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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Renfrewshire => Topic started by: OZScot on Tuesday 07 April 15 03:18 BST (UK)
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Hi All,
I would like to find some and more information about my Ancestors, the Ewing family. I'm from Queensland, Australia and I've found out from research over here, that I have a Scottish ancestry and am now very proud to have I must say. After travelling back through time with them, It's proven to be a unbelievable story of joy, hardship and sacrifice. They were made of just the right pioneering fortitude that helped make this wonderful country what it is today.
They were John Ewing who wed Mary McKinnon [love that sweet sounding name] and travelled to Australia obviously by ship, with it appears to be six of their children. There's a medal right there. :)
I cannot find anywhere over here on any available passenger lists when they arrived or to where they first set foot or the name of the vessel. Total blank here. John was the son of John Ewing who
wed Margaret Sproul on 17th May 1828.
I have more information about the family should anyone require some.
Cheers for now and fingers crossed.
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Hi,
My wife is related to you.
John Ewing & Margaret Sproul are her GGGG Grandparents. Their son John had a sister called Agnes who married John Tudhope.
Small world
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Hi Davieboy,
Thanks for making contact and making my day as well. Wow !!. When I started this journey I didn't know why, but something was calling and I knew I had to do it, I had to find out and I can't and won't stop. From the first little unknown discovery, that little spark in me turned into a little flame and it will keep burning forever when I find that I have relations from my mother land.
Just yesterday I finally found where John Ewing, who landed here so long ago with his wife Mary [McKinnon] and six children looking for adventure and a better life for his family, died and is buried. He is buried in a Presbyterian lot grave #2223 in the Warwick Cemetery, Queensland. I'll be going there next week.
Warwick is a country town just about an hour's drive south-west fromToowoomba.
He got a job after arriving here [that's what I need to find out] worked on the Railway line that was pushing west from Brisbane to connect with the cattle and sheep areas of the Darling Downs.
I also need to know which 'Mary McKinnon' he married as there seems to be not only a lot of them with the same name from the same time period but the same area.
I haven't followed the Agnes Ewing line yet so I'd be grateful for some information if you have it.
I had information from another tree of her marrying a 'John Robertson' but I haven't followed that up. So you say a 'John Tudhope'. I'm sure you will be right.
I hope and love to hear more from you and your wife. I'm soooooooooo excited.
I've yet to see any photos of my relations. Now that WILL be exciting. My father had blue eyes
and joined the Navy in WW-1 and when I saw his uncle's war record from when he enlisted in the Army he also had blue eyes and nearly the same height 5'9''.
Cheers for now.
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Hi
I think John Roberston / John Tudhope were the same person or that Marion was the illegitimate daughter of Agnes & John Tudhope.
In 1882 a Marion Tudhope married Peter Paterson in Paisley listing her parents as John Tudhope & Agnes Ewing. Peters parents were Peter Paterson & Agnes Kerr
In 1932 Peter Paterson died in Hillhead House, Shandon, Helensburgh listing his wife as Marion Tudhope and his occupation as a gardener. Peters parents were listed as Peter Paterson & Agnes Kerr
In 1933 Marion Paterson died at Govan in Glasgow. Her death entry stated she was the widow of Peter Paterson who was a jobbing gardener and whose usual address was Hillhead House, Shandon. Her parents were listed as Agnes Ewing "subsequently married to John Robertson".
The 1891 census shows her living in the Plantation area of Glasgow (which is next to Govan) with her husband & Agnes Robertson (Widow) so on balance I reckon Marion Tudhope / Marion Robertson are one and the same.
To be honest I cant be sure other than make an educated guess as to why.
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Hi,
Thanks for the information and the dilemma. :)
What a conundrum. Who to put into the tree ?
It looks as though you suspect John Tudhope is correct. Surely one of the names John Robertson
or John Tudhope would be missing in a census at some stage. ? [before death naturally]
Intriguing isn't it ?. That's what makes it fun and exasperating at the same time.
Thanks again and keep in touch.
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Hi All,
I know where GGGG Grandfather John Ewing and my GGGG Grandmother Margaret [Sproul] Ewing
are buried over there, they are in the Woodside Cemetery along with others I'm also related to.
Is there any way of getting what's written on the headstones and or photos of them would be better.
I've tried a billion graves and they don't have anything on or about them.
Cheers and thank you.
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Hi All,
I know where GGGG Grandfather John Ewing and my GGGG Grandmother Margaret [Sproul] Ewing
are buried over there, they are in the Woodside Cemetery along with others I'm also related to.
Is there any way of getting what's written on the headstones and or photos of them would be better.
I've tried a billion graves and they don't have anything on or about them.
Cheers and thank you.
Do you have any plot numbers?
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Yes Sir, I most certainly do.
John Ewing 29/05/1877 77yrs 72 Causeyside Paisley Lair 120 Compt 21
Margaret Ewing 13/06/1896 87yrs Moor Paisley 120 21
Isabella Ewing 07/05/1871 76yrs Brediland Moor 119 21
Mary Ewing 14/02/1925 83yrs Craw Rd Hospital Paisley 120 21
Elizabeth Ewing 08/03/1863 72yrs 15 Prussia St., Paisley two 119 21
Thomas Ewing 15/08/1858 7yrs Brediland Moor 119 21
Janet Ewing 08/09/1864 7 Months Brediland Moor 119 21
Margaret Ewing or Sharpe 32yrs Brediland Moor Paisley 119 21 *Transferred ??
Jane Ewing Douglas 45yrs Brediland Moor Paisley 119 21
Margaret Sproul Douglas 18yrs 2 Thamos St., Pailsey 120 21
Marion Muir 64yrs RA Infirmary Paisley 9 Maxwellton 119 21
There's a couple more in the same Lair/Compartment numbers
I'm not sure of through marriage I suspect like Jane Orr 24yrs, Bella Douglas 9yrs,
John Douglas 18 Months.
* I suspect this means she's not there but only in name and moved to the Sharpe
Lair/Compartment, if so she must have been much loved by them.
