May 2006 – Edition 13

Thomas Clarke b1815 d1866 Richmond, Victoria, Australia,
m Elizabeth Jepson (b1816 Gainsborough, d1902 Richmond
Vic, parents George (a Surgeon, Ray has a portrait of him) and
Sarah Ann Jepson) c1836 at Gainsborough. Thomas migrated ahead
of his family to Melbourne, Australia in the “Salem”
(departed Liverpool on 6/12/1853) with his son of same name. He
did not stay long in Melbourne because in April 1854 he went to
Hobart Town in the ship “Tasmania”, presumably to look at
the prospects for settling there.

He must have decided that the prospects were better in Melbourne
because in the 1856 Electoral Roll he was listed as a merchant
with premises in a major Melbourne street, Little Bourke St.
(Pictured: Little Bourke Street 1880’s) Their children (see
below) were all born in Gainsborough and most of them came to
Australia with their mother aboard the “Lincolnshire”
(departed London on 2/9/1859, arr. Melbourne 21/12/1859).

They are set out in detail because of their significance for
further research in England, Australia and the US.

Elizabeth Sophia/Sofia b1839 in Gainsborough, came to
Australia (probably in 1859), returned to England in 1861, m
John Wells (b1838) c1858 in England. Children: (1) Louis
Frederick Richmond Wells b Richmond Victoria Australia in 1860,
d1892 (m Helena Alice Pearce in 1889, only son Frederick
Kynaston b1890), (2) John Arthur Wells b1862, (3) Harry Theodore
Wells b1864, (4) Lilian Ellen Wells b1866, (5) George Augustus
b1867 (all children after Louis b Newport Pagnell, Buckingham in
England). Family moved to Sale, Lancashire in 1870s. John Arthur
Wells emigrated to Australia after 1884 and married there in
1892 (Internet website). Nothing further found.

Frances Jane b1841 in Gainsborough, came to Australia
with siblings in 1859 but nothing further found.

William George b1843 in Gainsborough UK, d May 4th or 5th
1905 in French Lick Springs, Indiana (125 miles south of
Indianapolis) (source-obituary), m Mary Nicoll 1867 (born in
England but date of birth not known, father Alexander Nicoll) in
Australia. Came to Australia probably in 1859. Issue were
William George ll, Ellen or Hellen, Arthur Wallace, Alexander
Nicholl (all born in Sydney), Mae and Annie Letitia (born in
UK), and Donald Edwin l (born in US). Wife Mary Nicoll died
about 1930 in Santa Monica, California. Future articles will
give information about US families.

George Jepson b1844 in Gainsborough. Not known if he came
to Australia in 1859 or stayed in England. May have died young.
Named after his maternal grandfather George Jepson (future
article will give more information about grandfather George
Jepson).

Elizabeth b1846 Stayed in England (1880 and 1901
Censuses). 1880 Census indicates she was single. Nothing further
found.

Edwin Lewis b1845 in Gainsborough d21/2/1873 Adelaide
(death recorded as Edward Louis), South Australia, m Mary James,
25/12/1869 at St Luke’s Anglican Church, Adelaide. Children
Edwin Lewis b 14/9/1870, Alice b 4/9/1871, Arthur b 14/1/1873
(all b in SA). Son Arthur m Alice Anne (fmly Monck nee Kearns)
on 22/7/1896, dau Edith Anne b 6/4/1897. Note misp “Jerremes” in
SA records. Sadly Edwin Lewis died 5 weeks after his third child
was born. Contact by his family with his siblings is indicated
by the fact that a number of children of his brothers were named
Edwin in later years, in his memory.

Charles b1847 in Gainsborough d1927 Manly, Sydney.
Charles was source of Ray Jerrems’ and Laurel Gray’s NSW
families. Charles will be featured in a future issue.

William Rawson b1848 in Gainsborough. Married twice in
England in 1874 and 1895 in District of Chorlton. Seems he never
went to Australia. Appears in 1901 England Census. Nothing
further found.

Robert Cane b1849 in Gainsborough d1888 Richmond
Victoria. Source of number of Victorian families. Future article
will set out details.

Catherine b1850 in Gainsborough, d1930 Armadale Victoria.
Never married. Aunty Vi said she was a grand old lady who came
by train to Sydney to visit her brother Charles and his family.

Arthur Reginald b1852 in Gainsborough, d1934 Brighton
Victoria. Source of number of Victorian and Queensland families.
The name “Arthur” was popular amongst future generations in
Australia and the US. Future article will set out details.

