Hawkesbury Family History Group Meeting News 12th November 2003

GRACE DOUGLASS (1930-2003)
The following is adapted from Grace's story she wrote for the Meeting News on the 14th June 2000.

Grace was born at Naremburn in 1930, the only child of Jack and Queenie Buddle. At the age of 2 she had her first holiday with her parents in the Hawkesbury, staying in Carters Road, Grose Vale. At that time she was more interested in the cows and chickens, rather than the fact her g.g.g. grandfather had been granted land in the area by Governor Macquarie. Grace however grew up with the knowledge that her maternal grandmother's family came from the Hawkesbury and had been living there for several generations. Her family moved to Chatswood just before the outbreak of World War 2. When Grace had finished her education she began working in an office in the City where she met her husband Gordon Douglass. Grace and Gordon married and moved to their home at Pennant Hills in 1955. Grace and Gordon had 3 children, Robert, Beverly & Lynne.

Grace first became interested in family history in 1964 when one of her Mother's cousins showed her some material she had copied from the Mitchell Library, information about John Ezzey born in the colony, the District Constable at North Richmond and his family. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Grace had time to develop her passion of genealogy and began delving into the past at the Archives Office. She established that William "Izzy" formerly Hizzey and later Ezzy/Ezzey, arrived in 1792 on the "Royal Admiral" and with his free wife Jane nee Floid. Grace discovered that Jane was the first woman to receive a land grant in the Hawkesbury. Other relatives included Henry Lamb who arrived in 1791 on the "Albermarle" a member of the NSW Corps and Elizabeth Chambers a convict who arrived on the "Kitty" in 1792. Her Mother had told her many stories of her Witney g.g. grandparents as she was growing up.

Grace applied her excellent family history techniques to medical research. Gordon's family, unfortunately suffer from the familial form of Motor Neurone Disease which is passed from parent to child in their genes. Most MND sufferers have the sporadic form (no record of other relatives suffering) However in the 1980s Grace set about drawing up charts and family trees to assist the medical researchers in Australia to trace descendants and assess to what extent the Douglass/Hunt family was affected. With the help of other family members they were able to find evidence of the disease in the family back to Gordon's g.g. grandfather who came to Australia in 1882 down to present day. Following Gordon's retirement he drew up flow charts and spreadsheets showing the age of the onset of disease etc. These with the family history records have been sent to medical researchers in Australia the UK and USA in the attempt to understand the cause of the onset and to one day find a cure.

They retired in 1992 and purchased a Landcruiser and a larger caravan and over the last 10 years traveled all over Victoria, NSW and Queensland and in 1998 went to Cooktown via the Bloomfield Track. They both enjoyed learning about early history of the town they traveled through and spent time looking at museums and pioneer villages, exploring the bush lands and roaming through cemeteries.

Grace joined the Hawkesbury Family History Group in 1983 and has always contributed to the Hawkesbury Crier with articles and stories and also created an index for the Hawkesbury Crier for 1983-1998. Grace (along with cousin Laurel) were instrumental with processing both volumes of the Hawkesbury Pioneer Register and worked countless hours, checking, typing and researching. Grace also worked tirelessly over the last 2 years entering the transcriptions of St. Matthew's Church of England cemetery and only recently completed.

A few months ago Gordon and Grace set off on another of their jaunts however Grace became unwell and they returned home. She was diagnosed with gall Bladder cancer and commenced treatment however she was very ill and was hospitalised. She passed away on Thursday 6th November. Her husband Gordon, aged 76 years, sadly passed away on the same day.

Their funeral will take place on Thursday 13th November at 12noon in the North Chapel, in the Northern Suburbs Crematorium. By request no flowers, donations to the Motor Neurone Society. When the St. Matthew's Church of England, Windsor Cemetery is published, the publication will be dedicated in Grace's memory.

• Married: 1952 in Chatswood, Sydney NSW Australia ²
• Note: Marriage Regn: 18454/1952 DOUGLASS GORDON BUDDLE GRACE HEATHER CHATSWOOD

1. Living DOUGLASS
2. Living DOUGLASS
3. Living DOUGLASS

1. Author: Grace Douglass & Laurel Legge
   Title: Along the Windsor Richmond Road
   Publication: 1985 (ISBN 0 9589831 0 0 and ISBN 0 9589831 3 5)
   Note:
   Extracts from this book can be read online via my pages at Taylor & Ashdown Family Genealogy
2. Author: Laurel Legge - John EZZY & Rebecca LAMB descendant
   Note:
   Richard EZZY was Laurel great-great grandfather. Laurel is a direct descendant of John EZZY & Rebecca LAMB via Richard (1834) & wife Ann CROSS, son Thomas Richard EZZY (1859) & Elizabeth MYERS ,via son Frederick Charles EZZY (1882) 2nd marriage to Alice Louise.