Spotlight On ... An Heirloom Ring, An Old House and Four Generations of Lismore Women

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, women’s names could easily disappear from the public record. Official documents often listed them only as “wife of” or “daughter of”, and many everyday details of their lives went unrecorded. That’s why small newspaper items — wedding notices, social snippets, obituaries and human-interest stories — are so precious.  

Finding these written words is like finding treasure!  During my family tree research, I discovered a handful of such clippings that not only named a group of women related to each other (and to me), but described their homes, their work, and even the jewellery they wore. Together, these newspaper clippings allowed me to follow an unbroken female line across four generations of the same family located in Lismore, New South Wales.

Our common ancestors are:  James Exton and Susannah Lancaster.

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When Peggy Eleanor Fraser (my paternal 3rd cousin once removed) walked up the aisle of St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Lismore to marry Lawrence Harold Stumbles, the local newspaper - The Northern Star - published a short article that made a point about her “something old”, highlighting the fact that Peggy wore a wedding ring that had once belonged to her great-grandmother.

That small circle of gold linked four generations of Lismore women:

• Peggy Stumbles née Fraser   1924 - 2004

• her mother, Minnie Isabel Fraser née Atkin   1885 - 1962   

• her grandmother, Eleanor Jane Atkin née Jones    1863 - 1957   

• and her great-grandmother, Harriet Jones nee Lancaster-Exton (later Harriet Brown)    1833 - 1915

Their lives can be traced through a series of Northern Star newspaper items, each one adding more valuable detail about this family line on my family tree.  

Let's begin with the great grandmother mentioned in the article  ...

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Harriet Jones née Lancaster-Exton 
– the pioneer matriarch

(my paternal 2nd great-grandaunt)

After emigrating in 1844 from Lincolnshire in England to the Richmond District in New South Wales, Australia as a child with her "parents" James Exton and Susannah Lancaster, she spent about seventy-seven years in the area.

There is no definitive evidence that James was her father as her baptism record identified her as "illegitimate", and her mother's name was listed as "Harriet", not Susannah.  It's likely that Susannah was indeed her biological mother, but did not want her name on the record.  Whatever the circumstances of her birth, Harriet became the child of James and Susannah, and they were listed as her parents on her immigration record.

A few months before her fifteenth birthday, she married convict John Jones, with whom she had nine children. After his death she later married Henry George Brown, and had two more children. 

A detailed feature on the Exton family, printed in the Northern Star in 1995, adds rich context to Eleanor's life.

• Harriet's working life centred on sheep stations during her early teenage years, where she worked alongside her parents.  

• In 1860, thirteen years after her first marriage, her husband John Jones built a home for his growing family on the bank of the Richmond River at North Lismore, near what later became Arthur Park. 

• That house, lined with cedar panels and a teak floor, was known as 'Lochiel Cottage' at that time.

• From this home base, Harriet worked as a midwife for the surrounding countryside, riding out on horseback to attend women in labour.

• The Jones home later became known as 'Lochiel Hospital', a private and maternity hospital.  Significantly, the tradition of caring for local mothers and babies was carried on by her daughter and granddaughter at 'Lochiel' until 1927.

A much later clipping, written in 1981, when a reunion was being organised for people born in the house, confirms that 'Lochiel' operated as a private and maternity hospital between 1911 and 1927.

This Northern Star newspaper item explains 

• that Mrs Jones (Eleanor) “became the midwife for the surrounding countryside, making many of her visits on horseback,” 

• and that one of her daughters (Minnie) married Joseph Atkin, continuing the family’s involvement in the hospital.

The item goes on to explain that the house is now owned by Mrs. Fraser (Peggy) of Brisbane.  While mention is made that Mrs. Fraser's late husband was "a descendant of the Atkins", this was not correct.  It was Peggy who was a direct descendant of the Atkins - her grandmother Eleanor had married an Atkin, and her mother Minnie's maiden name was Atkin.

Returning to the matriarch of the family, Harriet, her long life is described in her 1915 obituary in the Northern Star. It describes her as one of the oldest links with Lismore’s past history. 

Her obituary notes:

• She passed away at the home of her daughter Mrs Joseph Atkin (Eleanor Jane Atkin nee Jones) in North Lismore, the same daughter who continued her midwifery and nursing tradition at 'Lochiel'.  

• By the time Harriet died in her late eighties, she had nearly 200 descendants – children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – and was remembered for her bravery and hard work during the earliest days of settlement.

