Memories ... July 27

Anniversary of a Birthday:   

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Today is the anniversary of the birth of my paternal Great Grandmother, Ellen Cusack.

I have previously written a post about Ellen, with the details I've managed to uncover through research.   To be honest, the details are quite sparse, which is typical for women of that period.  They lived rather anonymous lives, and unless there are family stories passed down through the generations about them, the only information to be uncovered comes from records such as birth, marriage and death certificates.  This is the case for my great grandmother.  Sadly, I have not yet been able to track down a photo of her either.

For those who are interested in reading the rather sparse story of Ellen, please click on this link: The Story of Ellen Cusack  

That post is based around these facts:

• Ellen Cusack was born on the 27th of July in 1862.

• She was sixth of eleven children born to Patrick Cusack (an Irish-born convict) and Eliza Exton (an English born immigrant).

• Ellen was born at Rose Hill, north east of Lismore, in New South Wales.

• Ellen's childhood was spent living in cedar cutter's camps in this area.

• When Ellen was 13 years old, her father Patrick died at the age of 47, and her youngest sister Mary died at the age of 2.

•  When Ellen was 21 years old, she married Richard Joseph Brown.

 

• They married in December of 1883 at the residence of the Reverend Hugh Livingstone is Lismore, according to the rites of the Presbyterian Church.

• Ellen and Richard went on to have four daughters.

• Ellen passed away one month before her 80th birthday.

Memories ... July 17

In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page) 

Today is the anniversary of the passing of my paternal Grandaunt Mary Ellen Bates nee Connors.

(I have previously written a far more detailed post about my Grandaunt, and for those who are interested in reading this, please click on this link:  The Story of Mary Ellen Connors)

• Mary Ellen Connors (my paternal grandfather George Connors' oldest sister)  was born on the 24th of July in 1874 at Gerringong, on the coast south of Kiama, in southern New South Wales.

• She was the first child born to Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• By the time Mary Ellen was 17 years old, the family were living in inland southern New South Wales, in the region that surrounds the town of Berry.  Mary Ellen's father, Thomas Edgar Connors, had bought land there and had established a dairy farm.

• There was a child named Margaret Adelaide born in 1897, raised by Thomas and Susan Connors as one of their own children, but actually Thomas and Susan were Margaret's grandparents, as Margaret was the daughter of Mary Ellen.

• At the age of 23, Mary Ellen gave birth to Margaret Adelaide in December of 1897.  The father of the baby girl was not recorded on the birth certificate, and it appears that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Margaret must have caused some consternation to the family, given that Thomas and Susan raised Margaret as one of their own children.  I think Mary Ellen's parents wanted to protect her from possible negative attitudes from the community and shield their granddaughter from the stigma of illegitimacy.

• Six years after the birth of her daughter, Mary Ellen married John George Bates in May of 1904, when she was 29 years old.  They married at St. Luke's Church in Berry, New South Wales.  

• Mary Ellen and John George remained married until Mary Ellen passed, and they had six children together - George Thomas, William Alfred, James Erice, Mary Elisabeth Susannah, Percy Frederick and Cyril Ernest.

• Sometime around 1912, Mary Ellen, her husband and her family moved to Queensland.

          

• Mary Ellen passed away at the age of 72 and is buried at the Nudgee Catholic Cemetery in Brisbane, Queensland.

 

The Story of Edward Joseph McCane / Memories ... July 12

 This is the story of my maternal Grand Uncle, Edward Joseph McCane  (1907 - 1983).

Our common ancestors are:  Owen McCane and Margaret Farrell

I'm publishing this post on the anniversary of his birthday.

Anniversary of a Birthday

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page) 

• Edward Joseph McCane was born on the 12th of July 1907 at the family home of his parents Owen McCane (Muckian) and Margaret Farrell.  The family lived in a cottage at the Pumping Station, outside Charters Towers in Queensland.

• Edward was the youngest of seven children born to Owen (an immigrant from Northern Ireland) and Margaret (an immigrant from England).  Throughout his lifetime he was affectionately known as 'Eddie' rather than Edward.

• At the time of Edward's birth his siblings included:

          - Susan Mary, aged 14.

          - Sarah Mary Josephine, aged 12.

