The definition of 'solitude', according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is: the quality or state of being alone or apart from society. 'Solitude' is the prompt for this week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, and my immediate thoughts were about the solitude I've felt when being outdoors in nature ... at the beach, in the rainforest ... but none of that really related to the challenge.
Upon further reflection, I realised that I've experienced the feeling of solitude when standing at the last resting places of close family members ... my parents and grandparents in particular. When standing there, I have definitely felt alone, but alone with my memories, and I'm always overwhelmed with a sense of thankfulness for all that they were and, of course, the fact that I would not be here if not for them!
This thinking has led me to put together a post about the last resting places of some of my direct ancestors. I know exactly where my parents, all my grandparents and great grandparents have been laid to rest, and I've found it very interesting to note the simplicity of their headstones ... well at least the headstones that have been erected. I've also found it rather heartbreaking to find out that some burial plots are not marked at all!
Going through the line of direct ancestors to my great grandparents, here's what I have found .......
My parents: Bede William Connors and Margaret Brigid O'Donnell.
My mother passed away many years ago. Then when Dad passed, we made the decision not to have a separate burial plot, but rather inter his ashes next to my mother and add a memorial plaque underneath Mum's headstone.
While my Mum was born near Gumlu in northern Queensland, and my Dad was born in Maleny in southern Queensland, they are both buried in Bowen, north Queensland.
My maternal grandparents
My maternal grandparents: James O'Donnell and Sarah McCane.
James, the son of Irish immigrants, was born in Toowoomba, southern Queensland. Sarah, the daughter of immigrants from Ireland and England, was born in Charters Towers, north-western Queensland. Both James and Sarah were buried in the Bowen Cemetery, the same resting place as my parents.
My paternal grandparents
My paternal grandparents: George Thomas Connors and Grace Olive Brown
George, second generation Australian, was born in Meroo, New South Wales. Grace, also second generation Australian, was born in Lismore, New South Wales. They were both buried in Gympie, southern Queensland.
My maternal great grandparents
My maternal great grandparents: Edmond O'Donnell and Bridget Burke.
Edmond was born in Ireland and after immigration to Australia, lived in Toowoomba, southern Queensland. He was buried in the Toowoomba Cemetery, and up until this week I had no idea where his plot was.
The #52 Ancestors prompt for this week sparked new interest in finding the plots of my maternal great grandparents Edmond and Bridget, and I went directly to the website of the cemetery. I noticed there had been some updating since I last searched the site a few years back, and this resulted in my discovery of a photo of Edmond's plaque on a family graveyard memorial!!!
Strangely, his name on the cemetery online record was 'Edward' not Edmond, even though his correct first name was inscribed on the plaque. This accounts for the great difficulty I previously had in locating a photo of his burial plot!
Bridget was also born in Ireland and lived in Toowoomba after her immigration to Australia. She was buried in the Toowoomba Cemetery as well, but under the name Bridget O'Brien (as she re-married after the death of my great grandfather Edmond). Whilst I have been able to find her final resting place, as yet I have not been able to secure a photo of that plot.
My other maternal great grandparents: Owen McCane (Muckian) and Margaret Farrell.
Owen was born in Ireland and after immigration to Australia, he first lived in Charters Towers, until his mid-50s. He then moved, with his wife and family, to farmland near Gumlu in coastal north Queensland. He was buried in the Home Hill Cemetery.
Margaret was born in England and immigrated to Australia (before Owen), where she first lived in Charters Towers. Margaret met Owen in Charters Towers and they were married there. She moved with her husband and family to farmland near Gumlu, and is buried beside her husband in the Home Hill Cemetery.
My paternal great grandparents
My paternal great grandparents: Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah Fullagar Hukins.
Thomas was born in Australia, near Kiama in New South Wales, the eldest son of Irish immigrants. Susannah was also born near Kiama, in northern New South Wales. She was the daughter of an Irish immigrant mother and an English immigrant father. Thomas and Susannah were both buried in the Harley Hill Cemetery at Berry, in New South Wales, but sadly I have no photos of their plots, or even photos of them.
My other paternal great grandparents: Richard Brown and Ellen Cusack.
Richard was born in Lismore, northern New South Wales. He was the son of two English immigrants and he spent his life living and working in the Lismore area. Richard was buried in the East Lismore Cemetery. I do have a photo showing the plot where he was buried, but sadly there is no headstone or memorial to mark that spot.
Ellen was born at Rose Hill on the Richmond River, in northern New South Wales. She was the daughter of an Irish immigrant father and an English immigrant mother.
The only information I have about the burial of Ellen is that she was "privately interred" somewhere in the Rookwood Cemetery and Crematoria.
Now, when going further back to my 2x great grandparents, I hit some patchy information. When it comes to the locations of resting places for my sixteen 2x great grandparents, I know the cemeteries where they are all buried, but I only know a few of the specific locations of their plots within those cemeteries.
My maternal and paternal Great Great Grandparents
William was buried at the Tumut Pioneer Cemetery, in Tumut, New South Wales. Ellen was buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Tumut.
Adolphus is buried at St. Anne's Cemetery in Ryde, New South Wales (no photo) and Mary Ann is buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Waverley. (see photo 1 below)
Henry is buried at the North Lismore Cemetery in New South Wales.
Caroline is buried at the Rookwood General Cemetery.
Patrick is buried at Rookwood Catholic Cemetery (no headstone - see photo 2).
Eliza is buried in a plot with a headstone, at the East Lismore General Cemetery.
John and Catherine are both buried in the Owning Old Graveyard, in County Kilkenny, Ireland. (see photo 3 below)
Unsure of where both James and Catherine are buried, but I know they are somewhere in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
Unsure of where both Patrick and Sarah are buried, but likely to be near Ballintemple, County Armagh, Ireland.
Both Michael and Susan are buried at the Charters Towers Cemetery, in Queensland. (see photo 4 below).
Photo 1 - the gravesite of my 2x great grandmother Mary Ann Hukins nee Farley.
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| Waverley Cemetery, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Plot: W-18-RC-OR-3452 |
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| Rookwood Catholic Cemetery, Rookwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Plot: M1 sect 7 Plot 124 The oldest and largest working cemetery in Australia. |
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| Owning Old Cemetery, Owning, County Kilkenny, Ireland |
Photo 4 - my 2x great grandparents Michael Farrell and Susan Muldowney / Downey.
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| Charters Towers Cemetery, Queensland, Australia |
I'm joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023 Challenge .
This time I'm catching up with the prompt for Week 15 - ''Solitude".
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