Peter with his record
setting Cessna
The Norvill Family originated in England and Peter spent some time searching convict lists of the First Fleet, in an effort to find someone in his family with a memorable past that he could skite about. His search was in vain and he gave up disappointed.
George Norvill(e) appears to have been the first family member to arrive in Australia, on the sailing ship "The Herald of the Morning" in 1858. There is some evidence his brother
Edward came with him. Very soon after landing, George made his way to the Murrurundi area, while it is believed Edward travelled to WA and then went home again to the UK. The Norvills were one of the earlier pioneering families to settle in the Murrurundi area, becoming farmers, graziers and butchers. Part of the land Peter owns today was farmed by David Charles Norvill way back in those early days of settlement.
Even though Peter can't boast a transported convict in his past, he discovered something which to him was just as important and exciting. Peter's paternal grandmother was a Fishburn, a descendant of Thomas Fishburn who built Captain Cook's ship “Endeavour”. Peter's link to the First Fleet is via Andrew Fishburn, descended from Thomas Fishburn. Andrew was a private in the Marines and sailed with the First Fleet on the convict transport-barque, "Alexander". One of the First Fleet ships was also called "Fishburn", and a Sydney Harbour ferry is now named in honour of this ship.
Model of the "Endeavour"
constructed by Peter, around
three hours work each night
over three months, during the
Winter of 1998
To the right is the oldest known picture of a Norvill – Samuel Norvill(e), a photograph of a portrait. Samuel Norvill(e) lived in the UK from 1777-1854. Notice that the “e” has been dropped and the family surname is now spelled as Norvill. Such changes to spellings are common.
Members of the Norvill family are still residents and landholders in the Murrurundi, Wallabadah, Scone, Blandford, Quirindi and Tamworth areas and the family tradition of farming and grazing sheep and cattle continues to this day.
The name “Norvill” is thought to have originated from the name of the town of Normanville in France and was brought to Britain when the ancestors emigrated. There are many websites to vist for background. Follow this link for one explanation: House of Names
Further information about the Norvill family in the Upper Hunter can be found at the Murrurundi & District Historical Society
Anna (more often referred to as
Hannah) never
married, though
she had two illegitimate sons.
As a result she was cast out
from the family. Hence why she
is buried away from the main
family plot.
George died in 1971...
I was 21 when George died, yet
I did not even know he existed,
even in this tiny community. Such
was the stigma associated with
illegitimacy my parents never
ever mentioned him in front of
me. I only discovered this side of
the Norvill's when one day
I was researching amongst the
graves at the old Murrurundi
Cemetery and stumbled upon
them. By then I must have
been late forties
Alfred Norvill died from injuries
received after he was thrown
from a horse up against the
roots of a log. Died from
septicaemia, Murrurundi
Hospital, which today is
the Bowling Club site
The Tamworth Daily Observer
page 2, Monday 30 June 1913
The grave of John Lawrence Norvill, Murrurundi
David Charles Norvill (centre)
at base, Eastern side,
Wallabadah Rock -
others unknown
Dave and Mary Anne Norvill
(Mary Anne was the sister of
Elizabeth Vine - see the
History page)
Dave and Mary Anne's Wedding Notice
A leaf collected by Mary Anne
when she was around ten years
old. The timing is such that, at this
time the family left the Watagan
area to move to the Upper Hunter.
Maybe Mary Anne wanted to take something with her to remember
the only home she had known
up to that time.
Prayer by Mary Anne
These two pieces of stone are all
that we brought back of Dave and
Mary Anne’s house. They would have likely been two steps. Now they
reside
on the hearth at The Hut.
St Peter's Church, Timor (built 1883). Where David and Mary Anne Norvill
were married.
The grave of David C Norvill,
Wallabadah
The grave of Mary Anne Norvill,
Wallabadah
Poem written by Mary Anne,
Murrula Train Crash.
(Copy courtesy Chris Norvill)
Below, Chris’s daughter, Jade, Family
History school project, 2013
Wallabadah Cemetary
The grave of
Ernest and Ethel Stewart
at Murrurundi |
Norvill Family Crest
Motto: spem renovant alae
(Their wings renew their hope)
Samuel Norville (1777-1854)
George (b. 1805 d. 1871) and
Hannah Norville. George (who first
came to Australia 1858), this is his,
and Edward’s, parents. George
(Senior) was Postmaster at
Western Super Mare, UK
Edward Norvill, pictured in 1888.
(Died 1895)
George Norvill (1835-1901)
George is our first Norvill. George
is the one who launched the
Norvills in Australia. First marriage to Mary Ann Tutton b.1833 d.1870
Second marriage to Eliza Jane
McGivney b.1846 d.1916
Frank Vining Smith (1879-1967)
Clippership Herald of the Morning
Oil on Canvas
30x46 inches
Herald of the Morning
passenger list 25 June 1858
(George and Mary Anne Norvill's
entry is hightlighted)
Click here for the
Registration document for the
"Herald of the Morning"
George Norvill's grave
at Murrurundi with daughter,
Ella Jane's headstone at base
and pictured below
Where is Mary Ann Norvill (Tutton), George’s first wife, buried?
(Inspector Holmes thinking ...)
Significant facts:
1/ Marry Ann died 31 years prior to George.
2/ She was the very first Norvill to die and be buried here at Murrurundi and probably the first Norvill to be buried in Australia – (though there be still births of hers we have no record of burial).
