Person:George Achurch (5)

George Judkins ACHURCH was the first of 7 children of Samuel ACHURCH and Louisa JUDKINS. He was born on the 7th September, 1807 at Rushden, Northhamptonshire, England. He was baptised on 31st December, 1807 at West End Independent, Wellingborough (B:C074751 S:0056).

Northhampton is a diocese of Peterborough renowned for boot and shoe manufacture. Anciently it was a fortified town and royal residence. In 1466, the 'meadows' was the scene of an important battle during the War of the Roses, where Henry VI was made prisoner.

George Judkins was first married to Mary PALMER in England on 23rd February, 1846 at Baptist Chapel in the District of Liverpool, County of Lancaster. The marriage certificate states that George was 28 years, a Bachelor, Miller by profession, residing at 29 Mill Place and his father was Samuel Achurch, Miller. Mary was 28 years, a Spinster, no profession entered, residing at Salisbury Street, and her father was William Palmer, Book Maker. They were married in the Baptist Chapel, Byron Street according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Baptist Church by John S. Knowles in the presence of Jane Little and Mary Routter, John Eckersley, Registrar.

George Judkins was supposed to be 28 when he was first married but if he was born in 1807 then he would have been 38 in 1846. His death certificate has that he was 40 when first married to an unknown wife.

There were two children from this first marriage, William George born 28/07/1848 and Phoebe Ann born 10/04/1851. George's Death certificate has only Ann from his first marriage.

Somewhere between the years 1850 and 1853 George Judkins sailed out to Australia, leaving behind his wife and children for reasons unknown??? Mary moved to Leicester with the 2 children where there may have been family?? She died there on 01/11/1853, son William died 1854, aged 6 and daughter Phoebe died in 1885, aged 34. A family story from two sourses said that George Judkins sailed out to Australia in his own three masted ship but have been unable to find out the name of the ship or the date and place of arrival as yet. Claude Septimus Achurch (his grandson) wrote in reply to a letter from (Geoffrey) Michael Achurch (researching the Achurch's) in 1973, "George Judkin Achurch was given a Frigate and sent out to Australia - I believe he was the 'BAD BOY' of the family - and landed near Newcastle, NSW in the early days of the Colony. He built and operated a flour mill in Clarence Town".

It was in Clarence Town that George Judkins met his second wife, Sarah THORLEY who was the 8th child born to Philip and Mary THORLEY of 'Ashgate', Clarence Town. They were married in the Parish Church in Clarence Town on the 15th September, 1856. The marriage certificate (1350/13) states that George Judkins ACHURCH, Widower, Miller by occcupation, aged 49, residing in Clarence Town and his father Samuel ACHURCH, Miller and mother Louisa JUDKINS. Sarah THORLEY, Spinster, aged 18, residing in Clarence Town and her father Philip THORLEY, Settler and mother Mary GRIFFITHS, Settler. They were married in the Parish Church in Clarence Town according to the rites of the Church of England by Arthur Mayn, Officiating Minister in the presence of James Lambert and Ann Lambert. Philip THORLEY, father of the bride, gave his concent to the marriage as Sarah was under the age of 21.

George by this time may have been employed by Philip Thorley as the miller for his flour mill at "Mount Thorley".

Reg FORD, in his book "Clarence Town - Erring.I to River Port" made several mentions of George (p. 21, 34).

"It was between 1850 and 1860 however, that the greatest number of Crown allotments were sold in the township. ... Those who purchased were almost totally residents of the Town and district. They included .. GEORGE ACHURCH, miller of Clarence Town ..."

"In 1853, GEORGE ACHURCH had purchased allotments 3 and 4 in Section Twenty, situated on the West boundary of Rifle Street, between Queen and King Streets. He negotiated for the construction of a Steam Flour Mill, and finance in 1855, for the completionof the mill and dwelling. George Judkins Achurch was born in Rushden, Northampton, England in 1815. He married Sarah Thorley, daughter of Philip Thorley of 'Ash Gate', Clarence Town in 1856. Achurch continued his milling interests at Clarence Town into the 1860's, and, thereafter removed to Wollombi, the mill, dwelling and lands had been conveyed to his creditors"

Records show that G.J. Achurch purchased, at Crown Auction on the 30th March 1853, allotments 3 and 4 of Section 20 situated on the West side of Rifle Street between Queen and King Streets, Clarence Town. He negotiated a loan of 400 pounds from Louisa Newsham on 23rd February, 1855 - 'to construct such buildings (dwelling) together with a mill to be erected'- and again in 1858, a loan from S.Clift of Maintland for the sum of 750 pounds, May, 1858.

Some time after the first loan the following advertisement appeared:

"VALUABLE PROPERTY, consisting of - A Flour Mill and Land thereto belonging, - AT CLARENCE TOWN : ALL that Piece or Parcel of Land situate in Clarence Town ...... being allotment No.3 of Section No.20 ..... Together with the MILL erected on the said land, building materials, outhouses, appurtenances, and all of the right, title and interest of Mr. George Achurch, in or to the land and hereditaments. To be sold at Public Auction by Auctioneers under instructions from the Mortgagees at the Railway Hotel,East Maitland on 14th April 1858 at 12 o'clock."

It appears that George Achurch had been able to redeemed his loan to Louisa Newsham and another, Otto Baldwin, and averted the sale of the mill by a loan from Samuel Clift of Maitland for the sum of 750 pounds on 6th May, 1858. (Conveyance by Equity of Redemption of two previous loans - Bk.55 folio 591). On Archives Map No. 10353, Clarence Town, County of Durham, 1864 the abovementioned allocations of land can be seen. From these facts, we can only assume that the mill was not a financial success. Sometime between 1870 and 1874, George and Sarah moved to Wollombi where apparently Sarah had inherited property. The conveyance from George Achurch of Wollombi of Allotment 20 of Section 21 to Orlando Vaisey of Clarence Town was dated 4th October 1877. He was miller operating mill until its closure. The remains of the mill and home on this site still exist today.

Records show that children born to George Judkins Achurch and Sarah Thorley in Clarence Town were: George Phillip (13/7/1857), female infant death (1859), Amos (21/3/1860), Agnes (1863), David Henry (1866), male infant death (1869), Frederick John (1869) and Samuel Thomas (1870). The next child, Mary Thorley (25/3/1874) was born in Singleton and their last child, William Henry (1876), birth place unknown.

Records show: George Judkins Achurch died on 23rd July, 1884 at his home in Barber Street, Gunnedah aged 77 years of age. He had chronic bronchitis and was attended by Dr. Dowe. His parents were George Achurch, Miller and Mary (maiden name not known). Informant certified by George Achurch, son of Gunnedah and was registered by Corbert Laure, Gunnedah on 25th July 1884. He was buried on the 24th July 1884 at Gunnedah by David Knox, undertaker, Minister Rev. A. Duncan, Church of England and witnessed by Amos Achurch and George Achurch. The death certificate states that George was born in Northampton, England and had been in NSW for 30 years. He was married in England at age 40 to wife unknown and a second marriage at Clarence Town at age 50 to Sarah Thorley. Children of first marriage: Ann. Children of second marriage: George, Amos, Agnes, David, Fred, Sam, Mary and 5 males, 2 female deceased.

There is doubt over the accuracy of George Judkins' death certificate (informant son George). His father is recorded as George (not Samuel) and mother Mary (not Louisa). Also not all of the children have been identified. A birth certificate for William George Achurch has been found with parents George Judkins Achurch and Mary Achurch formerly Palmer. Source: Roy Hurlstone