with the property transferring to the new owner on 28 June 1915.

Mary Ann McCooey

References

1. _{New South Wales Certificate of Naturalization 8 November 1872 No. 72:20}
2. _{Coutts Crossing and Nymboida Book Volume 2 p 69}
3. _{Coutts Crossing and Nymboida Book Volume 2 p 69}
4. _{Coutts Crossing and Nymboida Book Volume 2 p 69}
5. _{Clarence River Advocate, Tuesday 6 May, 1902, page 2}
6. _{Clarence and Richmond Examiner, Tuesday 27 May 1902, page 1}
7. _{Clarence and Richmond Examiner, Tuesday 10 November 1903, page 1}
8. _{Clarence and Richmond Examiner, Saturday 17 December 1904, page 4}
9. _{Certificate of Title Volume 1932 Folio 197 New South Wales Land Registry Services (NSW LRS)} 
10. _{Clarence and Richmond Examiner, Saturday 6 June 1914, page 1}