There maybe a Sharpe Family member out there who reads this and knows.
Put all that in your family tree ! :)
Cheers.
*** Still struggling to find the exact Mary McKinnon however who married
John Ewing and landed here in Oz and when. I'll dig out what I have or
suspect and see if there is anyone out there with the exact one.
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Yes Sir, I most certainly do.
John Ewing 29/05/1877 77yrs 72 Causeyside Paisley Lair 120 Compt 21
Margaret Ewing 13/06/1896 87yrs Moor Paisley 120 21
Isabella Ewing 07/05/1871 76yrs Brediland Moor 119 21
Mary Ewing 14/02/1925 83yrs Craw Rd Hospital Paisley 120 21
Elizabeth Ewing 08/03/1863 72yrs 15 Prussia St., Paisley two 119 21
Thomas Ewing 15/08/1858 7yrs Brediland Moor 119 21
Janet Ewing 08/09/1864 7 Months Brediland Moor 119 21
Margaret Ewing or Sharpe 32yrs Brediland Moor Paisley 119 21 *Transferred ??
Jane Ewing Douglas 45yrs Brediland Moor Paisley 119 21
Margaret Sproul Douglas 18yrs 2 Thamos St., Pailsey 120 21
Marion Muir 64yrs RA Infirmary Paisley 9 Maxwellton 119 21
There's a couple more in the same Lair/Compartment numbers
I'm not sure of through marriage I suspect like Jane Orr 24yrs, Bella Douglas 9yrs,
John Douglas 18 Months.
* I suspect this means she's not there but only in name and moved to the Sharpe
Lair/Compartment, if so she must have been much loved by them.
There maybe a Sharpe Family member out there who reads this and knows.
Put all that in your family tree ! :)
Cheers.
*** Still struggling to find the exact Mary McKinnon however who married
John Ewing and landed here in Oz and when. I'll dig out what I have or
suspect and see if there is anyone out there with the exact one.
i'll try and get there in the next couple of days. I'm not that far away
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John Ewing (age 20) & Mary MCKinnon (age 21)were married in 1855 in Glasgow on 27th November. Mary's parents were listed as Donald McKinnon & Rebecca McKinnon (ms McKinnon). Both parents are deceased at this point. It also states the parents were married in 1834 at Ailsa on the island of Mull. Witnesses were D McDonald & James Ewing.
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Wow, That is unbelievable.
Never in my wildest dreams would I think that this would or could happen.
I'm over the moon and beyond. I'm going to visit his son's grave [my hero]
the Scottish Aussie pioneer on Monday the 20th April and take some photos
of the family that started it all.
Hopefully I can post them here or send them privately. I'll try and work it out
somehow. Maybe others would like to see them?
I guess it's done via the Attachments and other options button.
I'm so glad I found RootsChat and especially you and your wife.
Cheers.
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Blimey !. You have put that to rest for me as well.
I guessed correct but had the wrong parents it seems. I had her born at Isle of Mull,
and married at Blythswood, Glasgow, Lanarkshire 27th November 1855.
I had her parents as Donald McKinnon and Peggy, so I'll correct that for sure.
Many Thanks again.
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Afraid you got it slightly wrong, davieboy! It doesn't state her parents married in 1834 - it actually states that Mary herself was born and registered Ailsa, Isle of Mull in September 1834 (may well have been born September but it was 1832!).
Her father was indeed deceased and formerly a farmer I thought (hard to read) but now I think it says pensioner.
Scotlands People has these baptisms:
Neil and Mary McKinnon, lawful twins, bp.11/10/1832 Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyllshire, dau. of Donald McKinnon and Rebecca McKinnon.
Noted some siblings:
Lachlan McKinnon, bp.31/7/1830 Kilninian & Kilmore, son of Donald McKinnon and Rebecca McKinnon.
Another set of twins:
Allan (must have died) and Sally McKinnon, lawful twins, bp.17/5/1835 (Donald shown as pensioner)
Allan McKinnon bp.8/2/1837
Cannot find the marriage of Donald McKinnon to Rebecca McKinnon which one would think to find late 1820's. However, looks like Rebecca died must have died 1837 as he swiftly appears to have remarried (with 3 children he'd have needed another wife - his youngest three all died I think):
Donald McKinnon, Pensioner, and Catherine McDonald were married 16/5/1837 Kilninian & Kilmore. No status given for any couples on the page.
1841 Census (per FreeCen): Abbass, Ulva Qs, Kilninian and Kilmore, Argyll
Donald McKinnon 65 Army Pensioner born Argyll
Catrine McKinnon 40 ditto
Catherine McKinnon 14 ditto
Lauchlan McKinnon 12 ditto
Niel McKinnon 8 ditto
Mary McKinnon 8 ditto
Spellings are as have been transcribed. Cannot find a baptism for Catherine McKinnon and wonder whether she might have been the daughter of second wife Catherine (??)
I decided to check for a military record for Donald McKinnon and think this could be him:
Donald McKinnon, private 92nd Highland Infantry, born Kilfinnichan, Argyllshire served 20years 207 (?) days having enlisted 25/5/1794 and discharged 15/12/1814 due to being worn out in the service, was wounded through the left ancle (as spelt) in Holland in October 1799 and the calf of the right leg in Egypt in ye.......(runs off the page). He was 42 when discharged (bc.1772 - this ties in with 1841 census which although states age as 65 (b.1776) aged were rounded down for the 1841 census). He was 5' 4.1/2", brown hair, hazle (as spelt) eyes, swarthy complexion. By trade a Labourer. (Army record is on FindMyPast).
Think Donald must have died between 1841 and 1851 as can't see him after 1841.
So Mary was a little older than she thought and was in fact a twin. Looks like the other twins and last child Allan must have died pre 1841.
Hope this helps.
Annette
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Hope this helps, Annette ?
