LOUISA - Chapters Nineteen and Twenty

CHAPTER NINETEEN 

MRS ENGSTRTOM ©

On the 1st  June 1884 Louisa received her first Publican’s Licence for the Sugarloaf Inn, Gunnedah.12 She was now officially the head of this establishment, legally in her own name. She was delighted.

The years flowed into each other. The Inn continued to prosper and the children continued to grow.

Then one dusty hot summers day in February 1886 a tall blond sunburnt man entered the bar.

“What can I get you Sir,” asked Louisa, observing his handsome face. “An ale, Madam, please.”

“You look like you could do with a drink, where is your journey taking you?”

“I am heading to Queensland looking for work. I disembarked from my ship in Sydney last year from Sweden, but I have decided that the seafaring life is no longer for me.”

Louisa caught her breath, Sweden, the place where Alfred had been born. She sat down and soon found herself very comfortable with this young man. She learnt so many things that day, he was nearly eight years her junior. He played with the children and ended up staying for tea. She was slightly embarrassed when she served up their usual light evening meal of bread, cheese and jam. He didn’t seem to mind.

“Can you tell me where I can get accommodation for a time,” he asked.
For the first time in nearly three years, Louisa was sorry that she no longer offered lodgings.

“It is about seven miles down the road to Gunnedah, you should be able to get a room at the Bank Hotel, but I would suggest you leave soon before it gets dark.” 

He didn’t make it to Queensland after, but settled in Gunnedah, and ran cattle after purchasing a lease on a property near by.

On the 31st  August 1886,Louisa found herself walking hand in hand from the Wesleyan Parsonage, Tamworth after a simple service, with her new husband August Thomas Engstrom.13

They were greeted outside by her seven children all running at her and talking at once, “Can we go on a holiday now Mumma, Mam, can we, can we?”

She smiled at her husband, thinking as she did so, she had thought she would never be able to call someone that again.

“Well Mrs Engstrom are you ready to take this tribe to see the sea?” he asked.

“Yes my dear, let’s go,” she replied, “I can’t wait.”

12 Government Gazette Notices (1884, August 29). New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), p. 5884. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225588522

13 Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. http://www.ancestry.com.au

CHAPTER TWENTY 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ©

Louisa rolled over and watched her husband while he slept. She no longer shared her room with Ethel, since her marriage last year.

Instead of opening the lodging part of the Inn, August had suggested that they turn the rooms into bedrooms for the children. It made sense and now that there was to be another little person joining their family in a couple of months, they would need the extra space in their bedroom.

Louisa’s thoughts turned to her first marriage. Alfred had been a wonderful husband and father, but their time together had been all work. With August or Thomas as some people insisted on calling him, she had time for laughter and play. 

But it was mainly because of Alfred’s work that they were in the position of comfort that they now lived in. August’s property and cattle run was prospering too. But soon he would need to hire a Overseer and take over the running of the bar. She had been told by the doctor that she needed to rest for the upcoming birth of her eighth child and August’s first.

“What are you thinking Mrs Engstrom?” her thoughts were interrupted by August who had woken and was looking at her with love.

“I have just been thinking how lucky I am and how much I am looking forward to this new little life making an appearance.”

“Whoa, not so fast, we need him or her to stay put for a couple of months yet, my love,” he urged, “don’t go wishing for it too soon.”

As they headed downstairs to meet the children for breakfast, Louisa was concerned about the cough August had and suggested that she make some lemon and honey water for him. He brushed her concerns away as they both smelled the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen.

Alfred and Magnus who were now seventeen and fifteen, had become quite the cooks over the years. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the hallway.
“What is going on in here,” Louisa asked as she came through the doorway with August close behind her.

“Happy Anniversary,” chimed all the children with excited beaming smiles on their faces.

Louisa covered her mouth with her hand, looking at August sheepishly. “I completely forgot,” she exclaimed with remorse in her voice.

“No need to worry, my love you have more than enough to think about,” August chimed in, pulling something out of his pocket, “just as well I remembered, hey?” as he handed her a small packet tied with a violet bow.

Opening the little packet she found a brooch in shape of a half moon, embedded with seeded pearls. It was the most beautiful gift she had ever received.

Turning to kiss her husband, she was aware of a chorus of giggles behind her. 

#52ANCESTORS WEEK 3 - LONGEVITY

#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: 

Owen
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 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 

#52ANCESTORS WEEK 2 - FAVOURITE PHOTO

#52Ancestors 

This year I have decided to participate in a Family History Challenge called 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks.

