Elizabeth Legg

Grandmother of William George Fletcher

Grandmother of Veronica Myrtle Ailsa Beasley

Born:

21 Apr 1877 Carrabah Station, Taroom, Queensland, Australia

Married:

9 May 1898 Court House, Tambo, Queensland Australia to Charles Thomas Beasley

Died:

26 Aug 1915 Mount Stuart via Blackwater, Queensland, Australia. Age 38

Cause of death:

Approaching confinement

Buried:

28 Aug 1915 Banks of Oaky Creek, Mount Stuart via Blackwater, Queensland, Australia

Timeline

Apr 1877

1894

1897

1898

1899

1902-1903

1903

1906

1907

1908-1909

1909-1912

1912-1914

1914-1915

1915

Aug 1915

Born at Carrabah Station near Taroom, Queensland [1]

Lived at Tambo, Queensland [2]

Lived at Kent St, Rockhampton, Queensland [3] [4]

Lived at Tambo and married Charles Thomas Beasley at the Tambo Court House [5] [6]

Lived at Lansdowne, Queensland [7]

Lived at Alpha, Queensland [8] [9]

Lived at Jericho, Queensland [10]

Lived at Borilla, Queensland [11]

Husband declared insolvent at his own request [12]

Lived at Capella St, Clermont, Queensland [13] [14]

Lived at Drummond Creek and Sandy Creek, near Clermont, Queensland [15] [16] [17] [18]

Lived at Blair Athol, Queensland [19] [20]

Lived at Blackwater Colliery, Queensland [21] [22]

Lived at camp by Oaky Creek, Mount Stuart via Blackwater, Queensland [23]

Died and buried at Oaky Creek, Mount Stuart via Blackwater, Queensland [23] [24]

Biography

Early years

Carrabah homestead, Taroom c1885

Elizabeth Legg was born on the 21st April 1877, on the remote Carrabah Station, located on the banks of the Dawson River near Taroom, western Queensland. Elizabeth's father, Joseph Legg, was an English immigrant, and her mother, Lena Ivory, was of mixed heritage, most likely one of the Wakka Wakka people from the Taabinga area [1] [25].

Carrabah Station was a sheep-farming enterprise running over 7,000 sheep. Elizabeth was born just after a particularly hot and dry summer, which forced the station owners to move their livestock in search of better grazing land [26]. The region had also earned a reputation for violence, being the location of the infamous 'Carrabah Murder' of 1873, where a man named Garbutt hacked another worker to death with a tomahawk, then burned the body [27].

Though her father, Joseph Legg, acknowledged Elizabeth as his daughter, he and Lena never registered a marriage, although Lena considered herself to be his wife and took the surname of Legg [25]. Joseph worked as a shearer on the station but shearing was seasonal work and Joseph moved across Queensland [1] [28]. By 1884, when Elizabeth was 7, Joseph was working as a marsupial hunter and scalper on Minnie Downs station, near Tambo. Tragically, Joseph - known as a terrible drunkard - died tragically from peritonitis that year [29] [30]. The mates that he camped with had no idea that he left behind a wife and daughter - Elizabeth and Lena seemed to disappear into the margins, until 1894, they both reappeared in Tambo, about 70 km north-west of Minnie Downs.

At the age of 17, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Charles Joseph, on the 29th December 1894, in Tambo [2]. The boy's father was a shearer named Charles Fendick, who stayed at the Royal Carrangarra Hotel when not working [31] [32]. Perhaps because of her age, Elizabeth chose not to keep Charles, instead giving him to her mother Lena, who had recently married Tambo's butcher, George Albert Fletcher [25]. They raised Charles as their own son, giving him George's surname of Fletcher [33].

In 1897, Elizabeth was in Rockhampton, where she gave birth to her second child, Elizabeth May, who tragically died from whooping cough at only four months old [3] [4]. After her daughter's death, Elizabeth returned to Tambo, where she gave birth to another daughter, Dorothy May, in 1898 [5]. This time, the father was likely Charles Thomas Beasley, a drifter who had recently arrived in Tambo from Birdsville. Though Elizabeth married Charles in May of that year, the marriage was bigamous, as Charles had left behind a wife and three children in Birdsville [6] [34] [35] [36] [37] [13].

Court House at Tambo, c1902

A life on the road

The next decade would see Elizabeth and her growing family move across western Queensland—from Lansdowne to Alpha, Jericho, and then Borilla [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]. These small towns offered few services, and life was would have been difficult and unstable. In Jericho, water was so scarce that it had to be brought in by train, and the town witnessed its own brutal crimes, including the murder of a woman by her husband [38] [39]. By 1906, when the Beasleys had settled in Borilla, Charles was working for a saw mill, earning £2 a week, slightly under the national basic wage at the time of £2 2s [12] [40]. With a wife and five children to support, Charles fell deeply into debt. In 1907, Charles declared insolvency, and by that time, all the family owned was some bedding, clothing, and a few tools. The sum total of their possessions were worth less than £5, with Charles owing over £155 to his creditors [12].