Too right it does ! :) Mary a twin ?!! and two lots of them ! My brother's son
had twin girls and we said 'how did that happen? there's no twins on either side'
when it happened. Of course that was the immediate family as we knew it then.
Wait until I tell them. Does it say that 'they behaved like a bag full of monkeys for many years?' ;D
I'm sure they have been tamed since I saw them last [8yrs?]
So I can lock it in that Mary was born 11/10/1832? and she never really knew her Mother?
If that's the case there is some very sad similar cases that continued over here as well.
My father Kevin James Ewing never really knew his father James Ewing dying accidently we
have been told in Townsville and yet to establish that fact. James' father James Alexander Ewing
[another hero of mine] first born Aussie had seven children to Elizabeth Anne Sanderson and
was tragically killed when run over by a train at work. Death certificate won't be read here as you can imagine the injuries. The youngest was only 7 months, so again the siblings would never remember or know their father either.
But worse was to come. After seven years of struggling with the loss and probable management of the children and finances, their mother was to take her own life in the most dreadful way possible
for the children to see her. Poor soul. She must have been in a terrible place in her mind to do that.
The children grew up to be great Uncle's and Aunt's and the youngest Stewart who was the 7 month-year-old, went on to be a 'Rat of Tobruk', where the Australian Forces were pounded relentlessly by the far superior German fire power and they dug themselves in and failed to submit [must have been that Scottish blood most of them had] hence they were called 'Rats' of Tobruk.
Thank you Annette.
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I just want to thank both Davieboy and his wife, my newest relation,
and Annette for all their help and good work so far.
It's been brilliant to say the least and I'm fitting a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle.
If anybody needs some help from when they came over, I can surely fit a lot of pieces.
My last missing pieces that are when they left, landed and what ship. ? I think I've looked
everywhere possible here. There's a possibility that it doesn't exist.
Cheers.
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Ozscot,
I went to Woodside today and spoke to someone in the office. Unfortunately there are no grave markers or headstones for them. I went to that part of the cemetery and took a photo but its impossible to see exactly where they are interred without someone physically marking it out.
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Davieboy,
I didn't see that coming and I expected all the usual grave markers,inscriptions etc., and at first a little disappointed, but that's where they rest and now we know. I like how it's a bit overgrown, peaceful, serene and rural looking and at one with the fertile earth.
That photo you took will be put straight into the tree with pride for us to look at and future generations I hope.
Can't thank you and your wife enough. You have been a great help and we won't forget it as it will be put into out tree notes, of how we were assisted by friends and family from across the waves in Scotland.!
Cheers for now, and let's hope we can discover some more hidden family treasure.
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I forgot to mention that I'll post a photo next week on here of where John & Margaret Ewing's son, John Ewing aged 72yrs, who left Scotland [unknown date] is buried in Warwick, Queensland. From where I live in Hervey Bay, it's a 4.5 hr drive to Toowoomba to pick up my brother [Eric] and his wife [Gwendolyn] and then another hour to Warwick. It's a BIG country.
I'll try to 'drag' his two sons [Glen & Ryan] down there as well to take some happy snaps of the Aussie generation first to last of our line.
John and Mary [McKinnon] Ewing had to have left Scotland sometime after their last born Jane there in 16/12/1864 and first born here James Alexander 28/07/1867. That's an approx 31 month timeframe that's still in the dark for us. I don't know how long a voyage from there to here would have taken back then, guessing maybe up to 6 months ?. So I have maybe a missing 24-25 months.
I'll be thinking as I stand beside his grave what an incredible trip they made to the other side of the world and how his wife and their children and their families would have been standing there in terrible grief at the loss of their Patriarch and that their son James Alexander Ewing [41yrs] who would have stood there where I'll stand 108 years later, would join him just 10 months later that same year after a horrific accident that would later have a devastating effect on the rest of their families.
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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.
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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.
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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. ;)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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 :)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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*** Footnote below to this earlier piece from a letter by Earnest James Ewing about his mate in the trench called Woodsbey. I looked up his Army record for anyone related to him for future reference.
" 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. "
*** Wife, Edith Ellen May Woodsbey, Elphinstone Street, Rockhampton, Queensland. Enlisted 28th December 1914. Embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A15 Star Of England on 8 April 1915.
Killed in Action 28 June 1915, Age at death from cemetery records 45. Place of burial, Shell Green Cemetery (Plot I, Row E, Grave No. 19), Gallipoli, Turkey. Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial 58. Parents: John and Ester (nee Parkes) WOODSBEY; Wife: Edith E.M. WOODSBEY. War service: Egypt, Gallipoli. Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
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When I first found out about my GG-Grandfather John Ewing who Landed in Australia with his wife Mary and five children, I had this romantic idea that they were off on an adventure to the new world, Australia, and a new start. The last few weeks I have been doing some research and I was so wrong.!!
I will do a basic timeline which will tell a far different story. One of struggle and desparate survival for him and his family. Whilst it's the story of my GG-Grandfather, it's also the story of thousands of other migrating Scots to this country and in particular South West Queensland. I never knew about this part of our history at all.
John Ewing B:24/12/1835 - Paisley Renfrewshire. Son of John & Margaret. John was a Cotton Hand Loom Weaver. John living with the family 1841 census age 5yrs.
John marries Mary McKinnon 27/11/1855 age 20yrs. Living in Erskine 1861 census.
Financial crisis starts in Britain 1857 Western Bank closes it's doors.
American Civil War commences in 1861. Cotton exports from America to Scotland start to be cut back. Seven Cotton Mills have closed from 1857-1861 in Renfrewshire. Work times are cut by 33.3% to 50%. I'm presuming John was also a Cotton Weaver like his Father and Grandfather. Found it hard to find his job description. Now I'm presuming here that amongst all this doom and gloom, workers being put off or working fewer hours, prospects in Renfrewshire and indeed Scotland are very low and few. Things are probably getting desparate with now 5 children.
Railway Bill passed by Queensland Government on 18/8/1863 to raise 1,230,000 pounds in loans from Great Britain. Loans are secured by the Agra and Masterson Banks to build a rail line from Ipswich to Toowoomba.