Hopefully I will managed to keep up with posting each week, but I do know myself very well and I know there will be weeks I fall behind. But I have promised myself that I will at least post 52 articles, they may just come in clumps instead of nice even weekly posts!

Each week I will be given a prompt from the Co-Ordinator and I will include my writings etc. on my blog.

All prompts are open to individual interpretation and may be the written word, photo, video, scrapbooking, crafty, there is no limit to the format that you post. The aim is to just get involved and share.

This week’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks prompt is 

“FAVOURITE PHOTO”

I don’t have a lot of old photos, so I chose one that I see regularly, because I pass it each day on my wall in my home.

This is a photo of my Mum and Dad on their wedding day.

GARVICE GALVIN BRANDT AND RUBY FLORENCE BRIGGS
MARRIED 14 JUNE 1941
ST BRIGID'S CHURCH, MARRICKVILLE

My father had atrocious handwriting and I feel that he also may not have been too keen on his name, Garvice Galvin Brandt. 

I have found many variations of his name  on various records and I feel that he may have played a part in some of these variations. I seem to remember that his Confirmation name was Joseph. This would explain Joseph being used as his middle name on the Marriage Register!

My mother’s father had died about 18months before her wedding. I wonder what my mother’s feelings would have been on her wedding day without her father to give her away. I was approximately the same age when my father(Garvice) died, but I was fortunate that he was at least still with me when I married.

I often wonder if one of the witnesses as listed on the Marriage Certificate was a proxy father for her on that day? If only I had asked questions when I had the chance. My parents just didn’t share information about themselves freely.

This photo belonged to my parents. My father has now been dead for 41 years and my mother has been gone now for 21 years.

I am in possession of the original as I acquired her possessions when she died.

Information on the Wedding Certificate Transcription confirmed their addresses with other records I have found of the time.

Interestingly my father is listed as Garvice Joseph Brandt not Garvice Galvin Brandt. Also my mother’s mother has been transcribed as Wesley instead of Worsley.

In one of my researching exercises last year I contacted the Parish Secretary of St Brigid’s Church for information.

She advised that the witnesses were W K Ryan not U K Ryan and A Briggs not A A B Briggs, as shown on the transcription.

I have spent many an hour trying to match these names of the witnesses with someone from my tree. I do have an Aubrey Nelson Briggs who was my mother’s uncle on the Family Tree. But whether this is the A Briggs on the transcription record, remains to be proven.

Oh, if only they had written their full name instead of just initials! As to which is correct - the transcription service or the Parish Secretary, I guess I will have to bite the bullet and get an original certificate, but will it only give me initials as well?

The Wedding Certificate Transcription that I have in my possession provided the following information.⁠[1]

Garvice Joseph Brandt and Ruby Florence Briggs were married on 14 June 1941 at St Brigid’s Church, Marrickville.

Garvice was a bachelor and his occupation was a Van Salesman and he was 27 years old.

Garvice was the son of George Henry Brandt and Isabella Galvin. He was born in Gunnedah NSW and at the time of his marriage he lived at 57 Station St, Thornleigh, NSW.

Garvice’s father was a Ganger.

Ruby Florence Briggs was a spinster and her occupation was a Saleswoman and she was 23 years old.

Ruby was the daughter of Samuel Stanley Briggs (deceased) and Florence May Wesley. She was born in Newtown NSW and at the time of her wedding lived at 343 Illawarra Rd Marrickville, NSW.

Ruby’s father had been a Carrier.

It is stated on the transcript that religion was Roman Catholic.

Witnesses on the Transcription were listed as U K Ryan and A A B Briggs.

Minister was Augustinge Fitzsimmons, C.P.

                             
1 Marriage Certificate Transcription of Garvice Joseph Brandt and Ruby Florence Briggs, 14 June 1941, NSW Marriage Registration Transcription, 1941/14530,  NSW Family History Transcriptions  Pty. Ltd.

#52ANCESTORS - WEEK 1 START!

#52Ancestors

This year I have decided to participate in a Family History Challenge called 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks.

Hopefully I will managed to keep up with posting each week, but I do know myself very well and I know there will be weeks I fall behind. But I have promised myself that I will at least post 52 articles, they may just come in clumps instead of nice even weekly posts!

Each week I will be given a prompt from the Co-Ordinator and I will include my writings etc. on my blog.

All prompts are open to individual interpretation and may be the written word, photo, video, scrapbooking, crafty, there is no limit to the format that you post.

The aim is to just get involved and share.

So here goes! Watch this space.

This week’s prompt is: START

I am going to START this challenge with ME!

