| [Index] |
| Eleanor Ellen HICKEY (1819 - 1875) |
| Children | Self + Spouses | Parents | Grandparents | Greatgrandparents |
|
Elizabeth BOYD (1834 - 1876) John BOYD (1837 - 1908) Margaret BOYD (1839 - 1898) Ellen BOYD (1842 - 1940) Thomas BOYD (1845 - 1931) James BOYD (1847 - 1916) Rosanna BOYD (1848 - 1930) Mary Ann BOYD (1850 - 1937) Bridget BOYD (1855 - 1906) Edward Edwin BOYD (1860 - 1935) Robert Frank Quin BOYD (1864 - 1901) |
Eleanor Ellen HICKEY (1819 - 1875) + Thomas BOYD (1798 - 1885) |
Maurice HICKEY (1787 - ) | ||
| Bridget QUINN (1789 - ) | ||||
| b. abt 1819 at Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia |
| m. 05 Mar 1834 Thomas BOYD (1798 - 1885) at Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia |
| d. 06 Sep 1875 at Tumut, New South Wales, Australia aged 56 |
| Parents: |
| Maurice HICKEY (1787 - ) |
| Bridget QUINN (1789 - ) |
| Siblings (2): |
| James HICKEY (1815 - ) |
| Thomas HICKEY (1823 - 1824) |
| Events in Eleanor Ellen HICKEY (1819 - 1875)'s life | |||||
| Date | Age | Event | Place | Notes | Src |
| abt 1819 | Eleanor Ellen HICKEY was born | Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | ||
| 1834 | 15 | Birth of daughter Elizabeth BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 05 Mar 1834 | 15 | Married Thomas BOYD (aged 36) | Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1837 | 18 | Birth of son John BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1839 | 20 | Birth of daughter Margaret BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 16 Sep 1842 | 23 | Birth of daughter Ellen BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 01 May 1845 | 26 | Birth of son Thomas BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1847 | 28 | Birth of son James BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 22 Sep 1848 | 29 | Birth of daughter Rosanna BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1850 | 31 | Birth of daughter Mary Ann BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1855 | 36 | Birth of daughter Bridget BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1860 | 41 | Birth of son Edward Edwin BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 1864 | 45 | Birth of son Robert Frank Quin BOYD | Gilmore, New South Wales, Australia | 73 | |
| 06 Sep 1875 | 56 | Eleanor Ellen HICKEY died | Tumut, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Personal Notes: |
|
ELEANOR Elled BOYD nee Hickev
by Neil B Gill Ellen Boyd was born Eleanor Hickey, the daughter and second child of two lrish Convicts. Most of the early colonial children who were born in New South Wales were born to convict parents. These children were known as 'Currency Lads & Lasses' which distinguished them from The Sterling' who were considered fortunate to have been born in Great Britain. Ellen was the classic 'Currency Lass'. Early times in the fledgling colony of New South Wales were indeed rough and challenging and were even more so for some than others. ln 1809 the colony consisted of either convict or military personnel with the majority of settlers being emancipated convicts. Parramatta was a main town situated inland from Sydney Town and which was reached by both road and water. A military barracks was located here and many convicts were assigned to work in this region. lt is in this year, on 14 August at Port Jackson, that a man named Maurice Hickey arrived per the ship Boyd. He was sentenced to 'Life' in the Australian Colonies. A 'hedger' by trade, around 22 years of age and a native of Waterford, lreland where he was tried, his skills were of great use to many. Maurice was assigned to work in the Castle Hill area prior to his marriage to Bridget Quinn at St. John's R/C Church, Parramatta on 1 June 1812' Bridget also came to the colonies as a convict arriving on 2 July 1811 at Port Jackson per ship Providence to serve a sentence of '7 years'. Bridget was a native of Dublin, lreland who was around 23 years of age at this time. The marriage was performed by the renowned Rev Samuel Marsden by Banns. Ellen (Eleanor) was born to this marriage around 1819 at Parramatta, but she wasn't baptised until 1821 along with her elder brother, James Hickey, who was born around 1815. Although this Baptism was registered at St.Mary's R/C Church, Sydney and was performed by the Rev. J. J. Therry, it is reasonable to assume that the ceremony took place at or near their place of abode at the time, which was Castlereagh, located at the foot of the Blue Mountains between Penrith and Richmond. Athird child, Thomas Hickey, was born around 1823 and baptised that year also at St.Mary's. Ellen's life as a child would have been extremely tough. Her father had received his 'Ticket Of Leave' (TOL) & 'Conditional Pardon' (CP) by 1824 after he requested a reduction in his sentence when he wrote a 'Memorial' to Gov. Lachlan Macquarie in 1819. He wrote a further'Memorial'to Gov. Thomas Brisbane requesting a 'Grant of Land' in 1824. Ellen's family was at this time living on a rented farm in the District of Baulkham Hills, which is not far from Parramatta. For the next few years it is thought that the family remained around the Parramatta area and according to the '1828 NSW Census', her father was a 'hedger' in Parramatta and was 41 years of age with her mother