Ewing Family of Renfrewshire/Greenock/Paisley

[isobelw]

Had another look and it does say Land Order. Also versions of this story in other newspapers have the ship belonging to James Baines & Co.
Regards
Isobel

[OZScot]

Found a log of the voyage and more information on the 'Light of the Age'. Amazing to be able to find such information! Knowing almost exactly how my GG-Granfather's family's trip was like.

The Light of the Age left the Clyde on December 10 via Liverpool, [other reports say 9th which seem to be validated] and was fortunate in getting fine weather and fair winds until clear of the land. Off Madeira she fell in with southerly winds by which she lost a week. I'd be going nuts.

While in the equatorial regions she was detained by calms, and did not cross the Line until the 31st day out. The South-east Trades were very light, but the passage was lost between Trinidad and the meridian of Greenwich, where for ten days she was unable to make more than 66 miles per diem, owing to baffling winds. I'd have to start paddling or something.

I've read these ships can be becalmed for up to 7 days! What would you do?, play eye spy? I can't sit still for an hour. It goes on to say she rounded the south extreme of Tasmania on the 14th March, and then fell in with light northerly winds, and stood in towards the land, and on "St. Patrick's Day in the morning" sighted St. Patrick's Head, a point on the eastern coast of Tasmania, and this circumstance seemed to afford much satisfaction to the Irish passengers.

At 1am on the 23.6.1866 she arrived at Moreton Bay and her anchorage, and signalled 'all well'. At 6.30am a supply boat reached the vessel with fresh provisions for the passengers and it was noted by them and another vessel reported, that Light of the Age had lost her main top Gallant Mast and must have been caught in 'severe weather'. Looks like our Captain Porter omitted that bit from the log. Too drunk to remember maybe?

Got to love this bit of the log. 'The health of the passengers throughout has been very good, and only ten deaths occurred, and these were all infants. There were, however, five births.!'
ONLY TEN DEATHS!

The Light of the Age brings 507 immigrants, besides five saloon passengers. They are thus classified: Males, adults, 337 ; under 14, 31; infants, 15 ; total males, 383. Females, adults, 74 ; under 14, 34 ; infants, 16; total females, 124; grand total, 504.

With regard to nationality, the numbers are thus given: English, 112 ; Scotch, 337 ; Irish, 58 ; total, 507. We append a list of the 5 saloon passengers :—
Miss J.H. Patterson, Messrs. J Patterson, J.
Grant, J. Lewthaite, and Cloughton.

Amazing, but I now know that they were on that ship through the Daughter Jane, even though I don't have or likely to get a passenger list confirmation [I'll keep trying], what the weather was predominantly like on the voyage, how long it took,[this was 107 days], what the Captain and crew were like, how each voyage to the Promise land was so arduous and dangerous, resulting in many deaths and sickness.

I'm so amazed at the strength of character of all these pioneering people and what they went through and knew full well it all might not work out, and how they put up with shocking conditions that they had to live through to get a better life for their families. We are blessed in this country because of them and their attitude. Me?, I complain if I didn't get enough Ice-cream.!!

Cheers.

[Vicktorious]

Hi I am related to Mary McKinnon and John Ewing through their daughter Jane who is my 2nd GGrandmother. My grandmother was Thelma Quince, whose father was John William Henry Quince whose parents were Charles Henry Quince and Jane Ewing. I have an original photo in my possession and always wondered who the people were. On stumbling across a Brisbane Courier newspaper archive with same photo on Trove, from 12 July 1912 and titled 'Four Generations', I was delighted to discover their names. As per attached pic they are (in age order) Mary Ewing (McKinnon), her daughter Jane Quince (Ewing), granddaughter Lillian Gillott (Quince) and great-grandson Cedric Gillott.

As per a post with pic of James Alexander Ewing's family, James' sister Catherine's married name was Newbigging which should explain the girl cousin's connection.

Hope this is helpful

[OZScot]

Hello Vicktorious.

Well, well, well. You have made my day, even my year. My first look at my GG-Grandmother Mary. She was 80yrs when this was taken and lived on to 90yrs! Isn't she a little dear old lady! I want to give her a big hug. This was taken 5yrs after her husband John died and buried in Warwick Qld.

I'm guessing she moved in with her Daughter Jane and her son-in-law Charles Henry Quince in Brisbane, and I have five children? but most had probably moved out. The women look to be very strong and healthy [I'm getting a sense of they're tallish as well] and all have similar hair styles.

Jane was 47yrs 9mths when the photo was taken and lived to age 77yrs, However, her Daughter Lillian died aged 46yrs. She was 19yrs in the photo. I sadly have the four boys dying very young at
17,20,21 and 24yrs. That's a BIG mystery at the moment to me and I wonder why?

Now the child in the photo you named as Cedric, I'm thinking it's likely to be Ronald William Beresford Gillott. Love the name. Cedric was born 1/12/1909 [that's what I have, maybe wrong?] which would make him approx 2.5yrs by the photo date, however Ronald was born 18/9/1911 which
would make him approx 10mths. He looks bright as a button!

