Lot 671

Description

George III, cartwheel twopence, 1797 (S.3776), engraved around edge 'Emma.Mary.Durieu.Born 10 March 1819'. An interesting birth memento for a colonist to South Australia, very fine.

Emma Mary Durieu was born at London, England on 10 March 1819 to French ‚migr‚s. The Durieu family left for Australia on board the barque, Planter, which left St Katherine Docks, London on 23 November 1838. Also on board was Daniel Crosby, a 27-year old who had been a member of Robert Peel's Metropolitan Police Force in London. Mary's mother, Lucy Durieu, died during the voyage and was buried at sea near Cape Town. One of the passengers wrote in his diary that during the voyage there was much misbehaviour by his fellow passengers including drinking, fighting and open promiscuity with a lack of control by the ship's master, Captain James Beazley. There was also poor navigation that resulted in a mutiny by the sailors off Rio de Janeiro. Finally on 16 May 1839 the Planter, carrying the 20-year old seamstress, Emma Durieu, made its way into the Port River at Adelaide carrying a new group of colonists into South Australia.



After arrival, Daniel Crosby joined the Adelaide Police Force, soon being appointed Sergeant. On 22 June 1840, he and Emma Durieu were married at Adelaide High Trinity Church, she being given away by her father Mr Henry Joseph Durieu, Inspector of Arms to the province. In 1842 Henry was investigated for alleged irregularities with regard to his job and subsequently quit his residence and took a party of convicts to Tasmania. He remained there and in July 1843 he was appointed Inspector of Stock, Poundkeeper, and Inspector of Weights and Measures for the District of Bothwell, in March 1844 for the District of Richmond and in March 1845 for the District of Campbelltown. Meanwhile, Daniel left the police force and started his own security company. Later the family moved to Wallaroo where he became a carter for the mines and had a store.



Daniel and Emma had six daughters and four sons. One son, Arthur Durieu Crosby aged one year and five months died on 31 January 1864 of scarlet fever. Then on 12 April 1864, the third and youngest surviving son, John Crosby, aged seven years and nine months died at Wallaroo Bay of disease of the lungs and dropsy. The family seemed plagued by bad luck as her daughter Emma's husband of two and a half years, Daniel Vawser aged 24 years died of bronchitis and concussion on 4 September 1865 at Wallaroo. Daniel Crosby, who had achieved much fame in the colony as a lecturer on English history and a poet, died on 5 February 1881 at Moonta and his wife, Emma Mary Durieu, died at the age of 66 at Port Wallaroo, South Australia on 29 October 1885.