Grandma's Families, Chapter 2.

The "Grandma's Families" section of this site is divided so far into 3 chapters and 0 sets of appendices since this is a work in progress. Please read in sequence by following the links at the bottom of each page or use the "Quick Nav" at top right. If you wish to select individual chapters, please click on the top left link to the Sitemap page. Note that it is intended that the chapters develop the story of Grandma EWART's families and appendices will contain supporting data. The section is integrated with the Photo Gallery: “Grandma Annie EWART (née COLQUHOUN) and her families… COLQUHOUN, HUTCHISON and EWART.” Note the styles: links to individual images: …#2 . See the index to all these images here. Note these image links are clarified by the separate addition of hyperlinked thumbnails. Citation of sources is shown as …ix).

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The HUTCHISONs

This chapter describes Mary HUTCHISON and her family from Dartries, Co. Londonderry, Ireland. The thumbnail photo below is of Mary COLQUHOUN (née HUTCHISON) b.1853. Mary's clothes suggest this was after her husband William COLQUHOUN's death on 17 May 1906 at his home at 487 Vulture St East Brisbane. Remember… click on the thumbnail for the full image. Much more material to follow.

The Emigrants

Images from L: MARY COLQUHOUN (née HUTCHISON) at home…#14; Mt Irving: Home of Cochran HUTCHISON…#30;
              Click on these thumbnails for full images with text.

Image of Colquhoun family. Image of Colquhoun family.

Mary HUTCHISON (see above) arrived in Brisbane, Queensland on 6 Jul 1877 on the 'Rodell Bay' as a free passenger with her brother Cochrane HUTCHISON and his wife Mary Louisa HUTCHISON (née MORELL). Significantly on the same ship was her future husband William COLQUHOUN who travelled as an assisted immigrant with his present wife Marion COLQUHOUN (née CORSON) and his brother James Buchanan COLQUHOUN …1). The HUTCHISONs settled near Mount Irving near Toowoomba and the COLQUHOUNs went to East Brisbane.

Origins

Images from L: 70 Sconce Rd…#22; Damhead…#24; Griffiths Damhead…#23; Dunboe Parish…#33; Griffiths Sconce Rd…#25.
            Click on these thumbnails for full images with text.

Image of 70 Sconce Rd. Image of map with Damhead Image of Griffiths Damhead. Image of map of Dunboe Parish. Image of Griffiths Sconce Rd

Where did the HUTCHISONs come from? The shipping register drew a blank.…1) However, the death certificates told us that they were both the children of William HUTCHINSON and Ann COCHRANE. Mary’s death certificate…2) said she was from Darteries downland, Co. Derry Ireland, her marriage certificate…3) gave the same parents with the birthplace of Dartries. Cochran was more specific with the origin of Damhead, Articlave, Co. Londonderry, Ireland.…4) Mary Louisa’s death certificate…5) told us she came from Ballywildrick Co. Derry which is just next to Darteries townland, and also her parents were Samuel MORRELL and Edith CASKEY. Similarly Cochran and Mary Louisa's Irish marriage certificate…6) confirmed the above.

All this enabled us to pinpoint where they lived using the Griffith's Valuation.…7) William leased Lot 8 on this map…#23. This was a 42ac lot next to the S border of the variously spelled Darteries/ Dartress/ Dartries townland. On the NE of his property was the Articlave river and the Sconce Rd ran through his land. The map of Dunboe Parish…#33 shows Dartress townland. The modern day map of Sconce Rd…#24 shows Lot 8 with the name Damhead House next to it! Now see a present day photo looking SE over HUTCHISON's Lot 8, 70 Sconce Rd, at the intersection of Sconce Rd (to R) and an unnamed lane (to L).…#22 Now, if we continue on Sconce Rd SW, just over Dunboe Rd, we find Samuel MORRELL's Lot 5 (16ac) in Knocknogher…#25. Travel SE down Dunboe Rd a short distance to MORRELL's Lot 1 in Upper Ballywildrick (68ac)… a man of substance!

Life In Ireland

Images from L: 1st Dunboe Church (a)…#28; 1st Dunboe Church (b)…#29; Castlerock Church…#27; Terrace Row Church…#26
              Click on these thumbnails for full images with text.

Image of Colquhoun family. Image of Colquhoun family. Image of Colquhoun family. Image of 1892 Nith Hotel.

What was life like for our Cochran and his sister Mary in Ireland? They were the youngest of William HUTCHISON's family. See details below.