Incredibly just yesterday before you posted that great photo, I found where they nearly all are buried, including Matriarch Mary. South Brisbane Cemetery, Annerley. I have all the grave numbers but no photos yet. We must have been channelling.    Well at least someone is pointing the way for me. I hope you have a few more old boxes hidden away, as I'm now desperate to find a photo of John. I have my Brother working on it as he lives close to Brisbane where our long lost cousin lives.

I have also stumbled across some more incredible information about one of my G-Uncles. I'll post it when I have time to put it together.

Cheers All, and thanks for everybody's help.

[Vicktorious]

Hi OZScot, I have Percy Zedrick Sinclair Gillott, born 01 Dec 1909 died 1934 (known as Percy Cedric) and this would be the Cedric in the photo.

[OZScot]

Hi Vicktorious,

First of all what a cracking photo you posted!, as I found the original on Trove. Had a bit of trouble at first as the date of the paper was 13th July 1912 on page 13, not the 12th July. That photo in the paper would have been too hard to tell much.

My reason for thinking that it may not be Percy Cedric, Born:1st December 1909 [I also have that date and probably mis-spellin 'Z'edric] is if you deduct Percy's birth date from the date of issue of the paper it is 2yrs 7 mths 12 days. Now if you deduct Ronald's birth date, I have 18th September 1911 from the paper's issue date you get 9 mths 25 days. I'm thinking it's Ronald, but maybe they had that story for sometime?

I noticed at the end of the article it said they were all from Warwick in 1911!, so I got that wrong, Mary didn't move to Brisbane after all. It looks as though they all either lived there near Mary or in with her there. I have found the Land Order Selection claim that John Ewing made. It was in Ipswich where the first Railway in Queensland was built.

Cheers All.

[OZScot]

The more I look at the child in that photo, I'm not really sure now.

I know the article in that paper says 'Master Cedric', But he looks older than my 9 mths 25 days, and looks younger than 2yrs 7 mths 12 days. You would think that the paper and photographer would have the right name. I'll call him Percy Cedric on the strength of that argument. He's georgeous anyhow.

See if we can track down how and why they all died so young. Percy died the oldest at 24yrs on the 18th March 1934. They were all too young for WW1 and died before WW2. HHmmmm

Cheers.

[OZScot]

This story about John and Mary Ewing's Grandson Ernest James Ewing, who is the son of James Alexander and Elizabeth Ann Ewing [Sanderson]. He's 2nd from the left beside his Mother in that Family portrait. The handsome dude who looks a bit like me. [I wish]

I knew he was in WW1 but what I was to find out shocked and amazed me. He joined up on the 30th December 1914. It was just 4mths and 12 days after his Mother's tragic death. He was drafted into the Queensland 9th Battalion AIF. Then months later after finding this out I came across this letter penned by him to the folks back home. In fact these excerpts I write here are from a letter to his former boss, a Mr.G.B.Hooper, General Manager of the Central Queensland Meat Export Company. Who would do that today?

" You will no doubt remember a man named Woodsbey, who used to work in the yard gang at the works. He came over in the contingent after ours. We were in the trenches together and in the same Battalion. On the 28th of June last we had orders to charge the Turkish lines, and Woodsbey said to me as we were filing into our places,' I wonder what the boys at the Creek would think if they saw us now?' [the Creek he is referring to is Lakes Creek where the meat works were]

These were the last words that he spoke to me, for he was killed in action within seven yards of me. I was only wounded that day, but I shall never forget it, as I lost several of my best friends in that charge. I was invalided to England on the 5th of August, and have been on this little island ever since. At the time of writing I am waiting for the next draft to go to the front again. We would like to have a chance of 'strafing' the Germans, and I hope to win through, also to return to all my friends, as I would never live anywhere but Australia. I also came in contact with J.McHale on Paddington Station, who used to work in the freezer department, he was pleased to see a Rockhampton lad as he called me, I also saw Lt. Fargher in the trenches at Gallipoli. He was looking well then, but I see he has been invalided to Australia."

Ernest James Ewing was in the initial dawn attack at Gallipoli. !!! WOW!!! There were 3 boats that hit the beach in the early hours @ 4.30am 25th April 1915, which contained the 11th,10th and 9th Battalions AIF. They set off towed 3 abreast towards the beach in that order and the 9th Battalion's boat drifted across on the tide and ended up between the other two and they clumped together and landed amid only light arms fire as they were expected to land elsewhere.

More boats were to follow, but the Turks acted swiftly and swarmed to the ANZAC landings. Casualties soon mounted and by the end of the landings on the first day 754 brave Australian and 147 New Zealanders were killed and 4 had been taken prisoner. The Turkish casualties were high as well, with 2,000 and more being killed by the fighting on the first day alone. By the time the evacuation was completed at Anzac Cove 8 months later in December 1915, 11,429 Anzacs had been killed and countless Turks.

