Malcolm Gordon Gray

Farmer

Malcolm Gordon Gray was the son of George Abner Gray who came out to Australia with his family as assisted immigrants from the Isle of Wight, England, on the ship the ‘Thomas Arbuthnot’ which left London on 22 Sept 1848 and Plymouth on 3 Oct 1848. George Gray was 31 years of age and his wife Ann was 27yrs. They set out with their four children; Sarah Ann aged 7 years, Maurice 5 years, George Abner 3 years and baby James Henry Ernest just a few weeks old. Unfortunately just 6 weeks into the voyage baby James died on 9 November, followed by his mother Ann on 15th December 1848. George Gray was a Stonemason by trade and set off on arrival in New South Wales, to Maitland to work with his brother in law at ‘New Freugh Station’ near Singleton. George Gray remarried and the family later moved to Waratah where George Gray died in 1861. Following his father’s death, George Abner Gray moved to the Clarence River where he started life labouring on farms at Alumny Creek in the Southgate area and at Retreat Station. He got a job as a drover for an overland trip from Glen Innes to Melbourne and later recorded his life in a Journal of George Abner Gray which is available at the Clarence River Historical Society. George Abner went on to work on farms at Micalo Island and Alumny Creek. He is said to be the first Veterinary on the Clarence River. He married Mary Jane Eggins whose father was Thomas Eggins a well known pioneer of the Southgate area of Grafton. Her sister was Hannah Eggins who had married James Ryall, ran the Ocean View Boarding House in Yamba and who, along with her husband built the house and bakery at 1 River Street and the two cottages at 3 and 4 River Street. Hannah was the Aunt of Malcolm Gordon Gray so his final purchase of the property when the Certificate of Title transferred on 17 October 1945, brings the story of the cottage back in a full circle to its original roots.

Malcolm Gordon Gray was the ninth child of George Abner and Mary Jane Gray (nee Eggins) and he was born on 11 Feb 1884 at Alumny Creek NSW. Malcolm grew up on farms he worked with his father, brothers and family at Alumny Creek. George and Mary like so many couples of the times, had a large family of eleven children and the Gray family and their descendants are well known on the Clarence River and in particular in the Grafton, Southgate and Alumny Creek areas.

On 1 May 1884, Malcolm Gordon Gray married Ada ‘Emma’ Everingham at the Methodist Church in Grafton.

Emma Everingham was the daughter of George Henry Everingham and Jane Louisa Baker. George Henry was the son of George Everingham and Keturah Stubbs who are the first generation of Australian born children of original convicts and settlers. George was the son of first fleet convict Matthew Everingham and second fleet convict Elizabeth Rymes who originally settled in the Windsor area. They were part of the first settlers on the Hawkesbury River.

They had five children and of later significance in the story of 3 River Street is his eldest daughter Marie Jane. The family lived on the farms at Southgate Road, Alumny Creek adjacent and opposite to the Alumny Creek School where Fardie grew mainly potatoes with some of his brothers and sisters living and farming or working nearby.

On 15 November, 1940 Malcolm and the whole family’s lives were to change significantly when Malcom’s wife Emma was killed in a tragic accident on the farm.¹

The expectations by Malcolm on his eldest daughter Marie (who had married Herbert George Perkins in January 1933) after the death of Emma Gray were life changing. Marie and George had just moved to Cudgen with the Cudgen State School recording that Lorna and Colin commenced there on 24 September 1940.² Cudgen is just south of Tweed Heads and George had been offered and secured a job as a Supervisor at the Cudgen Rutile mine.

George had been working at the Angourie Rutile mine up until closed. The family had been living at 5 River Street which they were renting whilst he worked at the mine. The advancement to the position of Supervisor was a great opportunity for George and his family.

