Glenda Rumler

Headstone of the grave of Selby Charles Spurling and his wife Flencaina Hancock (or Flencaina Handcock) known as Flo Spurling. Selby was a son of Ray Spurling who was the son of Selby Jeremiah Spurling who was a son of William Spurling (of Worlingworth, Suffolk, England) who was a son of William Spurling and Phillis Selsby. Also, the subject of this photo, Selby Charles Spurling had a sister Verna Mabel Spurling whose gravesite photo appears on this website also.

Luke Smith arrived at Melbourne 1853 as an Unassisted Passenger from Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire, England (via New York, USA, aboard the "City of Norfolk". Married in 1858 to Elizabeth Courtney Ransom (born in Boughton, Kent, England) at Ararat, Victoria, Australia. Lived at Beaufort and possibly at Waterloo. Both Luke and Elizabeth are buried at the Beaufort Cemetery, Beaufort, Victoria. They had twelve children.
1. Luke Thomas Grafton Smith (b.1859)
2. Caroline Elizabeth Smith (b.1861)
3. Frederick Ransom Smith (b.1862)
4. Herbert Alfred Smith (b.1863)
5. Alice Sophia Smith (b.1865)
6. Adelaide Louisa Smith (b.1867)
7. Frank Beaufort Smith (b.1869)
8. Sydney Stratford Smith (b.1871)
9. Rose Ann Smith (b.1872)
10. Elizabeth Annis Smith (b.1874)
11. Clara Jane Smith (b.1876)
12. Charles Percy Smith (b.1880)

Luke Smith's parents in England were Thomas Smith and Elizabeth Meekins. (Northamptonshire area)
Elizabeth Courtney Ransom's parents in England were John Ransom and Sophia Howland. (Kent area)
People in photo include: Elizabeth C Ransom

Gladys Selby BUNTINE (MBE;OBE), nee SPURLING, daughter of Reginald Selby SPURLING. He was brother of William Selby SPURLING who were sons of William SPURLING who had arrived in the colony of Port Phillip (Melbourne, Australia) in 1849/50, settling at Kilmore, Victoria.
William SPURLING was a son of William SPURLING (of Worlingworth, Suffolk, England) and Rebecca SPURLING (of Burston Hall, Burston, Norfolk, England) who arrived in January, 1853, settling at Hawthorn, Victoria.
Selby Jeremiah Spurling (grandfather of Verna Mabel SMITH, nee SPURLING) was a brother of the Wlm who had settled at Kilmore, Victoria.
Gladys Selby SPURLING was married to Martyn Arnold BUNTINE, headmaster of Camberwell Grammar School (Vic), Hale School (Perth, Western Australia) and Geelong College (Vic).

Born at Waterloo, near Beaufort, Victoria, Australia - Walter Thomas SMITH, VX32333, 2/24btn, A.I.F. is third man standing (from left). Taken as a prisoner of War by the enemy at TOBRUK, North Africa, on 1st May, 1941. When eventually released at the end of WW2, Tom returned to Australia, married Verna Mabel SPURLING in Perth, W.A., and eventually died in Western Australia aged almost 95 years. His gravesite appears on this website.

LUKE SMITH, wife of Elizabeth Courtney RANSOM. Son of Thomas Smith and Elizabeth Meekins(UK). Father of Herbert Alfred Smith and Sydney Stratford Smith who were born in Victoria, Australia.
Luke travelled to Australia from Northamptonshire, England, via New York aboard the "City of Norfolk" in the early 1850s, in search of gold during the great Australian Gold Rush period. He ended up becoming a farmer and father of about a dozen children.

Born at Beaufort, Victoria, Australia, a son of Luke Smith (who was born at Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire, England) and Elizabeth Courtney Ransom. There is a photo of these parents on Ancient Faces website.
Sydney Stratford Smith was a brother of Herbert Alfred Smith (my grandfather) of Beaufort, Victoria, whose photo, it appears, was too large for Ancient Faces to allow.
A son of Herbert Alfred was Walter Thomas Smith, whose gravesite appears on Ancient Faces.

Thomas Smith and Elizabeth Meekins became the parents of Luke Smith who was born at Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire. Luke Smith emigrated to Victoria, Australia and married Elizabeth Courtney Ransom (a daughter of John Ransom and Sophia Howland of Kent, England) at Ararat, Victoria. Luke Smith and Elizabeth Courtney Ransom made their home in the Beaufort area of Victoria, and produced 12 children.

Gravesite of married couple Verna Mabel Spurling and Walter Thomas Smith taken late 2005. The living are their only two offspring, Glenda and Desmond (known as Des Smith). These Smiths are descendants of Luke Smith and Elizabeth Courtney (nee Ransom) who are also featured in a photo on this website.
Verna Mabel Spurling had a brother named Selby Charles Spurling whose headstone photo appears on this website also.