The history of the McLaughlin family in Upper Lansdowne dates back to the late 1800’s, when Martin and Catherine McLaughlin and most of their family relocated there. Historical records, outlined in this paper, show that this move happened somewhere between January 1893 and March 1894.
Australia was in the grip of a Depression in the 1890’s and Martin was one of its casualties. His Road Contracting business failed and he declared himself bankrupt in January of 1893. About 22 August 1892, Martin and Catherine and their ten dependent children, ages ranging from 3 to 20, moved from Woolla Woolla and were staying with their two older sons, William and John, at Killabakh (sic) Creek.
Martin’s name was one included on the unsuccessful March 1894 application for a school at Upper Lansdowne, living ¾ mile from the proposed school site. The successful school application in January 1895 recorded that the McLaughlins were living 1¼ – 1½ miles from the new proposed site. Information on the families in this application states “Mr M. McLaughlin, has 9 children, six of school age, and three younger. Lives 1½ from site, on a farm he has recently leased for 7 years”.
Image 1: Yarratt Parish Map dated 1885 (partial). This map records the names Conditional Purchasers on properties at the northern end of Upper Lansdowne (aka Koppin Yarratt). Conditional Purchases were also known as ‘Free Selection before Survey’ and commonly called ‘Selections’.
Image 2: Rough Sketch of Locality (partial), included in 1895 Application for Lansdowne Upper School. The corresponding key listed for applicants being 1. Mr G. A. Schubert, 2. Mr M. McLaughlin, 3. Mr E. Cicolini. It would appear that the property that Martin McLaughlin was leasing in 1895 was Lot 11 and possibly Lot 112, Conditional Purchases that were taken up by Patrick Mooney. It is unclear whether Patrick Mooney lived permanently on his selections, but in 1887 a tragedy occurred when Patrick’s father was killed by a fallen tree on the property. On 1st August 1887, an inquest was held “at the residence of Mr. Emmanuele Cicolini….into the death of Michael Mooney, which occurred….on the selection adjoining.” Patrick had given evidence that his father was burning off fallen timber when “a limb fell and struck him on the head”, he then took his father to “the hut” before calling for help. In August 1892 both Lots were mortgaged to the Australian Joint Stock Bank, the Lots continued to be owned by financiers or investors until 1912/1914 when they were officially transferred into the name of a McLaughlin.
Catherine and Martin McLaughlin and their family also took on Portions 116 and 117, originally selected by Hans Sussman, although it is unclear which year this occurred. Hans Sussman was recorded in the 1888 school application but not in the 1894 application. By 1898 Sussman was living in Stoney Creek. Records show that Sussman’s properties were transferred to Mark Connell in 1893, a storekeeper and businessman in Cundletown, and again in 1899. Somewhere between 1899 and 1904 the properties were acquired by William McLaughlin (eldest son of Martin and Catherine), although no record has been located. In 1904 the properties were transferred from William to his mother, Catherine McLaughlin, and in 1910, the properties were transferred back to William.
Martin was “highly respected in the district” of Upper Lansdowne where he lived for 25 years until his death in 1920. He was one of twelve children of William and Sarah McLaughlin of Wingham, a family that were well known and respected in the Manning. Community involvement was of great importance to the McLaughlin’s, Martin’s father William was elected as an Alderman on the Municipal District of Wingham in 1889, and prior to his death in 1901 had served as a Churchwarden at the Anglican church in Wingham. Martin and his children continued this tradition of community involvement.
Catherine died in 1925 at her daughter Martha’s home at Johns River.
Martin and Catherine’s children were 1. William b.1870, 2. Mary b.1872, 3. John b.1874, 4. Martha b.1876, 5. James b.1878, 6. Martin b.1881, 7. Kate b.1882, 8. Sarah b.1883, 9. Hannah b.1885, 10. Lillian b.1886, 11. Thomas Robert b.1888 and 12. Oliver b.1889. Many married into other local families, some remained in Upper Lansdowne while others moved away, although a connection to the valley for some generations has remained to this day.
- William married Hannah Baines, daughter William and Sarah Baines in 1899. In 1900 they moved from Cedar Party Creek to Upper Lansdowne and presumably settled on Portion 116 or 117. William was a successful dairy farmer, was actively involved in the Upper Lansdowne Hall Committee, the Upper Lansdowne School P & C and the Primary Producers Union. William also served as a Councillor on the Manning River Shire Council, a position he retained for 19 years, retiring in 1947. Additionally, William was an experienced road builder, initially working for his father and later successfully tendering for contracts himself. As a Councillor, “he waged a continuous fight to improve the roads of the Shire”.
In 1931, a small area of William’s land situated within Portion 117, was resumed for a public road, it is believed that this is the road now known as Carmody Lane.
William and Hannah’s children were: Irene M. (Rene) b.1900, d.1912, Lorna M. b.1902, Edna b.1905, Catherine E b.1909, William Spencer McLaughlin b.1910, Gertrude F (Gertie) b.1913 d.1915.
