biog_topsie

Topsy Harris, was the daughter of Kate Elizabeth Martin and John Joseph Tilley, the granddaughter of Kate Grayling and Thomas Martin, and the great-granddaughter of Richard Grayling and Jane Ludden.

The Grayling Family History, when published, will become a lasting memorial to the enthusiasm of both Topsie Harris and Frederick Grayling for the family history. Although neither one was able to sort out the whole family picture, their efforts laid the basis for the work of the current crop of Grayling researchers and encouraged us to continue the task they had been unable to complete.

Written by Laurel? Ask Jim.

Extract of a letter from Mrs. Harris 1953.

Extract form Arthur Mee's 'Somerset' of the Kings, England.

GERTRUDE (TOPSY) HARRIS

AND THE GRAYLING FAMILY HISTORY

In 1951 Topsy was living in Melbourne and by chance, heard a local politician urging people to encourage an interest in our "early days". It was the very subject that was starting to interest her since her Mother's death the previous year (21 August 1950).

She, strangely enough, found herself in the very place she had left in 1917, and she miraculously met some of her distant cousins' descendants (Graylings at Dandenong) who gave her a Family Tree going back to 1752 in Kent. She had known that her great grandfather was supposed to have been the first tailor in Melbourne and that his brothers and sisters had come out at the time, but enquiries at the library showed lists that included even her great, great grandparents, whose farm on, the Tamar River, raided by blacks and bushrangers, with barns burnt, was forced into bankruptcy.

She located Winnie Tranter at Heidelberg and began to reconstruct virtually an eye-witness account from the stories and anecdotes that -Minnie passed on to her. There were also many trips to Lexton and letters exchanged with the folks there. But one of the big breakthroughs occurred when she received a letter from Nance Love, dated 2 October 1969, which begins, "...My cousin, Hector Walker, at Upotipotpon, gave me your address, I am trying to find out where in Ayrshire my great grandfather Reid came from. Hector, told me you are a distant relation of ours and that you had done a lot of research into our family tree..." That was the beginning of a warm and supportive friendship with many items of crucial interest exchanged between them.

Topsy was always reassured by what she saw as "the Hand of God" in our ancestors' and present day trials and tribulations. Her own young life hadn't been easy, with an enforced split-up of the family unit in 1912 following the 1908 murder of her father John Joseph Tilley through being too honest over a game of billiards at the local pub in Jeparit. Her mother had managed to keep the family together for about four years until she was raped by a drunk who was himself immediately killed climbing out the window - almost an act of God! The shock of all this caused Kate to have a nervous breakdown, so the well meaning," local priest and Welfare intervened and the family ceased to exist as a unit.

In her 20's Topsy converted to Protestantism, due to the benevolent influence of Archdeacon R.B.S. Hammond in Sydney, who was instrumental in locating her lost sister, Clare, for her. After 10 years of deep involvement in Christian activity, she met a young missionary chap at church, who was bound for the Northern Territory. She married him in Darwin and commenced about 15 years of intense commitment to serving, God and the Aborigines in the outback, with all the accompanying scarce resources that entailed in those days.

Prior to her husband's accidental death in 1955, she had communicated with and visited Frank and Ruby Grayling at Kaniva and Minnie Preece at Wolsely, gathering more information and re-establishing, emotional kinship ties.

Jim Harris. (Son)
Alice Springs, 4 August 1982.

Extract of a letter from Mrs. Harris October 1953.

Sent to Frederick Grayling

Great grandfather William Major Grayling was born somewhere in Kent 1771 and the following year, just before his daughter Ann as born his father Edward (born 1st January 1752) was lost at sea. Possibly in the cutter 'Surprise' 60 tons. his mother (nee Susan Legget) remarried a Mr. Busset of Dover as there was evidence they lived there in 1820-1824 when Ann or the following generation was born. In the 1850's a letter was received from by Richard Grayling in Melbourne. 'To uncle Dick', written by a school boy cousin from Santa Elena. (James Ross)

Edward Grayling never returned to England. His ship sank on the way home and we hear no more of him. Sister Sarah Grayling married a Mr. Temple of Sandwich where William Major Grayling apparently lived for a time after his marriage to Ann Holten, though their first children were born in Canterbury. They had four at Sandwich, four at Deal or (3) and one at Dover. It appears he lived the longest at Deal and perhaps his mother was in Dover because he was at Deal when Richard was born (1812) and still there when he went to his trade in 1827. (Consult apprenticeship paper) for it appears William Major Grayling was a successful middle class country gentleman in the county of Kent. Whatever induced William Major Grayling to pull up roots and transfer his family to Launceston we do not read but we know that a party of seven in the family left Graves Dock on the Amelia Thompson bound for Launceston arriving there 29 August 1836. William Major Grayling selected land on the East Arm of the Tamar River at a time of great drought and must have worked hard to overcome the obstacles history records of that period. After 6 years at the age of 60, he and his wife in December 1842, left the farm and followed their children to Melbourne where in 1848 his wife Ann Holten Grayling died. William Major Grayling eventually returned to England to his eldest son and daughter where he died. Richard's Ann and Gertie Henderson told me how he often had to rise early hours of the night to work at his trade (tailor) as his master needed him. Richard trained for six years till 1833, then entered business on his own as a mantle maker in Jermyn street, S. Johns, London, the fashion centre (or habit maker ) We wonder what his feelings were as he sold out and accompanied his parents to Australia. His brother William M was a baker. Both brothers set up business in Launceston, but after two years Richard and his wife Jane Ludden Grayling opened up in Melbourne in 1838. A year later, Richard sold out in Little Collins street and built the Victoria Tavern but soon went back to tailoring in Bourke Lane where part of the G.P.O now stands. His brothers William and George were also living in Victoria. George took up land at Pt. Nepean in 1840 and the third of William's children was the last to be christened in Launceston. There is a William Major Grayling named as a water carrier in the 1847 Directory but could have been the father in his declining years. Richard and William left for Lexton about 1849.

Jane Grayling (nee Ludden) born 1 st March 1819, Gibralta, lost her mother at 3 years was reared by Lady darling of Cheltenham. She must have seen her father about 1833, before he went into the army to India but had not heard of him or sister Margaret, married to Llewellyn soldier at Madras for 3 years so she set out in search of family without approval of Lady Darling on the Amelia Thompson, August 1836, the same ship as the Graylings.

After living 5 months with the Jennings in Launceston, married Richard at St. Johns church, his two sisters Ann and Sarah bridesmaids. Jane learnt habit making and put to good account when Richard died 1869. The family were then living at Doctors Creek near Lexton when the family took up carrying probably during the gold rush period. Jone's family bible is now in Nhill (1953) when she died 1894. Buried in Lexton.1894.

Extract form arthur Mee's 'Somerset' of the Kings, England.

Holten (a town)
In its church yard the old cross has been made new in memory of four men who gave their lives for us in tne Great War 1914-18. It is a pretty place...we found one of its cottages completely wrapped round in Jasmine. The tiny church is 700 years old and has an ancient sundial over the porch. The fount is older than the church, delightful with its tracery. It was long lost and was found again the last years of last century . The church has left the curious painted figures of Sir William Bassett and his wife who have been watching the altar since tne happy days of Charles 1st. She is a stately matron witn trim ruff and cuffs, he with sash and painted belt around his tunic. They are the oldest possession the church has unless we count the man dial on the sunny wall etc.

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