The Story of Dominyche Fullagar (Fullagarde)

The story of my paternal 12x Great Grandfather Dominyche Fullagar (Fullagarde) (c.1518-1558) will be a short one.  

The information I have found has come from oral family history recorded by descendants in England, although there is one piece of evidence that provides proof of some of the particulars of his story. That's his last will and testament.





Dominyche was born 500 years ago in 1518, according to family history, in Headcorn, Kent, England.

His name was most likely pronounced as "Dominic".

There are no records in existence that can provide proof of his date of birth or the names of his parents, so I'm unable to fill in those blanks.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13359000

In the supposed year of Dominyche's birth, King Henry VIII had been the monarch of England for nine years, James V ruled Scotland and Francis 1 was the ruler of France.

Henry VIII was to remain the monarch of England during the majority of Dominyche's life.

Dominyche married Alice Hemersham around 1539, in the village of Headcorn, Kent.  He would have been 21 years old and Alice was 17. Their son William was born the following year, probably in 1540. 

Dominyche's occupation was 'mercer'.  He was a trader in cloth, textiles and woollens, and he seems to have been rather well-off.  Whether he had inherited land and wealth from his father, or had become very prosperous as a result of his occupation is unknown.

Headcorn at that time was a village that had prospered with the growth in the textile industry.  Many of the weavers in the village would have been Flemish weavers who had escaped French rule and settled in England.  Dominyche would have often visited the Cloth Hall in the centre of his village to buy fabrics from weavers such as these.

Village of Headcorn

The Old Cloth Hall apparently still stands in the village of Headcorn.  Reputedly it's the building on the right in the photo above.

In Dominyche's time, the Exchequer would have been next door.  It served as a bank, and Dominyche would have gone there to get a line of credit in order to make his fabric purchases.  It's likely he would have then sold them in places such as London or even in Europe.

(Note:  this information about Headcorn was provided by a distant relative from her own family tree research, but is apparently not correct according to a local historian who has been researching the village for many years.  I received a message from this historian stating: "I have read your piece relating to Headcorn and would like to offer some corrections. I have been a local historian in Headcorn for many years. The building in the High Street shown is not a cloth hall, it is known as Shakespeare House and was possible a weaving house?, The building to the left is 'Chequers', named that as it was an inn called the 'Ball and Chequers'. It was NEVER a bank there would not have been one in the village at that time.")

Dominyche died on the 21st of December 1558, when he was only 40 years old.  He died in the village of Headcorn.

Now to his last will and testament.  The language of Dominyche's will is extraordinary and obviously reflects the nature of the English language during the period known as the Tudor Period in England. This was known as Early Modern English, the stage of the English language as it developed and was used from the late 15th century until the mid-to-late 17th century.

The transcript reads:

In the name of God Amen. The 21st day of December in the year or our Lord God 1558 and in the first year of the reign of our sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the faith.

This is the last Will and Testament of me Dominyche Fullagarde mercer of the parish of Headcomne being sick in body and of perfect remembrance I bequeath my soul to almighty God and my body to the ground to be buried in the church yarde of Headcomne or its where.

Then I will William Fullagarde my son my part of one messuage garden barn and other housing thereunto belonging and the land thereunto belonging by estimation 13 acres more or less within the borow of Headcomne of its where within the parish of Headcomne in feesimple forever.

Also I will that William Fullagarde my son shall mine executor of all my moveable goods recervynge (?) my wife shall have half the household recervynge (?) the tunnes of the bruehouse and Alice my wife shall have two kine and a bull and the said William my son shall pay to Alice my wife 20 (pounds) of lawful money of England by equal portions within one hole year next after my death.

I will that Alice my wife shall have her dwelling in the house as long as she lyveth she being sole widow and when the housselhold is shift my son to choose first so that my wife shall not medle with the shopp of mercerie furthermore I will that my wife and William my son to keep for the house and to bear the charges between them and to shift the profits betwixt them.

Also I will that in case William my son do not suffer my wife quietly to be with him that then she shall disentre him.

Then I will that my brother Nicholas Hemersham shall mine oversear of this my Will and Testament and to have for his pains 13s/4d to be paid immediately after my death and I give to everie one of my Godchildren 4d and I give to Thomas Bames dwelling with me 10 shillings immediately after my death and William my son being my Executor to pay my bequeathes and to receyve all my debts in witness hereof Nicholas Mr. Hemersham James Mr. Hynchell Richard Buchorse Vicar with other.