Editors Note: Unlike your college textbooks, Ray’s
Appendices are really interesting because the hometowns and
occupations will be discussed. They will be featured in the next
edition of the Jerrems Journal and the connection to the US
Jerrems family will emerge in our saga.

This document has the following further headings:
Acknowledgements
Search tools
Terminology
Jerrems Family in Lincolnshire, England, 1700s and 1800s.
Details of Thomas and Elizabeth’s Children.
Research on USA generations tracing back to William George l.

Next generation (issue of William George l and Mary Nicoll).
Next generation – Early 1900’s
Next generation – Mid to Late 1900’s
Appendix 1: Research on other lines in USA.
Appendix 2: Mystery people.

The spur is in the Ettrema Wilderness Area (as it is now
known) west of Nowra, which is south of Sydney. It consists
of remote sandstone mountain ranges flanked in many places by
high cliffs and dissected by deep gorges (see images).

Although the area had been crossed by several bushwalking
parties in the 1940s and 1950s it was not until the early 1960s
that it was explored systematically. Ray and a group of friends,
who formed the nucleus of this exploration, were the first
recorded people to use the spur as a bushwalking route.

Ray’s group were rather like a bushwalking version of the “Dirty
Dozen”. They were fast walkers with good navigational skills and
canyoning, caving and rockclimbing experience. To get into the
area they cut tracks through impenetrable bush with machetes,
marked trees to show good routes and found passes through cliff
lines. Jerrems Spur became a popular route because it had light
vegetation and was on a major route to Ettrema Gorge.

Later a dam was constructed across a valley used by the early
part of the route. This part of the route was replaced by a much
longer trail, reducing the route’s popularity for access to the
area. Alternative routes from the west are mostly now used.

Naming the spur after Ray was primarily in recognition of the
role he had played in exploring this area and other areas in the
Blue Mountains to the north and in the Budawang Ranges to the
south.

On a broader front, the exploration of this area was typical of
a resurgence of interest in exploring remote mountain areas in
the halcyon days of the early 1960s. This systematic exploration
led to the compiling of maps of the areas and the carrying out
of botanical and geological surveys (one of Ray’s later groups
included a Professor of Botany).

This type of work formed the backbone of later successful
submissions to the NSW Government to have the areas declared
National Parks or Wilderness Areas in defiance of the opposing
mining and forestry lobbies which had previously reigned supreme
(US readers will know what I mean). Equally as significant, the
exploration groups teamed together with other enthusiasts to
form the State’s first strong environmental lobby, the Colong
Committee.

On a more mundane note, for some time Ray assumed that Jerrems
Spur is the only topographical feature named after our families.
However he has now found a “Jerrems Hill” in Hampshire in
England, but that is another story.

Boston was the first marathon I actually enjoyed, due mostly to
my holding back and starting out slowly. I was at the back of
the 8th corral at the start so there were nearly 9,000 runners
in front of me. For more than 5 minutes after the gun sounded, I
was still behind the starting line, packed shoulder to shoulder
with no real choice but to start slowly.

The slower paced allowed me to take in the sights and enjoy the
motivation of the crowd, cheering and lining both sides of the
streets sometimes 3-4 people deep. At the halfway point near the
all female Wellsley College, screaming coeds lined the street
on both sides for about half a mile. About every 10th one
held a sign that said something to the effect of “Stop for a
Kiss” which must rate as one of the all time great
motivational acts of spectators of any sporting event. Of course
I had to stop and take in a quicky from a cute coed which gave
me just the burst of adrenaline need to make it over the next
mile.

The true highlight of the run occurred at 24. Mia came
with me to Boston but not being familiar with the course, we did
not pick any specific viewing place for her. With over half
million spectators and 22,000 runners, it would have been
probable that I would have run right by her with out either of
us seeing the other. But as I came up to mile 24, there she was.
We made eye contact, exchanged I love yous and off I went,
enjoying every bit of this run.

While this was an easy run for me, I passed nearly 6,000 runners
finishing somewhere around 2,750 and shaving 8 minutes off my
qualifying time in the Pensacola Marathon. I am already making
plans for the next marathon and this time I will take the girls.
The front runner right now is NYC in November. Probably should
find out about the Sydney Marathon also.

As for my next challenge, I am not so sure about the Tour de
France but the running of the bulls is a possibility as is
the big tomato fight in Italy. Always thought that both
sound like something that a participant would never forget.

Take care and thanks again for all of your hard work on the
newsletters. I find them to be very interesting reading.