April 2019 Gathering
Another Gathering
This year's Gathering was spread over the weekend 6 and 7 April 2019. Altogether there were four events: Brigadoon in Bundanoon, Saturday dinner at the Mittagong RSL Club, Sunday morning tour of Buckmans Lane and nearby cemeteries, and Sunday lunch in Mittagong. Thanks to all those who participated in this year's events and who by doing so made it a great weekend.
See you again 26 and 27 October 2019 for the Commemoration of the Arrival of the William Nicol.
At Brigadoon
The weekend began on Saturday morning at Brigadoon; the annual Scottish Festival that is held at nearby Bundanoon. Some of Farquhar's descendants arrived early to march behind the Clan MacRae banner, but others arrived a little later meeting up at the Clan MacRae tent. The photo below shows the descendants of Farquhar, some of whom have attended previous Gatherings, at the Clan MacRae tent. Included in the photo are descendants of two of Farquhar's children:- descendants of Ewen MacRae and Susanna Fethers (Izard): Wayne Hunt (Canberra), Annette Vella (Cudmirrah, Sussex Inlet), Julie Dewstow (Narara, Central Coast), Michele Endicott (Brisbane), Colin MacRae and Ray Hynes (Murrurundi),
- descendants of Christopher McRae and Ellenor Noble: Jan Bannon (Sydney), Lionel McRae, and Stacey Bannon (Sydney).
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| MacRae and McRae descendants of Farquhar MacRae at the Clan MacRae tent, Brigadoon Festival, 2019 Front: Jan Bannon, Lionel McRae, Stacey Bannon, Annette Vella, Michele Endicott, and Ray Hynes Back: Wayne Hunt, Julie Dewstow, and Colin MacRae |
Dinner at the Mittagong RSL Club
The next event was Saturday dinner at the Mittagong RSL. All those who made it to Brigadoon also made it to dinner plus a few more. They are pictured below, this time with their partners. Paul MacRae (Tamworth) is the only descendant of Farquhar who came to dinner at the RSL but who was not at Brigadoon. Paul is a descendant of Farquhar MacRae jnr and Sarah Ann Griffiths. He was accompanied by his wife Wendy.
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| Dinner at Mittagong RSL Paul MacRae, two friends of Lionel & Leonie, Greg & Michele Endicott, Ray Hynes, Wayne & Helen Hunt, Julie Dewstow, Annette Vella, Stacey Bannon, Jan Bannon, Lionel & Leonie McRae, Judy Hynes, and Wendy MacRae |
Dinner at Mittagong RSL Gary Dewstow, Julie Dewstow, Annette Vella, Stacey Bannon, Wendy & Paul MacRae, Greg & Michele Endicott, Ray Hynes, Wayne & Helen Hunt, and Jan Bannon |
Tour of Buckmans Lane and nearby Cemeteries
After an extra hour of sleep due to Daylight Savings ending at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, everyone met up again at 9 a.m. for a tour of Buckmans Lane, Marist Brothers Cemetery, and Rowes Hill Cemetery. The tour began at Dalton Street, Mittagong, where there was a brief introduction and car sharing was arranged. Four cars departed with a total of 16 participants kindly driven by Annette, Paul, Ray, and Stacey. Lionel and Leonie couldn't make it but joining the group were three more descendants of Farquhar MacRae jnr and Sarah Ann Griffiths: Julie MacRae (Ballina), Kevin Maguire (Mittagong), and Kevin's daughter, Ayya Esika (Clare) (Mittagong).The tour included visits to four properties: Farquhar's two properties, the property of George Izard, the husband of Mary Isabella MacRae, and the property of John Buckman, the last husband of Ellen Cupitt. The history of Buckmans Lane is particularly relevant to the descendants of Farquhar's two children Ewen and Mary Isabella, as Ewen and Mary Isabella married two of Ellen Cupitt's children: Susanna Fethers (Izard) and George Izard. (Ellen Cupitt resided in Buckmans Lane from mid 1830 with her partners John Izard, Edward Fethers, and John Buckman.)
The first stop was the property purchased by Farquhar in 1856. Situated on Diamond Fields Road, the north western boundary of this property borders Buckmans Lane, making the residents of Buckmans Lane close neighbours of the MacRaes. Here photos were taken under a large eucalyptus tree. Kevin Maguire remembers that when he was a young lad there were the remains of an old house on the far side of this tree. This would have been in the late 1920s or early 1930s. This house was most likely where Farquhar, Barbara, and their family had lived.
Next stop was the property purchased by Farquhar in 1860, Single Tree Hill, which is entered from Buckmans Lane. The current owners of this property, Neil and Lynda, have the original deed, which they happily showed us.
Then there was a brief visit to George Izard's property. This property was originally part of John Buckman's grant. It was sold by John to his stepson George in 1873. The stones at the entrance to the house are thought to perhaps have come from either John Buckman's house or from a house that once stood on this property down on the flat near the creek.
The last property visited was John Buckman's property and the current owners, Wayne and Lyn, kindly showed us the place where John's house once stood. All that remains are a few large, partially-buried, sandstone building blocks.
The tour concluded with visits to two nearby cemeteries. The first cemetery visited was the Marist Brothers Cemetery (previously known as Chapel Hill Cemetery) on Diamond Fields Road. This is the resting place of many of the early MacRaes/McRaes. The visit to the Marist Brothers Cemetery included a short speech commemorating the lives of Farquhar and Barbara MacRae given by Wayne Hunt. At Rowes Hill Cemetery the group visited the graves of John Buckman and Ellen Cupitt, as well as the graves of many other Cupitt cousins. George Izard, the husband of Mary Isabella MacRae, is also buried in the Rowes Hill Cemetery but no longer has a headstone.