John and Mary have child number six Jane on 16/12/1864. Queensland Government award Railway contract to Peto, Bassey and Betts who need as many navvies as possible for the job, and select only the best people for the job, and hire John sometime before December 1865. To entice these workers to a new land they are offered Land Orders, paid for by the Qld Government.
John, Mary and their five children [the first had passed away] board the Light of the Age on the 9/12/1865 and sail for Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Australia, and arrive on 26/3/1865. These voyages particularly sailed by the Black Ball line were virtually in squallid conditions. I have just come across a voyage to Hervey Bay[where I live] where 78 mainly children died on board the Sultana.
Meanwhile news travelled very slowly back in the day and trouble was brewing back in Queensland out on the Railway. Indeed it had started in November 1865 just before they were leaving. The navvies who were mainly city working immigrants went on strike to have their 10hr days reduced to 8hr days. They were physically unfit for such hard work.
Worse was to follow!
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After the first section of line, seven and three-quarter miles from Ipswich to Grandchester had been completed on 31/7/1865 they celebrated the official opening with a Grand Parade. The usual overabundance of back slapping Politicians attended and much feasting and celebration was had. A strike started 3 months later during the construction of the next section of line. The navvies were paid 7s 6p per 10hr shift and wanted 8s for an 8hr shift. I don't know how long the strike lasted, but things were about to become very grim.
Only a few months after the Ewing family landed, the world recession had followed them. Estimates for construction blew out because of the lining of the tunnels, land purchases and flood damage. Qld Government loans and debentures with Agra & Masterson Banks were suspended and money supply stopped. All Public works either ceased or suspended and a thousand plus workers were unemployed by August 1866. Wives and children were depending on them.
Navvies who once asked for more were willing to work for 6p per hour. Around 200 starving navvies commandeered a Train from the Station Master near Ipswich and were told only a few representatives would be spoken to by a Government representative. They were given assurances and left only to be let down. More trouble followed and eventually work recommenced slowly and by 12/4/1867 the line from Ipswich to Toowoomba was completed.
I don't know how much involvement John Ewing had in the 8hr shift strikes later, because it started before he left, but his daughter Jane Quince [Ewing] wrote in the Courier Mail on 19th May 1936 under the heading 'The First Railway', "My late Father also was one of the organisers of the 8hr movement in Ipswich".
The line from Toowoomba to Dalby was under a new contract and again a dispute between the Contractor and the Government meant that the Navvies weren't paid again, but the dispute was finally resolved in favour of the Contractor.
Next: Living conditions.
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This is Ballards Camp.
It was situated at the foot of the range below Toowoomba and named after the Engineer building the Railway line. The scene is a quintessential Australian bush landscape except it's black and white. It's called Ballard today but not a lot there to see.
This is where my G-Grandfather, James Alexander Ewing was the first born Aussie-Queenslander-Scot, to John and Mary Ewing. Yes, I said born. They lived, worked, slept, ate and had children along the Railway lines they were laying. It was July in Queensland and just 4 months after arriving and our winter had not long begun. They would have felt reasonably warm considering Scottish winters and how cold it gets there, but believe me, this area is the coldest by far in Queensland and it gets sleet and occasional snow. They would have had to snuggle and rug up close to a camp fire for sure.
This was a main camp where food and supplies would have been stored and sent to, and smaller tent camps following the progress of the line. It would have been quite a nice green, damp area this time of the year with plenty of strange birds, kangaroos and beautiful earthy smells from the trees and shrubs.
I have looked closely at this picture for some time and apart from some horses, I can see only three men posing in it and I always wonder is that John Ewing? I am still looking for the elusive photo's of John Ewing and his son James Alexander Ewing born here and grew up to be a Railway worker as well. Those two photo's are still my Holy Grail.
P.S. The photo had to be downsized unfortunately for fit. It is much better enlarged.
It is what it is and I'm sure you will still be able to smell the wonderful bush.
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This a picture of the Grand Opening celebration of the first Railway line in Queensland. It went from the town of Ipswich to Bigge's Camp which is now called Grandchester. Looking pretty smart all the 'toff's' back in the day I must say, after all it was 150 yrs ago.
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In stark contrast to the Opening celebrations, have a look at the working conditions of the men on the railway construction. [see below] I have found details of their working hours and conditions from a book titled 'Living on the Line' by Marylin Bitomsky & Lee Mylne,1995.
All camps had to be formed in a suitably picked spot at the nearest waterhole or creek. This meant that the camp was sometimes six or seven miles from the headworks and the men had to walk to work in their own time for a start of 6am. [YOU'RE KIDDING ME !!!... WOW.!!!]
A typical day: Up before daylight, walk for 4 miles or so to work for a 6am start. [I'm sorry, I'm out]. At 8am stop work for an hour for Breakfast, [that's more like it] another of one hour for Dinner [I'm back in again], work until NIGHT! [I'm out again] Knocking off at 6pm, he would have to walk back for his meat and supplies. In bed by 8.30pm. On Saturday's [What!] they knocked off at 4pm. This meant a worker would be up 93.5hrs hours a week in connection with his work.
Shifting camp was always done on Sunday's, without pay or overtime of any kind.!!! [I wonder why they went on strike? beats me. Sounds like they were just cry babies].
These men were all brought out from Great Britain by contractors and were purely and simply navvies, were all able, reliable and honest workers. In their first summers, they were tortured by the sun and some of them suffered sunstroke. [there goes my cry babies theory :)]
I cannot believe what these men and women went through. Talk about a new respect. My poor old ancestors went through all of this just to survive and eke out a modest if not a poor living standard.
Not only did my GG-Grandfather John Ewing go through all of this, he virtually worked right up until his death, according to his Daughter Jane's letter to the editor of the Brisbane Courier Mail, 19th May, 1936.
*** The term 'navvies' for workers comes from England where labourers who built the canals were jokingly called 'navigators'.
