Author Topic: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley  (Read 22473 times)

Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #18 on: Wednesday 22 April 15 01:30 BST (UK) »
Hi All,
We just got back from our little and successful trip to Toowoomba to find my GGG Grandfather - John Ewing who migrated to Australia sometime between 1864-67. Ports to and from still unresolved unfortunately.

When my brother and I were going through some old photos and documents we came across a few absolute gems!!! The first was a photocopy [unfortunately] of a photo of Elizabeth Anne Ewing [Sanderson] and her seven children which appears to have been taken about three to four years after her husbands unfortunate accidental death.

My first look into the past and at people I never thought I would get to see, my Great Grandmother and my Grandfather. How thrilling!. My Grandfather would have been about 10 to 12 yrs old.
We must find the original and others if we can.

The second surprise [my brother didn't know he had this either] was on an A3 sheet of paper that said 'as told to me this day 25th March 1981'. The 'to me' appears to be Neil Ewing, son of Victor Ewing who is a young child in the photocopy portrait, and people helping are Audrey Patricia Ewing and Annie Caroline Ewing [Smith] and signed by them.

It was a sketched out Family Tree titled 'SCOTLAND to QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA'. It had details
that I already had known and some great little surprise ones as well. Also a few contentious or dubious details or just maybe guessed? I hope someone out there will probably know for certain and clear them up one way or the other.

In the top left-hand corner under 'History:' it states that

[1] Mary McKinnon was a district nurse.
[2] Daughter of a Country Doctor. This seem most unlikely as in an earlier part of this post
     Annette7 firmly establishes for me that he was a soldier and or a Pensioner.
[3] Mary McKinnon became a midwife to the 40 families building the Railroad west from Brisbane.
     I think that was probably likely.
It goes on to say 'Mary and John were chosen as being the ideal couple for this Project'.

In the top right-hand corner again under the word 'History' it states that

[4] 'Arrived in Queensland possibly 1860's / think it was, advising Engineer to Queensland railways.
      In charge of 40 families from Scotland, Fettlers for Queensland Railways'.

My understanding is that he [John Ewing] was a Cotton Handloom weaver from Paisley. How he
became an Engineer is dubious to me. He may have been given a senior leadership role as a foreman in charge of the 40 families and they thought he was an engineer perhaps.

This statement 'In charge of 40 families from Scotland, Fettlers for Queensland Railways.'
Reads to me that the Queensland Government has brought these families out especially for the purpose of building this railway from Brisbane.

This could be true and the reason I haven't been able to find John or Mary Ewing on any departure or arrival passenger lists. To think that Captain Arthur Philip sailed into Sydney Harbour with the 'first fleet' in 1788 and started to colonise Sydney and then Australia and just about 80yrs later a railway line was being built west from Brisbane to the Darling Downs is mind blowing.

Does anyone know of such a specific voyage full of families and crew which could be as many as 400 ?

Cheers for now, and I will post a few photos of John Ewing's grave in Warwick, Queensland, and his GGG and GGGG son's when I can.
Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.

Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #19 on: Thursday 23 April 15 01:36 BST (UK) »
Hi All,

It's not often you can say that you had a brilliant day in a Cemetery. It was better than that!

We knew that John Ewing was in there somewhere and we had a plan and a grave number. As is often the case we are finding out that grave numbers are rarely displayed or worn away. My brother Eric 68yrs and his wife Gwendolyn and their two sons Glen & Ryan, 42yrs & 40yrs, myself [Les] 65yrs and my wife Madonna set out to see who could find him first.

Well, not long after we dispersed, Glen called out that he had found him. I didn't believe it. We had just started to look in this big plot. Everyone excitedly ran [some hobbled, me] towards Glen and sure enough there he was.

This large dark grey headstone standing proud under a bleak grey cold sky with a cold wind and scattered showers. We remarked that John had welcomed us with a touch of his native Scotland.
The area where he finally lived and rested, Toowoomba-Warwick is the coldest in Queensland.

The headstone reads:
'My beloved husband John Ewing who departed this life Jan 31st 1907 aged 72 years', and at the base it reads 'Thy will be done.' Inserted by his wife and children.   