Through these articles we see Harriet not only as a pioneering settler, but as the founding figure in a three-generation line of local midwives and nurses.  Even in 1981, when the reunion at 'Lochiel' was announced, Harriet's legacy was still visible.  One of the prized objects to be displayed was the hospital's first admission book.  Harriet's home, and her life's work, had become recognised as an important part of Lismore's heritage.

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Eleanor Jane Atkin née Jones 
– “Mrs J. Atkin” of North Lismore

(my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed)

Eleanor - whose name sometimes appears in the records as Elena - was one of Harriet's daughters, and known to family and friends as 'Lena'.

It is easy to imagine that at some point that treasured wedding ring of Harriet’s passed to this daughter Eleanor, and then further down the line.

A short family notice from and edition of the Northern Star published in February 1882 records Eleanor's marriage:

This tiny notice tells us several important things:

• Eleanor / Elena married Joseph Atkin in 1882, when she was 19 years old.
• The ceremony was held at her mother Harriet's home (Lochiel) in North Lismore - the cedar house where Eleanor had grown up.
• Eleanor's father, John Jones, was deceased by the time of her marriage.

Eleanor and her husband Joseph bought and lived in Eleanor's parents' home, 'Lochiel' during their married life, and both Eleanor and her daughter used this home as both a private and a maternity hospital between 1911 and 1927.

In 1932, the Northern Star reported the golden wedding of Mr and Mrs J. Atkins of North Lismore - the surname was incorrectly recorded as 'Atkins' when it should have read 'Atkin'.

The article tells us that:

• The bride (Mrs Atkin) was 68 years old.

• She was a daughter of the late Mr and Mrs John Jones.

• The celebration took place at their home “Lochiel” in North Lismore, confirming that Eleanor remained closely connected to this remarkable house.

• Although the article states that 'Lochiel' was built by Eleanor's brother Oliver Jones, this was of course not correct.  The home had originally been built by Eleanor's father, John Jones, was 72 years old and had remained in the family.

This 1932 article included a photo of 'Lochiel', looking a little different to the photo later published in 1981.  Obviously things changed over the years and the house developed with the generations.

In 1949, an article title "Pioneer Family" shows Eleanor now 85, described as a well-known pioneer and trained nurse, sitting with three generations of her descendants.  

The photograph features:

• Mrs J. Atkin - Eleanor Jane Atkin nee Jones - (on the right)

• Mrs S. Fraser - Minnie Isabel Fraser nee Atkin - (on the left);

• Mrs Stumbles (incorrectly recorded as Stimbles) - Peggy Eleanor Stumbles nee Fraser - (in the middle);

• and baby Janette Stumbles, the youngest member of the line.

Together these notices show Eleanor's journey from her 1882 wedding at her family home, through decades of nursing and midwifery at 'Lochiel', to her later years as a respected "pioneer" of North Lismore, continuing her mother's tradition of caring for local families.

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Minnie Isabel Fraser née Atkin 
– the bridge between generations

(my paternal 2nd cousin 2x removed)

The “Pioneer Family” caption names Eleanor’s daughter as Mrs S. Fraser. This is Minnie Isabel Atkin, who married Alexander “Sandy” Fraser.

Peggy’s wedding report later identifies her as “a daughter of Mrs M. Fraser and the late Mr Sandy Fraser, of Terania Street, North Lismore.” 

That tells us:

• Minnie is Peggy’s mother.

• Sandy Fraser had died by the time of Peggy’s marriage.

• The Fraser family were firmly settled in North Lismore.

Minnie was the granddaughter of immigrant matriarch Harriet, daughter of the pioneering nurse Eleanor, mother of the modern young bride Peggy,and grandmother of the baby Janette . 

Given the wording of Peggy’s wedding notice, Minnie was almost certainly the custodian of Harriet’s wedding ring, passing it on to her daughter on the day of her marriage.

Minnie also appears to have been the custodian of the family home 'Lochiel', as the 1981 article notes that the house was then owned by Mrs Fraser of Brisbane, showing that the family connection to Harriet’s old home continued well into the twentieth century.

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Peggy Eleanor Stumbles née Fraser 
– the heirloom ring bearer

(my paternal 3rd cousin once removed)

The wedding notice for Peggy Eleanor Fraser and Lawrence Harold Stumbles supplies the final link.

From it we learn that:

• The ceremony took place at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Lismore.

• Peggy was given away by her eldest brother, Mr Ian Fraser.