More information on the properties and families of Buckmans Lane, including the Izard, Buckman and MacRae families, and also on the two cemeteries can be found here.
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
Tour starting point - Dalton Street
sitting - Julie Dewstow, Michele Endicott, Jan Bannon, Kevin Maguire
standing - Gary Dewstow, Annette Vella, Judy and Ray Hynes, Greg Endicott, Paul and Wendy MacRae, Julie Macrae, Stacey Bannon, Wayne and Helen Hunt
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
The old tree on Farquhar's property on Diamond Fields Road
Farquhar purchased the Diamond Fields Road property in 1856.
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
Under the old tree at Farquhar's property on Diamond Fields Road
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
At Farquhar's property, Single Tree Hill
Farquhar purchased Single Tree Hill in 1860.
property owners Lynda and Neil, Annette Vella, Paul MacRae, Julie MacRae, Wendy MacRae, Jan Bannon, Greg Endicott, Stacey Bannon, Helen Hunt, Julie Dewstow, Michele Endicott, Greg Dewstow, Wayne Hunt, Kevin Maguire, Judy and Ray Hynes
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
At George Izard's property
The stones thought to perhaps have come from either John Buckman's house or from a house that once stood on this property down on the flat near the creek.
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
At John Buckman's property
Standing on what remains of John Buckman's house
Paul & Wendy MacRae, Julie Macrae, Annette Vella, Greg & Michele Endicott, Wayne Hunt, Julie & Gary Dewstow, Judy & Ray Hynes, Helen Hunt, Stacey Bannon, Jan Bannon, the property owners Wayne and Lynne -
Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
Marist Brothers Cemetery, Mittagong
Descendants of Ewen and Susanna at the grave of Farquhar MacRae
Michele Endicott, Annette Vella, Wayne Hunt, Julie Dewstow and Ray Hynes
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
Marist Brothers Cemetery, Mittagong
Wayne Hunt giving a short speech commemorating the lives of Farquhar and Barbara MacRae
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Tour of Buckmans Lane & nearby Cemeteries
Rowes Hill Cemetery, Mittagong
Looking at the headstone of John Buckman and Ellen Cupitt
Lunch in Mittagong
Once again we hired the CWA Hall in the centre of Mittagong as there are facilities for preparing food, plenty of tables and chairs, ample parking, and the adjacent Winifred West park is a great place to set up tables outside under the shade. Our thanks goes to Stacey Bannon for arranging the catering, her mother Jan Bannon, who together with Ta Edwards, were the first ones to arrive and start setting up. Thanks also to all the others who assisted with setting up and cleaning afterwards. Without the contributions of these people, the event would not have been the success it was.There were a number of Farquhar's descendants who came for the lunch who hadn't attend any of the other activities bringing the total number attendees to 25. As once again we didn't take group photos for each branch, here is a list of the lunch guests and the branch from which they descend:
- descendants of Ewen MacRae and Susanna Fethers (Izard) - siblings Wayne Hunt & Julie Dewstow who came with their partners Helen Hunt & Gary Dewstow; their first cousin Annette Vella; and some cousins from previous Gatherings, Michele Endicott & her husband Greg, and Ray Hynes & his wife Judy.
- descendants of Mary Isabella MacRae and George Izard - we were very lucky to have with us this year one descendant of Mary Isabella, Adelle Rozs of Hilltop.
- descendants of Farquhar MacRae and Sarah Ann Griffiths - Julie MacRae; Paul MacRae & his wife Wendy; Michael Edwards & his wife Ta; and the familiar faces of Kevin Maguire & his daughter Ayya Esika (Clare).
- descendants of Christopher McRae and Ellenor Noble - Phil Maloney & his wife Margaret who live in Ireland; Tony Maloney and his wife Helga from Jamberoo; and returning again Jan Bannon & her daughter Stacey Bannon, and Bernard McRae & his wife Dorothy.
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| Sunday Lunch at Mittagong, 7 April 2019 left to right: Annette Vella, Wayne Hunt, Gary Dewstow, Ray & Judy Hynes, Phil Maloney, Bernard & Dorothy McRae, Wendy MacRae, Michael Edwards & Ta, Jan Bannon, Julie MacRae, Tony Maloney, Julie Dewstow, Helga Maloney, Michele Endicott, Adelle Rozs, Stacey Bannon, Margaret Maloney, Kevin Maguire, and Greg Endicott. Missing from the photo is Helen Hunt who was hard at work cleaning up in the kitchen, and photographer Ayya Esika. In the photo but hidden from view behind Bernard and Dorothy is Paul MacRae. |
If there had been a prize for the branch with the most attendees then this year's prize would go to the descendants of Ewen MacRae and Susanna Fethers (Izard). There were nine descendants of Ewen and Susanna which was just ahead of Christopher and Ellenor's descendants who totalled eight. We are still looking for descendants of Alexander McRae and Ellen Hennessy Ryan, and hoping to find more descendants of Mary Isabella MacRae and George Izard, and also Mary McCrea (MacRae) and George Rankin.
Unfortunately, this year none of the descendants of John MacRae and Elizabeth Ann Loseby could make it except for Patricia MacRae who accidentally discovered her cousins at the Clan MacRae tent, Brigadoon.
Don't forget that you can find us on the Facebook group, Descendants of Farquhar MacRae.
Many thanks to Stacey Bannon and Julie Dewstow for additional photos, and Wayne Hunt for a copy of his short commemorative speech.