William died in 1949, having been predeceased by Hannah in 1940. William’s Estate was divided equally between his four surviving children. Ownership of Portions 116 and 117 was then transferred to William Spencer McLaughlin, and he lived there until the 1970’s. Both Portions 116 and 117 were sold around 1972. William Spencer McLaughlin died in Concord 26 July 1974. - Mary married Richard Phillips in 1901. Richard was the son of Upper Lansdowne residents Benjamin and Harriett Phillips, and brother of Arthur Phillips who had selected Portions 113 and 114. It is a possibility that Mary and Richard were living on Arthur’s property until 1905 when Arthur sold the property to Atkins and Carmady. In 1905, Richard selected Portion 137 and in 1909 Portion 120. Mary and Richard continued to live in Upper Lansdowne where Richard farmed until they retired to Harrington in about 1927.
Mary and Richard’s children were: Reece R. b.1902, Vere M. b.1903, Ivy D. b.1905, Martin R. b.1906, Benjamin L. b.1908, Eric J. (Jack) b.1909, Arnold R. (Ray) b.1911, Daphne K. b 1913, Guy J. b.1914, and Russell Earle, b.1919.36 Mary died in Newcastle in 1945, most of her children had settled in the Newcastle area. Ben was the only one remained in the Lansdowne area. - John (known as Jack) married Jessie Crossingham, from Stewarts River on 31st December 1902. After their marriage they settled in Upper Lansdowne. Their first house was built on the flat close to the creek about this time on Portion 112, but they rebuilt their home on higher ground in about 1922 when their youngest daughter, Kit, was about 3 years old. This is the homestead that stands to this day. Jack and Jessie had 8 children, all of whom grew up in Upper Lansdowne: Kelsey Otto (Kelse) b.1903, John Kenneth (Kenny) b.1905, Sara Stella (Nance) b.1908, Martin Alan (Marty) b.1911, Margaret May (Margie), b.1913, Thomas Eric (Tom) b.1916 and Catherine Jessie (Kit) b.1919.
Portion 112 had been in the hands of mortgagors and/or investors since 1892 and presumably leased by McLaughlins from about 1895. John officially purchased the property in 1912. John added to his property when he acquired Portion 168 in 1910. In 1917, John sold part of Portion 112 to his brother James who owned Portion 11.
Jack was a Road Contractor, a Dairy Farmer and a Timber Getter. In 1904, he was ‘Foreman of Works’ on a section of the Comboyne-Koppin Yarratt Road, built with community raised funds. In 1924 he “had charge of constructing the line and erecting the bridges over the gorges” on the tramline at Camden Haven.
Jack and his brother Tom jointly purchased Portion 128 off George Schubert in 1927. A sawmill was located on this property, which was used to replace the one that Tom lost in a fire in 1926. They sold this property to John Cicolini in 1932.
Jack remained in Upper Lansdowne until his death in 1942. Jessie died in 1957 in Sans Souci at her daughter Kit’s home.
Portions 112 and 168 passed into the hands of John Kenneth McLaughlin (Kenny), after Jack’s death and later to Philip McLaughlin. Portion 112 is now owned by Danielle McLaughlin (daughter of Phillip and Carol McLaughlin). - Martha moved to Upper Lansdowne with her parents, but she was not to remain there for long. She moved into Taree to become a nurse at Cummins Hospital and then to Sydney as a private children’s nurse for a well-established family. In 1904, she married Christian Henry Ivers, of Johns River. Martha and Christian lived in Johns River most of their lives. Martha died at her daughter’s home in Hurstville in 1954. Martha and Christian’s children were: Harvey C. b.1906, Aubrey J. b.1907, Martin E. (Elwin) b.1909, Catherine V. (Kathie) b.1911, Elbert W. b.1913, Oliver H. b.1917 d. 1942 and Emma V. b.1918.
- James married Ethel Tyrie of Lansdowne in 1909. After residing for a short time in Cedar Party Creek they settled in Upper Lansdowne. In 1910, James applied for a Special Lease on Portion 177 which was converted to a Conditional Purchase in 1911, and in 1913 he purchased Portion 11 where he had made his home. Portion 177 was mortgaged 1917, the same year that James widened portion 11 by buying 20 acres of Portion 112 from his brother John. James operated a small sawmill on Coxcombe Rd in the early days, most likely situated on Portion 177.
As well as being a dairy farmer and a timber getter, James took an active role in the local community. He served as Secretary of the local Progress Association, and he was co-delegate of the Upper Lansdowne Branch of the Primary Producers Union for a number of years. In 1943, James and Ethel moved to Sydney, and his son James took on the farm on Portion 11 in Upper Lansdowne. The property was mortgaged in the names of Ethel (James’ widow) and Lawrence Arnold McLaughlin until 1960. It was then transferred to Milton McLaughlin, son of James, who farmed the property until he sold in 1970 to Claude Cicolini. Ethel died in 1979 in the Newcastle area.
