The Story of Ellen Cusack

This week I'm telling the story of my paternal great grandmother Ellen Cusack  (1862 - 1942).

In the year of Ellen's birth, the first railway opened in New Zealand, Victor Hugo's French historical novel 'Les Miserables' was published, Westminster Bridge was opened in London, and the Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart successfully crossed the Australian continent from north to south on his third attempt.

Born in July of 1862 in New South Wales, Ellen's father Patrick Cusack (an Irish-born convict) was 31 years old and her mother Eliza Exton (an English-born immigrant) was 24.  Ellen's birth certificate states she was born in a place known as Rose Hill in the Richmond River region.

At the time Ellen's father was working as a cedar cutter and Rose Hill would have been a cedar cutters' camp beside one of the Richmond River creeks where the cedar was being felled, cut and transported down the river to be sold.

Ellen's father, Patrick Cusack, was part of the second wave of cedar cutters that came to the Richmond River region.  These men settled with their families in the areas where they were working.  

The easily accessible trees, close to the river, would have all been harvested by this time, and the second wave of cedar cutter's would have had to move further inland into the thick forests beyond the river.  

The families of these cedar cutters were living in temporary camps set up in the forests. The Rose Hill camp was located about halfway between the townships of Goolmangar and Blakebrook, north-west of Lismore in New South Wales.


It's interesting to note that Ellen's maternal grandmother, Susannah Exton, was listed as a witness on the birth certificate.  At that time Ellen's maternal grandmother Susannah, maternal grandfather James Exton, her parents Patrick and Eliza, and several of her maternal aunts and uncles were living close by.


There were already five children in the family when Ellen was born.
Thomas had come along in 1853.
Susannah came along in 1855.
James was born in 1856.
Then came Patrick in 1858.
Ann was born in 1860.

After Ellen was born, there were another five children added to the family.

Eliza was born in 1864, when Ellen was 2 years old.
Julia was born in 1867.
William came along in 1869.
Sarah was born in 1871.
Then finally, Mary was born in 1874, when Ellen was aged 12.

Ellen and her siblings grew up in cedar cutter's camps, which would have been a harsh way of life for the families of the men who spent long days sawing wood.

This photo shows an example of a cedar cutters home in one of these camps.  

Sadly, in May of 1876, when Ellen was only 13 years of age, her father died.  Her sister Mary, who was only 2 years of age, also died the same year; as did her Grandfather James.


I haven't been able to find out what happened to Ellen, her widowed mother and her siblings in the immediate aftermath of all this tragedy.  I imagine that Ellen's mother Eliza would have found comfort and support within her extended family, the Extons, during this time.

In 1883, at the age of 21, Ellen married Richard Gordon Brown in Lismore, New South Wales.  He was aged 22.  As a point of interest, Richard's occupation was listed as 'timber cutter', which had been Ellen's father's occupation as well.

It's also interesting to note that details on the marriage certificate indicate that Ellen and Richard were married at the residence of one Rev. Hugh Livingstone, according to the rites of the Presbyterian Church.  They were not married in a church or chapel, but that was quite commonplace in those days in the Richmond River area, where churches/chapels were very light-on-the-ground.

What's so interesting though is that Ellen was the daughter of a Catholic father and a mother baptised in the Church of England faith.  Her husband had been baptised in the Anglican faith, so was it a case of just going with whichever priest/pastor/clergyman was available at the time, or was it a deliberate choice to be married in the Presbyterian faith?  Food for thought!

It's also very interesting to note that Ellen's younger sister Eliza, aged 18 at the time, had married the brother of Richard in July that same year.  

Ellen and Richard went on to have four daughters during their marriage.

My paternal Grandmother Grace was born in 1885, when Ellen was 22 years old.
Lillian was born in 1887, when Ellen was aged 25.
Elsie came along in 1890, when Ellen was 28.
Marcella was born in 1892, when Ellen was 30.