The totally senselessly ordered 'Bayonneted Charges' straight towards Turkish machine guns, sometimes less than 50 yards away by the bravest of the brave, their courage is now celebrated every year in Australia on the 25th April called ANZAC DAY and encompasses all Airforce, Army and Navy personnel from all wars.

After the war in 1919, Ernest James Ewing married Annie Carolin Smith in London known as Audrey??. That's all I have at this moment, it was written on that old sketched out Family Tree my brother had. I know he came back to Australia as I found out that he died in Sydney.


 

[OZScot]

More letters I found sent home by Ernest James Ewing from the time he was wounded at Gallipoli back to a friend in Lakes Creek, Rockhampton Qld. These are 100 years old! This is his voice from the past.

' I suppose you are wondering where on earth I am and what I'm doing?. At the time of writing I am in England at the Australian auxiliary hospital, distance about 18 miles from London situated in the heart of Middlesex County. I will try to give you a description of my movements since I left the Peninsular on the 15th of August.

After being transferred from the Red Cross trawler to a hospital transport, we steamed to Lemnos Island, where we remained for a few days. We next found ourselves aboard a ship on which we received cigars etc. The warm beds were quite a change from the trenches and dugouts at the Peninsular.

On the 31st of August we started for Malta, and in the early morning the ship steamed into the beautiful harbour of Valetta, which is the capital of Malta. When we landed we were met by the ladies of the town, who lavished refreshments, cigarettes and other things upon us. We were then met by motor cars and driven to the various hospitals, chanced to be taken to an institution which rejoiced in the name of St.David's Hospital. Nearly all public buildings and hospitals in Malta begin their appellation with St.

The Chapel of the Nations, or St.John's Church, is one of the beauties of Malta. It is adorned with some beautiful paintings by Italian & French Masters. Another historic beauty is the Chapel of Bones. It is a most gruesome sight to see the skulls and crossbones that adore the edifice. They are supposed to be the craniums of Knights who fell in battle against the Turks in 1578.

Whilst a soldier was in hospital he received 2s per week, but when he repaired to a convalescent home he received 10s.6d, per week. I will have my furlough shortly, and I am glad to say that it will be spent in London. After 3 days in hospital in Malta, I was transferred to a hospital ship for England. We did the voyage in 6 days, and crossing the Bay of Biscay was quite a pleasure. I had a very close view of the far-famed Rock of Gibralta, and can tell you it is 'some' rock.

We arrived in Southampton on the evening of the 20th of September and disembarked onto the hospital train that was waiting for us. We had a 5-hour journey to Birmingham and I was at the Northfield hospital for 4 days until there was room for me at the Australian hospital. The journey down to London was lovely. We passed through some very pretty country. It seemed so different to Australia. Everything was so green and fresh looking, and you would actually think there was no war at all.

When we arrived at Paddington station, after doing 120 miles in two and a quarter hours, we changed trains for Harefield, our present home. The Australians are treated very well here, and the people make them very welcome.

We were invited to a beautiful country house owned by Lady Goodlake, who proved to be an admirable hostess. This kind lady was in her glory when entertaining the wounded soldier. Her husband the late Gereral Goodlake had the unique distinction of having the first Victoria Cross pinned on his chest by Queen Victoria, and , as you know, he was one of the heros of the Crimea War.

After enjoying a row up the river which flows through the grounds, we adjourned to the lawn, where we partook of refreshments and other good things. When this was over we went to the spacious drawing room , and the old butler gave a little speech, in which he told of the deeds of his beloved master. He showed us the uniforms and treasures which the late General accumulated during his military career. He won the first coverted Victoria Cross, the French Legion of Honour, the Egyptian Cross, and various Crimean medals and clasps.

The butler pinned the Victoria Cross and Legion of Honour on my breast for awhile [WOW, no way, what a moment] I can say the first Victoria Cross issued, has adorned my breast. [ Double WOW G-Uncle ] Before departing we gave three hearty cheers for our worthy hostess, who gave each a postcard of the house as a souvenir.

As London is only 18 miles away, I intend to spend my furlough there. I am pleased to say that I am on the road to recovery, so I intend to make the most of my 2 weeks' holiday. I am to go to a convalescent camp down at Epsom, whence I am to have my leave.

Your's, Private Ernest Ewing.

*** He married Annie Carolin Smith, Jan-Feb-Mar 1920, St.George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England.

She and her family are so far proving very elusive for me from this end. I have just received Ernest's Army record, and can't wait to see if he was still in the AIF then, is it where he met her in the area or when he was hospitalised or indeed was she a nurse.

*** He died back in Burwwod, Sydney 14th October 1956 aged 61. Not very old is it!, but he sure had an amazing life and adventure. Not once in his letters back home that have come to light, is there any complaints about his lot in life. He endured the terrible loss of both his Father firstly, when run over by a train when he was very young, and then his Mother so horrifically, hasn't seemed to have affected him outwardly anyway.