• She wore a gown of white lace over satin with a coronet of frangipani, and

• as her “something old”, Peggy wore a wedding ring which had belonged to her great-grandmother.

Family knowledge identifies that great-grandmother as Harriet Jones nee Lancaster-Exton.

A few years later, in that "Pioneer Family" photograph, Peggy appears again - this time as Mrs. Stumbles (incorrectly spelt as Stimbles in the article), holding her baby girl Janette.  Her mother Minnie and grandmother Eleanor sit beside her, while Harriet's memory is present in the background, symbolised in the heirloom ring.

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Why these clippings matter

In eras when many women’s stories were rarely written down, these brief newspaper items are extraordinary gifts. They give me more than just names and dates; they preserve addresses, occupations, ages, and valuable human details — a house called 'Lochiel' on the riverbank, lined with cedar and teak; a lifetime of nursing and midwifery; a wedding held in a family home which could possibly have been the oldest house in Lismore; a ring passed from pioneer great grandmother to modern bride.

Because of these scattered lines of print, I can follow the female line from Harriet to Eleanor, to Minnie, to Peggy.  In doing so, I can restore these amazing women to the centre of their own story — exactly where they belong.

Special Note to any family members:  

If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, or perhaps corrections that need to be made, can I graciously ask that you do so by either using the comments box below or email me via the contact form at the top of my blog.  

Memories ... August 13

 Remembering two Wedding Anniversaries

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Today is the anniversary of my maternal Grand Aunt Susan McCane's wedding day,

and my maternal Great Grand Aunt Helen Ann (Annie) Farrell's wedding day.  

These two women were related.  Helen Ann was Susan's aunt.  They both married on August the 13th, but their wedding days were 29 years apart.

Helen Ann Davies nee Farrell

(Sadly, I have no photos of Helen Ann or her husband to share).

• Helen Ann (known as Annie) Farrell was born in north-eastern England in July of 1871.

• She was the fourth of nine children born to Irish-born immigrants Michael Farrell and Susan Muldowney (Downie).

• Her parents had left Ireland years before Helen Ann's birth, and had moved firstly to Scotland (where they had married) and then to England, where all their children were born.

• Helen Ann emigrated to Australia with her older sister Margaret in December of 1885.  Helen Ann (Annie) was only 14 years old when she left England, arriving nearly two months later in Townsville, north Queensland.

• Helen Ann and her sister travelled to Charters Towers, west of Townsville, where they both worked as servants.  The remainder of their family, their parents and siblings, all emigrated in late 1887 and travelled to Charters Towers to be with Helen Ann and Margaret.

• Helen Ann met her future husband, David Davies, whilst living and working in Charters Towers.

I can only share a few details about their wedding day.  I have no information about what the bride's wedding dress looked like, or who was in the wedding party.  Whilst I have searched for local newspaper records from that time, I have not been successful in finding any so far; and there are no family stories to share either. So, here the scant details that relate to Helen Ann's and David's special day.

• They married in August of 1890.  Helen Ann was aged 19 at the time, and required the permission of her father to marry (as she was under the age of 21).  This permission was given and the wedding was conducted at the Catholic Presbytery, as the Church itself (St Columba's) was a building site where major extensions and alterations were being carried out at the time.

  

• Helen Ann and David were married according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church.

• One of the witnesses to the marriage was Margaret Farrell, Helen Ann's older sister.

  

• The other witness, identified as a 'sponsor' was likely someone known to David.  The name originally recorded was "Mary Agnes Tippett", but then there has been a correction made and a note recorded beside the last column that the name should read "Henry James Tippett".  I have no more information about who these people might have been.  Perhaps Henry Tippett was David's employer.  

• Helen Ann and David went on to have nine children, including twins daughters. Sadly their daughter Eileen Monica Davies, who was born in 1903, passed away aged just one week old.

• Tragically, the marriage of Helen Ann and David only lasted until March of 1911, when David was lost at sea during the sinking of the S.S. Yongala.  This was just five months before they would have celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary. 

 

• Helen Ann was widowed at the age of 39 with eight children to care for.  Susan was 19, David was 18, the twins Helen and Margaret were 15, Elizabeth was 12, Mary was 9, Thomas was 6, and Rita was just one year old.

     

• Helen Ann never re-married.

I have previously shared Helen Ann's story with many more details and for those who are interested in reading more, please follow this link:  The Story of Helen Ann Farrell

For anyone interested in reading a little more about David's sad demise, please follow this link:  Shipwreck! Townsville's Titanic. 