I have recently found and received some more news about our little Ewing Clan here. Will post ASAP. Still waiting for the mailman to come, posted daysago from Brisbane. He must be walking all the way with it!!! 2 weeks wait for a letter and it's not a cheque.
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I still wonder if, as I look at those last two photos of Navvies, Plate Layers and Gangers, is my GG-Grandfather John Ewing one of them? and indeed is one of these gentleman one of your ancestors as well? Just might be.
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These are the Navvies, Fettlers & Gangers. Big thick Mustaches were all the go back then.
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I've just posted the much quoted, by me, letter that I discovered on Trove that Jane Quince [Ewing] wrote and sent to the letters to the editor in the Brisbane paper, The Courier Mail on the 19th May 1936.
This is, if I may say, my 'Hand of God' letter. If Jane had not written this letter and sent it to the paper, I or we would never have known when they arrived, what ship and all the pieces of information she put in there. It's not a long letter but very succinct on facts I would never ever have known. It now seems certain that the passenger list for this voyage and landing in Moreton Bay have been lost or destroyed by flood over here and I'm fairly certain they were not kept from where they departed.
It couldn't have contained any more facts had I sat with her and ask the questions. The answers for me were all there. Spooky I say. Well I guess she could have supplied a few photos. :)
She is the beautiful strong woman on the left in a previously posted photo so graciously sent in by Victorious about the 'Four Generations'. My family now all have copies to share for generations to come. Alas, still none of John and James Alexander Ewing, my GG & G-Grandfathers. Where do all these treasures go? or end up?. I guess some people find them in a dusty old box handed down to them and they say 'who are these people?, I don't know who they are?' and just throw them away.
Such is life.
*** note for people who don't know this little computer short cut. If you want to see an image larger or indeed smaller [such as my posted letter], press and hold the control key [Ctrl] and the plus key [ + ] and the print or image will become larger with each press and if you want to decrease it or bring it back to the usual size, press the control key [Ctrl] and the minus key [ - ] and it will get smaller.
Cheers.
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This photo shows how difficult a task it was to build this Railway up the Toowoomba Range from Ipswich and Grandchester. I don't know if my GG-Grandfather worked on this part of the line or not, but whosoever did, had a perilous job. Walk to work up the mountain range probably in the dark, do 10hrs work and walk home in the dark by lamplight.
A short extract from William R Morrow in his book 'My Fifty years as a Railway Man' paints a vivid picture. 'To conquer the Range was a task at which even the boldest constructors might hesitate. To give full credit to this wonderful piece of engineering, one must remember that the engineering of that day was not up to the standard it is today. To mount the Range, grades 1 in 50, 1 in 60, and 1 in 70 had to be built as well as curves with a radius of 5 chains.'
As in all mountain railways, a great deal of excavating and tunnelling was necessary which proved very costly. Boy oh boy. I hold these workers in very high regard indeed. Toiling through the harsh Australian summer sun to the very coldest climes in Queensland. Look at what they went through to what I went through.
Yes I've worked in the sun on a refinery construction site in Gladstone, Queensland. We had a union rule back then, if we could prove more than seven drops of rain on an opened Courier Mail newspaper, we could retreat to the lunch room until this 'deluge' was over. Stop laughing, it's true.
Here's another joke. We also went on strike because the company supplying our lunch sandwiches, as one of 12 choices offered a plain old beetroot one, apart from hams and corn meat & pickles etc. How dare they do that to us! We went on strike for 3 weeks because we thought that they insulted us.! TRUE!
These poor old workers on the early railways will be turning in their graves, and now I feel ashamed.
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Following on from those last posts about how hard these workers had toiled, I have been trying to trace my GG-Grandfather and his/my Family's Journey from Paisley, Scotland and around his working and living areas here. I have had some success, but many stones are still left to turn and be found.
I went back to Jane Ewing's letter she wrote. She stated that her Father was working essentially right up until he died. Well, he was 72yrs when he died! She said he last worked on the Inglewood line. So I went looking and found him sure enough working in 1906 on the 55mile, Thane to Goondoowindi Railway Extension. Well, the Warwick to Thane line was completed in 1904, but the Thane to Inglewood was completed in 1907. That's when he died. She was right!
I googled 'Thane' because it sounded like a warrior's name or at least a Star Trek creature from another planet. Well, coincidently it said, 'In Scotland a man, often the chief of a Clan, who held land from a Scottish King'. John Ewing, the chief of our Clan from Scotland, that'll do.
I had to know more, what happened to him to suddenly stop? had he finally had enough? too old to be out in the blazing sun at his age? Yes! Surely he wouldn't just give up when the line was all but completed? We don't give up! No Way! Please let it not be another horrible accident like his son James Alexander endured.
I thought and felt the worst. I bought his Death Certificate and downloaded the original image. I didn't open it up. Suddenly for whatever stupid reason, I baulked and left it unopened for some 30-40 minutes. Crazy? Yes. Plenty of people will back that up. I waited for my wife to come home. Yes, I'm a BIG sook as well. I poured 2 glasses of Wither Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and we toasted to good fortune for John Ewing. Yes, I needed a bit of his courage right now and maybe celebration.
But alas, it wasn't what I expected and indeed he deserved. I know life isn't meant to be easy, but for some it's harder than usual. A lot of us today have and are still standing on this man's broad shoulders and are and will be forever grateful through thick and thin.
As I opened the ageing brown coloured original file, the first thing that hit me was the elegantly written long hand writing in the document. Sadly another dying art and it was an art back then and probably still is. Even I now print. My eyes scrolled across to the 'Cause of Death' column.
We both read silently and then said 'WHAT!' Who dies of chronic appendicitis. Well little if anyone these days, but apparently there was no operation or treatment back then, well at least in Warwick, Queensland. Then underneath it also said, Marasmus, Asthenia. Duration: Some months.
We googled these old medical terms and soon realised he was in a lot of pain and his body was wasting away and became very frail until heart failure. He suffered badly and died aged 72yrs and worked hard all his life right up until he could no longer. RIP.