I am Marcia Moon, a 62 year “young” retired married female. I STARTED my partnership with my wonderful man Fred 42 years ago. We have been blessed with 3 Sons, 1 Daughter, 3 Daughters-In-Law and 6 Granddaughters and 1 Grandson.

My START into the wonderful world of Online Genealogy began in June 2015 when I saw an advertisement on Facebook about an online Introduction to Family History Course with the University of Tasmania. I had been researching my Family Tree for a few years and thought that this would be an ideal opportunity to extend my knowledge.

As I have Mobility issues and find it difficult to get out and join local groups the prospect of doing it online and in the comfort of my own home was a big drawcard.

The Course was to START in July and finish in August, which fitted in with my husband and my first overseas trip. So what was a girl to do? I had no other choice but to sign up, right? Right!

I told myself I would just do the one course and that would be the end of it.

Of course it isn’t hard to imagine what happened, is it?

I have since STARTED seven further courses over the next couple of years and I graduated from the University with my Diploma of Family History in December 2017!

I have STARTED many online friendships in the last two years through this initial START.

I have STARTED many research adventures online.

I have STARTED a love affair with writing. I love putting flesh on the bones of my ancestors. 

I STARTED this Blog as an aid for storing all my writings in a place that may be found by future technological descendants!

I STARTED writing stories for my Grandchildren. Not Family History stories, although that may come. I have written seven whimsical fantasy stories for each Grandchild which I published into an individual book for each of them for Christmas 2017. I had much joy in seeing their reactions when opening their presents.

I START numerous sewing and crafty projects when I am not doing Family History. Many of them I even manage to get finished! I have numerous UFOs(unfinished objects) and numerous PhDs(projects half done). But they will all be reSTARTED one day!

I have STARTED many painting projects over the years. Many of these get finished as I usually START these as a gift or for a special auction etc. So FINISHING of these is rather important!

Another of my START wishes for 2018 is to unravel the workings of DNA Tests. I have results for myself and my husband which I received back a couple of months ago. I am hoping to START learning the “ins and outs” of all these mysterious letters/numbers and results.

And now I have made a START on this challenge!

Are any readers doing this Challenge?

Writing the Family Sage - Flash Story 6

St. Cecelia’s Bazaar

Thunder rolled in from the coast. The sky darkened to a foreboding inky hue.

“Hurry my loves, or we will get very wet. I have a surprise for you when we get home.” Isabella tucked the weekly Freeman’s Journal firmly under her arm, thinking guiltily of the coin that should have gone on the plate during Mass, but had paid for her purchase instead!

I can’t wait to see their faces when I read it.

“Oh Mumma, my dress,” Valma wailed! “My boots are squeaking,” giggled Lorna.

“Garvice, stop jumping in puddles and come inside this minute,” Isabella called, hiding her smile.

“Da will have the kettle on, so get out of your wet things and then come warm up beside the range.”

On entering the kitchen later, she was assailed by a chorus of “What’s the surprise, Mumma?”

“Well, I need a cuppa first and maybe you three, a glass of milk and a rock cake?”

“What about me?” George asked as she sat down, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“Of course the server of morning tea always gets first choice,” she replied with a wink!

Opening the newspaper she started to read the article.

Amid the squeals of delight from his children, George marvelled at his wife.

Moving from Gunnedah to Wyong had seen her embracing church life with her usual gusto! Now here she was being written up in the paper for helping with the Church Bazaar. Madam Brandt, Misses Brandt and Master Garvice Brandt.

“Why did Garvice have his name in the paper and all we got was Misses?” wailed the girls!

Reflective Statement

I found myself wanting to write this narrative as it answered some of my questions as to why I have such a sense of family and church community.

The article in the Freeman’s Journal on Trove, brought to my attention a strong connection with the Catholic Church.

I hope I have conveyed through “showing with dialogue” the strong sense of family and community that Isabella, my grandmother, brought to her every day life.

A phrase from one of this week’s lectures “your imagination will be helped by research” found me googling many things for this narrative; the Freeman’s Journal, weather in September 1923 and many other tidbits of information.

I still find myself leaning towards dialogue and internal monologue as my preference.

I enjoy the Creative Non-Fiction Genre.


Reference
‘Wyong, St, Cecelia’s Bazaar, About £170 Realised’ Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932), 6 September, p. 19.

Writing the Family Saga - Flash Story 2

NO CHOICE!

Elizabeth shaded her eyes, focusing on all the sights vying for her attention. The sea was so blue, but the overwhelming heat made her head swim. It was a vivid contrast to the stench and close conditions of below deck.