As we stood and each read silently the simple epitaph, it wasn't a simple life, but I know it was a happy one. We all felt right there at that moment the love that his wife Mary and children had for this husband and father.

You won't find that feeling from a discovery in an old Census, or lists and records.
Standing where they lay and family stood, ...... It's different. Mary went on to live to a ripe
old age of 90yrs and is buried in Brisbane, my next exciting journey.

This day was not the end for me, even though it was a milestone that I thought probably unachievable when I started. I have found a great deal of help along the way for which I am forever grateful. I have found in my family's history certainly not any great wealth, but resilience in adversity, a lot of pain and suffering when tragedy stuck and they had more than their fair share, they fought and died for their new and old countries, and they had plenty of love to go around.
That is and was their great wealth.
           
Cheers to All.

P.S. Photos to follow having file size problems.


Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.

Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #20 on: Thursday 23 April 15 22:43 BST (UK) »
I've managed to reduced the photos down to an acceptable attachable level and I hope they are of good enough quality as they were phone camera images. What would our ancestors think about the technology?.

The first attachment should be [if I've done it correctly] that of John Ewing's headstone my GG Grandfather, where he is buried in Warwick, Queensland.

The second attachment should be that of his son James Alexander Ewing's headstone my G Grandfather who died accidently just 10 months later in Bundaberg. Boy oh boy, it was a hot day that day searching in the Cemetery!.

The third attachment is that of our little Paternal Ewing Clan which is about to discontinue in the coming years as Glen [bottom right] has four gorgeous Daughters and Ryan is still unmarried. As you can see we all don't quite fit in the mould of the quintessential 'bronze Aussies'. My Father once said ' son if you wear pink you better be able to fight '. :)  Also all the male Ewing line over here that I've seen and can remember had receding hair lines. Everyone knows that happens when your brains are growing through. ;)
Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.

Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #21 on: Tuesday 05 May 15 07:57 BST (UK) »
Hi All,
I'm wondering if any relations to John Ewing-Margaret Sproul and their Son and Daughter-in-Law, John Ewing-Mary McKinnon have any photos of not only them but their children's children etc. I know it's a long shot because photography was just being invented/perfected about 1820-1830. If they would like to post them or send them privately I would be ecstatic. Thank You.

I'm going to post a photostat of an original photo [we have yet to track the original down] for those probably most interested or relations of the Ewing families. If it shows up ok I'll leave it, if not I may have to delete it.

This is James Alexander Ewing's family who was John and Mary [McKinnon] Ewing's son and first born Australian-Scotsman. He was the poor unfortunate who was crushed in a train accident. We have tried to guess how long after the accident it was taken and where. Our best guess is 3 to 4 years and in Rockhampton, Queensland.

The front row children are left to right, Stewart who was 7 months when his Father died, Victor who was 2 years then and Hilda May was 5 years. That's Elizabeth Ann Sanderson their Mother seated in the centre, who probably 3 to 4 years after this photo was taken, took her own life, leaving these children and young men without Parents.

Back row from left to right is William aged 10 years when his Father died, Ernest James was 13 years, John the eldest aged 15 years and far right is my Grandfather James who was 10 years. I note his left hand is on his sister's shoulder appearing to be a protective and a loving brother. His son, my Father, was a gentle person to me also.

They all looked quite smartly dressed for back in the day, year probably 1910-1911 ish.

The young girl at the back is believed to be a cousin surname Newbigging is all we know about her.





 
Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.


Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #22 on: Saturday 09 May 15 05:31 BST (UK) »
Hi again,

Still looking for a date of them leaving Scotland and arriving in possibly Moreton Bay Queensland.
Does anyone have an idea, what is the most likely port to leave from for a family living in
their area. Came across some very interesting information in my search from an old journal called 'Quarterly Journal of the Genealogical Society of Queensland'. Read some excerpts below.

Well know Scottish Historian John McKenzie-Smith spoke about Scottish Immigration to Moreton Bay period 1841-1859. He reminded the delegates that the Scots were the best workers in the Colony and while divided by class, on all issues were bound by the common identity.