Railway station at Jericho, Queensland, 1938

After being declared insolvent, the Beasleys continued their transient existence and moved to Clermont, where Elizabeth gave birth to another son, Bertie George [13]. The following years saw the family bounce between tiny townships outside Clermont, including Drummond Creek and Sandy Creek, where Charles worked in a saw mill [15] [16] [17] [18]. By the time they settled in Blair Athol - a mining encampment - in 1912, Elizabeth had seven children and was heavily pregnant with their eighth child, John Albert, born in February 1912. He was joined by their eighth child, Percy Clemard, in 1914 [19] [20].

Charles worked as a labourer and carpenter and the Beasleys were amongst many residents brought to the area for work opportunities the mine site provided. The coal mine offered work for colliery carpenters, putting in sleepers for the main shaft of the coal mine, and a local saw mill and new railway construction also provided employment for carpenters [41] [42].

Despite the work opportunities, Blair Athol was a primitive town. Most residents in the township lived in tents or very temporary buildings, over a mile from the railway station. The tents were clustered around the township and the No. 1 mine. Drainage and sanitary arrangements were adequate, although there were doubts they would survive a rainy season. Despite most of the camp being comprised of miners, there was no constable stationed in town. Facilities for families were limited - a local state school for the children was located well out of town and, although ministers were amongst the population, churches had yet to be built. The Salvation Army had a small shed, with the only substantive buildings being the local hotel and the home of the station master [43].

Blair Athol Coal and Timber No 1 mine in 1910.jpg

Blair Athol Coal and Timber No. 1 mine, 1910. You can see tents behind.

The final move: Blackwater and tragedy

In 1914, Elizabeth, Charles, and their children moved 200km south to Blackwater, where coal mining operations had resumed [21] [22] [44]. The family lived at the mine site, however it wasn't too long before they were moving for work again. In 1915, the family moved north to a small camp on Mount Stuart, where Charles worked pumping water for the Lake Creek Company, a cattle and meat export business [23].

Railway station at Blackwater, Queensland c1878

The camp was incredibly remote, with the nearest town at least two days' travel by horse. Elizabeth, now 38 had nine children aged between 1 and 17, and was heavily pregnant with hers and Charles' tenth child. The family lived in a tent, about half a mile from where Charles worked, along with some other men [23] [24].

Elizabeth was close to her due date in late August 1915, when tragedy struck. Charles had returned back to their camp in the afternoon when Elizabeth said that she felt unwell, complaining of a lump of wind in her chest. Her condition did not improve overnight and, the next morning, she and Charles set out in a horse and buggy soon after dawn, to make for the town of Capella, 100 km away. However, they had only made it about 2 km before Elizabeth told Charles that she could travel no further [23].

They returned to camp, where Elizabeth was made comfortable but, sadly, she passed away shortly afterwards [23].

Along with several men in the camp, Charles built a coffin and buried Elizabeth with her unborn child on the banks of the nearby Oaky Creek. After her burial, Charles and the children left for Capella, where they reported her death before continuing on to Rockhampton and then sailing up the coast to Mackay [23] [24].

Elizabeth's life was one of resilience in the face of relentless hardship. Like many women, her voice and story has been largely hidden by history, however her strength in raising a family in remote and challenging conditions is a testament to her spirit.