          - Thomas Owen (known as Tom), aged 8.

          - John Michael (known as Jack), aged 6.

          - James Patrick (known as Jim), aged 3.

• Tragically, the first-born son of Owen and Margaret, Edward William, had died in a swimming accident just two years before the birth of Edward Joseph.

• The loss of their first-born son, Edward William, would have had a devastating impact on Owen and Margaret.  It appears that they then named Edward Joseph in honour of their lost son.

Photo of Margaret McCane nee Farrell with her 4 surviving sons
Back row:  Thomas Owen and John Michael McCane
Front row:  James Patrick and Edward Joseph McCane

• The photo above was taken sometime after the death of Edward William, likely around 1911-1912, and shows Margaret McCane nee Farrell with her surviving sons.  Edward Joseph is the youngest boy, sitting beside his mother, and would probably be around the age of 4. 

The list of enrolments at the Molongle Creek Provisional School in 1914.
Source:  The publication "Gumlu State School:  100 Years"

• At the start of 1914, aged 7, Edward Joseph and his older brothers were all enrolled at the Molongle Creek Provisional School (named Gumlu State School a year later), near Gumlu, Queensland.  The teacher would have been their older sister Susan McCane as she had become the school teacher in January of 1914.  Edward continued his education under Susan's guidance until he finished compulsory education at the age of 14, in 1921.

• Edward's family had moved from Charters Towers the year before.   His father had bought land and established a farm on the south side of Molongle Creek, near Gumlu, moving over 200 kilometres to the east (around 130 miles), closer to the coastline.

• Edward Joseph was to spend the remaining years of his childhood and his very early twenties, living and working on the family farm.

• The photo above, taken c1921, shows Edward Joseph, the young boy in the middle of the photo, standing in amongst the cane field on his family farm.  Edward would be around 14 years old.  He is with his oldest brother John Michael (far left), his brother-in-law Frank Bidgood (in the middle of the photo), and his father Owen (far left), who is holding Edward's cousin, the son of Frank Bidgood. 

McCane Family June 1921
Back row L-R: James Patrick (Jim), Thomas Owen (Tom), John Michael (Jack), Edward Joseph (Eddie) McCane. Front row L-R: Sarah Mary Josephine, father Owen McCane, mother Margaret McCane nee Farrell and Susan McCane.

• This photo, also taken in 1921, shows Edward's family posing for a family photo on the day of his sister Sarah's wedding.  Edward Joseph, standing at the back far right, would turn 14 the following month.

• In 1930, when Edward was aged 22, his father Owen McCane (Muckian) passed away.  Edward's mother Margaret took over the running of the family farm, ably assisted by Edward's brothers John Michael (Jack) and James Patrick (Jim). 

• By this time, both of Edward's sisters had married and moved out of the family home and his eldest brother Thomas Owen (Tom) was the teacher at Gumlu State School.  Edward's eldest sister Susan had married Frank Bidgood and his second-eldest sister Sarah had married James O'Donnell.  Both sisters were still living in the Gumlu area at the time of their father's death, but were living on the farms of their husbands.

• In 1933 Edward Joseph married a descendant of prominent Bowen pioneers.  Alice Maud Wilson was the daughter of Richard Hugh Wilson and Maud Sophia Nash Emmerson, the granddaughter of Joseph Emmerson and Amelia Hollis Sinclair, and the great granddaughter of Captain Henry Daniel Thomas Sinclair (referred to as 'The Father of Bowen') and Sophia Jane Paton.  Her family had deep roots in the region.

Alice Maud Wilson  c. 1930

Captain Henry Daniel Thomas Sinclair (Alice's great grandfather) was known as the founder of Bowen, having discovered Port Denison.  Captain Henry's wife, Sophia (Alice's great grandmother) was the first white woman to step onto the shores of Port Denison.  Their eldest daughter Amelia was present with her parents when the settlement at Port Denison was named Bowen.  

Amelia (Alice's grandmother) had married Joseph Emmerson, the eldest son of Daniel R. Emerson who had taken up the first leases of land in the Bowen area with his sons. Joseph Emmerson (Alice's grandfather) worked the cattle property 'Pretty Bend' at Bowen before moving with his wife Amelia to establish one of the first cattle properties in the Proserpine area, 'Amelia Vale Station'.