By 1885 Ellen's husband was no longer working as a timber cutter.  On the birth certificate of their first daughter, Richard's profession was recorded as 'labourer' and the family were living in the township of  Lismore.  

Ellen and her husband Richard lived in Lismore until around 1912, at which time they moved further south-east to Broadwater, a small town in the Richmond Valley area of New South Wales.

Sadly for Ellen she experienced quite a deal of loss from the time of her marriage until her own passing.

She lost her brother Thomas in 1886 when she was 24 years old.

Her brother William died in 1901 when she was 38 years old.

Ellen's eldest daughter Lillian died in 1911, when Ellen was aged 49.  It was shortly after this that Ellen, her husband Richard and daughter Marcella moved to Broadwater.  (Her other two surviving daughters had married by then).

Ellen's mother Eliza passed in 1914.  By this time Ellen was 52.

Ellen's brother James died in 1915.

Ellen's nephew Ernest Thomas Cusack died of influenza while he was overseas fighting during World War 1.

Ellen's sister Eliza died in 1921.

Ellen's brother Patrick died in 1924.

Her sister Ann died in 1941.

Ellen herself died in 1942 at the age of 79.

Obituary -The Northern Star Jun Mon 29 Jun 1942 p6 

The cause of death listed on her death certificate was 'cancer'.

Ellen was survived by her husband Richard, three of her daughters and three of her sisters.  She was privately interred at the Rookwood Catholic Cemetery and Crematorium in Sydney, New South Wales.  Unfortunately I have not yet been able to locate the site of her internment at this location. 

Special Note to any family members:  If you have and further 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 Adolphus Hukins

This week my story is about my paternal Great Great Grandfather, Adolphus Hukins  (1823 - 1892).

When Adolphus was born in late 1823, his father James Hukins was 31 and his mother Susannah Fullagar was 32.  Adolphus was born in September, and baptised in October at the All Saints Church in Woodchurch, England.

Record from the Woodchurch Local and Family History database

Woodchurch is a village in Kent, south east England, that became established around the 13th century. At the time of my 2 great grandfather's birth, it had a population of around 1000 people.





There were already four siblings in the family by the time Adolphus was born.


Elizabeth had been born in 1815.
John came along in 1817.
James was born in 1820.
Crittenden was born in 1821.

After Adolphus, there were to be another four children born.

Sabina was born in 1825.
Norman was born in 1828, but sadly, died the day of his birth.  Adolphus was 5 years old at this time.
Cassandra came along in 1829.
Adelaide was born in 1832, when Adolphus was 6 years old.

For most of his childhood, Adolphus would have grown up in and around The Bonny Cravat inn, which was run by his parents in the village of Woodchurch from the year after Adolphus was born, 1824, until 1837, when Adolphus would have been 14 years of age.

Unfortunately by 1837, his father was in financial trouble and appeared in front of the Court for Relief of Insolvent Debtors in November of 1837.  It seems the family had moved and were living in Maidstone, Kent at this time.  During their stay in Maidstone, Adolphus's father worked as a farmer and his mother worked as a farm servant.  By mid 1839 though, his parents had made the momentous decision to leave their native country and emigrate to Australia.

In late 1839, Adolphus boarded the ship Cornwall with his father, mother and siblings.

The details for Adolphus were included in the immigrant list for his mother.  He was listed as having turned 16 in September of the previous year.  His sister Sabina, Cassandra and Adelaide were included in that entry as well.

His other brothers, John, James and Crittendon were listed under 'single males'.  His eldest sister Elizabeth had married the year before, and was listed as Elizabeth Dawes, alongside her husband and her baby James.

The entire Hukins clan, including Adolphus's sister Elizabeth, her husband and baby, made up a party of 12.  They travelled to Gravesend and boarded the Cornwall on May the 7th 1839, ready to embark on a journey to a new country and new future.

On May 12th,the ship set sail, "having high winds and rain all night"  (excerpt from the Surgeon's report).


There were 387 immigrants aboard, all "Kentish people". The voyage would take 112 days.