Source information

Elizabeth Legg, Queensland Birth Certificate, 21 Apr 1844, Record no: 1878/C/5167, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Charles Joseph Legg, Queensland Birth Certificate, 21 Apr 1844, Record no: 1878/C/5167, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Elizabeth May Legg, Queensland Birth Certificate, 20 Mar 1897, Record no: 1897/C/9769, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Elizabeth May Legg, Queensland Death Certificate, 19 Jul 1897, Record no: 1897/C/3634, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Dorothy May Legg, Queensland Birth Certificate, 16 Jan 1898, Record no: 1898/C/10336, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Chester Alfred Beasley and Elizabeth Legg, Queensland Marriage Certificate, 9 May 1898, Record no: 1898/C/1978, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Gertrude Penelope Legg, Queensland Birth Certificate, 27 Dec 1899, Record no: 1900/C/10826, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Lena Adeline Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 2 Feb 1902, Record no: 1902/C/1780, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Elizabeth Beasley, Australia Electoral Roll, Division of Capricornia, Polling Place of Alpha, 1903, Ancestry [www.ancestry.co.uk]
Vivian Hansen Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 20 Dec 1903, Record no: 1904/C/193, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Thomas Hedley Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 19 Jul 1906, Record no: 1906/C/10224, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Charles Thomas Beasley, Insolvency file, 1907, Supreme Court Central District (Rockhampton), ITM3414262, Queensland State Archives [archivessearch.qld.gov.au]
Bertie George Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 31 Jan 1908, Record no: 1908/C/2170, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]. This is the only birth certificate of Charles and Elizabeth's children that includes Charles' children from his previous marriage, Chester Thomas Beasley, Blanche Ednel Beasley and Ernest Hedley Beasley.
Elizabeth Legg, Queensland Electoral Roll, Electoral District of Leichhardt, Division of Clermont, 1909, FindMyPast [www.findmypast.co.uk]. Charles and Elizabeth registered for both the addresses of Capella St, Clermont and Drummond Creek on 25 Jul 1908. Elizabeth stayed registered at Capella St until 1911 but I think this is likely a case that she didn't update her electoral roll register. We know from Mona Leah's birth certificate that they were both living in Sandy Creek (near Drummond Creek) in 1910.
Charles Thomas Beasley, Australia Electoral Roll, Division of Maranoa, Subdivision of Clermont, 1909, Ancestry [www.ancestry.co.uk]
Mona Leah Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 12 Mar 1910, Record no: 1910/C/2471, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Charles Thomas Beasley, Queensland Electoral Roll, Electoral District of Leichhardt, Division of Clermont, 1911, FindMyPast [www.findmypast.co.uk]
Elizabeth Legg, Queensland Electoral Roll, Electoral District of Leichhardt, Division of Clermont, 1912, FindMyPast [www.findmypast.co.uk]
John Albert Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 28 Feb 1912, Record no: 1912/C/2518, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Percy Clemard Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 22 Feb 1914, Record no: 1914/C/2714, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Elizabeth Legg, Queensland Electoral Roll, Electoral District of Normanby, Division of Rockhampton, 1914, FindMyPast [www.findmypast.co.uk]
Elizabeth Legg, Queensland Electoral Roll, Electoral District of Normanby, Division of Rockhampton, 1915, FindMyPast [www.findmypast.co.uk]
Pathetic bush incident, Daily Mercury, 15 Sep 1915, page 6, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
Elizabeth Legge known as Elizabeth Beasley, Queensland Death Certificate, 26 Aug 1915, Record no: 1915/C/2732, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]. Cause of death given as "approaching confinement", which refers to a pregnant woman approaching her due date.
George Albert Fletcher and Eleanor Legg, Queensland Marriage Certificate, 24 Oct 1894, Record no: 1894/C/1690, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]. Please note that across various records, Lena's name is given variously as Lena, Eleanor or Helena. Her birthplace is given as Taabinga Station, in the Burnett district. If her mother's people came from the same area, then she would have been a Wakka Wakka woman. Note also that Lena gives her surname as Legg and marital status as widow.
Local and General News, Western Star and Roma Advertiser, 25 Nov 1876, page 3, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
The Carrabah Murder, The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser, 1 Oct 1873, page 4, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
Missing friends, South Australian Weekly Chronicle, 9 Dec 1882, page 1, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]. Joseph is advertising a request for the contact address of his brothers Edwin and Albert Legg. He gives his return address as Ellangowan, Queensland, indicating he currently lived there. The ads ran 9 Dec 1882 - 13 Jan 1883.
Inquiry to Joseph Legg deceased, Inquest file no: 563/1884, Item ID: ITM348711, Queensland State Archives [archivessearch.qld.gov.au]
Joseph Legg, Queensland Death Certificate, 8 Dec 1884, Record no: 1884/C/1060, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]
Charles Fendick, Electoral district of Barcoo, 1895, Australia Electoral Rolls, FindMyPast [www.findmypast.co.uk]
Genealogy research report - father of Charles Fletcher
Conversations with William George Fletcher and Veronica Myrtle Ailsa Beasley, grandchildren of Elizabeth Legg
Charles Beasley and Emily McManus, Queensland Marriage Certificate, 17 Jan 1892, Record no: 1892/C/368, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]. Emily died in 1932.
Christie Thomas Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 1 Oct 1892, Record no: 1892/C/2382, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]. Used the name Chester Thomas Beasley throughout the rest of his life.
Blanche Ednel Beasley, South Australia Birth Certificate, 25 Feb 1894, Page no: 267, Vol no: 537, Registered in Frome, GenealogySA [www.genealogysa.org.au]
Killidgewarry Charles Ernest Beasley, Queensland Birth Certificate, 30 Sep 1895, Record no: 1896/C/3226, QLD Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages [www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au]. Used the name Ernest Hedley Beasley in his earlier years and Ernest Henry Beasley in his latter years.
Well done! Jericho, The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts, 19 Oct 1902, page 9, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
The Jericho murder, The Brisbane Courier, 16 Jun 1903, page 4, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
History of wages in Australia, DailyCare [www.dailycare.com.au]
Coal mining industry, The Brisbane Courier, 10 Jun 1911, page 5, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
Railway construction, The Week, 12 Apr 1912, page 39, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
Blair Athol township, Morning Bulletin, 14 Nov 1911, page 6, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]
Blackwater, The Capricornian, 27 Mar 1915, page 44, National Library of Australia [trove.nla.gov.au]