BDM events:
Parents: William HUTCHISON (1798- 20 Dec 1883 …9)) and Ann COCHRANE (1804- 5 Jan 1875 …10))
Children:Joseph (1826–1902); Elizabeth (1828–1915); Cochran (Snr) (1830–1847); Robert (1832–1913); William (1834–1864); Samuel (1836–1865); John (1839–1929); Anna (Nancy) (1842–1930); Cochran (1848–1934); Mary (1853–1932.

Agricultural economic conditions had not improved much by 1877 after the 1845-1849 potato famine and Cochran did not have any chance of inheriting his father's farm. Joseph, Robert, William and Samuel had emigrated to America. Cochran Snr had died at only 17. This left only 2 sons (John and Cochran) to run William's farm. William consequently followed the Irish tradition of leaving everything to his eldest remaining son, John.…8), 9) This situation might have been a push factor in Cochran's emigration?

The family was closely associated with the 1st Dunboe Church (Presbyterian) in Articlave.…#28 and …#29 In 1860 the Pew Rental List gave the pew row and pew number of the following HUTCHISONs: Andrew, Cochrane, John, Mary, Mrs, William.…12) Cochrane married Mary Louisa MORRELL on 3 Apr 1877…6) in the new Castlerock church…#27 distant from Articlave, in the same Parish of Dunboe. Note that Cochrane and Mary lived quite close to Articlave and had a long family association with this church. Why did they pick Castlerock? It wasn't a problem with the minister since the same Articlave minister John Mark performed the ceremony. Was it the reason that in 1877 the Articlave church was in a poor state of repair…11: p149) and Castlerock had just opened in 1870?…14) Similarly, when John HUTCHISON married Elizabeth Jane BELL 6 May 1879,…13) they chose the Terrace Row…#26 Presbyterian Church in Coleraine Parish… once again John Mark was the minister. Mark was 1st Dunboe minister from 1869-1906.…11: p135) Long after our HUTCHISONs had emigrated the congregation decided that the meeting house could not be repaired and the foundation of the new church…#28;…#29 was laid on 29 Aug 1935.…11: p185)

Life was hard around Articlave in those times. Alison McCaughan describes a social history of Dunboe 1870-1918.…11: p156-159) “Two thirds of men and women around the village worked on the land”. Work was hard and the hours were long. The really heavy work was done by horses, though corn was harvested with a scythe and flax pulled by hand. The wages were low. Was all this the real push factor for our emigrants?

Life in Australia

Images from L: MARY COLQUHOUN (née HUTCHISON) at home…#14; Mt Irving: Home of Cochran HUTCHISON…#30;
Cochran HUTCHISON’s family…#31; Mary Louisa HUTCHISON’s grave…#32.
              Click on these thumbnails for full images with text.

Image of MARY COLQUHOUN (née HUTCHISON) at home. Image of Colquhoun family. Image of Colquhoun family. Image of Colquhoun family.

The next record of Mary HUTCHISON…#20 after her immigration was her marriage to her fellow ‘Rodell Bay’ immigrant William COLQUHOUN on 18 Jul 1882 at the residence of the Presbyterian Minister, Telford St Toowoomba, Qld. At that time Mary was a servant and lived at Spring Vale, Westbrook Qld, not far from Toowoomba. Her brother Cochran and his wife Mary Louisa were the witnesses at the marriage.…3) Springvale Station is in the locality of Athol and was selected by the Burrows family about 1865,…15) just W of Westbrook Station.

Mary COLQUHOUN (née HUTCHISON)'s story is continued here in Chapter 1.

Now to Cochran's story. In 1878 Cochran and his wife Mary Louisa took up close settlement blocks in the Westbrook Homestead Resumption at Mt Irving in the Aubigny area, Darling Downs.…#30 This was 20km NW of his sister's employment at Springvale Station. Cochran's grandson Lloyd HUTCHISON (1921-2011) describes the area and its history and mentions his grandparents' land aquisition.…16)

A family history must be more than mere births, deaths and marriages. It must tell us about the kind of persons our relatives were and about where they lived. One photo…#30 is worth many words! Here is a flat plain of rich volcanic soil and Mt Irving in the distance is an extinct volcano. You have to see the area to believe it. I was head teacher Science at Bonalbo Central NSW for three years. Bonalbo was at the edge of an igneous landscape not far from the rim of the Darling Downs, with outstanding subtropical rainforests as you travelled north over the McPherson Ranges to Queensland. Continue past Beaudesert, then to Toowoomba over the Darling Downs past extinct volcanoes. The ideal place for a science excursion. On the way you could look at the efforts to control Prickly Pear! Back at Bonalbo and Woodenbong Central Schools we had about 30% aboriginal students. We were on the border between the Barunggam and Bundjalung aboriginal nations. Was it possible that during the wars between aboriginals and white settlers on the Darling Downs, significant numbers of the Barunggam moved south and up into the McPherson Ranges for safety?