Sydney Herald (NSW) Monday 2nd of September 1839 page 2

According to the notice in the Sydney Herald in September of 1839:

"The Cornwall arrived from London, yesterday, with 374 Government emigrants, all of whom are in a healthy state, and out of so many we have only to announce the death of 18 infants ; 5 were born during the voyage. The cleanliness of the vessel, and general good conduct of every one on board, shew how efficient must have been the management of the Captain, Surgeon and Officers. The emigrants, consist principally of farming men and laborers, there are also a few mechanics, the greater part appear to be very respectable. Captain Cow reports having spoken the Glenbervie from Sydney, bound to London, on the 3rd July, in latitude 30 ° 27' and longitude 31 ° 30' west, all well. On the 9th June, she spoke the Lady Raffles, from Ply-mouth the 12th May, bound to Sydney, with bounty emigrants, all well, in lat. 11° 34' N., and long. 25° 7' West."

The Surgeon on the ship, Gilbert King Esq., reported that the main afflictions suffered by the passengers were fever, diarrhoea, scurvy, and in the case of children, rubella, scarlet fever and bowel infection due to the irritations of teething.

He noted that "Devine Service was performed every Sunday forenoon on the quarter decks" and that all the immigrants were Protestant.  Other observations he wrote about: A school was established aboard ship during the voyage.  Beds were stowed on deck every morning unless the weather was wet, and the immigrants washed themselves each morning.  Two washing days were appointed weekly, thus every family was afforded the opportunity to keep their linen clean.  In fine weather, they had singing and dancing on the quarter deck."  

Adolphus and his family disembarked safely on September 3rd 1840.

Sadly, only four months after the family landed in Australia, Crittenden (Adolphus's older brother) died at the age of 18.  That would have been a mighty blow for all the family, and Adolphus must have felt it keenly as Crittenden was the older brother closest to him in age.

I have little information about the life of Adolphus in the immediate years after landing in Australia, other than knowing that seven years later he appears to be living in the village of Peterborough, which was in the Shellharbour area on the south coast of New South Wales.  That was the residence listed on his marriage record.

In 1847 Adolphus married Mary Ann Farley when he was 24 years old.  Mary Ann was 18.  They went on to have a family of 13 children over the following 20 years.

Adolphus Crittenden was born in 1849.
James E was born in 1850.
Susannah (known as Susan) came along in 1851.
John Smith was born in 1853.
Mary Barnes in 1854.
Thomas Richard was born in 1856.
Adelaide A came along in 1860.
George Henry was born in 1861.
Alfred Edward in 1863.
Eleanor Sabina came along in 1865.
Cassandra Elizabeth was born in 1865.
Amy Jane in 1867.
Arthur E in 1869.

Adolphus and his wife appear to have moved on from the Shellharbour area further south, not long after the birth of their first child.

Historical Electoral Roll 1855-1856 Kiama 

Historical electoral rolls for the district of Kiama in New South Wales show that for the years 1855 - 1856, Adolphus, his father James and his two older brothers James Jnr. and John, were all the owners of freehold land on Curramore Estate in Jamberoo.

Empire (Sydney, NSW  1850 - 1875), Tuesday 27 March 1855 page 8

A newspaper item from that time advertising the sale of plot of land on the Curramore Estate indicates that it was good farming land and the district supplied Sydney with vast quantities of grain, potatoes and dairy produce.

Jamberoo was a small village, about 11 km west of Kiama, but it seems that the farmland Adolphus owned there was not the only property he owned.

By 1856 Adolphus, now aged 32, was a hotel keeper, seemingly following in the footsteps of quite a number of his ancestors back in England.  He ran the 'Four In Hand' pub on Terragong Street in Kiama, New South Wales.  By this time he had a family of six children.

Certificates for Publicans' Licences 1856 - Kiama

The 1856 records showing a list of Publican's Certificates indicate that Adolphus had previously held a publican's licence, but I haven't yet been able to uncover other records indicating exactly when he began his trade as a publican.