What fantastic language!  It's an absorbing read.  I find some of the spelling quite interesting.  What on earth is "recervynge"?  Would that be "revenue"?

It appears that Dominyche was only survived by his wife and one son.  Essentially, the will states that Dominyche's wife Alice should have a few cattle, plus the sum of £20, and should have the use of the house during her lifetime. Son, William and Alice were to share the profits of the shop and to live together in the house.

I find the remark "My wife shall not medle with the shoppe of mercerie", quite interesting. Perhaps Alice had tried to have a say in the business when Dominyche was plying his trade, and perhaps he had not appreciated that at all!

Son William was to have "messuage, garden, barn and 13 acres".  

A typical 16th century middle class house

 A "messuage" was a dwelling house wtih outbuildings, possibly similar to the house pictured here. 

"Messuage" was an Anglo-Norman French word with its origin in the Latin language ... 'manere' meaning "to dwell".  







Presumably this sizeable 13 acre property contained the "shoppe", although that is not clear.
 

Dominyche's brother-in-law was also mentioned in the will ...  "my brother Nicholas Hemersham shall (be) mine oversear of this my Will".  Dominyche also gave 4 pence to each of his godchildren.  I wonder how many there were?  Did Dominyche have lots of godchildren because he and wife Alice only had the one son?  There are endless questions I'd love to find the answers for, but it's likely a lost cause given that the life of my 12x Great Grandfather was lived so very long ago!

Special Note to any family members:  If you have information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.

The Story of Susan Muldowney / Downey or Downie

This post tells the story of my maternal Great Great Grandmother Susan Muldowney / Downey or Downie   (c.1842/1844-1919).  

The records I've found during my research on Susan have her maiden name recorded as a 'Downie' on her marriage record, 'Downey' on her two daughter's (my grandmother's and grand aunt's) death certificates, and 'Muldowney' on a daughter's (my grandmother's) marriage certificate, as well as several of her children's death certificates.

I've not yet been able to track down a birth or baptism record to see which of these alternatives might be closest to her actual family name.  It's still a bit of a brick wall for me at this point.

I'm telling Susan's story this week for the Week 19 prompt of the #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  The prompt is: Mother's Day. 

The line of ancestors back to my 2nd great grandmother is a line of wonderful women with interesting stories, and Susan's story is no different.  She is yet another resilient, hard-working and determined mother in my family tree.

As previously mentioned, I'm a little in the dark when it comes to Susan's date of birth.  Her age recorded on her death certificate and cemetery headstone indicates her birth would have been in 1850.  Her age as recorded on her record of marriage indicates she would have been born in 1843.  The age that was recorded on the passenger list when she emigrated indicated she would have been born about 1849.  Ages recorded on census records indicate she could have been born in 1844 or 1842.  All of this leads to the most likely birth date being in the early to mid 1840s! 

Place of birth is recorded on her death certificate as Roscommon in Ireland.  That of course would have been information provided by her son Thomas, and may not have been totally correct.  So far, I have been unable to find a Susan Muldowney, Downey or Downie born in Roscommon in the early to mid 1840s.

Details on her marriage record do include the names of her father and mother though, and this information would have been given by Susan herself.  So I can state that Susan's father was Patrick Downey (as recorded on the record of marriage, although his surname was spelt Downie) and her mother's name was Elizabeth Reynolds.

I can only really pick up Susan's story from the time around her marriage.  She had apparently left Ireland and moved to Scotland, sometime before 1865. I'm making the quantum leap in assuming she moved to Scotland with her mother, father and perhaps siblings in the 1850s-60s.  This might have been because her father was in need of work and had left Ireland in the hope of a better life.

Susan married in January 1865.  Her husband was Michael Farrell.  As can be seen in the Hawick Marriage Register above, they applied to be married on the 25th of January 1865, and were subsequently married on the 27th of January in Hawick, Roxburghshire in Scotland. 

The details on the marriage certificate, seen above, really intrigue me.

Wool factory in Hawick c.1870

At the time of her marriage, Susan's occupation was that of wool factory worker.