I've written about my family's connection to the 'Father of Bowen' previously and anyone interested in finding out more can follow this link:  Spotlight on ... My Family Connection To The "Father of Bowen".

• Edward Joseph and his well-connected wife Alice Maud were married at St. Mary's Church in Bowen, according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, on the 8th of March 1933.

• At the time, Edward Joseph was working as a railway employee and was living at Binbee, on the railway line to Collinsville.  The married couple lived there for about three years until Edward Joseph was transferred to Bowen.

• The Australian Electoral Roll record from 1936 shows where some of the McCane clan were living, including Edward Joseph and his wife Alice.  Whilst Edward's mother Margaret was still living on the family farm at Molongle Creek, along with Edward's brothers John Michael and James Patrick, their wives Agnes and Marie, and brother Thomas; Edward Joseph and his wife Alice Maud were living on Thomas Street in Bowen.

• The occupation listed for Edward Joseph - "cleaner" - does not refer to someone who cleans houses or business premises for a living.  It refers to a position in the Queensland Railways.  A "cleaner" was the first rung on the ladder to becoming an engine driver.

• By this time, 1936, two children had been born to Edward and Alice - daughter Aileen Merle McCane, born in 1933, and son Mervyne Edward McCane, born in 1934.  The family lived on Thomas Street in Bowen until both children left home, and then Edward and Alice continued living in that same house until their latter years.

• Edward's name was to appear in the local newspaper, named The Bowen Independent, quite frequently from the late 1920s to the early 1950s, giving an insight into his interests and favourite pursuits, as well reflecting his active involvement in the community.

• An article from 1927 shows that Edward was an ocean-going soul from an early age, even though his family roots were very firmly planted in the land.  The article titled "Splashes of Spray" talks about a sailing competition and mentions a boat owner's efforts to repair his craft 'Valeta' with assistance from a Dave McKinnon and Eddie McKane (should have been spelt McCane)!

• Eddie would have been 18 years old at the time and helping his mate get his sail boat ready for  future competitions.  It seems likely Eddie would have spent time sailing with his mates as well.  

          Later newspaper articles however, clearly show that sailing was not going to be his all-

          consuming passion.  Another ocean-going past time was to become his great love.

• Newspaper articles from 1936, 1948, 1949, 1953, and 1954 tell of his prowess as a fisherman, although in the beginning his surname was spelt with a 'k' instead of a 'c' after the 'Mc' and he was often referred to as "Woop", which was apparently his nickname.

1936

1937

1940

1948

1949

1953

1954

• It also seems that Edward Joseph (known as Eddie or Woop), already a local fishing legend, became infamous for some other risky pursuits.  Newspaper reports about his crocodile hunting, black swan saving, shark catching, Portugese Man-o-War wrangling and whale chasing antics made entertaining reading for the locals and Eddie was celebrated for his adventurous exploits, as well as his fishing skills. 

1936

1937

1940

1945

1946

1949

I do feel rather sorry for those poor whales!!!!

Edward Joseph McCane 

• Edward appears to have been a rather talented swimmer as well.  He competed in various swimming events and was well-known for his achievements in the local swimming community. 

• An article in a 1940 edition of The Bowen Independent lists him as the Secretary of the Bowen Railway Swimming Club and the Captain of the swimming team.

• When the new municipal Olympic-sized swimming pool opened earlier that same year, Edward competed in the Cork Grabbing Competition which was part of the pool opening carnival.  Of course, he won the competition!

• When competing in the Impromptu Swimming Carnival held between the Mackay Swimming Club and the Bowen Swimming Club at the new swimming pool the following year,  Edward Joseph came second in the 50 metre handicap.  He would have been 34 years old.

• For the "Monster Swimming Carnival" happening in late 1943, apparently the whole town of Bowen nominated Edward for the breast-stroke event according to a report in The Bowen Independent!!!  That statement does seem a little over-the-top, but then I wasn't there!  

• Sadly, Edward's mother Margaret passed away in 1955 when Edward was 48 years old.

Mervyne Edward McCane

• Then tragedy struck in March of 1956, when Edward lost his only son Mervyne. 