Scottish squatters settled in Brisbane, Lockyer Valley [that's where mine settled] and Logan River.
In the 1840's held all senior positions in administration in the Moreton Bay settlement. He goes on to say 'if your ancestors were Scottish immigrants to Moreton Bay, there is a good chance they could read and write with 96% literacy rate amongst them'. Wow, good on the Scots.

This is the part that may dash my hopes a bit.

Immigrants from the turn of the century were required to hold a 'Certificate of Identity' which had a photo attached to it. It was used as a passport like today, and required to hand it in after landing.
If your ancestor did not owe the Government money [paid their own transport], there may be no records of their entry into the country. Darn it.

This maybe the reason I can't find anything this end! However, it also may mean that they had to have those photos taken and attached to those certificates, and only that can be done from Scotland ... somewhere.? Any ideas anyone.

Thanks.



Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.

Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #23 on: Tuesday 12 May 15 03:02 BST (UK) »
Eureka!

I have just found the 'missing link' or a 'missing link', and incredibly I was looking for something and someone else at the time. I didn't find it in any passenger lists or immigration records etc., where I would expect.

It was straight from his Daughter Jane, my 2nd Great Aunt, who is long passed. I was looking through 'Trove digitalised newspapers' when I chanced upon a title 'The First Railway', clicked on it and it was in the letters to the editor dated 19th May 1936. I started to read and my jaw dropped. It was a discussion about Railways and trams etc., and it was as if I had asked her what I've been searching for!

She said,'My late Father John Ewing was engaged by Peto, Brassey and Betts through the Scottish Railways to come to Queensland with 100 picked men to lay the first rails from Ipswich to Grandchester. [there's the evidence 'in charge of 40 families from Scotland, fettlers for Qld railways.']

She goes on to say,'He was a platelayer [not an Engineer as I suspected] and laid the plates on all the early railways in Qld, his last work being on the Inglewood railway, just before his death in 1907. [Inglewood is the next place south of Warwick where we found him buried]

Now here is what she said next: 'We came out on the ship, Light of the Age in 1865!' BOOM!,BANG!
That's what I've been looking for, for some time and found it accidently! I've not long discovered this and already I have been able to establish the ship was 1287 tonne 3 masts,Wood and Sail construction.

It arrived Moreton Bay on 26.3.1866 and set sail from 'the Clyde' [where?] on 9.12.1865. I also found that it was supposed to set sail on 30.11.1865 'with 500 passengers'. BOOM! again. That many passengers would be the 40 Scottish fettler families and crew [about 34 I'm lead to believe.] John and Mary had 5 children by then and Jane herself was but 108 days old. What a struggle this would have been. Sailing through all kinds of weather and the trip was 107 days.

More to follow when I dig deeper. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated from where they would have left or Port.
Cheers.

Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.

Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #24 on: Tuesday 12 May 15 06:01 BST (UK) »
I have uncovered a bit more about the 'Light of the Age' sailing ship. Hmmmm..... :o

A Captain John Williams was her Master for some years with no apparent problems. I have found a speech he gave at Surrey Hills in Sydney to the Australian Band of Hope where it is said that he had been a teetotaller for 43yrs. In his speech, he said 'The only safe path of the young was the path of Virtue' and he was listened to with 'Great Attention'.[love that]

Next Captain I find is Thomas Reid Porter, Master of the Vessel from 1861 to 1868 which was when my ancestors John and Mary would have sailed with him in 9.12.1865 - 26.3.1866. On a trip to Sydney on 4.2.1864, 4 seaman were charged with disobedience and remanded by water police. Next day a John Davis and John Smith were convicted and fined 40s. John Smith was also charged with the assault of the Chief Officer and fined 5 pounds. When asked why he did it, 'I don't know I was drunk at the time'. [haven't heard that one before!]

By now things are starting to fall apart somewhat. The Black Ball Shipping Company had to sell two-thirds of it's fleet, mainly because of a failed Liverpool Bank and a shipping slump, and the boat was purchased by the White Star Line [Titanic] but was still under the command of Captain Thomas Reid Porter.