Hawick at that time was the centre of a thriving woollen manufacturing industry, and there would have been plenty of work available for Irish immigrants.

It's highly likely however that the workers were very poorly paid, worked long hours, and lived in rather terrible conditions. Was Susan's working life in the wool factory as hard as I imagine?



Susan was living at an address named '2 Back Row' in Hawick, which doesn't sound all that fancy! Both of her parents were listed as deceased, which makes me wonder whether she might have been living with other family members or lodging with strangers, who might have been fellow workers!

Her age is recorded as 22, which is information Susan would have given herself, so perhaps 1842 was her real birth year.  Given that both her parents were deceased by 1865, it's likely marriage to Michael would have been a more attractive proposition than continuing to live with relatives or lodging in what was likely very cramped conditions, and trying to support herself on a wool factory worker's wage!  It may have been true love though and she might have been eager to begin a new life with the man she loved.

Susan and husband Michael went on to have nine children over the next 21 years, but the beginning of their life together saw them leave Hawick in Scotland not long after they were married, and move to England.  Susan gave birth to her first daughter in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

Margaret (my great grandmother) was born in 1865, when Susan might have been aged 22.
Thomas was born in 1868.
Michael was born in 1870.

The birthplace for these two boys was recorded as 'Cafield Cottages' in Durham, so Susan and her family had left Newcastle a couple of years after the birth of their first child.  It seems that Susan and her husband Michael were moving quite a bit, and I'm assuming they were searching for work with the promise of better pay and conditions.

Census Record 1871 for the Civil Parish of Holmside, District 1 Lanchester, Durham, England

The Census records of 1871 shows Susan, her husband Michael and family living in Holmside, Durham.  Susan was recorded as being 27 years old, Michael was aged 30 and the children's ages were - Margaret 5 years old, Thomas was aged 3 and Michael was only 1.

Not only was Susan caring for three young children, but there was also a lodger and her three small children living in the same house.  So No. 30 Hinde House had a total of nine people living there, 3 adults and 6 children all under the age of 6!  Given that Michael was working as a 'Coke Worker', I doubt that Hinde House was a sumptuous palace, so the conditions would have been cramped and no doubt challenging.

The very next year, in 1872, daughter Helen Ann (known as Annie) was born. 
Then daughter Elizabeth was born in 1873.

Sadly, Susan lost her second born son Michael, not long after the birth of Elizabeth.  Michael died at the age of 3, in 1873.

Susan gave birth to another son just a couple of years later, in 1876, and also named him Michael.
Patrick Joseph was born in 1878.
James was born in 1880.
Both Patrick and James were born in Stanley, Durham; but by 1881 the family was living in Tanfield once again.

Census Record 1881 for the Civil Parish of Tanfield, in District 1 Lanchester, Durham, England

The Census record of 1881 shows the family living at Havana Street in Tanfield. Susan was listed as aged 39 with no occupation.  Husband Michael was aged 41, and his occupation was listed as 'Coke Drawer'.  Son Thomas was aged 13 and was working as a 'Screener' at a colliery.  Helen Ann was aged 9, Elizabeth was 7, Michael was 5, Patrick was 3; and they were all listed as 'scholars' so they were attending school.  Baby James was 8 months old.

There was also a boarder living with the family of eight.  Daughter Margaret, the eldest child (my Great Grandmother) was at that time working as a domestic servant and living elsewhere in Durham.

Up until this point, I think Susan and her family were living very much "hand-to-mouth" as the saying goes, and it seems that Susan had been taking in lodgers for over ten years to help with the payment of rent and perhaps to help put food on the table.  Her husband Michael and son Thomas were working at rather low-paid, tough jobs and her eldest daughter was also out working at the age of 15. All of this paints the picture of a family in poverty and hardship.

Life continued on much the same for Susan, for another six years until 1887.  In March of 1887, Susan gave birth to her last child, Matthew Felix.  Considering it had been over six years since James had been born, perhaps Susan had lost a baby or perhaps more than one in the intervening period; or perhaps Matthew was an expected surprise after Susan and Michael had thought their family had stopped growing.

'Cheybassa'

Not long after the birth of Matthew, Susan and some of her family boarded the ship 'Cheybassa' to emigrate.  It's likely Susan and her husband had been planning to emigrate for a while, and having another child at this point was most probably unplanned!

