Remembering T Hurley of Crumlin, One More Soldier...

The Crumlin War Memorial

On BBC Wales News tonight (Wales Today) there was a story about a war memorial in Crumlin, north of Cardiff. The metal plaque on the memorial was stolen, but luckily an elderly gent in the town had written down all the names and so the plaques could be recreated.

On showing the new plaque there right near the top (1914-18) was a T. Hurley (see pic at right, T Hurley is second from top, middle column).

How very sad that some low life thinks so little of the dead, of our history and of the sacrifices men made - to nick metal war plaques just for a few quid.

And so we can remember T. Hurley from Crumlin who died so many years ago.

I like to think as my famous rugby-playing great grandad Henry Huzzey came from Pontypool, just five miles from Crumlin, that maybe the Hurleys from Crumlin and the Huzzeys from Pontypool may have bumped into each other in the street once or twice... who knows?


Crumlin War Memorial Re-Dedicated

A Hurley at MSN... me next?

James Hurley is the music editor at MSN and has authored books on travel, cinema and music.

It seems, as with Chad Hurley, the Hurley name is spreading through the upper echelons of the internet.

I await the call of the headhunters! ;-)

A Tale of Two Lovelaces - Lord Hurley & the Governer of New York

In an earlier post, about the town of Hurley in New York state mention was made that it was founded by a Baron Hurley.

On searching for further info on the good (?) Baron, I found this little snippet:




Which reads:

May 21. Dy'd Robert. Harley, Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, Baron Hurley of Wigmore, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, one of the Governors of the Charter-House, &c. in the 64th Year of his Age. He was descended from a Family of great Antiquity and Note in the County of Salop at the Time of the Conquest. He was Member of Parliament for New- Radnor, and Speaker of the House of Commons, in thetwo last Parliaments of King William, and in the First of Queen Anne. In December, 1701, he was chosen Arbitrator for uniting the two India Companies; and in 1702, Queen Anne appointed him one of the Commissioners for treating of an Union with Scotland. He was also a Member for New-Radnor, in the second Parliament of »he said Queen, who, in 1704, admitted him a Member of her Privy Council, and made him Principal Secretary of State. In 1706, her Majestv appointed him one of the Commissioners for treating of a further Union with Scotland ; and in 1708, he was mude Cttfios Rotulorum of the Shire of Radnor; in 1710, her Majestv made him one of the Commissioners of the Treasury, one of her Cabinet-Council, and Chancellor, and Under-Treafurer of the Exchequer. On the 8th •f March, 1710-u, a Frenchman, who went by the Name •f Marquess de Guifcard, attempted his Life by slabbing him at the Council-Board, with a Penknife. In May following, the Queen created him a Peer of Great Jfritmin, by the Name, Style, and Title abovemention'd ; and on the 29th of that Month, constituted him Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain. On the 26th of October, 1712, he was elected Knight Companion of the most noble Order of the Garter, install'd in August following at Windsor, and the fame Year was chosen Governor of the South-Sea Company, of which he had been the chief Founder or Regulator: About the same Time he was also chosen one of Governors of the CharterJfouse. Soon after King George's Accession to the Throne, he was impeach'd by the House of Commons of High Treason, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanors, and thereupon was sent to the Tower, where he continu'd about 3 Years, when being brought to Tryal by his Peers, he was acquitted of that Impeachment. During the Time he was Prime Minister, he was easy and disengag'd in private Conversation, with such a Weight of Affairs upon his Shoulders. He was a Man of great Learning, and as great a Favourer and Protector of it. Intrepid by Nature, as well as by the Consciousness of his own Integrity, and would have chosen rather to fall by an Impeachment, than to be sav'd by an Act of Grace : Sagacious to view into the . remotest Consequences of Things, by which all Difficulties fled before him. He was a courteous Neighbour, ft. firm and affectionate Friend, and a kind, generous, and placable Enemy, sacrificing his just Resentments not only to publick Good, but to common Intercession and Acknowledgement. He was a Despiscr ofMotey, and what is yet most rare, an uncorrupt Minister of State. He was twice marry'd : His first Wife was E'hmbeth, Daughter of Thomas Foley of Whitley-Court in the County ot Worcester, Esq; Sister to Thomas first Lord Fo'ey, by whom he had Issue one Son and two Daughters, Edward ' Lord Hurley, by whom he was succeeded in Honour and Estate. Elizabeth, who marry'd the Marquess of Carmarthen, Son of Peregrine Osborn, Duke of Leeds, but dy'd in 1713 ; and Abigail, his second Daughter, marry'd to George Hay, Lord Duplin, asterwards Earl of Kincul in Scotland. His second Wife was Sarah, Daughter of Thomas M'ddleton, Esq; Son of Sir K»&k Middleton, Bart, by whom he never had Issue.

This would undoubtedly seem a different Baron Hurley to the Francis Lovelace, Baron Hurley of Ireland mentioned in the Hurley, NY posting.

Francis Lovelace or Robert Harley? Will the real Baron Hurley arise?


The plot thickens though, on researching Francis Lovelace it seems that a Richard Lovelace built a mansion at Hurley, Berkshire, which I touched on in another post, so we have almost come in full circle and it seems this could be a link between Hurley in Berks, and Hurley in NY state via the Lovelaces (though distinctly separate families!).


Sadly it seems Richard Lovelace built his mansion on the ruins of Hurley monastery (with some monastic rooms making up part of the mansion) and went on expedition against the Spaniards.

To quote the Royal Berkshire History web-site:

The Priory’s Infimary, to the east, was built upon by Ladye Place, the home of the Lovelaces from 1545. It was named after the Virgin Mary to whom the priory had been dedicated. Richard Lovelace sailed with Sir Francis Drake and greatly improved his house with his share of the Spanish booty. He was created Lord Lovelace of Hurley in 1627, and his monument can be seen in the church.