Susan Mary Bidgood nee McCane

• Susan Mary McCane was born in November of 1892, in Charters Towers, Queensland.

• She was the eldest of seven children born to Irish-born immigrant Owen McCane (Muckian) and English-born immigrant Margaret Farrell (mentioned above as the sister of Helen Ann). Sadly, one of Susan's younger brothers, Edward William McCane, died as a result of a drowning accident in 1905, when Susan was 12 years old.

• Susan began her teaching career around the age of 20.  She initially taught in Charters Towers, but then became the head teacher at Molongle Creek Provisional School (later named Gumlu State School) in Gumlu in 1914.

• By 1914, Susan's entire family, her father Owen, her mother Margaret, and the five surviving children including Susan (aged 21 at the time), had all moved to a property that Owen had purchased on the south side of Molongle Creek, in the area around the small township of Gumlu.

• This is where Susan met her husband-to-be, Frank Alexander Bidgood.  He was a farmer who had also purchased property in the area, although his land was near the Wakala railway siding.

• Susan and Frank's courtship was interrupted by World War 1.  Six young men from the area went off to serve their country, including Frank, who enlisted in mid-1916 when he was 32 years old.  He saw action in France and was captured by the Germans, becoming a prisoner of war in April of 1917.

• Thankfully, Frank survived, after being a prisoner of war for over two years.  He was repatriated to England in January of 1919, and then shipped home to Australia in May of 1919.  Three months later, he and Susan were wed.

 

• Susan and Frank were married according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, even though Frank was not a baptised Catholic.  (He was Church of England).

• The witnesses recorded on the marriage certificate were Sarah Mary Josephine McCane (Susan's only sister) and John Lennane (who I assume was a good friend of Frank).

• As recorded on the marriage certificate, Susan and Frank married at "the residence of Owen McCane (Susan's father), Gumlu" on the 13th of August, 1919.  There was no Catholic Church in the area at the time, so weddings were usually conducted at the home of the bride's parents.

• In the photo above you can clearly see that the wedding portrait was taken outside at the family farm, where two large mats had been laid down on the ground.

• An item printed in a local newspaper gave more details about their special day:

On 13th August, a wedding of much interest was celebrated at "El Rita," Gumlu, the residence of the bride's parents, when Miss Susan McCane was united in the bonds of holy matrimony to Mr Frank A. Bidgood, Toowoomba (late A.I.F.).

The Rev. Father Morley (Bowen) officiated.

The bride wore an exquisite frock of ivory crepe de chine, beautifully hand embroidered and trimmed with orange blossoms.  She also wore a lovely veil, which was kindly lent by Mrs. W. S. Gordon, Proserpine (a recent bride).

The bride was attended by her only sister Sarah, as bridesmaid.

The bridegroom was supported by Mr John Lennane, late A.I.F., as best man.

The bride's present to the bridegroom was a handsome gold Albert (a watch).  The bridegroom presented the bride with a diamond and pearl pendant, and the bridesmaid with a pearl and emerald brooch.

The happy couple received many congratulatory telegrams, and the presents, which included many cheques, were numerous and costly.

After the ceremony a reception was held at the residence of the bride's parents.

Previous to her marriage, Miss McCane, who has been head teacher of the Molongle Creek State School, Gumlu, for over five years, was presented with a beautiful silky oak duchess by the Gumlu residents.

The school children, at an afternoon tea, presented their teacher with a handsome eight-day clock, suitably inscribed.

• Interestingly, the school Susan taught at closed down upon her marriage until a new teacher could be found.  In the early 1900s women were not allowed to continue teaching once they had married.  

• Susan and Frank were married for just twelve and a half years until sadly, Frank passed away at the age of 48 in early 1932.  I think that the conditions he endured during his years as a prisoner of war would likely have impacted his health and perhaps contributed to his shortened life span. 

 

• Together Susan and Frank had seven children.  At the time of Frank's death, the children's ages were: Leonard 11, Ernest 9, Lorna 7, Irene 5, Alfred 3, Frank 1 and Neville 5 months old.  

 

• Susan never re-married.

I have also previously told Susan's story.  So for anyone interested in reading a little more about her, please follow this link:  The Story of Susan Mary McCane

Memories ... October 6

 In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Today is the anniversary of  the passing of my maternal Great-Grand Aunt, Elizabeth Farrell  1873-1934.