Susan, her husband Michael, along with their children Thomas aged 18, Elizabeth aged 12, Michael aged 10, Patrick aged 8, James aged 5 and baby Matthew (incorrectly listed as Michael) only aged 4 months, left London on August the 10th 1887 headed for Australia. Susan's two eldest daughters, Margaret and Helen, had already emigrated in 1886.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out any details about the trip of the 'Cheybassa' from London to Townsville in late 1887, other than the fact that the ship arrived safely in the port of Townsville on the 28th of September after a six-week voyage, and then sailed on to Brisbane.

Susan and her family disembarked in Townsville and would have taken a train out to Charters Towers where they met up with their two daughters who had been working there for over a year.  Charters Towers was to be Susan's home into her 40s and then onwards for the rest of her long life.

Australian Electoral Roll records show that she lived in a house on Bridge Street in Charters Towers from at least 1903 onwards, but I'm not entirely sure where the family was living before this.  Susan's children of course grew older, began working and then began moving on with their own lives.

Her eldest daughter Margaret married in 1892, just five years after Susan had arrived in Australia.  Margaret lived in Charters Towers until at least around 1915.

Thomas, Susan's eldest son, began working as a miner soon after they had arrived in Charters Towers.  He remained unmarried, and continued to live at home with his parents for quite some time.

Daughter Helen married in 1890, only three years after Susan had arrived in Charters Towers.  Whilst Helen and her husband lived in Charters Towers for a number of years, they did eventually move away.

Daughter Elizabeth married in 1897 and moved away further north with her husband almost immediately after their marriage.

Son Michael worked as a labourer for most of his life.  He married in 1901 and remained in Charters Towers.

Son Patrick worked as a miner, like his brother Thomas.

Son James married in 1905.  Son Matthew remained living at home with his parents until his early 20s.

Tragedy was to strike Susan's extended family in the years 1903, 1904 and 1905.  Three of Susan's grandchildren died during this time and were all quite young.  Granddaughter Eileen died shortly after her birth.  Granddaughter Myreen died just before she turned 2.  Grandson Edward died in a drowning accident when he was 8 years old.  As a grandmother myself, I can understand the absolute heartache that Susan must have suffered experiencing her grandchildren dying so young, and how she must have keenly felt the suffering of their mothers.

Unfortunately the latter years of Susan's life were to be filled with further anxiety and sorrow.


In 1916 her three youngest sons enlisted and were shipped off to war very quickly. 

Patrick was aged 38, and headed off to fight in France and Belgium.









                                   James was 36.  He fought in France.

Matthew was 29 and fought in France and Belgium.









Susan was by now in her 70s and no doubt held grave fears for the safety of her boys.  Sadly, only two of these sons were to return home, and neither of them were in the best of health.

Patrick had been killed in action on the 20th of September 1917.  This must have broken Susan's husband's heart as he died just two months later.  I can only imagine that Susan herself would have been completely devastated with the loss of a son and a husband in such a short time.  She and Michael had been married for 52 years.

Both of Susan's two other sons who had gone to war, returned home to Australia the following year, in early 1918.  James had been shipped home, after having been hospitalised in England for many months with a serious medical condition. Matthew was sent home in early 1918 as well.  He had suffered two broken legs in a serious accident in France. 

Sadly, another of Susan's sons died just eight months later.  Michael died in July of 1918.

Susan herself passed away six months after that.

Susan's death certificate states that she died of broncho pneumonia and heart failure, and was also suffering senility at this time.  Perhaps she had not been totally aware of what had occurred since the outbreak of war in 1915, and was unable to remember the loss of her sons and her husband!

She was survived by six of her children.

Direct ancestral line of mothers for five generations.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.

The Story of Susannah Fullagar

This story is about my paternal Great Great Great Grandmother Susannah Fullagar (1791-1862).  In the year of her birth, 1791, George 111 was the monarch of England; the world's first Sunday newspaper was published; Captain Arthur Phillip was in his fourth year as the Governor of newly established colony of New South Wales in Australia.

Sourced from the Woodchurch Local and Family History site using records compiled by the Woodchurch Ancestry Group

When Susannah was born, her father John Fullagar was 33 years old and her mother Elizabeth Bourne was aged 30.

