~ Families and People ~
Gornal's Famous
John Turton Fereday
(1786-1849)
First Owner of Ellowes Hall, 1815-1849.
"Ellowes".
John Turton Fereday was the second Son of John Fereday (b1761) and Jane Turton (b1757) of Cotwall End, Sedgley, he was born in December 1786 and was to become the first owner of The Ellowes.
The Fereday family were wealthy coal and ironmasters, with numerous interests all around the Black Country and beyond.
John Turton Fereday was the brother of Samuel Fereday of Ettingshall Park, a farm estate between Sedgley and Wolverhampton, where many of the Fereday family lived.
According to Frederick W. Hackwood (Sedgley Researches), writing in the Dudley Herald in 1898, it was said of him:- "He was five foot and an inch, five score and a pound, and there was not such another man as he.".
John Turton Fereday married Ann Cecilia Heming on 3rd of November, 1812.
In or around 1838 the Feredays vacated The Ellowes, much of the contents were sold off, and they moved to "The Quarries", a smaller but fine house in Kent Street, Upper Gornal.
The Ellowes was occupied by John and Ann Fereday both aged 20 in 1841 and also several other persons until it was sold in 1850.
The 1841 Census has an addendum, which states "Mr John T. Fereday coal master was travelling in the night by mail [coach] to London", this was in July 1841, it seems possible that he was still living at the Ellowes at this time and that these were two of his children.
John and Ann had a very large family, not all were born at the Ellowes, some died as infants, several of the Fereday siblings emigrated to the antipodes during the mid-19th century.
JOHN Fereday, MA (Reverend), born on the 8th of November, 1813.
John was the eldest Son of J.T.Fereday, he married Susan Apthorpe, daughter of the Reverend P. Apthorpe of Gumley, Leicestershire, wed on January 4th 1837.
Both were keen naturalists, Susan was a very talented botanical artist too.
They emigrated to Australia in 1846 with their five children, he was appointed to St. Mary Magdalene Church, George Town, Tasmania where he served as minister from 1846 to 1871.
The Reverend was tragically killed in a coaching accident on the 8th of April, 1871.
CHARLES HENRY Fereday. Christened on 27th December, 1814.
He married Mary Ann Stephenson from Claines, Worcester on 22nd August, 1836, in 1841 they were living at Tettenhall both aged 25.
Mid-19th Century we find them at Curzon Park, Stockport St. Mary near Chester. In 1871 Census he is described as a Merchant with three servants so by this time he was a wealthy merchant.
JANE TURTON Fereday, christened 13th of September, 1815, she died 3rd April, 1834.
EDWIN HEMING Fereday, christened 10th March, 1816
Edwin, described as an oil merchant, dealer and chapman, he was declared bankrupted in 1859.
He emigrated to New Zealand, and purchased Oakley Station, Rakia in 1858, a 20,000 acre sheep farm near Canterbury where he grazed 2500 sheep until 1866, after which he briefly tried rabbit breading on a commercial scale.
He returned to England (after 1867?) passenger aboard SS Taraniki bound for Wellington
Edwin died at Eastham Park, nr. Tenbury, Worcestershire in 1875 aged 59.
ANN ELIZABETH Fereday, Christened 02 Jul 1817, she married John Latty Bickley in 1841, an ironmonger and merchant from Bristol.
ADOLPHUS TURTON Fereday, Christened on the 21st of December, 1818, he died as an infant on 26th of April, 1820.
RICHARD WILLIAM Fereday, fifth Son, Christened 22nd of March, 1820, he studied law and became a lawyer.
Richard W. married Mary Ann Parker Purcell at Edgbaston, Warwickshire on the 15th March, 1851.
They emigrated to New Zealand in 1862 aboard the ship "Queen of the Mersey", the ship sailed from Gravesend on the 5th of July 1862, they were accompanied by Richard's Sister "Miss Fereday"?, the passage was not without incident as there was an attempted mutiny during the voyage, the ship arrived in Lyttelton, NZ on the 19th October, 1862.