*Our common ancestors are:  Michael Farrell and Susan Muldowney/Downey.

• Born in England in 1873 to Irish-born parents, Michael Farrell and Susan Muldowney (Downey).

• She was the fifth of nine siblings, although only eight would survive into their adult years.

• Elizabeth grew up in the harsh environment of colliery houses in coal-mining towns like Tanfield, Stanley and Lanchester in the Durham area of north-east England.

• In 1886 Elizabeth's older sisters, Margaret (my great grandmother) and Helen Ann left England for the vast unknown of Australia, and the remainder of the family - Elizabeth's parents, Elizabeth and her four brothers - followed in 1887.

• Elizabeth emigrated to Australia with her family when she was 14 years old, arriving in Townsville, Queensland in September of 1887.

• She travelled with her family on to Charters Towers where her two older sisters had been living and working since they left England.

Frank Edwin Shaw

• At the age of 23, Elizabeth married Frank Edwin Shaw who was also an English immigrant, hailing from Yorkshire.

Elizabeth and her five children

• Elizabeth and Frank went on to have a family of six children, although only five would live past their infancy.

"Brucelee" homestead at Goondi, Innisfail, Queensland

• They lived on the family property known as "Brucelee" at Goondi, which was on the outskirts of Innisfail, northern Queensland.

• Elizabeth and Frank were married for 29 years until Frank passed away in 1926.

• Elizabeth died just eight years later in 1934, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Darlinghurst Sydney, when she was 61 years old.

• She is buried at the Waverley Cemetery in Bronte, Sydney, New South Wales.

I have written a longer post with many more details about Elizabeth's life journey from the industrial heartland of England to the tropical landscapes of northern Queensland.  For those who are interested, follow this link:  The Story of Elizabeth Farrell

The Story of Elizabeth Farrell

Photo shared by my second cousin once removed
Jamie Gordon

This is the story of my maternal Great Grand Aunt, Elizabeth Farrell  (1873-1934).  

Our Common Ancestors are:   Michael Farrell and Susan Muldowney (Downey) - my 2x great grandparents and Elizabeth's parents.

Elizabeth's story began on July 10th 1873 when she was born in Oakey's Houses in Tanfield, Durham, England.  Oakey's Houses were rows of small, rather humble, colliery houses, owned by the owners of the coal mines and coke works in the Durham Coalfield area of north-eastern England.  These houses were built specifically to provide housing for the workers and their families, but it was substandard housing.  Families often lived in cramped one-room cottages, quite inadequate for housing large families, and the harsh living conditions became a breeding ground for disease and ill-health.

Elizabeth's parents had both been born in Ireland, but had moved to England looking for work.  Elizabeth's father was Michael Farrell and her mother was Susan Muldowney (sometimes recorded as Downey).   

Elizabeth was the fifth of nine children born to Michael and Susan.  Before her birth:

Elizabeth's oldest sister, Margaret (my great grandmother), had been born in 1865.

Elizabeth's oldest brother, Thomas, came along in 1868.

Another brother, Michael, was born in 1870.

Another sister, Helen Ann, was born in 1871.

Sadly, Elizabeth's older brother Michael died in June of 1873, aged 3, just a month before Elizabeth was born.

Elizabeth was born in 1873 and she would have been born at the colliery house where the family were living in at the time.  It was quite the humble beginning to life!

Another brother was born in 1876 and was also named Michael, most likely to honour the memory of her other brother named Michael who had died. 

A younger brother named Patrick came along in 1877.

Yet another younger brother named James was born in 1880.

The census taken the following year, in 1881, shows that the Farrell family, father Michael, mother Susan, Elizabeth and her siblings, Thomas, Helen Ann, Michael, Patrick and James were all now living in a house on Havannah Street, in Tanfield.  They had moved from the Oakey's Houses, a few streets away, and there was also a boarder living with the family.   

Elizabeth's older sister Margaret (my great grandmother) was living and working as a domestic servant in a house located at the "better end" of Havannah Street at this time.  While she wasn't living too far away, it's unlikely Elizabeth would have seen very much of her oldest sister. 

In 1886 Elizabeth's sisters, Margaret and Helen Ann, left England and emigrated to Australia.  

The remainder of the family, including Elizabeth, continued living in the Durham area until 1887. I can only imagine the pain and heartbreak Elizabeth would have felt watching her only sisters leave home to travel to the other side of the world!