Her thoughts drifted to the time when she had boarded the Pitt, six and a half months ago. She shuddered with the memories of all she had seen.

Seven years transportation for stealing items of apparel, she thought. She had needed the money for Mumma to buy food for the rest of the family. What would they do now, left without her meager downstairs maid wages?

Shuffling behind the other female convicts, she found herself herded like sheep on one side of the deck, with the men on the other side.

She felt the trickle of apprehension down her neck, as she had experienced many times during the voyage.

There he was again!

He was watching, just like the other times during the female convict exercise breaks.

A soldier gave orders for disembarkation. Turning her attention toward him, she wondered why she bothered. It wasn’t as though she would be given any choices in the matter.

“Elizabeth Selwyn, sentenced for seven years, assigned to Lieutenant Thomas Rowley as Housekeeper,” he read.

Then she saw the Lieutenant, motion to her to follow. So he is an Officer, she thought. Picking up her cloth bundle she made her way to his side.

No, not a choice, but maybe a better option, she thought. Housekeeper, I can do this!

Reflective Statement

I chose this story to showcase the arrival of my first two ancestors on Australian soil.

In writing about Elizabeth and Thomas, I found myself trying to focus on just one scene as taught in Writing Family History. I feel that I might have finally succeeded!

I found myself looking for what was important to tell this story.

It is difficult finding a balance between non-fiction and fiction, as there is so much conjecture in my stories because of evidence yet to be found. So I am finding my writing leaning towards the Creative Non-Fiction genre.

Writing the Family Saga - Flash Story 1

In this Unit of the Diploma we were encouraged to write on more than one ancestor in our Flash(short) stories. Again we had a 250 word limit, but with the added 100/150 word Reflective Statement.


Many of the characters appear in many of these stories, but told from different points of view as required by each activity's instructions. So you may have read of some of these before as all these Flash Stories are for writing practise.

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT 

Fell to his death down a well...

Died of inflammation of the lungs...

What could link these two things together?

Louisa, Sugarloaf, Gunnedah, Sweden to name a few! Two similar but very different men married Louisa.

Alfred Brandt married Louisa Barker, after the birth of their seventh child, in January 1883.[1]They moved from Tasmania in 1870, where Alfred was a Gold Miner, to northern NSW. They settled seven miles out of Gunnedah, where Alfred became the Publican of the Sugarloaf Inn. They had been together for approximately fourteen years and had seven children.[2]Unfortunately six months after their marriage, Alfred fell to his death down a well. [3]

Three years after Alfred’s death August Engstrom married Louisa. She had been Publican of the Inn, in her own name since Alfred’s death. August assumed the role of Publican with the arrival of their first child and the eighth for the family.[4] Tragedy struck again with August dying from Inflammation of the lungs in 1888.[5]

Research shows that both Alfred and August were born in Sweden.[6]

Alfred and Louisa are my Great Grand Parents, so by default of her second marriage to August, he now appears on my tree.

Did these men know each other? I am yet to find out.

The common link in their stories is undoubtedly their love of one woman, Louisa. One strong woman, who even after the death of two husbands went on to provide a living for her large family of eight children.

How had these events affected her and her family in rural NSW in the late nineteenth century?

REFLECTIVE STATEMENT

My main decision in writing about Alfred and August was twofold. Firstly to highlight the similarities between the men. Secondly to introduce Louisa, who may make an appearance in later e-tivities.

The limited documentation for these three has led to many challenges in writings. I hope the more I find about this part of my Family Tree, will eventually add many branches with interesting leaves being told in stories.

The documentation stating that Alfred and Louisa married after the birth of their children, poses many unanswered questions for a Family Historian. 

1 Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 Index Reg 685 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Accessed 12 August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com.au
2 Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 Index Reg #44 Alfred L BRANDT, Index Reg #135592 Magnus BRANDT, Index Reg #14877 Peter BRANDT; Index Reg #15707 John BRANDT; Index Reg #22850 George BRANDT; Index Reg #25169 William BRANDT; Index Reg #17610 Ethel BRANDT; [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010 accessed 12 August 2015, http://www.ancestry.com.au
3 Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, Index Reg#8157 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 18 August 2015 , http://www.ancestry.com.au.
4 Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 F ranges Engstrom, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. http://www.ancestry.com.au
5 Family Notices (1888, March 31). Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1907), p. 34.
Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71095921
6 Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, Index Reg#8157 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 18 August 2015 , http://www.ancestry.com.au
Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. http://www.ancestry.com.au