Jehu Say (bef. 1818 - 1878)

Born before 12 Jul 1818 in North Bradley, Wiltshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (McCudden) Say — married 28 Oct 1852 in St Thomas' Church of England, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 8 Jun 1878 after age 59 in Limekilns, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Jehu Say was born in Wiltshire, England.

Jehu Say was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to New South Wales

The following biography was written by Gerard Say on 27th January, 2012 on the Convict Records website:^[1]

Jehu’s christening took place at St Nicholas’ Church, North Bradley, just south of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, on 12th July, 1818. ^[2]

For stealing what family history says was a ‘fob-watch’, Jehu was sentenced to fourteen years’ transportation to NSW after being found guilty at the Wiltshire Assizes held at Devizes on 15th July, 1837. He started his sentence in the Prison-Hulk ‘Leviathon’ in Portsmouth Harbour. Jehu completed his full sentence, lastly working for a master north of Bathurst, NSW.

On 28th October, 1852, Jehu, aged 34, married Elizabeth McCudden, aged 17, at St Leonard’s Church, North Shore, now replaced by the beautiful St Thomas’ Anglican Church, North Sydney on the same site. My paternal Grandfather, Jehu Joseph [Joe] Say, was the tenth of their thirteen children. Jehu and Elizabeth lived at Wattle Flat near Sofala, north of Bathurst. He was a publican with her McCudden brothers, farmed and searched for gold.

Jehu died at Limekilns on 8th June, 1878, aged 59. ‘Debilitas’, weakening of the body, is given as the cause of death. His resilient widow took her dependent children across country to Cumnock as the Limekilns area lost people as gold ran out. There she became what is said to be the first woman to become a Postmistress in NSW and had a fine reputation as an accomplished midwife. Elizabeth died on 4th April, 1911.

The girl who had arrived from Loughgall, Co. Armagh, Ireland, aged six, with her parents Francis and Eliza, on the ‘Herald’ in 1841, was now 76 and is buried in the Catholic section of Cumnock Cemetery. The history of the Say and McCudden Families in Australia is very well-told in Elaine Egan’s "Beyond The Seas", published at Bradys Gully Rd, North Gosford NSW in 2004.

Sources

1. ↑ Biography from https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/say/jehu/48084
2. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; Name Jehu Say Gender Male; Baptism Date 12 Jul 1818; Baptism Place North Bradley, Wiltshire, England; Father Wm. Say; Mother Elizabeth Say; FHL Film Number 1239307