Interestingly, the 1856 record shows that his father John Hukins Snr. was one of two men who offered sureties on behalf of Adolphus.

Certificates for Publicans' Licences 1858 - Kiama

The record from 1858 shows that the 'Four In Hand' pub was run out of a house, so I'm assuming Adolphus originally starting running his pub in one of the rooms in the home where he lived with his family.

Unfortunately it doesn't appear as if Adolphus was having much success in business by this time, as creditor issues were coming to light in late1858.  By this time Adolphus was aged 34.

Insolvency Court - Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), Thursday 21 October 1858, page 2

The issues with his creditors become the subject of insolvency proceedings against Adolphus.

Sydney Morning Herald (NSW) Tuesday 26 October 1858 page 6

On the 26th of October 1858 a small article in the Sydney Morning Herald stated that the official assignee instructed that assets be sold on cash terms by public auction at the premises owned by Adolphus.  The list of assets was quite impressive and included:
- the lease and liquor licence of his pub
- the stock-in-trade including fixtures, kegs and measures
- 'superior' household furniture consisting of horsehair seated chairs, horsehair sofas, chiffoniers, dining and side tables, carpets, pictures, chests of drawers, bedsteads and bedding, glassware, plated ware and crockery ware
- a 'superior' horse with its harness, saddle and bridle
- and a 'first-rate cow' to boot!!!

Freeman's Journal (Sydney,NSW), Saturday 25 December 1858, page 2

During the third creditors meeting later in the year, the official assignee advised creditors that £96 had been the outcome from the sale of assets.  It was noted that the judge allowed Adolphus to keep "his household furniture and wearing apparel".  Perhaps Adolphus counted his blessings, but it must have been a terrible time for the entire family.

I haven't found out much information about exactly what happened in the immediate years after this event, apart from the fact that he became a father of another two children.  Just a little over three years later though, his name appears in a newspaper article once again.

 Examiner (Kiama, NSW), Tuesday 18 February 1862, page 2

He appeared before the Kiama Police Court charged with having stolen a shilling from a man named Paul Robins.

The two men had been "tossing for nobblers".

A 'nobbler' was apparently a small shot glass filled to the top with hard liquor that had been laced with some other alcohol.  

Publicans would doctor a gallon of rum and end up making eight gallons of nobbled rum. They would then sell this drink quite cheaply.

Drinkers got drunk very quickly imbibing this brew!

On the evening of Monday, 17th of February 1862, witnesses stated that both Hukins and Robins were "relatively sober" at the time, although they noted that Hukins had been drinking nobblers with another man just before the incident.  When that man left, he took up the game of 'tossing' with Robins, who maintained that during the game Hukins had taken up his penny early.

Adolphus had immediately denied this, and then apparently refused to fight over it.  He took himself out to the verandah but Robins came charging out, claiming that Adolphus has stolen a shilling from him.  When Adolphus denied this, Robins went for the constable and it seems that my great great grandfather spent the rest of the night in the lock-up.

At the trial there were quite a few discrepancies in Robins' claims, and the bar maid corroborated Adolphus's claims that the money he had put in his pocket had been his own.  The case was dismissed by the judge.

Between the years 1863 and 1869, Adolphus became a father to another five children.

Then in 1869, Adolphus was in the papers again!

Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser (NSW),
Thursday 11 March 1869, page 2

This time it seems that Adolphus, now aged 46, was out riding with a couple of mates in the evening after the Kiama show, and apparently my great great grandfather's horse "bolted with him at full speed along the road until arriving at the bridge".  It seems there was a bend in the road at that point and "his horse lost his equilibrium and fell."

Adolphus fell to the ground "with great violence, which resulted in temporary unconsciousness, an extensive scalp wound, and sundry severe bruises."

He was taken to the nearest hotel and "attended with all possible care".