When the accident occurred in November 1940, Malcolm wrote to Marie insisting she must return to the farm to look after him and her two brothers Arthur and Cecil who were living and working at the farm at the time. Despite the fact the family was making a new life with better prospects, Marie and George returned to Alumny Creek and the farm by the end of 1940. This return is noted within the school records of Lorna and Colin Perkins with the record stating ‘Left end 1940 Southgate’ in the Cudgen Public School register.³ The children all have vivid fond excited memories of their time at Cudgen despite the move was only for three months.

The condition they placed on moving back to the farm was that George would secure work outside of the farm and would not be a farm labourer.

George Perkins family were the first white people to settle at Yamba as his great grandfather was the fist Pilot there arriving in 1854 with his family. His great grandfather was Frances Freeburn the first Pilot at ‘Clarence Heads’ or ‘Wooli’ which Yamba was then known as. They were original settlers at Yamba with Frances, his wife Elizabeth and their young family arriving in 1854.

This connection between the families can be see in snippets in the local newspaper indicating Malcolm Gray along with George, Marie, their children and Marie’s brother Arthur, stayed with George Perkins’ mother May and her second husband, George’s stepfather, Herbert Russell for a holidays. Newspaper notes also record Malcolm Gray staying at local accomodation and with friends in Yamba and that he like his son in law, was a keen fisherman.

Cottage 3 River Street Yamba

Although the cottage at 3 River Street was put up to auction on 27th March 1943, a Provisional Title Deed was issued on 31 October 1943 and the final transfer to Malcolm Gordon Gray did not occur until the 17th October 1945.⁴ Newspaper reports indicate that Malcolm had been staying at ‘his cottage’ in Yamba before an announcement of him being ‘formerly of Southgate’ was recorded on 31 July 1944. It is likely that Malcolm was in the process of purchasing the cottage using a private arrangement with John Murphy.

When Marie’s brother Cecil Gray was married on 23 November 1944, Marie and George Perkins along with their children, Lorna, Colin and Beryl moved into the small two roomed cottage across the road from the original four bedroomed house they were living in with Malcolm when they returned from Cudgen. In addition the little cottage had two verandahs with a kitchen attached. Cecil was working the farm so he lived in the larger six roomed farmhouse. Marie and George enclosed the rear verandah of the small cottage with louvres for their room, the two girls slept in one room and the front verandah was also enclosed with louvres with Colin having a bed on one end and his grandfather Malcolm had a bed at the other end. When he returned from the air force after being in New Guinea, Marie helped her brother Arthur Stanley Gray as he was unwell. Arthur helped his brother Cecil by working on the farm. Arthur converted the dairy bales near the little house to use as a bedroom.

Although Malcolm moved to Yamba to retire from the farm he regularly returned to the farm at Alumny Creek to stay with Marie so she could look after him especially when he was unwell. He always said he would only let Marie look after him. He remained at the cottage in Yamba until early 1956 when he returned to the little house with Marie so she could care for him in the final few months of his life.

Malcolm Gordon Gray died on 15 September 1956 at Alumny Creek. As part of his Estate the cottage at 3 River Street was bequeathed to his daughter Marie Jane Perkins nee Gray. The Probate records⁵ for Malcolm Gordon Gray reveal the original Will provisions and the value of the Estate as set out by his two sons where were his Executors Cecil Gordon Gray and Arthur Stanley Gray.

Legacy Grants within the original Will Dated: 9 August 1955

1. Hazel Emma YARDY nee GRAY £300 – free of State Death and Federal Estate Duty
2. Neil GRAY (son of Harry Malcom GRAY deceased) £300 – free of State Death and Federal Estate Duty
3. Marie Jane PERKINS nee Gray – cottage and land in River Street, Yamba
4. Arthur Stanley GRAY – Portion 192 of the Parish of Great Marlow 44 acres subject to the lease to the said Cecil Gordon GRAY if it is still in force at the date of death, declare that the rental payable by Cecil GRAY be apportioned to the values of the respective parcels was accepted by the Commissioner of Stamp Duties.
5. Cecil Gordon GRAY – Lot 46 in the Subdivision of original Portion 14, now Portion 85 of the Great Marlow 46 acres 1 rood 25 perches and 1 1/2acres adjoining.
6. Cecil Gordon GRAY and Arthur Stanley GRAY – all real and personal Estate in equal shares to pay all debts, funeral & testamentary expenses including State & Federal Duties.
7. Any additional debts/costs above the value of real and personal Estate to be paid by Cecil GRAY, Arthur GRAY & Marie PERKINS.⁶