Initially Richard and his wife stayed with his Brother Edwin on his farm.
In 1864, he set up a law practise in Christchurch, NZ, there among other things, he acted as Solicitor for the other New Zealand Feredays, but his main interest was entomology and became well known for his butterfly studies, he was also an accomplished artist.
Richard's wife, Mary Ann died on 31st May, 1890 aged 54.
At a late age, on the 1st of March, 1895, he married Georgina Macpherson, widow of the late J. Drummond Macpherson of Sydney.
Apparently there were no children from either marriage, he died on 30th August 1899, aged 80, at his home in Fendelton, Canterbury, New Zealand.
HARRIET ANN ELIZABETH Fereday..
No information found at this time
HARRIET JANE Fereday, christened 24 JUL 1821, died as infant 2nd May, 1822.
HENRY TURTON Fereday. Christened 4th October 1823, he emigrated to New Zealand, he died on 5th February, 1875 at his brother Richard's residence in NZ, he was 51.
ROSA CECILIA Fereday. Christened 23 Dec 1824, she died as infant in December 1826
EMMELINE HARRIET Fereday. Christened 07 Mar 1826, she emigrated to New Zealand with Brother Richard.
In 1851 census 'Emilie' age 20 visiting at Marine Parade Dover with sister Adelaide.
Emmeline married Edward Chapman of Drayton, Methven, New Zealand in 1856(?), Edward Chapman was a wealthy sheep farmer, he had 2260 acres in the estate at Drayton, they had five Sons from the marriage, Edward died on 9th January, 1898 at Merivale, his widow died at her Son's residence in Papanu, on 27th April, 1915 aged 90 years.
FREDERICK FRANCIS Fereday. Christened on the 7th May, 1828.
Frederick married Lauriette Humphrys from Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, Lancashire on 16th September 1852, daughter of a Gentleman - William Humphrys. Frederick was 24 years old and Lauriette was 21.
Not sure what happened to Lauriette, as he remarried, his second wife was Mary Anne Knight from Southampton, they married in 1870.
He joined the army, and as Paymaster serving in in the 68th Light Infantry, he also served in the Crimea from 1855, with the Land Transport Corps subsequent to the fall of Sebastipol, then served in New Zealand, 1864-1866 during hostilities with the Maori.
Frederick died 80 years old, at Forest Lodge, Totton Hampshire in 1908 holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
ADELAIDE ROSALINE Fereday. She was the last of the children to be born at the Ellowes, christened 08 Nov 1830.
She emigrated to New Zealand, where she married John Norris Tosswill, born 1828, Reigate, England, now of Prebbleton, NZ. The wedding being on the 11th April, 1863 at St. Michael's Church, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Both died in New Zealand, Adelaide in 1882 and John on 13 February, 1907.
John Turton Fereday's wife Anne Cecilia, sudenly passed away on Saturday 9th June 1832, just 38 years of age.
"A lady whose amiable qualities gained the affections of all who knew her and whoes many social and domestic virtues will render her decease an irrepairable loss to a young and numerous family and a wide circle of friends." [Obituary]
John Turton Fereday passed away in London, on 3rd October 1849 of Apoplexy, aged 62 years, he was buried on 11th October, 1849 at the Parish Church of All Saints, Sedgley.
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Transcribed below is the Last Will and Testament of John Turton Fereday, although laced with legalese and devoid of details, show his beneficiaries.