The youngest of Elizabeth's siblings, a brother named Matthew Felix, was then born in March of 1887.  Elizabeth was 13 years old at the time, and life was about to change significantly.

By August of 1887, the family had travelled to London where they boarded the 'Cheybassa' and embarked on the life-changing journey to Australia.  They arrived in Townsville, Queensland on October 4th and headed to Charters Towers where Elizabeth's older sisters were living.   Elizabeth was 14 years old when she arrived in Australia.

After Elizabeth, her parents and her brothers had arrived in Charters Towers, there must have been an emotional and joyous reunion with Elizabeth's older sisters.  The whole family was together again!

Elizabeth's sisters continued their work as domestic servants.  Elizabeth's father and oldest brother began working in the gold mines. Charters Towers was experiencing a heightened phase of prosperity throughout the 1880s, with the discovery of rich new gold deposits, so there were employment opportunities aplenty at this time.  I think all the working members of the Farrell family would have enjoyed the change in their fortunes, even though they were still working class.  Their living conditions would have improved immensely!

The 1890s saw a few more changes for the Farrell family.  All of the girls in the family married and began new lives of their own.  

Elizabeth's older sister, Helen Ann, married in 1890 and gave birth to nine children over the next nineteen years.  Sadly, one of her daughters died when she was only a few days old.

Elizabeth's oldest sister, Margaret, married in 1892 and went on to have seven children over the following fifteen years.  Tragically, her son Edward died in a drowning accident when he was only 8 years old.

Elizabeth would have been there at the weddings of both her older sisters and no doubt present at some of her nieces and nephews' births.

Image from "The History of Queensland: its people and its industries"
compiled by Matt. J. Fox, published 1919-1923

Ten years after arriving in Australia, on the 26th of January 1897, Elizabeth married Frank Edwin Shaw.  

Information gleaned from their marriage certificate shows that Elizabeth was 23 years old and Frank was 26.

They married in Charters Towers at Saint Columba's Church.

Frank Edwin Shaw was also an English immigrant, like Elizabeth, but he had been born in Yorkshire, England.

Frank's residence was listed as Geraldton, which was in north Queensland.  In 1911 the town was then named Innisfail (to avoid confusion with Geraldton in Western Australia!).

Shortly after their marriage, Elizabeth left Charters Towers to begin her married life much further north in Queensland.

Elizabeth was the first of the siblings to move away from Charters Towers, so it must have been quite a wrench for her knowing that she would not see her parents, older sisters and her brothers for some time, or indeed, if at all!

From 1899, Elizabeth and her husband Frank resided in the Geraldton (later known as Innisfail) area, a coastal region about 250 miles north-east of Charters Towers.  This is where they established their family home and raised their family.

Elizabeth and Frank went on to have six children over the next eleven years.  Elizabeth's death certificate indicated that she gave birth to three sons and three daughters, but I have only been able to find the records for two sons.

Frank Warren was born in 1899.

Mary Evelyn Downey came along in 1901.

Margaret Hilda (known as Hilda) was born in 1905.  She was the only child born in Charters Towers.  I'm not entirely sure why Elizabeth was back in Charters Towers at this time.  It's possible she had travelled there for the wedding of her brother James.

Dorothy Alma was born in 1907.

Edwin Gilbert, their last child, came along in 1909 when Elizabeth was 35 years old.

Elizabeth's husband had become very well known in the community by this time, working as a mercantile store manager.  He was a prominent figure, becoming Shire Councillor in 1908 and then holding the office of Shire Chairman in 1913.  Elizabeth, her husband and her children would have likely lived a comfortable life, filled with family, social and community engagements.

Photo shared by my second cousin once removed
Jamie Gordon

This photo was likely taken sometime around 1911 and shows Elizabeth with her children:
Frank Warren is standing at the back.  Mary Evelyn Downey is seated in front of her older brother.
Margaret is seated in front of Mary.  Dorothy is the little girl sitting on the seat with her mother, and Edwin is the little boy standing on the seat next to his mother.  Elizabeth would have been 37 years old at the time.

1911 saw the unfolding of a very tragic event for Elizabeth's sister Helen Ann, and shows clearly that Elizabeth remained very close to her mother and sisters despite the distances between them.  Helen Ann's husband perished when the S.S.Yongala sunk off Townsville in March of 1911.  He was returning home to Cairns to be with his family after he received news that a cyclone had hit the city and his family were possibly homeless.  He boarded the Yongala hoping all was well, but he never reached Cairns to find out whether his wife and children were safe and sound.  Elizabeth's sister Helen Ann was left widowed at a young age and her eight children were now fatherless.