She was born in the village of Woodchurch in Kent, England, and was the fifth child born to John and Elizabeth.





Susannah's eldest brother Richard had been born in 1782.
John was born in 1784, but had died the same year.
Another son John was born in 1786, but had died the same year.
Mary was born in 1785, and had died just a little while afterwards.
George was born in 1787, but had died the same year.
Sarah was born in 1788.

So that meant that when Susannah was born just three years later, the only other siblings still living were Richard and Sarah.  More siblings were to follow, but sadly, another four died in infancy.

Elizabeth was born in 1793 when Susannah was 2, but died the same year.
Thomas was born in 1794.
Josiah was born in 1796, but died the following year.
Josephus was born in 1799.  Sadly, he died just two months later.  Susannah was aged 8.
Sophia came along in 1801 but died the same year.
Ann was born in 1802 when Susannah was 11 years old.

You do have to wonder what effect the loss of so many siblings, while they were still babies, would have had on Susannah.  Perhaps the realisation of such a tragedy didn't hit her until she was much older.

Up until 1802, Susannah's father was the innkeeper of the Bonny Cravat Inn.  The family of six children had grown up a modest home on a large plot of land near the village.  Possibly Susannah's childhood would have been a happy, carefree one growing up in the small, picturesque village of Woodchurch.

Unfortunately in 1803, when Susannah was 12 years old, her father died.  At the point, Susannah's mother took over as innkeeper, so I imagine life would have changed considerably then.  With her mother working long hours, no doubt assisted by Susannah's older brother Richard, who would have now been 21; perhaps Susannah, aged 12, and her older sister Sarah, aged 15, would have taken on the mothering and the domestic duties around the home, while their mother worked at the inn.  Their brother Thomas would have been 9 years old, and baby Ann would have only been 1.  I would think that the carefree childhood days would have well and truly ended after the death of Susannah's father.

Sourced from the Woodchurch Local and Family History site using records compiled by the Woodchurch Ancestry Group

Eleven years later, in December of 1814, a marriage bann was posted announcing the coming marriage of Susannah Fullagar and James Hukins.

Sourced from the Woodchurch Local and Family History site using records compiled by the Woodchurch Ancestry Group

Then in January of 1815, at the age of 23, Susannah married James Hukins. They went on to have a family of nine children, born over a period of sixteen years.

Their daughter Elizabeth was born in June of 1815, so Susannah would have been pregnant at the time of her wedding.
John was born two years later, in 1817.
James came along in 1820.
Crittenden was born in 1821.
Adolphus was born in 1823, when Susannah was 32 years old.
Sabina, was born in 1825.
Norman came along in 1828, but sadly, died when he was a month and a half old.
Cassandra was born in 1829.
Then their last child, Adelaide was born in 1832.

The Bonny Cravat Inn, as it is today

In 1824, just after their fourth child was born, Susannah and her husband James took over the running of the Bonny Cravat Inn, which stood opposite the church.





The inn had been run by Susannah's father for 20 years, and was taken over by Susannah's mother when her father had died.  Susannah's mother, Elizabeth, was innkeeper for 12 years up until 1816 when Susannah's brother Thomas had taken over.  That was the year after Susannah had married.

Susannah's brother Thomas was innkeeper for only 4 years and for some reason, which I have not been able to uncover as yet, he stopped innkeeping in 1820.  For a period of 3 years the Bonny Cravat Inn had been in the hands of people outside the Fullagar family, until Susannah and her husband took over.

The record of Innkeepers for the Bonny Cravat Inn:
(sourced from the Woodchurch Local and Family History site of the Woodchurch Ancestry Group). 

