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.