EDWARD and HANNAH DESCENDANT NEWSLETTER

Issue No 1/13

Welcome to the first issue of the Friendship Times for 2013, you will see where we have a social event in this issue. Remember I am looking for short stories on any of your interesting finds in your family, have you found like a war hero, may be a bushranger, a pioneer or a VIP.

January Meeting held in February;

A good roll up was at the meeting considering the weather on the day.
The meeting used some very comfortable chairs courtesy of Cronulla Sharks Football Club. This was much better than using the park sitting under umbrellas and enduring the cool wind that was around.
Most of those there then enjoyed a good talk while having lunch in the club and what was served to some as a small meal were very large. /

“Edward & Hannah Corner”

January this year marked the 225 year anniversary of Edward & Hannah’s arrival in Sydney and February marks the 225 year anniversary of the death of Elizabeth Parker, Edward’s partner reported as the first white woman to die in the colony.

In issue No 6/12 of the Friendship times I noted I would add more information on Hannah’s burial at Sydney Devonshire St Cemetery. (Sandhill cemetery)

In 1901 the cemetery ground was required for Sydney Central Station and the Government Gazette 17th January 1901 ordered all headstones and remains be moved to other cemeteries. Those who were not moved by family the Government moved to what was called Bunnerong now called Botany. PUGH Hannah, D 15/10/1826 remains were moved by the Government and reburied in Section 3S Nr 49. The remains were buried side by side in trenches. Also moved was Hannah’s headstone. There were some 4500 headstones surviving in 1901 and 2285 were transferred to Bunnerong.

In 1969/71 the surviving headstones were transcribed and details published in a book “Gravestone Inscription” by. Keith A Johnson and Malcolm Sainty. In 1969/71 Hannah Pugh’s headstone was standing in poor condition. Sometime after 1969/71 Hannah Pugh’s headstone was buried along with others that were considered not worth saving some of which had been vandalised. There are now 746 headstones that have survived standing in “Pioneer Memorial Park” at Botany Cemetery.

Most of this information comes from books on early graves by Keith A Johnson and Malcolm Sainty

“Quiz”; Can you Name three consecutive days without using Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Introducing …… Heather Brownett.

Well hello ‘cousins’. As ‘cousin’ Terry said it is very hard to write about one’s--self…where do I begin…at the start I suppose!!

I am a descendant of Edward Pugh & Hannah Smith’s (my GGGG/Grandparents) youngest child, their daughter, Charlotte Pugh and one of her partners Samuel Browne (no proof of marriage)

My line is Edward Pugh & Hannah Smith; Charlotte Pugh & Samuel Browne; Samuel Browne/tt ; Samuel Horace Brownett ; Herbert Brownett; Horace Brownett

I was born at Katoomba in the family’s little rented cottage in 1950, one of four children (2nd eldest daughter -3 girls 1 boy). My family moved to a little, then unknown, town called Mt Druitt (near Minchinbury) when my parents purchased a War Service home in the late 50’s. I attended the nearby Primary and High schools and then later, secretarial college. I have had a few positions in my working life including shop assistant, process worker and lastly receptionist/bookkeeper/accounts/office manager.

I married, had two beautiful little girls and then divorced. Then almost 34 years ago I met my soul-mate and best friend, Doug Hill. We have had an interesting life together (well to us anyway) being self-employed in two industries. Firstly, in Horticultural with a wholesale nursery and then Manufacturing in the ceramic/giftware trade. Our giftware manufacturing business was very successful, with Doug sculpting some of our range and supplying such retail outlets such as Harvey Norman, Frisco Furniture, Oz Design, Freedom Furniture, Grace Bros, Hourglass Jewellers and most of the leading gift stores Australia wide. This took us up and down the east coast of Australia so I got to see things and places I never would have seen if I hadn’t met Doug. /

We closed our business in the early 90’s as Doug contracted (and still suffers from) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which some of you might know that it is/can be very debilitating.

Well my girls grew up and now I have one granddaughter and six grandsons while Doug’s two sons have given us three more grandkids (two grandsons and one granddaughter)….they live interstate so we don’t see them as often as we would like….pity!

Doug is/was an avid Finch breeder and we both joined The Finch Society of Australia back in the mid 90’s. Doug was Club President from 2000 to 2007 raising the profile and the membership numbers dramatically in that time. I was Membership Secretary for 10 years and Editor for 11 years and now both of us are Life Members. Doug reluctantly had to give up his birds a few years back due to his ongoing CFS and heart problems which he developed back in 2008.


/ In 2006 as a fitness and exercise regime we took up martial arts, Go Kan Ryu Karate and to this day we are still training and recently graded to Shodan Ho - Black Belt. It has taken us awhile to get there with our age and health issues, but we made it!!! We have found it to be one of the best things we have ever done in our life. GKR’s motto is “Karate a Way of Life” and it is. That is what we have found as we have made so many dear friends through training.

We are both instructors now and teach our own ‘little’ class (30 to 40 students). I am also a Level 2 Tournament Judge/Referee and we enter as many tournaments as we can and have been quite successful over the years winning many Regional, State and Australasian medals in our respective age/grade divisions. We are no “Bruce Lee’s” but we enjoy our hobby/way of life immensely.

Both of us enjoy researching our family history…while Doug is not a descendant of a First Fleeter, his family history is by no means boring, in fact it is quite interesting. We both have been tracing our family trees spasmodically for over 25 years now and in that time we have made some treasured friendships…..and that’s where is all began for our little Society….”THE FRIENDSHIP”.

Social Corner from John & Narelle Guard

On Saturday 5th January 2013, Lynda the youngest daughter of Narelle & John Guard, married Dan Palmer at 7am, on the beach at sunrise at their home at Kakapo Bay NZ.. Later, followed by a sit down breakfast in the garden joined by 25 guests. At 1pm another 15 Family & Friends arrived to join us for a BBQ down in the orchard under the 100yr old pear tree, in the shade. The day was 28deg clear, fine and sunny. Absolutely amazing.. Several friends pitched their tents by the sea. The young ones partied for 2 days. Lynda & Dan will live in Wellington where Lynda has been offered a position as an Audiologist at The Hutt Hospital. Dan is an Ecologist for The Dept. of Conservation.


The Wedding /
John & Narelle with Dan & Lynda

“Morgan’s Run” by Colleen McCullough

Robert Burns, sent to us via Carmen on the 26th November 2012 an extract of the book and it makes interesting reading, but please remember the book is a fictional account of events with some historical facts mostly about Richard, this is why I believe that there are some records and notes on Ancestry.com that Edward and Elizabeth were married and Elizabeth had a child that was born and died in goal before she gave birth to another child who came with Elizabeth and died within 3 weeks of arriving in Australia.

In fact the child who came with Elizabeth died in June 1788. Also I have paid for a professional research of Gloucester Gaol records and Gloucester City Archives and no record can be found of them being married or even the birth of the child Ann/Nancy who came with Elizabeth to the colony.

“Quiz answer”; yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Thank you Heather for your story and I have to apologise to Heather as it is not as complete as she sent it to me I had some technical difficulties, like the photo of her and Doug in their Go Kan Ryu Karate uniform kept breaking up into three parts but only the top two parts would reproduce the bottom third is lost somewhere in cyber space in my computer.

Thank you to Narelle and John for sharing their family celebrations with us all.

Next Meeting;

The next meeting on 23rd March will be at Carmen’s place, her new family home at 54 Woodview Ave Lisarow on the Central Coast.

Regards Ray (February 2013)