Date	Innkeeper/Publican	Monarch
1690-1701	John Medhurst - The Butchers Arms	William & Mary 1689-1694, William III 1694-1702
1701-1706	Sarah Wood - The Bonny Cravat	Anne 1702-1714
1706-1719	George Ramsden	George I 1714-1727
1719-1720	Mary Ramsden - Widow of George
1720-1732	John and Thomas Hills	George II 1727-1760
1732-1734	Mary Hills - Widow of John
1734-1746	John Fullagar
1746-1749	Elizabeth Fullagar Widow of John
1749-1750	Elizabeth Fullagar - Widow of John & Mary Austen Widow
1750-1758	John Fullagar - Son of John
1758-1775	John Hukins	George III 1760-1820
1775-1782	James Hukins - Brother of John
1782-1803	John Fullagar - Son of John
1803-1816	Elizabeth Fullagar - Widow of John
1816-1820	Thomas Fullagar
1820-1823	Shadrack Pearce	George IV 1820-1830
1823-1824	George Elliott
1824-1837	James and Susannah Fullagar Hukins	William IV 1830-1837
1837-1843	Gabriel Law	Victoria 1837-1901

Sourced from the Woodchurch Local and Family History site

Susannah was listed as the innkeeper, along with her husband James, for a period of twelve years from 1824 to 1837.  What's fascinating for me is the fact that her name is recorded with both her maiden name, Fullagar, and her married name.  Perhaps the reason for that is to acknowledge the very long association of the Fullagar family with the running of the inn!

When Susannah began innkeeping with her husband, she had four children between the ages of nine and one, and then went on to have another four, although, tragically she lost one of her children when he was only a baby.  As any working mother knows, Susannah's days would have been hard slog.

At this point, I'm going to mention this week's prompt in the #52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge: Close Up.  It seems that Susannah would have spent time in the company of smugglers, up close and personal!! 

Smuggling had been rife in Kent during the 18th century and continued on into the 19th.  By the 1820s, Woodchurch was home to quite a number of smugglers from a well-known gang, known as Ransley's Gang.  It's likely Susannah knew them quite well, or at least knew of them.

In 1826, some members of this gang fought with the Revenue on the village green in Woodchurch, but they lost and were captured.  The Bonny Cravat Inn had often been used as a courtroom, and so it was in 1826, when Susannah and her husband ran the inn, that the trial for the captured smugglers happened at the Bonny Cravat.

The men were sentenced to death during the proceedings, and were subsequently hanged by the neck on gallows which apparently stood outside the inn.

What a gruesome sight for all in the village, but particularly for Susannah and her family, with the men likely hanging for days just outside the inn. Talk about up close and personal!



The name 'Bonny Cravat Inn' was and remains a unique name for a pub in England.  No other inn or pub has ever had a similar name.  It's said that the name came from a French fishing boat used as a smuggling vessel. The story goes that the inn was in fact the rendezvous point for smugglers who traded with the French in the early 1700s, using a boat called La Bonne Crevette. The original sign for the inn though apparently said La Bonne Corvette.  So it appears that the inn had been a smuggler's inn for the period from the 1700s to the 1800s, and it also became the place where smugglers were tried and sentenced!

It seems that after twelve years of innkeeping, Susannah and her husband were in severe financial trouble.  There is a note in The London Gazette of late 1837 that shows James petitioning the Court for Relief of Insolvent Debors.  It's interesting to also note that he had started out as a farmer, then became a victualler and farmer, but had most recently been just a victualler.  I think it can be safely assumed that Susannah's husband had lost the farm he had originally owned before they married.  It does all paint a picture of dire straits!

About eighteen months later, Susannah and her husband James were preparing for emigration.  They obviously felt that the chance for a better life far off in the colony of New South Wales was their best option!

There is a parish record that shows Susannah and her family were supported by the Woodchurch Parish with the provision of tickets and attire for the voyage as assisted immigrants to Australia.  In early May Susannah was provided with "1 gown, 1 stiff petticoat, 1 flannel petticoat, 5 shifts, 4 pairs stockings, 3 handkerchiefs, 1 pair shoes, 3 caps", whilst her husband was provided with "attire and ten pounds sterling".   There is no record of any provision for their children.

The family party, which included ...
Susannah, now aged 48;
Her husband James Hukins, aged 47;
Her eldest daughter Elizabeth, aged 24, who was by then married to Edward Dawes and had a son James aged 1;
Son John, aged 22;
Son James, aged 20;
Son Crittenden, aged 18;
Son Adolphus, aged 16;
Daughter Sabina, aged 13;
Daughter Cassandra, aged10;
and daughter Adelaide, aged 7;
all boarded the ship Cornwall at Gravesend on the 7th of May in 1839.