It seems Lovelace (Lord Hurley's) mansion cellars were used to plot against James II in favour of the foreign usurper William III (the hated King Billy), so Hurley became a centre of Hanovarian conspiring.

The link below ends the chapter on the Lovelace family by stating:

The Lovelace family was ennobled by Charles I., who in the third year of
his reign, created Richard Lovelace, Baron Hurley, which title became
extinct in 1736.

 Francis Lovelace - the namesake of Hurley, NY - on the other hand, was made Governor of the province of New York from 1668 to 1672.

An entry on his page on Wikipedia, states:

Francis Lovelace, Governor of New York

Early genealogists confused Francis with an identically named son of Richard, 1st Lord Lovelace of Hurley, due to a pamphlet issued at the time of his appointment mistakenly asserting that he was the brother of the said Richard. The confusion has also spread to more modern historians.

So we must be careful not to confuse the two Lovelace families, as the home page oh Hurley, NY appears to have done.

Was Francis Lovelace Baron of Ireland (a supporter of Charles II) as well as governor of New York? Or was Hurley, NY named after the ennobled Lovelaces (supporters of William III) whose manorial home was in Hurley, Berks. and the Americans have become confused between the two Lovelace families?

If I find out more I will return to this... and of course I'd be hapy to hear from anyone who could shed some light on this.

Links:
Lovelace, Baron Hurley (see 'CURIOUS PARTICULARS RELATING TO HURLEY, IN BERKSHIRE' the fourth article down), written in 1908.
Notable People of Berkshire

James Francis 'Frank' Hurley - An Heroic Photographer

Has there been an Australian life to equal that of Frank Hurley's for its breadth, its exuberance, its derring-do? Photographer, adventurer, explorer, showman - Hurley was all of these and more.

Thus starts the review for 'Frank Hurley - A Photographer's Life.'

This video on you tube is quite moving, spanning so many momentous events.

Sadly the makers of the video (or montage) have not allowed it to be embedded in other sites [probably at the request of the photo owners... I'm not sure].

If you are a Hurley, interested in exploration, an historian, fascinated by WW1 or WW2, an Australian or a photographer then I would strongly recommend this video.

The commentary is very good and the video is quite moving.


Link:
Frank Hurley's Photography

And a review of the book pictured above is at the website of the Australian newspaper The Age

Current & Recent Famous Hurley Bishops

I have found a few more Hurley clerics:
Archbishop Francis Thomas Hurley,
Bishop Mark Joseph Hurley (his deceased brother)
Bishop Walter Allison Hurley.
Archbishop Denis Eugene Hurley.
Bishop Daniel Eugene Hurley.
Archbishop Joseph Patrick Hurley.

Here are a couple of relative videos:

Hurleys in Ireland - More Info

This is quite an interesting website if, like me, you are a Hurley:

Link:
The Hurley Family Tree

Not least because it tells us that:

"Ballinacarriga [tower house - but look, it's a castle to me!] was built in 1585 by Randal Hurley (Muirhily)"

and

"In 1631 Randal died and was succeeded by his son Randal Oge, who was one of the first to take up arms in the rebellion of 1641. One of the most interesting aspects of the Hurley Family is that the women fought alongside their men-folk, up to and including 1641, the family was indicted of high treason following that rising, was outlawed and lost everything."

Riches to rags. That sounds typical!

But then there's:

"Dermot O'Hurly, Archbishop of Cashel, suffered martydom in Dublin,

THE HURLEY CHALICE,
St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Cork.
and was buried in St. Kevin's Church, where his body bore the repute of many miracles."

Could the Hurleys have their own Saint...

Frank Hurley, Famous Australian Photographer

Many years ago I was pottering in a charity shop when I came across a book entitled "Victoria, a Camera Study by Frank Hurley." I had to buy it - so I did. I forked over £1 (no doubt tears welling in my eyes).

The book details much of the history and nature of Victoria in Australia, including I was pleasantly surprised the Eureka Stockade, the scene of a heroic rebellion in 1854 from which we get the Eureka banner, similar to Irish banners, based on star constellations. Professor Geoffrey Blainey said the Eureka flag was an "Irish Cross."

Wikipedia says of Frank Hurley:

James Francis "Frank" Hurley, OBE (15 October 1885 – 16 January 1962) was an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in a number of expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian forces during both world wars.

From the same source, re. Shackleton's explorations:

He later compiled his records into the documentary film South in 1919. His footage was also used in the 2001 IMAX film Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure.

Links:
Frank Hurley website
Victoria by Frank Hurley

Elizabeth Hurley: Now She Too Can Answer 'Yes' to That Question

All my life -- well since she became famous -- people have asked me (signing forms for the postie, at the doctors, in work, meeting new folks etc. etc.):

"Are you related to Elizabeth Hurley?"

To which I used to sigh, and resignedly respond "no."

Then just a few short months ago my long-suffering father (unofficially the biggest Brains SA sponsor in Wales) told me that we actually were related to Liz Hurley! He had discovered that she was his second cousin or thereabouts.

So now when I am asked the fateful question, I smile and say "yes."

It doesn't half take the wind out of their sails when this normal Welsh bloke (albeit with a certain charm and charisma) turns out to be related to the rich and famous.

The last person to ask me was a Pakistani locum doctor who I'd never seen before, and it was funny to watch his response.

So yes fellow bloggers, fellow Hurleys and all you various hangers-on I am sure that from now on when people stop her in the street, Liz can proudly answer:

"Yes - I am related to Gareth Hurley."