Two short newspaper items appeared in the April 26th edition of the 1911 Cairns Post which shows that Helen Ann received the much needed emotional support of her close family - her mother and her sisters. 

Mrs. M. Farrell was Elizabeth's mother Susan, who was in her late 60s and still lived in Charters Towers.  It would have taken a couple of days to travel by train from Charters Towers to Cairns and would have been an exhausting trip for an elderly woman.  Obviously though Susan was determined to be with her daughter after such a devastating loss.

Elizabeth (Mrs. F. E. Shaw) and her older sister Margaret (Mrs. Owen McCane) had joined their mother and travelled to Cairns to be with their sister.  It's heartwarming to know that nothing in Elizabeth's life at this time was more important than to join her mother and oldest sister while they spent time with Helen Ann during her grief.  That's a sign of an immensely strong family bond.

Australian Electoral Roll 1912

From 1899 to around 1915, Elizabeth and her husband Frank were living on Rankin Street in Geraldton (later named Innisfail).  Frank was earning a very good living as a store manager, while Elizabeth was the homemaker, raising their growing family.

Photo shared by my second cousin once removed
Jamie Gordon

This photo, showing four of Elizabeth's children, her three daughters and youngest son, was likely taken at the family home on Rankin Street.

During the years from mid 1914 to the end of 1918, the Great War had embroiled most of the world, including Australia, in international conflict.  It also cast its shadow over Elizabeth's life.

Three of Elizabeth's younger brothers, James, Matthew (bottom left) and Patrick (bottom right) all enlisted and went on to serve overseas during the war.  

James returned home safely in 1919.

Tragically, brother Patrick was killed in action in late 1917 while serving in France, and never returned home.

Matthew, wounded in the war, did return home in 1918, but succumbed to heart failure just four years later.

Elizabeth was mentioned in the death notice of her brother, Patrick. 

"Killed in action .... (the) dearly beloved brother of Mrs. F. E. Shaw ..."

Meanwhile Elizabeth lost her father, Michael Farrell just a month after Patrick's death in 1917.

Another of Elizabeth's younger brothers, also named Michael (after his father), was slighter older than the three brothers who served and did not go off to fight.  He died unexpectedly and tragically though in mid 1918.  

Once again, Elizabeth was mentioned in the death notice of her brother Michael as Mrs. F. E. Shaw.

Elizabeth's mother passed away just six months later.  So in the period of less than two years Elizabeth had lost both her parents and two of her younger brothers.  These trials tested Elizabeth's resolve but her strong Catholic faith carried her through these dark days.

In the midst of all this turmoil, things had changed for Elizabeth.  An excerpt taken from a section all about Elizabeth's husband Frank in  "The History of Queensland, its people & industries" Vol. 111 (compiled by Matt. J. Fox and published  between 1919-1923) states:

"towards the latter part of the period (1914) he acquired interests in the sugar industry.  So as to be free to personally supervise these interests and others of the same nature then recently acquired, he relinquished his managerial duties in commercial life and entered upon the personal administration of 'Brucelee', where he has since resided as one of the prominent sugar producers of the district.  Some time after the purchase of this property he enlarged the sphere of his operation in the industry, buying 'Stockton', the oldest clearing on the river."

   

So, as evidenced in the 1917 Australia Electoral Roll, Elizabeth, her husband Frank and their children had moved and were now living on the family property near Goondi, which was on the outskirts of Innisfail.  Elizabeth's husband Frank's occupation was now 'farmer' as he had taken over the running of two large cane farms.

Goondi was riverside land that wrapped around the southern side of an elbow-shaped bend in the Johnstone River.  It was very flat land and used predominantly for the growing of sugar cane at that time. 

Image from "The History of Queensland: its people and its industries"
compiled by Matt. J. Fox, published 1919-1923

The family property known as "Brucelee" (pictured above) is where Elizabeth lived out the remainder of her married life as a farmer's wife. 

This property was listed in the Australian Electoral Rolls as being located at Goondi, however I have recently been informed by my second cousin once removed Mary Ann (a granddaughter of Elizabeth's) that:

"The farm supplied cane to the Goondi Mill, but wasn't in the Goondi township. The farmhouse was on top of a hill that overlooked the North Johnstone River. As long as I can remember it was called Shaw's Corner, but that name may have come much later."