On the emigration record Susannah's occupation was listed as "farm servant", as she was not working as an innkeeper at that time. It appears she was educated as she could read and write. Her father was incorrectly listed as 'Charles Fullagar, innkeeper' when it should have read 'John Fullagar, innkeeper'.  There was never a Charles Fullagar living in Woodchurch and working as an innkeeper.

Susannah's husband James was listed as a 'farm labourer' on the previous page of this record.  Her older sons were listed separately as 'single men'.  John was listed as a 'gardener', James as a 'coachman' and Crittenden (although his name was incorrectly spelt) was listed as a 'groom'.  

Early on May the 12th, the Cornwall set sail for Australia.  The voyage took almost four months, with the ship arriving in Sydney on the 1st of September, 1839.

An excerpt from the Surgeon's Report of the Cornwall stated:

"Sailed from Gravesend on 12th. May 1839 and arrived on 1st. September 1839.  112 Days  On board were: 150 Adult Males. 101 Adult Females. Children: 50 Male;  74 Females; Infants 12.
Nine Males & Nine Females died on board. Main afflictions were Fever, Diarrhoea, Scurvy, & with the children Rubella, Scarlet Fever, Bowel (infection) from the irritation of teething. No one was confined to bed during the last 6 weeks – good state of health on arrival.  Five children born on board."

Sydney Herald (NSW), Monday 2 September 1839, page 2

The Surgeon's report tells of not only the births, deaths and illnesses, but also of the weather conditions.  At the beginning of the voyage there was apparently extremely inclement weather.  The Cornwall experienced squalls, hail storms, and snow storms as it journeyed towards the Bay of Biscay.  It mentions sightings of flying fish, hooking pigeons and albatross when the ship was rounding the Cape of Good Hope.

On the morning of the ship's entry into Port Jackson at Sydney, the Surgeon described his first sight of 'old Sydney town'.  No doubt Susannah would have experienced the same sights.

Sydney Cove 1839

"We entered Sydney Heads, a narrow passage between the high rocky coast, and as soon as the ship rounded the South Head, the most beautiful scenery bursts upon the sight with the Town of Sidney in the distance.

To the right as we enter the Heads is a bay, forming the Quarantine Station.  We beat up the Harbour which is a complete bay of bays, with here and there a small island, the banks are covered with Gentlemen's country seats of every stile of building, interspersed among the thick bush wood, which grows to the very edges of the banks, which are rock stone of the most picturesque formes and appearance; in the centre of the bay soon after entering is a rock, the top of which may be seen at low water mark, called the Sow & Pigs, with a Light Ship near it.

As we proceeded, the town became more exposed to view with the ships lying in the cove, and at 10.30am, we came to a safe anchorage of the Fort which stands on a projecting peak."

I'm not entirely sure what happened to the family upon their disembarkation on September 2nd 1839.  It does appear that they stayed in or close to Sydney for at least a few months as tragically, Crittenden died in 1840 with the place of death recorded as Sydney.  He was aged 19.

Soon after, it's likely that Susannah's husband would have been hired for work by one of the landowners in the colony, because by the late 1840s, Susannah and her family were definitely living and working in the Illawarra district on the New South Wales south coast. 

In 1848, Susannah's husband James is mentioned in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald as being a tenant farmer for a man named Stephen Addison Esq.  Captain Addison was giving a speech at his farewell dinner before he set off for Van Diemen's Land, and stated

"He had come to this district and had settled on what all thought a wilderness - he had greatly improved it, he it was that had given a stimulus to improvement; but if he had not been blessed with such tenants as Mr. James Hukins and family, and ably supported by good neighbours, all he could have done would have availed to nothing."

I have no doubt at all that Susannah, who was no stranger to hard work, would have been ably assisting her husband James with the clearing and working of the land.  She was to be the wife of a tenant farmer for the remainder of her life, which was to be 14 years.

It does appear that Susannah and her husband remained on that farm, named Susan's Hill, until their deaths.

As can be seen in the Death Notice above, Susannah passed away at the farm, Susan's Hill, near a small town called Jamberoo, on the south coast of New South Wales.

She died in 1862, at the age of 71, after "a long and painful illness which she bore with Christian fortitude".  She was survived by her husband James and seven of her children.


Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.