Ellen and Catherine McClusky
I have two pairs of orphan girl sisters as ancestors.
My great-great-grandmother Ellen McCLUSKEY (18) and her sister Catherine (14) arrived on the "William and Mary" in 1849. I have interpreted their home as Tara, Co Meath. Their parents Michael and Mary were both dead . They were Roman Catholic, could neither read nor write, and their health was good. Ellen appears to have had a guardian appointed by the Supreme Court, as he gave consent when she married James Horatio BROWN at Holy Trinity C of E Sydney on 8 September 1851.It is possible that this person's name was COSGROVE, as this was given as Ellen's maiden name on several later certificates. This appointment may have had something to do with the fact on 10 Jul 1851 Ellen had given birth to a daughter Harriet Sarah, whose father had been described as Nicholas, a mariner.
Harriet was raised as a BROWN and gave James as her father when she married from his home in 1874. James Horatio BROWN had been born in Tasmania about 1826, the son of a convict. At times he appeared to work as a seaman, possibly on board boats owned by his father; at other times as a labourer and storeman. The family lived at various inner-city addresses; Kent St, Crown St, Fitzroy St. James and Ellen had 11 children, 10 of whom were living when James died in 1875, aged 48. Ellen continued to care for her large family and died at the home of her daughter at Wilson St Newtown in 1913, said to be aged 84. She is buried in the Congregational Cemetery at Rookwood. On her death her family knew she had arrived in NSW in 1849, but thought she had been born in Dublin Ireland and that her maiden name was CLUSKY.
The fate of her sister Catherine McCLUSKEY is unknown. There are several likely marriages and deaths on the NSW Indexes but despite extensive research, nothing has been proven. My great-great-grandmother Bridget CLARKE (15) arrived with her sister Mary (18) on the "John Knox" in 1850. They were said to have been from Menalty, County Meath and their parents Michael and Mary were both dead. They could read but not write, were Roman Catholic and in good health.
Sisters Bridget and Mary married William CHADWICK and Richard SMITH, partners in the Timber Dealing and Sawmilling business of Chadwick and Smith, with branches in Liverpool St, Botany Rd and Parker St.
Mary CLARKE and Richard SMITH married first, at St Mary's Cathedral on 9 August 1853, their marriage witnessed by Bridget and William. They had 10 children, of whom 7 lived to adulthood. The Chadwick and Smith partnership lasted till the mid-1870s, when Richard SMITH may have died. Mary died at the home of her son at Pitt St Redfern on 19 Nov 1891 aged 58. Her son knew her birthplace, her parents' names and the year of her arrival in NSW. She is buried in the Catholic Cemetery at Waverley.
Bridget CLARKE married William CHADWICK 9 August 1854 at St Andrews C of E Sydney; one of their witnesses was Richard SMITH. William had arrived in NSW in 1848 as a young man from Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire; his sawyer father had recently died, leaving his mother to care for the survivors of her 9 children. William prospered in NSW and was able to send for his brother Robert, and later his mother and younger sister, apparently his only siblings to survive. However he died at the early age of 39 in 1863, leaving Bridget with 5 children under the age of 8 to care for.
William left a will valued at A3700, but no doubt his children did not fully benefit from the rewards of his timber business, which made their uncle Robert a very rich and successful businessman. However Bridget's sons too managed successful careers, founding their own building society, the Equitable Permanent Building Land and Savings Institution. Bridget lived at Botany for many years and was living at Strathfield when she died in 1905 aged 67. Her sons had very vague notions about her background, but knew her maiden name was CLARKE. She is buried at the Church of England Cemetery Rookwood.
by
Kay Purnell
Note from Author
I would be very glad to correspond with anyone about my orphan girl ancestors please write to:
Mrs Kaye Purnell
15 Balla Machree Way
Gymea Bay NSW 2227
or email: kayepur@ozemail.com.au
Ancestors from GLS who came to Oz? Database kept on GLS arrivals to AUS pre 1888. Entries happily accepted; searches done.For all written main please include a stamped self addressed envelope (SSAE) or 1 IRC.