shown as being 40 years of age and 'Free by Servitude'. Ellen is shown as being 10 years old. and her brother Jimes 13. There is no mention of their little brother Thomas, it can be assumed that Thomas did not survive and died in infancy or as a toddler. Ellen's parents were now in their 40s and at some point prior to 1834 they moved to the Gundaroo area, which lies south of Gunning. The Hickey family were squatting in a hut on the Yass River which was a part of the property purchased by a solicitor from Sydney, William Williams, in 1837. According to the Crown Lands Survey Map, the Hickey family abode was a couple of hundred yards away from huts belbng to the Wilkinsons, who were to later become pioneer settlers at Tumut. There is no doubt that they would have been known to each other. A waterway that runs into the Yass River just across from the Hickey family's hut, is to this day known as'Hickey's Creek'. The future of Ellen's parents and her elder brother still remain a mystery. Ellen married when she was about 15 years of age to Thomas Boyd who was a true pioneer and around twenty years her senior. The marriage was registered both at St.Mary's R/C Cathedral, Sydney and at Goulburn, on 5 March 1834. Much conjeciure surrounds this union, including suggestions that they were cousins. This, of course, is quite possible, as Ellen's mother, Bridget Quin, was from Dublin as was Thomas Boyd whose mother was Ellen Quinn. A story passed down though, suggests a different tale. lt is said that after Thomas Boyd had spent a lonely couple of years as a pioneer squatter in the Tumut area he had decided to find a wife to keep him company and raise a family. On one occasion while passing through a town, possibly, Yass, Gunning, Goulburn or Gundaroo, he decided to make his move whilst staying overnight in an lnn. He stood in the lnn's hallway and threw a broom on to the floor. He believed his wife would be the woman who stopped and bothered to pick up the broom. Apparently, Ellen Hickey walked down the hall soon after and casually picked up the broom, not realizing the consequences of her actions. Well, this was of course to Thomas' delight ind he made advances to Ellen and in due course they were married. Thomas Boyd drove a bullock team and transported goods and people to the Tumut region for many years to come. He was also a member of the notable Hume & Hovell Expedition to Port Phillip in 1824-1825 and was attributed the honour of being the first white man to swim across the Murray. It wasn't long before young Ellen and her husband Thomas made their way to Thomas' 12,400 acre run in the Gilmore Valley, known as Jugyong, which is near the area which would soon be known as the town of Tumut. There were very few people living in the area at this time and although Ellen had probably become used to living in a hut in the middle of nowhere, l'm sure this seemed like it was at the end of the earth. They would have had to complete many of the daily chores in the roughest of rough conditions, but they made the best of things and persisted, even during the severe droughts of 1837-1838 which left the rivers and creeks dry as a chip. Their first child, Elizabeth, was born in 1834, with twelve or thirteen more children to follow over the next thirty years. All the children were born on the Gilmore Creek at Windowie or Gilmore which were the alternative names of their Station in the Gilmore Valley. These thirty years of Ellen's life must have been incredibly draining, extremely challenging and at times very emotional as in 1858 when Ellen gave birth to twins only to see them both die a few hours later. They were buried on the property at Windowie where the family could watch over them. After a dispute arose regarding the 12,400 acres, Henry Bingham, the Commissioner for the area, arranged for them to take up land at nearby Yellowin which made them amongst the first, along with the Wilkinsons, to settle there. Eventually though, Thomas purchased back some land on the Gilmore where they resumed living after 1 860. The family remained here and Ellen & Thomas raised their children to adulthood until Ellen's death on 6 September 1875 at their home, Gilmore, atthe age of 55 years. Her cause of death is stated as 'Cancer of the Uterus', from which she had been ailing for around two years. She is buried with her husband Thomas, who died in 1885, in the R/C Section of the Tumut Pioneer Cemetery. A fine monument was erected later by the people of Tumut and marks the grave site of these two fine pioneers. Ellen was a hardy, strong minded, but fair person who was well respected by her family and peers. My Great-Great-GreatGrand-mother must also have been very courageous. lt can be said without a shadow of a doubt, that she was a true pioneer in every sense of the word and one of those many unheralded pioneer women of early times in this colony who must be recognized for their sacrifices and valuable contributions. |
| Source References: |
| 73. Type: Book, Abbr: Pioneers of Tumut Valley, Title: Pioneers of the Tumult Valley , The History of Early Settlement, Auth: H.E. Snowden, Publ: Tumut & District Historical Society Incorporated, Date: 2004 |
| - Reference = 35 (Name, Notes) |
| - Reference = 35 (Birth) |
| - Reference = 35 (Marriage) |