Strangely or not so now, my brother and I have both had our appendix removed. We had the sharp pain for a few days, diagnosed and quickly removed. Anyone who has had it knows all about the pain that doubles you over. That is the garden variety apparently, but chronic back in the day goes on for weeks and sometimes many months. He would have been working with it the tough old Scotsman.
*** If anyone is related to the John Ewing family in any way and would like the Certificate I would happily send them a copy.
*** If anyone from Wither Hills in Marlborough, NZ read this post, please send, well, two dozen bottles ought be just enough for the free plug, Sauvignon Blancs to .... ME :) care of Rootschat.
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Now I have a plea for some assistance with some either lost over here or forgotten information. We have searched over here for a long time without any luck.
When John and Mary Ewing [McKinnon] left for Queensland from the Clyde on the 9/12/1865, and in the absence of a passenger list anywhere for this voyage, certainly not over here in any records, we have assumed that they brought all of their children, Margaret, Rebecca, John, Mary and Jane with them. Daniel the first child died not long after birth.
I have been able to trace the movements of all the children except for John who was 4yrs 8mths old when leaving and 4yrs 11mths if he arrived. No trace at all! I haven't been able to establish if he died in Scotland prior to them leaving either. We found him in the 1861 Census a day old living in Erskine.
I never gave a thought to maybe he died on the voyage until a few days ago. Perish the thought. I went back to read again the log of the ship 'Light of the Age' because I remembered there were 10 deaths on the ship. It states, 'The health of the passengers throughout has been very good and only ten deaths occurred, and these were all infants.' It goes on to say that among the passengers, under 14,31: infants,15:
Can only be, if he boarded, that he died on the voyage and was buried at sea. It now seems certain unless someone or a relative knows the facts from maybe Scotland. Did he board the ship or pass away before hand. Can this be any more painful for John and Mary? I think not.
The other mystery we now need to solve from the Death Certificate is the sudden and totally unexpected appearance of an unknown born child over here Ernest Ewing in the 'Issue, in order of Birth, their Names and Ages' column. It has all correctly, Living: Margaret 49, Rebecca 48, Jane 42, James 39, William 36, Catherine 35, Ernest 29. Then underneath that it says 'Dead 2 males and 1 female'.
The female referred to would be Mary who died 25/12/1871 age 8yrs, but probably excluded was Mary #2 who died at birth here 21/6/1878 to 22/6/1878 and the 2 males would be Daniel and because John isn't there it would be him, so he's confirmed dead but where and when? No record yet, so my theory at sea is looking most likely. It would have to be recorded somewhere. If here it may have been lost in that flood I mentioned awhile back.
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Now the mysterious Ernest Ewing age 29yrs. Virtually no information so far, only some educated guesses. First of all he must exist and be their child as he is on the list with the others that contains the correct order. Age is a puzzle, exactly 29yrs has him born somewhere's 1878 and that was the year young Mary was born 21/6/1878 and died a day later.
Was he her twin brother then? Mary had a twin brother Neil McKinnon and 5yrs later another set of twins were born into her family Alan & Sally McKinnon. So twins probably not out of the question. Because one died was there a mix up in the paperwork perhaps?
I checked the ages for accuracy attached to the children because my wife comes from a large family and when asked how old is such and such now, she can only guess within +1/-1 yrs of the older brothers and sisters. You don't realise that some had left home while she was a little girl and didn't see a lot of them. John & Mary Ewing's family have a spread of 20yrs from Margaret [49] to now Ernest [29].
The result was mixed which means someone like the informant to the registrar Jane Quince [Ewing] was guesstimating perhaps. Margaret was +4mths, Rebecca -5mths, Jane +11mths, James +5mths, William +17mths and Catherine +1mth. However, they were nearly all correct if rounded down except Rebecca was actually 47yrs 7mths, but William was 37yrs 5mths, way off. I did that to see how accurate 29yrs would likely be for my new mystery Ernest Ewing or was his name Ernest Andrew Ewing?.
The only person likely that ticks a lot of boxes but doesn't deliver a knock out blow is the above gentleman. I found a burial record for him B:1878? D:8/8/1950 South Brisbane Cemetery. Mary Ewing and Daughters are also buried there. The Birth year is about right, buried same Cemetery 28yrs later than his perhaps Mother Mary.
His first name 'Ernest' hasn't to my knowledge been used before him, but it was used 3 times by his older sisters when they married. His middle name 'Andrew' was the name of the 12th of 13 children of John Ewing and Margaret Ewing [Sproul] John Ewing's parents. [I, to this point know nothing about Andrew Ewing]
He married Mary Elizabeth Bakey in 1901. They had a child called him Ernest Edward Ewing in 1903. His wife is also buried there 4/7/1967 and lived another 17yrs after his death to a ripe old 90yrs.
All a bit flimsy and circumstantial but it's all I've got thus far.
If someone out there knows anything I would sure appreciate a clue or two about Ernest Ewing and others. Thanks.