Mary Ann’s Death Certificate says she was buried at the Haydonton Cemetery, which is now the old Anglican Cemetery, Murrurundi.
Obviously they would have selected a good site/spot to bury her.
So being, they buried her in what we now need to consider as the reference plot that the other Norvill graves stemmed out from.
Grave dates show eastward plot trend, commencing from George’s grave(1901) as the oldest we can physically locate today.
Being 31 years earlier, and as she was not expected to die so young, possibly less thought and planning went into the actual grave site after burial.
Therefore it was less robust or grand and hence fell into disrepair (143 years ago now as of 2014) to the point we can’t readily see it today.
My Theory: Mary Ann is on the near west side of George.
Just a theory ... to be checked out
A visit to the site: Saturday 1st February, 2014, and we see some sign of concrete remnants and typical pebbles of a grave (see photo). Absolutely no sign of any headstone.
There is no doubt this plot, beside and on the west of George Norvill (died 1901), was/is a grave.
This site does not seem to bear any resemblance architecturally to other very old graves on the immediate west of it.
Therefore, I think it very likely this is the grave of Mary Ann Norvill (Tutton).
PHN
2014
The Maitland Mercury & Hunter
River General Advertiser
Thursday 14 June 1883
The Maitland Mercury &
Hunter River General Advertiser
Thursday 1 November 1883
Andrew Fishburn grave
(died 1934).
Andrew is the grandson of Andrew Fishburn, a Private
in the Marines, who arrived
on the ship ‘Sirius’,
First Fleet, 1788
Eliza and John Andrew Fishburn
(Ethel Cora's parents)
Fishburn Family circa 1905
Back row (left to right): Sis/Mrs
Rose; Muriel Hughes; George
Fishburn; Richard Fishburn
(Bill’s Father); Millie Manning;
Lionel’s Mother
Front row (left to right): Amy
Alt; Eliza and Pop Fishburn;
Ed Fishburn (Andrew John
Fishburn’s Father); Ethel
(Lionel Norvill’s Mother)
Family Picnic at Wallabadah
Rock. Dave and Mary Anne
Norvill at right hand end
Wallabadah Norvills
George Norvill (died 1901) and dray, Royal Hotel on the right
Elizabeth Theodora Stewart
(nee Norvill) c.1915
before marriage to
Milton Stewart 1918
The grave of
Elizabeth Theodora Stewart
at Murrurundi
L to R: Martin and Olive Norvill.
Enid and Lionel.
Hyde Park, Sydney, 1949
The grave of Martin Norvill
at Murrurundi
The grave of Olive Norvill
at Murrurundi
|
(extract from Early Jottings
of the Upper Page and Isis River Districts, 1987)
Lionel (left) and his brother
Jack going rabbiting
Lionel Norvill (Peter's Father),
in the Middle-East during WWII
A faded photograph of Lionel,
taken in Brisbane
Lionel, centre at rear
How more brief can one be in
wartime, when sending a 21st
Birthday card to the one you
are going to marry...
Enid and Lionel (circa 1945)
Enid and Lionel’s house,
Mayne Street, Murrurundi, 1965.
This would be their home from
August 1956 for the next four
decades. I escaped it soon
after I turned 15
Born 8th March, 1945.
Cause of death,
Retroperitoneal Teratoma
HGE Norvill
HGE and Ethel Cora Fishburn
on their wedding day
Peter's paternal Grandparents,
on their way to Government
House. HGE Norvill was Mayor
of Murrurundi
‘Paradise’ homestead.
Home built for HGE Norvill.
Built 1934 by Tom Rixon
View from the front yard of
HGE Norvill’s home he built
on ‘Paradise’, overlooking
Murrurundi
Views of "Paradise" in 2013
'Paradise' Shearing Shed
built 1932 by Tom Rixon
Muswellbrook Chronicle
Friday 24 October 1941
This was my bed when young at
the Mayne Street house. One
weekend I had been moved to
the ‘back room’ as my Grandmother,
Ethel Cora – aged 80 by now - was
coming to stay the weekend so her
carer could have a weekend off.
The front room where I normally
slept was more upmarket so she
would have my bed and I was
moved out the back. Well, as fate
would have it, just on daylight the
Sunday morning, she up and dies
in my bed (14:06:1959). I will
remember the noise she made
upon her last breath, forever. I
was taken to see her. Then we
had to go in search of this special,
solid timber, stretcher arrangement
with handles each end that was
used around town for the transport
of bodies to wherever they were
taken initially after death. I was
aged 8 at the time. I don’t
remember being in the least
phased that someone had died
in my bed but now when I look
back on it, I wonder what my
parents were thinking and saying
between themselves.
The headstone and grave (below) of HGE and Ethel
Norvill at Murrurundi
Murrurundi Memorial Book
by Nancy Grey
with Norvill graves in old
Anglican (Haydonton) Cemetery, Murrurundi.
More recent graves are in Lawn Cemetery next door on western side
Ben Norvill on front Indian,
Charles Norvill on back
At Quirindi Show – unknown date
PHN note... We boys are all
bikies underneath it all.
I had 11 Ag bikes all up.
All bought brand new and never
ridden anywhere but here in the paddocks.
All ridden into the ground.
Never registered any of them.
Never had a licence.
Never wore a crash helmet.
Never broke any bones ... although I did break my watch glass once
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