Hmm ... pair these previous articles with another one that appeared in a mere 4 years later, and I'm beginning to get a picture of my great great grandfather.

Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser (NSW),
Thursday 8 May 1873, page 6

It seems that Adolphus, now 50 years old, was before the Court of Petty Sessions on a charge of drunkenness.

He didn't appear remorseful or concerned about his behaviour as he stated "he did not think there was any harm in singing a song and that was all that was the matter with him."  It doesn't look as if the judge agreed that he was simply singing, as Adolphus was found guilty and fined a shilling, as well as court costs of 3 shillings and sixpence.






As a result of all these little titbits, the picture I'm getting of Adolphus is that he probably was a bit of a larrikin who didn't mind a drink, and perhaps had a bit of a devil-may-care attitude to life!

Not very long after the 'singing' incident, Adolphus appears once more in a newspaper report.

Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), Monday 20 October 1873, page 7

In October of 1873, a damages claim was settled in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.


In the matter of Perry and Ors V Hukins, the Sheriff was instructed to sell by public auction various assets owned by Adolphus following his unsuccessful defence of a damages claim.


The assets included "all the right, title and interest in and to the equity of redemption of and in a parcel of land exceeding 114 acres at Jamberoo."


So now, Adolphus has lost everything - his pub, his home and his property. Then, in 1874, when he was aged 51, one of his children died at the age of 20.

My research picked up his story about 12 years later.  Adolphus, aged 63, was recorded in the Sands Directories for New South Wales.

Sands Directories, New South Wales, 1886

At this time he was living in Ryde, New South Wales and he was a 'storekeeper' on Glebe Street.  Unfortunately, further newspaper articles published just two years later, during 1888, indicate that insolvency proceedings had once more been brought against him.

He really did not appear to have much luck in business!

Government Gazette NSW 1889 Jan-Mar

In early 1889, when he was aged 66, his name was listed in the NSW Government Gazette as being a bankrupt grocer.  In the following year, 1890, Adolphus lost another of his daughters.

Adolphus passed away in 1892 when he was 69 years old.  His occupation was listed as 'labourer' at this time, and the informant did not appear to be a member of his family, which may account for the incorrect details under the 'children of marriage' section.  I find it quite an interesting point that none of his children nor his wife appear to have been there at the time of his death.  Did that mean he was by now estranged from most of his family?  That seems a rather sad ending for Adolphus, but it does seem as if his life journey was quite the roller-coaster ride which may have been a challenge for his family.

Now that the story of Adolphus is told, I'm going to mention the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge for Week 28.  The challenge is - Travel.  My 2x great grandfather certainly fits the bill for this challenge, as he travelled from England to Australia with his family when he was quite a young man.

Interestingly though, I've realised that all of my great great grandparents on my paternal side were immigrants ... all eight of them!  That entire generation of my ancestors left their homes and travelled to Australia, never to return to their country of birth.  Some came as children, some as teenagers and the others as young adults.

The period of time for immigration for this generation of ancestors was 1839 to 1849, and it was my great great grandfather Adolphus who was the first of my paternal immigrant ancestors to arrive in Australia.

I've already written posts for all of these immigrant ancestors apart from one, and if you click on their names below, you can follow the links to their stories.

Adolphus Hukins came in 1839, as previously stated, at the age of 16.

During the following year, 1840, two of my great great grandmothers - Ellen Hickey, aged 8, and Caroline Browning, aged 10 - arrived; as did another of my great great grandfathers - Henry Brown, aged 20.

In 1841, another great great grandfather - William Conners/Connors, aged 21, arrived.

1844 was the arrival year for my great great grandmother Eliza Exton, aged 6.

1849 was the year that my great great grandfather Patrick Cusack, aged 20, was transported to Australia as a convict.

The only immigrant ancestor on my father's side that I have not written a post about yet is my great great grandmother, Mary Ann Farley.  I'm still researching for her arrival date, as there is conflicting information about that.


Special Note to any family members:  If you have photos or further 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.