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Very interested to read this thread and the voyage of discovery looking for John Ewing of Warwick, QLD. John of Warwick QLD was a brother of Margaret Ewing who married William Sharp in Paisley and died young. Margaret Ewing and William Sharp are my gt gt grandparents, through their son John Sharp b abt 1854 and raised with the Ewings at Bredilandmoor near Paisley. Thus I was very interested to read the lair information posted with the Sharp reference! John Sharp my great grandfather emigrated to Otago New Zealand about 1872 where he was a roading contractor and bush farmer in the Blue Mountains of South Otago. A son of his John Ewing Sharp was in the Otago Mounted Rifles and was killed at Gallipoli in the August offensive on Chunuk Bair, so I was also very interested to read the posts about Ernest James Ewing. I have the large framed photo of "Ewen Sharp" (as he was known) that hung in his parents' house in South Otago. A few snippets - John Sharp b abt 1854 in Paisley had siblings William (died in Scotland, but widow and children emigrated to NJ, USA) and Margaret (emigrated to PA, USA) - a descendant in NY has a very good oil painting of the Ewing home at Bredilandmoor apparently painted by the last-mentioned William Sharp (figures included - one I like to think is Margaret Sproul!). I'm afraid I don't know of any photos of John Ewing/ Margaret Sproul, or of the next generation other than one of the younger daughters in the large Ewing family. There is a photo on the net however of Margaret Sproul's brother Adam Sproul who went out to Sydney as a guard on a convict ship in the 1830s, got himself into trouble and ended up as a convict himself in Tasmania! All interesting stuff! Regards, Peter Grant (Hanmer Springs, North Canterbury, NZ)
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Very interested to read this thread and the voyage of discovery looking for John Ewing of Warwick, QLD. John of Warwick QLD was a brother of Margaret Ewing who married William Sharp in Paisley and died young. Margaret Ewing and William Sharp are my gt gt grandparents, through their son John Sharp b abt 1854 and raised with the Ewings at Bredilandmoor near Paisley. Thus I was very interested to read the lair information posted with the Sharp reference! John Sharp my great grandfather emigrated to Otago New Zealand about 1872 where he was a roading contractor and bush farmer in the Blue Mountains of South Otago. A son of his John Ewing Sharp was in the Otago Mounted Rifles and was killed at Gallipoli in the August offensive on Chunuk Bair, so I was also very interested to read the posts about Ernest James Ewing. I have the large framed photo of "Ewen Sharp" (as he was known) that hung in his parents' house in South Otago. A few snippets - John Sharp b abt 1854 in Paisley had siblings William (died in Scotland, but widow and children emigrated to NJ, USA) and Margaret (emigrated to PA, USA) - a descendant in NY has a very good oil painting of the Ewing home at Bredilandmoor apparently painted by the last-mentioned William Sharp (figures included - one I like to think is Margaret Sproul!). I'm afraid I don't know of any photos of John Ewing/ Margaret Sproul, or of the next generation other than one of the younger daughters in the large Ewing family. There is a photo on the net however of Margaret Sproul's brother Adam Sproul who went out to Sydney as a guard on a convict ship in the 1830s, got himself into trouble and ended up as a convict himself in Tasmania! All interesting stuff! Regards, Peter Grant (Hanmer Springs, North Canterbury, NZ)
Can you get a photo of the painting and i'll see if the house still stands today.
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Hi Peter and Davieboy.
I haven't fallen off the perch and I haven't posted for awhile, but I have been very busy chasing up a lot of my tree information. Fantastic Information Peter and I'll be chasing that up and thank you. Peter I hope you can chase up and track down those paintings and take some pictures to share. The Faimly trees look exceptional with a picture beside the name even if it's a grave or a headstone.
Speaking of that Peter in the Paisley Cemetery Co records it says beside Margaret Ewing or Sharp 32yrs died 28/4/1864 and then it says Bridiland Moor then transferred to Mrs. Catherine Brown in May 1924. ?? Do you know of a connection there? Total mystery to me at this time. That's 60 years later!
Also of interest to you maybe the 1861 Census where there are living at Bridiland Moor, 10 Ewing family members and I think they left off baby John who was one day old! [there's a BIG mystery to him which I'll explain in another post], 4 Sharp members, Margaret Sharp daughter Margaret Sharp grand-daughter, John Sharp grandson, William Sharp grandson, Marion Thudhope niece. That's 16! and no William Sharp Father. Obviously no room for him. :) I hope this painting of Bridland Moor is a big house. I couldn't last a week with that many. I love children ... when they visit. :) Davieboy has a connection with Marion Thudhope as well.
Now about Ernest James Ewing our Gallipoli soldier who got married in London when the war was over to Annie Caroline Smith daughter of Sylvester Smith who was a musician, they came back to Australia and had a boy and called him Ernest Sylvester Ewing. He at some stage emigrated to America and married [so I'm told, yet to verify] Joan Haley in Yonkers NY and died 30th Aug 2006 in Dallas Texas. Again family rumour [none have been right yet so here's hoping] was involved in Engineering and Aeronautics and was said to have been the first person to fly a helicopter around the Empire State Building! Hmmmm.... That's way out there! Must have some grain of truth, you couldn't make that up surely.
I'll post later some really big finds I've made and a few with more questions than answers and I'm currently waiting on Police Freedom of Information questions that date back 141 years!!! If they get back to me but to be fair it's only a week so far.
Cheers,
I'll post again shortly.
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This is a picture of a Ship that was 'similar' to the Light of the Age. The only other photo that I have found on the net that is called the Light of the Age is a painting of a two-mast ship, but the real ship had three masts and was built in 1855 in Massachusetts and was called 'Beacon Light' and she was a fast large wooden clipper and sold eventually to the Black Ball Line and up until 1866 she had carried many thousands of immigrants to Australia not only Queensland.
Now I have been searching for quite some time and others have been as well for the passenger list that brought John & Mary Ewing to Moreton Bay Qld on 26.3.1866. I contacted Government Depts in Qld for the list and they said that it virtually doesn't exist because it's not in their records and was probably washed away in one of the many big floods they have had in Brisbane over the years.
Probably so!, however I managed to get hold of something similar that proves beyond doubt that they indeed were on that ship and arrived on that date in Moreton Bay, Brisbane Qld. I was so excited!!!!. I'm posting it here for all to see and there are hopefully some names of ancestors that you may be familiar with. This is a rare piece of information to say the least. I have a lovely lady in our local Library to thank. She found it tucked away and forgotten on an old microfiche.
We think it may be from the ships voyage account. Hope it downloads in a readable state so I'll name the columns in case not.
Date and No of Contract Ticket.
PASSENGER
Agent
Place
Assisted
Free
Ship for which Contract Ticket is Issued
Passage
Ship-Kit
Now I hope there is someone out there who may have an accounting background or similar knowledge from the period that can definitely explain what it means. We had an attempt and think something like this in the case of John Ewing & Family, 5th legible name from the bottom.