This is the last Will and Testament

of me John Turton Fereday of the Quarries in the Parish of Sedgley in the county of Stafford Gentleman made this fourteenth day of April one thousand eight hundred and forty six. Whereas I have under or by virtue of the powers or authorities given or reserved to use by the Settlements made upon my marriage with my late wife Ann Celia Heming and which bear date respectively about the twenty ninth day of October one thousand eight hundred and twelve made and executed certain appointments of the settled property or parts thereof in favour of my children such appointments to take effect upon and from and after my decease Here I do hereby reaffirm the said several appointments to respectively and do give devise and bequeath the estates and settled properties unto the several appointees thereof according to the true intent and meaning of the said several appointments I do appoint my Sons Edwin Heming Fereday and Richard William Fereday and my Nephew Samuel Day Fereday to be executors of this my will and guardians of my infant children during their several minorities I do direct my said executors to pay all my just debts and funeral and Testamentary expenses as soon as conveniently can be after my decease. I give device and bequeath to the said Edwin Hemming Fereday all and singular my real and Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature tenure kind or quality the same may be including such property as I have power to appoint or dispose of but have not appointed or disposed of To Hold unto them their Heirs executors administrators and assigns according to the nature of such property respectively But upon the trusts nevertheless and for the intents and purposes following that is to say upon Trust that they my said Trustees of the survivors or survivor of them shall when and as they or he in their or his discretion think fit make sale of and convert into money my said real and Personal Estate and in order to enable them to make such sale and to realize my said estate and effects I do give them of him as full and ample power to make give and execute conditions contracts receipts conveyances surrenders and assurances as I myself could or as they or hearunto if they themselves were the absolute and unconditional owners or the said property respectively And to stand possessed of the money to arise from such sale and of the said real and personal estate until sale or conversion In trust after paying the expenses attending the execution of the trusts to hereby reposed in them or him and in paying my debts and funeral and testamentary expenses to pay my son Charles Henry Fereday the sum of fifty pounds as a token of my affection And in the next place to pay and apply two hundred pounds in providing suitable furniture and effects to furbish a house for my unmarried daughters or in case my said Trustees shall think better to select from my effects furniture and domestic requisites to the above amount and subject thereto In trust for and to divide the same proceeds or stand possessed of the said real and Personal estate and effects such of my six children (viz the said Edwin Heming Fereday   Richard William Fereday  Heming Turton Fereday  Emmeline Harriet Fereday  Frederick Francis Fereday and Adelade Roseline Fereday) as have lived or shall live to attain the age of twenty one years their his or her executors administrators or assigns provided nevertheless that of the share of my Son the said Edwin Fereday the same shall be held or invested in Government funds or on real security by my other trustees and the rents dividends interest thereof only paid to him for the term of ten years after my decease if he shall so long live Provided further that in case the said Edwin Heming Fereday shall become bankrupted or insolvent within the bankrupt or insolvent Laws before the expiration before the said term of ten years that his share as well original as accruing shall go over and I do hereby declare that the same shall be in trust for my Son the said Richard William Fereday his executors administrators and assigns being my express intention that the provision so made for him my said Son Edwin Heming Fereday shall be an inalienable provision for him during the said term of ten years and that he shall not have any invested interest therein except he shall live to the expiration of the term of ten years and shall not in the mean time have been bankrupt or insolvent provided further and I do declare that in the mean time and until all of my children as at the time of my death shall be under age shall attain their his or her majority my said trustees shall invest their his or her presumptive share in the public funds or upon real security and shall apply the dividends interest product thereof or the rents and income portion of my estate as shall be unconverted in for and towards their his or her maintenance and duration and shall so apply such part of the principal as to them or him shall seem reasonable in advancing such child or children in the world Provided further and I do hereby declare that in case my said estate and effects shall not produce more than five thousand pounds that the said legacy of fifty pounds before given to my Son Charles Henry Fereday shall not be payable but shall sink into the residue for the benefit of my other children before named as I am sure that my said Son Charles as also my Son John and my daughter Harriet Ann Elizabeth Bickley will feel that in their worldly prospects they have advantage which their Brothers and Sisters can hardly expect to realise And lastly I do revoke all Wills and Codicils by me at any time heretofor made and do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said Testator John Turton Fereday have to this my last Will and Testament contained on these sheets of paper set my hand the day and year first above written John Turton Fereday Signed published and declared by the said Testator John Turton Fereday as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have in the same time in his presence at his request in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses
William T. Fereday   W Parkes

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