Elizabeth Douglas

1796 - 1877  (80 years)

• Name	Elizabeth Douglas
  Birth	8 Feb 1796	Hawkesbury, NSW, Australia
  Christening	5 Sep 1796	St John's Church of England, Parramatta, NSW
  Gender	Female
  Burial	Jan 1877	St Albans, Old General Cemetery, NSW, Austral
  Death	25 Jan 1877	St Albans, NSW, Australia
  Person ID	I97577	First tree
  Last Modified	17 Nov 2020

  
  

  Mother	Mary Groves,   b. Abt 1758, Lincolnshire, England d. Abt 1798, NSW, Australia (Age 40 years)
  Family ID	F79027	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  a twin to Joseph baptised by the Reverend Samuel Marsden At the age of sixteen "Currency Lass" Elizabeth Douglas married Daniel Jurd on the 28th of September 1812 at St Matthew's Church of England, Windsor, NSW. After their marriage Elizabeth and Daniel Jurd settled near Pitt Town in the Hawkesbury area where he continued farming. Work and life in general for them was hard as it was for all convicts and settlers. In 1856 Elizabeth and her family suffered much sadness, she lost two of her sons Richard aged 38 and William aged 27 both from typhus. Her daughter Elizabeth who had married Joseph Preston died at 33 years of age two days after giving birth to her third child, Joseph. The death of these three parents left their fourteen children without a mum or dad. Elizabeth, a devout and staunch Methodist, donated land on the western side of The Branch for a chapel. The chapel was built about 1829. The church throughout the early history of the preaching circuit was simply known as "Jurd's Chapel". The Jurd Dynasty in Australia began with the marriage of Daniel Jurd and Elizabeth Douglas at St Matthews Church of England, Windsor on 28 September 1812. Daniel was born in England around 1778, was a chimney sweep in London and was convicted at the Old Bailey of stealing 20lbs of bacon. His accomplice was Samuel French. They were transported for 7 years. Daniel arrived on 4 August 1802 aboard the Perseus. Elizabeth was the daughter of William Douglas and Mary Groves, two First Fleet Convicts. Daniel & Elizabeth settled in Pitt Town. They had 9 children, 6 boys and 3 girls. Daniel received a land grant in the Macdonald Valley and this was first worked by his eldest son, and first child John, who married Mary Ann Fleming. Daniel died in August 1833, just 7 months after the birth of his youngest child, Joseph. As the family grew and land in the St Albans area became scarce the family moved to Wollombi - Cessnock area where a large number of Jurd descendants still live today. Some of the family moved further afield to Moree and the Clarence River district. Descendants of Daniel & Elizabeth still live in the St Albans area today. The Jurd family were licencees of the famous "Settlers Arms" at St Albans for 90 years. Many of the Jurd descendants have served their country in the major conflicts over the last hundred years and several paid the supreme sacrifice that we might enjoy being a free country. Many Jurds down through the years have served their community in a variety of ways, as trustees of the Wollambine Common at St Albans, and as Councillors. Several have been honoured for their contribution to our Society, most recently Ron Jurd of Merriwa received the Centenary of Federation Medal for services to community development and Dr Peg White was honoured in this year's honours list with an OAM for services to the community. Religon has also played a significant part in Jurd Life. Elizabeth donated the land at St Albans on which the first chapel for protestant religions was built. This year marks 175 year since that chapel was built. It has been preserved at Vision Valley, Arcadia, at the Methodist Mission Centre. Joseph Jurd donated land for the building of the Catholic Church in Moree, John Richard Jurd was instrumental in the building of the Methodist Church at Kutarere, Oportiki, New Zealand in 1912.