Another report on the boat was when it arrived in Moreton Bay [date unknown] the Health Officers and Surgeons reported 'unsanitary conditions, leaks from the Galley, poor ventilation and Lighting,
and to top it all off ...... water closets constantly wetting some of the Steerage Births!' :o

This is something else I didn't know. After each voyage, the sailing ships had to be fitted out. e.g: When leaving Britain with Migrants, the berths, lighting and ventilation, lavatories and hospital had to be built [fitted], and when they arrived all of that had to be knocked down to carry back wool etc.
But not so for Steamships as everything was built in.

So it looks like the Black Ball Sailing Company were nearly broke and had not enough money to give the passengers a decent comfortable passage and took short-cuts and a lot of passengers died or took very Ill. So alas it looks a forgone conclusion that my ancestors are smack in the middle of this time frame, and many more, travelled in swill almost. The other drawback with this type of travel was that the food was preserved provisions and fresh water was carried in tanks and casks.

The next piece of information about the ship occurs on the 16th January 1868 when it runs ashore in Port Philip Bay, Victoria. There were 42 passengers and 34 crew aboard with cargo worth 12,000 pounds. To cut a long story short, yes, you guessed it, Captain and crew were all drunk!!! So drunk in fact, that rescuers that came aboard had to pick the Captain up off the floor as he couldn't stand
upright and some of the crew were the same. The tugboat pilots came to the rescue and managed to get everyone off safely, even the Captain Thomas Reid Porter and the drunken crew.

The last piece of information I have about the boat is the salvage. Whatever she was carrying in the cargo holds apparently made a chemical compound mixture that sealed the hatches on the holds, so a few days later they came with divers, boats, workers and dynamite. The divers set the charges and BOOM, blew the boat and everything to pieces and the two divers and six people in the small boats that were assisting died.! She still sits there on the bottom today on the sea bed and is dived today. They say you can still find broken pieces of china there.

All the passengers and drunken crew were saved but eight salvage workers died. WOW, how incredible is that? Like a keystone cops movie if it weren't so sad.

Now onto what happened when they all went to work on the Railway Line. More drama? I hope not.






Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.

Offline isobelw

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,566
  • Gran & Granpa Clotworthy
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #25 on: Tuesday 12 May 15 08:20 BST (UK) »
From the Glasgow a Herald 22 Dec 1865 under title Queensland Emigration
The ship Light of the Age, 1287 tonnes burden belonging to Messrs James Badnen & Co sailed on 9th December from Greenock for Queensland, Captain J R Porter Commander, Surgeon Superintendent Dr Harrison. The Light of the Age is the 70th vessel that has sailed on the Land Owler system of emigration under the immediate direction of the Queensland government. She contains 512 souls divided into paying, assisted and free passengers  consisting members of families 124, single men 279, single females 13.
The ship would have sailed from what is know as the Tail of the Bank at Greenock.
Isobel
Clotworthy, McMahon, Saunderson, Culley (Ireland & Scotland)
Weatherall, Greer (Ireland & Scotland)
Hamilton, Johnston, Dawson, Rennie, Wright (Clackmannanshire)

Offline OZScot

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 133
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley
« Reply #26 on: Tuesday 12 May 15 09:54 BST (UK) »
Thanks Isobelw,
That is great information and looks right on the money to me. The Qld Courier Mail used to publish the passenger arrival lists but for some reason this one was missing. I'm a bit perplexed with the phrase 'on the Land Owler system'.

There was a Government inducement for Immigrants to come to Queensland, it was called 'Land Orders' where by if passengers paid their own fare, or person's whose fare was paid in full by shipping agents that they were entitled to land selection up to a certain value. Maybe it was a mis-print.

That's a fantastic breakdown of the boat's company. Now it poses another question. I wonder what they were listed as?

A point on how perilous this journey was, [if anyone still need convincing], is a boat arrived in Moreton Bay from Plymouth called Young Australian on the 21st August 1865 not long before the Light of the Age and on board were 5 deaths and 20 very sick and was put into quarantine.

Thanks again Isobelw, much appreciated.
I guess your name is Isobel, My mother's name was Isobel.
Cheers.
Ewing, McKinnon, Sproul, Sanderson, Douglas, Quince, Lyell, Sharp.