VALUATION OF THE ESTATE
1. Cottage & Land 3 River Street, Yamba	£ 500.0.0
2. Portion 92 44 Acres Great Marlow	£ 4,220.0.0
3. Lot 46 46 acres Great Marlow	£ 5,002.12.6
4. Previous Church/Parsonage Site 1.5 acres	£ 153.0.0
5. Furniture, tools & personal effects – Yamba Cottage	£ 24.17.0
6. Money in bank	£ 36.14.4
7. Government Stock – Treasury Bond value at 15/9/1956	£ 700.10.0
8. Shares – South Grafton Friendly Societies Pharmacy	£ 1.5.0
9. Debts: Yamba – nil. Cecil GRAY lease due at date of death	£ 52.14.9
Annual Farm rent for all lots = £250 paid to M G GRAY by Cecil GRAY7

There was no valuation recorded for farm equipment nor stock held at the farm.

An Equity Application was made to the court by Hazel Emma Yardy nee Gray with Neil Gray (the son of Harry Gray who predeceased his father Malcolm) and Marie Jane Perkins nee Gray. The application and subsequent court case had the final Estate outcome summarised below:

Supreme Court: 18 December 1958 

Equity Application by Hazel Emma YARDY nee GRAY

Hazel YARDY granted in lieu of her £300 a grant of £800 with the additional £500 from this legacy to be borne equally by Cecil GRAY & Arthur GRAY with costs paid from the Estate.⁸

Supreme Court: 18 December 1958 – Equity Application by Marie Jane PERKINS

Marie PERKINS in addition of her legacy of the cottage in Yamba, a legacy of £600 but she should not have to pay additional costs to the Estate from this legacy granted.  This additional grant to be borne equally by Cecil GRAY and Arthur GRAY with costs paid from the Estate. Marie PERKINS to pay for her Solicitor & Executors to pay for theirs for this matter, other costs paid by the Estate.⁹

The final Certificate of Title for 3 River Street Yamba was not transferred to Marie Jane Perkins until the 23 June 1960.

George Perkins Family

References

1. _{Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1915 – 1954), Saturday 16 November 1940, page 4}
2. _{Tweed District Primary Schools Register from 1899-1975 – Cudgen Public School supplied by Murwillumbah Historical Society}
3. _{Tweed District Primary Schools Register from 1899-1975 – Cudgen Public School supplied by Murwillumbah Historical Society}
4. _{Certificate of Title Volume 1932 Folio 197 New South Wales Land Registry Services (NSW LRS)} 
5. _{Malcolm Gordon Gray Probate Records NSW State Archives Date of Death 15/09/1956, Granted on 07/12/1956 NRS-13660-36-13331-Series 4_454496}
6. _{Summarised from – Malcolm Gordon Gray Probate Records NSW State Archives Date of Death 15/09/1956, Granted on 07/12/1956 NRS-13660-36-13331-Series 4_454496}
7. _{Summarised from – Malcolm Gordon Gray Probate Records NSW State Archives Date of Death 15/09/1956, Granted on 07/12/1956 NRS-13660-36-13331-Series 4_454496}
8. _{Summarised from – Malcolm Gordon Gray Probate Records NSW State Archives Date of Death 15/09/1956, Granted on 07/12/1956 NRS-13660-36-13331-Series 4_454496}
9. _{Summarised from – Malcolm Gordon Gray Probate Records NSW State Archives Date of Death 15/09/1956, Granted on 07/12/1956 NRS-13660-36-13331-Series 4_454496}