It was written up in Dec 1865 [the ship sailed 9/12/1865] and the Agent was Rennie of Glasgow, 4 in the free passage? column. There were five children & 2 adults.?? 'Ship-Kit'? We think it has to be Ships' Kitchen with a cost. Some 10/6, £1/11/6 and because we are well known big eaters they charged us £2/2/0. Just kidding we are humongous eaters :). Does anyone know? Remember there were a lot of free passengers who were employed to work on the Railway Construction.
***Please note on the list use scroll bar at the bottom to see all the columns.
I'll repeat this is 'very' rare and could be the only record of anyone from this particular voyage.
I hope someone can prove that statement wrong, but I'm betting against it.
Cheers.
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Silly me forgot the Coup de Grace.!
Hard to read but it certainly puts to bed what this voyage was all about, where she came from, what date Dec' 1865, the name of the ship, the workers job descriptions and where they were going .
I think it reads after Brought forward: The following are Navvies sent out [I think] in the Light of the Age under selection for the Railway Works. The amount for Ship Kip [I have no idea] and Commission being defrayed by the Owners.
I welcome any deciphering help.
P.S. use scroll bar at the bottom to slide across.
Cheers.
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Hi both - sorry to be so long in replying.... life is getting in the way of research!
I have a bad photo of the painting of the house at Bredilandmoor(muir) and will post it sometime - when I find it. It was basically a large cottage, but I still do not understand how they slept 16 in there. As Paisley expanded, it was subsumed by Foxbar, and I have a copy of a newspaper article calling the cottage the last of the old style cottages when it was demolished for a housing estate. I must dig out the notes and check because I am sure another old family letter (from Scottish Sharps to New Zealand Sharp cousins c1910) says that Breliandmoor had burned down and one of the Ewing aunts (sister of John Ewing of Warwick) was so upset about it that she took ill and nearly died!
Re Foxbar, Wikipedia says (rather ominously)... "Foxbar is an area of Paisley, bordered by the Gleniffer Braes and Paisley town centre. Consisting mostly of residential areas, Foxbar has rapidly grown over the past century to be one of the largest housing areas in the town. An area of low socioeconomic levels and poor social mobility, the local authority (Renfrewshire Council) has invested significantly in the area, which nowadays boasts multiple community centres, public parks and social areas". Hmmm.... :'( The semi-rural idyll of the Ewing-era Bredilandmoor appears to have been rather spoiled!
My research links the weaving John Ewings to Kilbarchan (John Ewing = Margaret Maxwell), then the move to Bredilandmoor. The wife of the next John Ewing was Margaret Baird who (rather unusually despite her Scots name) was born in England. Perhaps her father was an Army private or similar. As weavers I recall that the Ewings were involved in the social unrest in the first half of the 19th century. Various newspaper articles show the Ewings at Bredilandmoor, the last being an assault by John Ewing on his wife Margaret Sproul - not long before he died.
Interested to hear you had found proof of the Ewing arrival in QLD on the Light of the Age (couldn't see the name on the scans). All of my ancestors had arrived in New Zealand from Scotland, Ireland and England by 1879, but the only one I cannot find the ship for is my gt grandfather John Sharp's arrival in Otago NZ from Scotland (nephew of John Ewing of Warwick QLD). All I know is oral tradition from one of his daughters who told me when in her 90s that her father arrived in Otago when he was 18, having come out to New Zealand as a groom to some stud Clydesdales being imported by Robert Charteris, a farmer of East Taieri, Otago. Maybe John Sharp slept alongside his charges in the hold and was missed off the passenger list!! :)
Currently watching Australia resoundingly beating NZ in the netball champs, but enjoyed seeing NZ hold onto the Bledisloe Cup in the rugby last night!
Regards,
Peter
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Hi Peter,
Just when I was beginning to like you, you had to mention the Rugby. Oh well we win everything else I suppose. :)
A very big surprise to me was that John Ewing of Warwick Qld didn't follow the generational family footsteps of weavers. Well, maybe he did very early and very young perhaps. Maybe the jobs were starting to fall or drop right off because of the cotton shortage caused by American Civil war.
On his Marriage certificate his father's [also John] listed profession was weaver, but John of Warwick Qld was 'platelayer'. Big surprise that he already was one when he came here and the reason he was selected obviously. Poor Mary signed with an 'x' as did Margaret Sproul in her marriage certificate.!
Sounds like John when he came here carried on some of the unrest as he was a strong advocate for the 8hr work days as cited by his daughter Jane in her story on Trove. I found where John Ewing and others formed a 'Union' of sorts to take their fight to the Parliament at some stage. I also found where he was collecting monies from workers for the fight. Today it's called 'Union fees'.
Can you tell me where you got the information from, where John Ewing assaulted poor Margaret Sproul? Is there a Scottish digitised newspaper like the Australian 'Trove'? If there is I'm dying to delve into it because I'm trying to see which John Ewing has run into some trouble here. John had a son born 1861 in Paisley and wouldn't you know it he called him John as well and that's the problem. He has totally dropped off the face of the Earth. He landed here with them and the only trace of him we have found is on John of Warwick's DC where he has died. So he was alive between 1861 and 1907 and that's all we can find. No marriage, no death or burial.
There are a few mentions of a John Ewing in Qld Police Gazettes but just the name. No age, no date of birth just the name. Dilemma, which one is he? All the mentions have occurred in Brisbane. John of Warwick was essentially working all the rail lines on the South and Western Railway which is quite a distance from Brisbane for those days of horse and buggy, Cobb & Co and the completed lines.
I'm essentially trying to rule one or the other out or in, and I think like most a leopard won't change it's spots, so if I can find anything out about John Ewing's past, who brought his family here, before he came it may very well seal the case. He was born 1835 and arrived here in 1866. So I guess maybe the years 1850-1865.
Unless someone out there knows where infant John Ewing went or what happened to him, it's a total dead end.
Cheers.