Reverend John Youl and Jane Youl
John Youl was born 20 June 1773 at Ashtead Surrey England to parents John and Elizabeth Yuill (nee Ewing). He was the eldest of 10 children. Note the change to the spelling of the family name.
In 1798 at age 25, John Youl became associated with the London Mission Society LMS. An expedition by the LMS to the South Sea Islands found John Youl sailing on the Duff for Tahiti on the 20 December 1798. England was at war with France and on 18 February 1799 the Duff was captured by the French and taken to Montevideo Uruguay. The Duff was purchased by a Portuguese merchant so that the missionaries could be returned to England. Under sail On 8 May 1799, the Duff was captured by the Portuguese. In turn the Portuguese ship was captured by the French and sailed for Buenas Ayres arriving 23 September 1799. October 5th 1799 saw John Youl and other missionaries repatriated to England some 10 months after departing.
Not daunted by his earlier ill fated mission, the 8 May 1800 saw John Youl and other missionaries sailing for Sydney Cove and arriving on 20 November 1800 where they spent many months before setting sail for Tahiti on 10 July 1801.
Life was not without its challenges in a pagan society. King Pomare of Tahiti rejected religion and continued with a resolute idolater and cannibal way of life. Pomare continued to pray to their God Oro with their prayers often supplemented with human sacrifice.
After some six years of administering the Christian faith, several of the missionaries, including John Youl, became disillusioned with the prospects of the mission and removed to Sydney.
Permission was given for John Youl to take leave from Tahiti and on 20June 1807 he sailed for Sydney Town with the view to marrying. Brother Youl retracing his earlier time at Port Headland on the Hawkesbury River renewed his association with a band of nonconformists, amongst whom were several Presbyterians whom had formed a settlement on a 100 acre grant at Portland. Research credits John Youl as being the first minister to preach at the Ebenezer Chapel near Windsor and indicated that he would take charge of the church and the school and would marry to comply with their requirements.
True to his word and the conditions of his appointment, John introduced his new bride, Jane Stroud/Louder to the Ebenezer community whom he had married on 31st January 1810. Jane was the daughter of Charlotte Stroud a convict.
John Youl and wife Jane set about populating the Colony and produced nine children. John, Jane and two children set sail for England in 1813 in order for John to be ordained in to the Church of England. This he achieved and was duly appointed to Assistant Chaplain of Port Dalrymple in Van Diemen’s Land. 30 January 1816 saw the Reverend John Youl back in Sydney. But the Colony and Port Dalrymple was not read for a married Chaplain and it took almost a further four years for him and his family, now five children to relocate to Port Dalrymple,in the meantime he filled in his time as Chaplain in the Liverpool district. There was no chapel at either Launceston or George Town so the Reverend John improvised wherever possible. Considerable distances were being traversed, this was more than likely achieved by river transportation or by horse back and many hours foot slogging the dusty tracks and roads. His flock did not come to him, the Reverend went to them where ever they may be. Launceston to George Town a distance of 40 miles, was accessed along the Tamar River and probably involved an odd overnight stay along the way with settlers or through rough camping. One of the crowning aspects of his remuneration was to come in the form of a land-grant. He was later allotted two convicts to help farm the land together with three merino rams and two government bullocks. This was the beginning of the Youl association with the land in Tasmania. Governor Macquarie had a bee in his bonnet that Reverend John should relocate to George Town and accordingly gave orders to Lt. Governor Sorrell for the move to take place on or before the 1 September 1821. In relocating to George Town, the Reverend was instructed to continue divine service at Launceston once every two months during the summer, autumn and spring seasons.
1823 saw the Reverend John’s George Town ministering responsibilities further grow. The difficulties operating out of George Town and the need to move amongst his parishioners at Launceston and Norfolk Plains was no doubt taking its toll on the Reverend John. In 1824 Launceston again came into favour as the proper site for the northern capital, so headquarters were more established there, and George Town abandoned. With the removal came also the Rev. John Youl, who at this time took up his residence in Launceston, which during the year was officially proclaimed a township. The Reverend had become a good horseman and being in possession of land suitable for grazing, he no doubt saw an opportunity to improve his financial situation through this alternate means of generating income from sheep and cattle breeding.
October 24 1824 saw the tenders close for the erection of a church at Launceston with the foundation stone being laid for St. John’s Church..
The Reverend was not one for taking a backward step and continued his scrapping with the newly appointed first Archdeacon to the NSW Colony. The long sword came out to have the Reverend John removed from his post. In December 1826, the local people of Launceston and the newspaper The Colonial Times took up Youl’s plight and gave support for his retention at Launceston. The Reverend John was not present in St. John’s Church on 19 February 1827 when Archdeacon Scott took to the pulpit to preach. John Youl was not at all well and some five weeks later on Sunday 25 March 1827 he was dead. The last duty performed by the Reverend was to attend the scaffolding for six men to be hanged upon on a Monday after which he took to his bed and died the following Thursday. The Reverend John Youl died at age 53 at Symmons Plains, Perth, Tasmania possibly in his home on the corner of William and Frederick Streets Perth which he had built. He had died from asthma and neglect of his health in general through hard work. The Reverend was survived by his wife Jane and eight children with a ninth child on the way. The eldest child, James Arndell age 16, had left NSW for England to be educated. The Reverend John Youl was laid to rest on 31 March 1827 in St. John’s Church cemetery Whilst John Youl may have been seen by the church authorities to have lacked certain educational qualifications, he was a he was a man who achieved much in his short life. Apart from the great contribution he made to the Presbyterian and Church of England he was highly respected by his parishioners. His last few years saw his interest in the land grow and he was in possession of some 4,000 acres of land, 500 sheep and 100 head of cattle at his death.
John Youl did not see his beloved St. John’s Church completed. There was a mixed reaction to his death, most were favourable but some not, particularly those associated with the church.
Jane Youl died 19 July 1877 aged 83 at Symmons Plains Tasmania and is buried in Launceston with her husband.