Ann Eugenie (Garton) Duster (1843 - 1922)

Born 19 Mar 1843 in Sussex Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Wife of John Donnan — married 1863 (to 10 Mar 1869) in Tabulam, New South Wales, Australia

Wife of Thomas Duster — married 1871 in Richmond River, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 8 May 1922 at age 79 in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Annie was born in 1843.^[1][2]

In 1863 she married John Donnan.^[3][4]

After John passed-away in early 1869 she remarried in 1871 to Thomas Duster.^[5]

She passed away in 1922.^[6] Her Obituary was published as follows:^[7]

Mrs. Duster, whose maiden name was Garton, was in her 80th year, and had resided on the Richmond River for 78 years. She was born in Sussex-street, Sydney, early in 1843, and came- to the Richmond when quite a baby, and just after the district was first settled. Her whole life, up till about 15 years ago, was spent in the 'Big Scrub,' where she reared a family of 12, all of whom are still living. Mrs. Duster was quite a young woman before there was a school in the district, and was educated by travelling teachers, whose prowess with the cane — as she delighted to tell — impressed her more than their scholastic attainments. As a young woman, she was a fearless horsewoman, and never saw a horse she was afraid to ride. Her husband, the late licensee of the Court House Hotel, Lismore, who died last year, was engaged in the timber trade in common with many of the pioneers. Her stepfather, the late William Johnson, in the seventies, conducted a butchering business in South Lismore, and he was the only butcher then in Lismore, or its immediate surroundings. Mr. Johnson, who was one of the most picturesque characters of the early times, died about 1911, in Sydney, at the great age of 106 years. In his closing days the old man was much 'lionised' by the Sydney press, when it was discovered that he had been a cabin boy to Napoleon on his memorable voyage of exile to St. Helena. When Julius Knight played the part of Napoleon in 'A Royal Divorce,' the old- man, who was living in Sydney, often attended the theatre as the guest of the management. He was so over come in the closing part with the sad scene of the fate of his late master, that Johnson was accustomed to leave before the last act. Mrs. Duster had her share of the hardships and privations of the conditions surrounding everyone who dared the primeval forest and the floods which prevailed in the early days. A large cortege followed her remains to the cemetery, where the Rev. Father Nicol read the burial prayers. — R.I.P.

Research Notes

Annie's Obituary is interesting because it mentions that she has 12 children, all still living in 1922. Thus far, only 11 have been identified.

It further indicates that her step-father is William Johnson who died in Sydney in 1910 at almost 106 years of age. He was the cabin boy to Napoleon on his voyage to exile in February 1815.

An unsourced Ancestry tree suggests that Annie's parents are William Garton (c.1799 - ) and Jane Campbell (c.1816 - c.1897) who married in New South Wales in 1842 (refer NSW BDM marriage reg. no. 36/1842 V184236 26C, of GARTON, WILLIAM, and CAMPBELL, JANE, registered at 'CA' [St Phillip's Church of England, Sydney]). These certainly align with the birth record associated with Annie in 1843.

Apart from Annie's birth, however, there are no others registered in these parents' names in NSW.

Why are the parents' names so different to those cited on Annie's death registration. We already know that her mother remarried and that William Johnson is her step-father. Perhaps the names of her birth parents became confused over time.

If the Ancestry information is to be believed, Annie's:

• Father is William Garton, born/ baptised at Saint Mary Parish, Nottinghamshire, England on 29 Aug 1799 to parents William Garton and Ann née Host.

What happened to him after Annie was born is unknown.

• Mother is Jane Campbell born/ baptised in Tyrone, Ireland in 1816 to parents John Campbell and ? née Currie.

What happened to Jane is unclear. Ancestry states that she died on 27 September 1897 but if this date is correct then it was not in NSW unless her last name was either Parkinson or Cromack (the only deaths registered in the State that day with a first name 'Jane').

Annie's mother's maiden name here is also notable, as we can see that one of Annie's daughters, Alice, married a 'Currie' at Lismore in 1923. Were they possibly cousins? Tracking any connection could assist in tracing Annie's ancestors.

Sources

1. ↑ NSW BDM birth of GARTON, ANN, reg. no. 87/1843 V184387 27A, to parents WILLIAM and JANE
2. ↑ "Australia Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTX9-KHV : 11 February 2018), Ann Garton, 14 Apr 1843; citing ST PHILIP, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA; FHL microfilm 993,954.
3. ↑ NSW BDM marriage reg. no. 2840/1863, of DONNAN, JOHN, and GARTON, ANNIE, registered at TABULAM
4. ↑ Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950

   Name: John Donnan

   Spouse Name: Annie Garton

   Marriage Date: 1863

   Marriage Place: New South Wales

   Registration Place: Richmond River, New South Wales

   Registration Year: 1863

   Registration Number: 2840

5. ↑ NSW BDM marriage reg. no. 3405/1871, of DUSTER, THOMAS, and DONNON, ANNIE EUGENIA, registered at RICHMOND RIVER
6. ↑ NSW BDM death of DUSTER, ANNIE E, reg. no. 8317/1922, showing parents JOHN and ANNIE J, registered at LISMORE
7. ↑ Obituary: The Catholic Press (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1942) Thu 25 May 1922 Page 38