In October of 1926, tragedy struck again when Elizabeth's husband Frank died at the age of 55.  He passed away while in Brisbane and was buried at the Toowong Cemetery.  Elizabeth was 53 years old at the time.

The 1934 Australian Electoral Roll shows that Elizabeth, aged 60, carried on living on the family property near Goondi after her husband's death, and she continued to run the farm.  

Further information shared recently by my second cousin once removed (Elizabeth's granddaughter):

"She (Elizabeth) was a very strong-minded woman and ran the farm when Frank was sick and after he died.  My father, Edwin Gilbert, was called home from boarding school to help run the farm after his father died. His brother Warren (Frank Warren) was already managing the farm at Stockton."

Sadly, it was not long after this that Elizabeth, who had been ill for quite some time suffering from arteriosclerosis (the medical term for hardening of the small arteries) travelled interstate, to Sydney in New South Wales.  She stayed there for several weeks undergoing treatment and was never to return to her home.  Elizabeth went in for an operation, likely for cholelithiasis (gallstones) which she was also suffering, and unfortunately, she did not survive the surgery.  She passed away just after her 61st birthday while in hospital in Sydney.

Her death certificate lists both arteriosclerosis and cholelithiasis as causes of death.

Johnstone River Advocate & Innisfail News, Tues 9 Oct 1934 p5

Catholic Freeman's Journal, Thurs 22 Nov 1934, p29

Elizabeth was buried at the Waverley Cemetery at Bronte in New South Wales.   

She was survived by her children and her two older sisters.

Interestingly, the probate of Elizabeth's will was granted in early 1935, but only to her sons and the amounts were quite sizeable - property worth £21,257 and money amounting to £15,551.  I guess the practice of leaving property and wealth to the male descendants was still common in the early 1930s. 

Family Anecdotes:

From my second cousin once removed, Mary Ann:

"She (Elizabeth) was on the first committee of the Innisfail Country Women's Association. 

Interesting that my grandmother (the future mother-in-law of Elizabeth's son Edwin) was one of the vice presidents on that same committee. That was in December 1926. 

 

From my second cousin once removed Jonathan:

"A First Nations woman worked as housekeeper in the Shaw household. When Mrs. Shaw (Elizabeth) died she walked to Ingham and turned up at daughter Dorothy’s house, saying she now worked there!"

Another bit of information shared by my second cousin once removed Mary Ann:

"She (Elizabeth) used to holiday a lot during the slack season (from December to March). Armidale with Mary in 1918;  Tasmania was another destination with one of the girls and Edwin in 1932. Sydney and Brisbane have also been mentioned."

This led me off on a search for any mention in the local newspaper about trips Elizabeth might have taken.  I had to use her married name for this search as it was the custom to back then to identify married women with the name of their husband.  I found quite a few trips taken by Mrs. F. E. Shaw or Mrs. Shaw:

In 1917 Elizabeth travelled with her husband and children to the Palm Islands, which is a journey of around 180 miles south and it's likely they would have first travelled north to Cairns, and then boarded a steamship to travel down the coast.

In 1918 Elizabeth and her daughter Mary travelled to Armidale in New South Wales, which is over 1200 miles away from their home in Innisfail.  They definitely did travel by steamship first as it's stated in the newspaper item - they "left by the Lass o'Gowrie" - which was an iron steamship that regularly travelled up and down the coast of Queensland with passenger and cargo trade.

The following newspaper items show that Elizabeth travelled quite a number of times and for lengthy periods of time in the 1930s ....

November 1930:   She travelled with her daughter Mary to Tasmania, a state that is over 2000 miles away, where they spent several months.

May 1933:  She travelled by steamer with her daughter Hilda to spend a few months "in the south".  There are no more details about specifically where they went "in the south" though, and there's a whole lot of countryside south of Innisfail and Queensland!!!

November 1933:  Elizabeth had obviously returned from her trip away to "the south" and was heading off once more.  This time she was travelling with her daughter Mary to Stanthorpe, which is around 1000 miles south of Innisfail but still in the state of Queensland.  They more likely travelled by train this time.

April 1934:  Elizabeth was returning to Innisfail with her daughters Hilda and Dorothy after they had travelled by steamship to Cairns.  Cairns is only around 55 miles to the north of Innisfail, so this particular trip would have been a short one.  

Sadly, this was to be one of the last trips Elizabeth would make, apart from her trip to Sydney for treatment in October 1934.  That was her final trip.

 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.