#52Ancestors
This year I have decided to participate in a Family History Challenge called 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks.
This week's prompt is LONGEVITY
LONGEVITY is a common theme running through most Family History Research.
I am not referring to the amount of years an ancestor lives. I am referring to the LONG ROAD of research one undertakes when you embark on that Family Tree journey.
My tree is still relatively small, with a lot of members still to have their date of death confirmed.
So this week’s challenge sent me on a quest to find my oldest member in my family tree, alive or dead!
The winner is..........taa daa .....
Ellen McCosker, my Paternal Great Great Grandmother.
The road blocks I have encountered with this Ellen just add to her LONGEVITY.
Ellen was born Ellen McAlinna in 1797 in Omagh, County Tyrone Ireland.
She married Bernard McCusker in 1822.
She died in Singleton NSW Australia in 1884.[1] This is the only record I have been able to verify with any degree of certainty.
The information of her birth and marriage can be found in many online Family Trees ( in fact in excess of 30 trees).
Why am I stating this fact if it has been documented by so many before me? The answer is simple. I cannot find an actual source to confirm this information, e.g. Birth or Marriage record or index.
It would be so easy to just accept this as a correct fact. But although I am fairly confident that this information is correct, my training just won’t allow me to accept it as a fait accompli until I have proven it myself.
So not only is this Ellen the longest living person on my tree, at the moment she is also in the running for the winner in LONGEVITY of research, along with a few other pesky relatives that I keep coming back to.
Ellen’s death certificate lists her children as:
Ellen was born Ellen McAlinna in 1797 in Omagh, County Tyrone Ireland.
She married Bernard McCusker in 1822.
She died in Singleton NSW Australia in 1884.[1] This is the only record I have been able to verify with any degree of certainty.
The information of her birth and marriage can be found in many online Family Trees ( in fact in excess of 30 trees).
Why am I stating this fact if it has been documented by so many before me? The answer is simple. I cannot find an actual source to confirm this information, e.g. Birth or Marriage record or index.
It would be so easy to just accept this as a correct fact. But although I am fairly confident that this information is correct, my training just won’t allow me to accept it as a fait accompli until I have proven it myself.
So not only is this Ellen the longest living person on my tree, at the moment she is also in the running for the winner in LONGEVITY of research, along with a few other pesky relatives that I keep coming back to.
Ellen’s death certificate lists her children as:
Owen
Maria
Cornelius
Francis
Maria
Cornelius
Francis
Bernard
Michael
Thomas
Jane
1 male and 1 female deceased.[2]
Francis, Bernard, Michael, Thomas and Jane were all born in Australia.[3] So that leaves Owen, Maria, Cornelious, with Patrick, and Ellen as the deceased.
Records show that Bernard and Ellen McCusker immigrated to Australia in 1837 with 5 children. This would tie in with the other children listed on Ellen’s Death certificate.[4]
It looks like they quickly accepted the spelling of McCosker for their name once arriving in Australia, as records from then on have both spellings. I guess it was a matter of how they felt at the time or who was filling out forms etc.
There are many stories and photos in online Family Trees, which may or may not be connected with my Ellen. But so many of them are proving elusive in the actual records category!
So for now the LONGEVITY of this search is going to be put on hold as I want to be ready for the next prompt in this challenge.
1 male and 1 female deceased.[2]
Francis, Bernard, Michael, Thomas and Jane were all born in Australia.[3] So that leaves Owen, Maria, Cornelious, with Patrick, and Ellen as the deceased.
Records show that Bernard and Ellen McCusker immigrated to Australia in 1837 with 5 children. This would tie in with the other children listed on Ellen’s Death certificate.[4]
It looks like they quickly accepted the spelling of McCosker for their name once arriving in Australia, as records from then on have both spellings. I guess it was a matter of how they felt at the time or who was filling out forms etc.
There are many stories and photos in online Family Trees, which may or may not be connected with my Ellen. But so many of them are proving elusive in the actual records category!
So for now the LONGEVITY of this search is going to be put on hold as I want to be ready for the next prompt in this challenge.
-------------------
1 Death Certificate of Ellen McCosker, died 22 February 1884, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages NSW,
12958/1884
2 Death Certificate of Ellen McCosker, died 22 February 1884, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages NSW, 12958/1884
3 Registrar of Birth, Deaths and Marriages NSW Index
4 Death Certificate of Ellen McCosker, died 22 February 1884, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages NSW, 12958/1884
2 Death Certificate of Ellen McCosker, died 22 February 1884, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages NSW, 12958/1884
3 Registrar of Birth, Deaths and Marriages NSW Index
4 Death Certificate of Ellen McCosker, died 22 February 1884, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages NSW, 12958/1884
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