James and Ethel’s children were: James Hector (Jim) b.1909, Lawrence Arnold (Arnold) b.1911, Robert Noel b.1912, Bruce Lindsay b.1917 d. 1945(POW) in Borneo, Alice E b.1919 and Milton Morris b.1920 or 1921. - Martin married Mary Elizabeth Dempsey, of Taree, in 1908. Martin was a Storekeeper. Martin acquired a small portion of land from James Crittenden by 1915, comprising ‘2 roods, 35 and one quarter perches’. This land was situated in between the two sections of land that had been resumed for the school. In 1917 an additional small portion of land was transferred from James Crittenden to Martin McLaughlin, comprising ‘2 roods’ and situated on the opposite side of the road. On the night of 19th August 1917, Martin’s store and residence was destroyed by fire. It is unclear which portion of land the store was on that burnt down, but when Martin rebuilt after the fire it was on the land opposite the school, where the store stands today. In 1919, Martin entered into a partnership with James Crittenden, purchasing a business in Taree, and selling his Upper Lansdowne store and both properties to Mr J.H. Hanington in 1920.
Martin was plagued by fires in Taree. In 1924, he and his family escaped harm when the bulk store next door caught fire. In 1926 and 1927, Martin’s store suffered from fires, on both occasions the family escaped injury. About 1928/1929, the family had relocated to Marrickville in Sydney. Mary died in Marrickville in 1956 and Martin in Albury in 1958.
Martin and Mary’s children were: Reginald Myles b.1908, Catherine M b.1910, Annie J (Jean) b.1912, Martin Gerald b.1913, Doreen M. b.1915, Joyce O. b.1917, Marcelle D. (b.1919, d.1921), Allan Eric b. 1920, Maxwell b.1922, John b. 1925, and Marcus Manning b. 1928. - Kate married Ernest Hind in Rozelle, Sydney in 1919. Kate lived most of her married life in Sydney where she and Ernest had a smallgoods business, before returning to the Manning and settling in Taree about 1935. They had two daughters, Olga b.1921 d.24 May 1937 and Joan b.1923 d.1960. Kate died in July 1943 and is buried with Olga in Lansdowne Cemetery.
- Sara married Percival Henry Ford (Percy) in 1910. They moved away from the Manning and spent most of their lives around Murwillumbah. Sarah and Percy’s children: Katherine A. b.1912 d. June 1945, Ian D. b. 1919, Hilton Oliver b.22 May 1922. Percy died in 1957 and Sarah died in 1961.
- Hannah married Frederick T Unger in 1913 in Lambton. Frederick was the son of G.F Unger of Upper Lansdowne, and he and Hannah would have known one another since childhood. They lived in the Newcastle area, Taree and Sydney. Hannah and Frederick’s children: Morris F (Maurice) b.1914, Ivan Oliver b. 1915, Joyce b.1917, Claude Athol (Athol) b.1919, Beryl b. 1924, and Ronald Maxwell b.1925. Frederick died in 1944 and Hannah in 1972.
- Lillian married Clarence Stanley Bignell in 1908. They made their home in Johns River and had five children: Clarence L.O. b 1909, Robert S. b. 1911, Lillian b.1913, Kate L. b.1915 and Ina M. b.1917.92 Lillian and Clarence moved to Taree a few years before Lillian’s death in 1945. Clarence died in 1964.
- Thomas Robert married Alma May Mitchell in 1910. Thomas was a farmer and a sawmiller and they settled in Upper Lansdowne. Thomas acquired Portions 155 in 1904 and 156 in 1910, which were located next door and adjacent to Thomas’ brother James on Portion 11. They had 7 children, but 2 died in infancy: Kathleen Vida b.1911, Oliver E b.1912 d.1913, Rita Elvira b.1913, Gordon T. b.1915 d.1915, Olly b.1917, Doris b. 1920 and Jack b.1923.
In 1925, Thomas acquired additional land, located behind the store and hall and extending over the creek and east of the road, an area comprising over 221 acres. In 1926 Thomas’ sawmill burnt down, it appears that the sawmill was located in this area. One newspaper reported that a function “was being held in the hall across the creek when the alarm of a fire was raised”, while another report stated “An entertainment was in progress in a hall near the mill when the alarm was raised”. Thomas and his brother, John, jointly purchased Portion 128 from George Schubert in 1927. Thomas continued his sawmilling business from there. In 1932 the property was transferred to John Cicolini.
At some point Thomas and his family moved to Upper Rollands Plains. Thomas sold his properties in Upper Lansdowne to Claude Raymond Cicolini in 1945 (Portions 155 and 156) and the remainder in 1950. Thomas died in 1955 and Alma in 1979. - Oliver was born in 1889. He became a school teacher and was working in Sydney when World War 1 broke out. Oliver served in the Army and he never married. He died in Wauchope in 1959.
Author: Wendy Black (daughter of Joan McLaughlin)/
Grand-daughter of Kelsey Otto McLaughlin and Evelyn Fennings/
Great Grand-daughter of John (AKA) Jack McLaughlin and Jessie Crossingham/
Great Great Grand-daughter of Martin McLaughlin and Catherine McCann.
Apologies if there is any errors or omissions in this paper.
9 February 2020