If you would like more about the area where the HUTCHISONs lived, I must refer you to the efforts of others for a full description. See: …16), …17), …18).

Cochran's family BDM details in Australia were:

BDM events:
Parents: Cochran HUTCHISON (12 Apr 1848-19 Aug 1934)…4), 25) & Mary Louisa MORRELL (21 Jul 1848-7 Oct 1929) …5), 25)
Children: Samuel Morrell (25 Jun 1878-1972; Robert John (26 Feb 1881- 6 Jun 1952); William Colquhoun (25 Apr 1883-17 Sep 1955); Annie Cochran (Cissie) (7 Nov 1885-6 Mar 1974); Cochran Jnr (16 Aug 1888-2 Jan 1937).
Grandchildren: William Colquhoun was the only child to marry. He married Clara Margaretha Johanna KRETSCHMAR (23 Mar 1886-13 May 1975) and their children were: Keith William (2 Dec 1912-1994); Joyce Mary (1914-1998); Ruth (1918-1964); Living; Lloyd (23 Feb 1921-27 Aug 2011).…22)

        See: Cochran HUTCHISON’s family…#31

Some of these first names rang bells! Cochran and his sister Mary COLQUHOUN (née HUTCHISON) (our great grandmother), must have been close. Our grandmother was Annie Cochran EWART (née COLQUHOU and Cochran's daughter was Annie Cochran (Cissie) HUTCHISON. Both children were named Annie Cochran after Cochran and Mary's mother Ann Cochrane. My wife remembers her grandmother vsiting up north from Sydney's winter to see Cissie HUTCHISON who would have been living at 5a Campbell St Toowoomba East, Qld at that time. Then there was William Colquhoun HUTCHISON… named after Mary’s husband?

When Mary COLQUHOUN died in 1932…2) the HUTCHISONs were mentioned:

IN MEMORIAM. COLQUHOUN.—A tribute of love to the memory of our dear Mother, Mary Colquhoun (Widow of the late William Colquhoun), who passed away at her home, 487 Vulture Street, East Brisbane, on 18th April, 1932, aged 87 years and 4 months. Inserted by her loving Daughters, Annie (Mrs. W. J. Ewart, Byron Bay) and Janet. Also lovingly remembered by her Son-in-law (Mr. W. J. Ewart) and Grandchildren (William, Dorothy, Marjorie, and Charlie), Byron Bay. Also her Brother, Mr. Cochrane Hutchison, and Family, of Mount Irving, Jondaryan.…20)

The 1912 and 1916 electoral rolls…21) showed Cochran and his family variously described living at Springrace Farm, Mt Irving, at Mt Irving and at Happy Valley Mt Irving.When Mary Louisa HUTCHISON of Happy Valley unexpectedly died on 7 October 1929 at Mt Irving and was buried at Oakey Cemetery on 8 October 1929…5) 25), 26) there was a country style obituary in the newspaper:

OBITUARY. MRS. COCHRANE HUTCHISON. HAPPY VALLEY, Tuesday.—There was laid to rest in the Oakey cemetery to-day another one of our pioneers, in the person of Mrs. Cochrane Hutchison, of Mt. Irving. The late Mrs. Hutchison had attained the grand age of 82 years. Despite her advanced years, she was still remarkably active, and retained all her faculties till the last. She had a genial nature, kind and sympathetic. She endeared herself to all she came in contact with. Like many other households, the Hutchison family was stricken down with the prevailing influenza. Although the late Mrs. Hutchison recovered sufficiently to leave her bed, it was found that her illness had weakened her heart considerably. However, on Sunday last she appeared to be in fair health, and remained with the members of her family till bedtime. On Monday morning she seemed to be as well as usual: but later in the day her daughter found her mother had passed away, apparently in her sleep. The late Mrs. Hutchison leaves an aged husband and a family of one daughter and four sons—viz, Annie, Samuel, Robert and Cochrane (Mt. Irving) and William (Irongate). To them the sympathy of the community is extended in the loss of a devoted wife and mother. The Rev. Mr Anderson officiated at the graveside, where a large crowd assembled to pay their last respects. The flags at the local schools flew at half mast. Many wreaths and messages of sympathy were received. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. Lorrimer. …19)

        See: Mary HUTCHISON’s grave…#32

Cochran died on 19 Aug 1934 at Mt Irving and was buried in the Oakey Cemetery with his wife Mary.…4), 25), 26) Probate documents and gazetted transfer of land showed that Cochran had built up considerable assets when he died.…23), …24) A true Australian pioneer!