   

                                                                                

• Newspaper reports at the time mentioned the shocking death of an electrician who had died while repairing fallen lines after Cyclone Agnes had hit the Queensland coast near Townsville.  The cyclone had ripped a path of destruction along a 500-mile stretch of coast from Cairns to Mackay and whilst Townsville had received the brunt of the cyclone's fury, Bowen experienced a lot of damage.

• Edward's son Mervyne was in fact aged 21, not 20 as newspapers reported at the time.

• Despite these losses, Edward Joseph continued to live a full life until his passing in December of 1983, at the age of 76.  He was buried at the Bowen General Cemetery.  

• Edward was survived by his wife Alice and daughter Aileen.

• His daughter Aileen Merle McCane (known as Merle) married Hector Burnett Joachheim (known as Darcy).  In 1963 they purchased a bakery from Hector's uncle and established the iconic Joachheim's Pies in Bowen.  It was (in Bowenite eyes anyway) the world-renowned home of the world's best meat pies and sausage rolls.  The bakery became a beloved institution in Bowen, adding to Edward Joseph's family's legacy in the community.

My childhood memories are filled with the smell and taste of freshly baked bread, picked up from Joachheim's after church on a Sunday, and the undisputed best-ever pies and sausage rolls taken home as treats on the school holidays!  It was all so much more meaningful to me because it was lovingly made by family! 

Memories ... July 9

 In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Today is the anniversary of the passing of two of my paternal uncles, my Uncle Tommy who passed away at the age of 61, and his brother Leo, who passed away when only 3 days old.

Both were the sons of George Thomas Connors and Grace Olive Brown (my paternal grandparents).

• Thomas Richard Connors (known as Tommy) was born on the 19th of April 1911 at McGougan's Lane in Mullumbimby, New South Wales.  This is likely the address of the family's home at the time and his was likely a home birth.

• Thomas was the third of eleven children born to George and Grace.

• At the age of 21, Thomas married Dulcie Elizabeth Charlotte Hunt, but this marriage did not last.  Together, Thomas and Dulcie had a son named Noel William, born in 1934.

• At the age of 29, Thomas enlisted with the 2nd AIF for service in World War 11.

• He served in Darwin in 1940, in the Middle East between the end of 1940 and the start of 1943, and then in New Guinea from mid 1943 to the start of 1946.

• During his time in the Middle East, Thomas was one of the famous Rats of Tobruk.

• In 1947, at the age of 36, Thomas re-married.  He and his wife Catherine Millicent Soames remained married until Thomas passed away.  Together they had four children. 

• From around 1950, Thomas's occupation was Forestry Worker and throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he and his family lived at Imbil in Queensland.

• Thomas passed away in Gympie, Queensland in 1972 and is buried at the Gympie Cemetery.

I told Tommy's story last year in much more detailed blog post that included lots of information about his war service.  For those interested in following up on this, please click on this link:  The Story of Thomas Richard Connors  

Tragically, the story of Thomas's younger brother Leo is much shorter.

• Leo Connors was born on the 6th of July 1921 in Lismore, New South Wales.

• He was the seventh of eleven children born to George and Grace.

• Leo was born at the Bonnie Doon Private Hospital in Lismore, but in a tragic turn of events, he passed away on the 9th of July.

• There was an inquest held into the circumstances of his death and the resulting finding listed the cause of death as  "cardiac failure through being accidentally overlain". 

• At the time of Leo's death, his brother Thomas was only 10 years old.  I imagine it would have been very hard for Thomas to fully understand what happened to his baby brother! 

• Leo's parents (my grandparents) George and Grace would have been devastated.  George at the time was working as a butcher in Lismore and Grace was a homemaker, taking care of their six other children.  No doubt it took every ounce of their resilience and fortitude to carry on for the sake of their family.

• Their baby Leo was buried at the East Lismore General Cemetery.  He was buried in the Roman Catholic section in Row 5A, plot 12.  Heartbreakingly, his grave has remained unmarked since his burial. 

I have also previously told Leo's story in a blog post about two of George's and Grace's children who passed away in their infancy.  For those who are interest in reading more, please follow this link:  The Story of the Almost Forgotten Children of George and Grace