Note: After I had accumulated a mass of research data on the HUTCHISONs of Darling Downs, I finally contacted Anne HUTCHISON who had prepared a private version 6 publication on her family, built on a succession of earlier documents prepared by her family. She very kindly let me look at this and I was overwhelmed by the breadth of material contained. At this stage I felt there was no sense in re-inventing the wheel and pressing on with fine detail of this section of our family!
See the acknowledgements below.

Sources… Chapter 2:
 
1)    Ship ‘Rodell Bay’ 1877. Register of passengers on immigrant ships arriving in Queensland.
      Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 39297. See here.
2)    Death of Mary COLQUHOUN. Reg# 1932/B/17044. Registrar of BDM, Qld.
3)    Marriage of Mary HUTCHISON & William COLQUHOUN. Reg#1882/000445. Registrar of BDM, Qld.
4)    Death of Cochran HUTCHISON. Reg# 1934/003479. Registrar of BDM, Qld.
5)    Death of Mary Louisa HUTCHISON. Reg# 1929/C/4822. Registrar of BDM, Qld.
6)    Marriage of Cochran HUTCHISON & Mary Louisa MORRELL. Reg#: M/1877/K1/1050/1/7.
      General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI)
7)    Griffiths Valuation. See here.
8)     William HUTCHINSON: Will Calendars; PRONI. See here.
9)    Death of William HUTCHINSON. Reg#: D/1883/307. Registered in Articlave Coleraine.
       General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI)
10)    Death of Ann HUTCHINSON. Reg#: D/1875/93/1008/2/389. Registered in Articlave Coleraine.
     General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI)
11)    Alison A. McCaughan. Heath, Hearth and Heart: The Story of Dunboe & the Meeting House
       at Articlave; Dunceithern Publishing Coleraine: 1988.
12)    1860 Pew Rental List: The First Dunboe Presbyterian Church, Articlave, Dunboe Parish, Co. Londonderry. See here.
13)    Marriage of John HUTCHINSON & Elizabeth Jane BELL. Reg#: M/1879/K1/1053/2/75.
      General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI)
14)    Castlerock Presbyterian Church Centenary 1870-1970. See here.
15)    Obituary Mrs Frances Burrows. Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette; 30 Sept 1925: 5. See here.
16)    Lloyd Hutchison. Gundarnian: a story of Jondaryan Station. BIG Printing Services Qld; 1994: 35.
17)    Jondaryan Woolshed Association. Jondaryan Woolshed. Qld; 1998.
18)    David Seeto & Associates. The Pioneers: Jondaryan Woolshed. David Seeto & Associates Qld; 1991.
19)    Obituary Mrs Cochran Hutchison. Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette; 10 Oct 1929: 5.
20)    In memoriam Colquhoun. Brisbane Courier. 18 April 1933: 8
21)    Australian electoral rolls.
22)    Death notice Lloyd Hutchison. Toowoomba Chronicle; 31 Aug 2011. See here.
23)    Government notice:transmission by death (Real Property Acts).
      Name of Deceased Proprietor. — Cochran Hutchison. Courier-Mail; 26 Aug 1935: 2. See here.
24)    Probate granted In the Supreme Court. Cochran Hutchison, late of Mount Irving.
      Courier-Mail; 7 Jul 1937: 13. See here.
25)    Sue Yonge-Mitchell. Oakey Cemetery : inscriptions, burial register and maps, 1893-2000. Oakey, Qld; 2001.
26)    Pers. com. Sue Yonge-Mitchell; 2019.
27)    Pers. com. and photos. Janine South; 2019.
 
      Acknowledgements… Ch.2 :
Thanks for the kindness of Anne Hutchison and the Hutchison family originally from Mt Irving, Qld. Especial thanks for the dedicated research of Keith William Hutchison (1912-1994), who was the eldest son of William Colquhoun Hutchison. Keith visited a number of the homes of Irish ancestors when he was based in England during his WW2 service in the airforce and later became a professional photographer. Anne is married to Keith’s nephew and updated Keith’s research into a photo book distributed to the descendants of Cochrane Hutchison (1848-1934). Thank you Anne for sending copies of original photos from her photo book of Mary Colquhoun (née Hutchison), Cochran Hutchison with family in 1893.
Thanks also to Richard Harris from the Canary Islands who is also a descendant of William HUTCHINSON and Ann COCHRANE. Richard has kindly corresponded with me and shared 3 certificates and also photos of HUTCHISON graves. Janine South generously travelled to the Hutchison graves in Oakey cemetery and took numerous photos for me. All much appreciated.

The Story Continues