McCosker

Some of our Macintyre Adams Family are also members of the McCosker Family – note there is a very extensive McCosker Family Web site on Tribal Pages – so a McCosker Family Tree has not been included on this web site.

One McCosker descendant was Cyril Ross Adams, a son of Cyril Bernard Barden and Mary Ethel May Adams – Cyril Barden was in turn the son of Charles Barden and Mary Jane McCosker. (Note – Mary Ethel May Adams was the eldest child of Arthur James & Matilda Adams.)

Mary Jane McCosker  was the eldest daughter of Thomas McCosker & his wife Sarah Power.

And Thomas was the youngest son of Bernard Henry McCosker (McCusker)  and his wife Ellen McIllina.  Thomas was born in  1801 in Lettergesh, Dromore, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Ellen McIllina was born in 1797 in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Bernard died on 15 Apr 1876 Westbrook, Singleton, NSW, Australia – while his wife Ellen died on 22 Feb 1884 at Scott`s Flat, Singleton, NSW, Australia.

It appears that Bernard and Ellen McCusker left Ireland with 5 children on the “Adam Lodge” from Londonderry in 1837 – source County Tyrone Website.  See also history of Derry Port. Bernard’s occupation was described as StoneMason. And there is some suggestion that he was from Fintona in County Tyrone – also : Bernard‘s parents were believed to be CORNELIUS McCUSKER  – born about 1765 in Lettergesh, Dromore, County Tyrone & CATHERINE (Donnelly – various spellings) – with Cornelius’ father being CON (Cornelius?) McCUSKER, and  mother unknown. Possibly some of Bernard’s siblings may have emigrated to America. I am finding some American McCosker DNA matches and they may descend from some of Bernard’s siblings ? One brother, James McCusker also emigrated to South Africa.

At the time the British Government was providing free passage for selected Irish emigrants to go to Australia. The Adam Lodge was one of the three ships provided by the British Government for this purpose in 1837-1838 – taking residents from County Derry, Tyrone and Donegal.

In the Boggs Family History pages there is a report of the advertising for suitable Irish couples and their families to emigrate to Australia – such families sailing on the Adam Lodge in 1837. The Murray Family pages provide even greater details on the Adam Lodge and like migration from Ireland in 1837.

Apparently the British Government used Surgeons from the Colony to select suitable people to migrate to the Colony – (source The Colonization of Australia) – Alick Osborne would appear to have been one of these surgeons and the McCusker’s one of the fortunate families to have been selected. However this experiment ceased as it was considered too expensive, there were too many young children and there was a high mortality rate on the ships.

There is a report of the voyage of the Adam Lodge in the Sydney Morning Herald  of 20 July 1837  which indicates that the voyage was actually quite good unlike many, eg the William Nichol’s 1837 voyage from the Isle of Skye. It was claimed that only 3 adults died during the voyage – however many children did not survive – refer 1837 Immigration Report – Port History (more) suggest that these figures were optimistic – with 30 deaths including 25 children.

Inside History published an article on the 1837 voyage of the Adam Lodge in its 4th Issue.  And the March 1994 No. 38 Edition of Illawarra Branches (Illawarra Family History Group) gives a listing of adult passengers and their children who sailed to Australia in the Adam Lodge in 1837 – Bernard and Ellen McCusker are listed with 3M and 2F children.

Question : was the IFHG‘s Frank Osborne descended from Alick Osborne, Ship’s Surgeon on the Adam Lodge in 1837, or perhaps one of Alick’s brothers ? Alick and John Osborne  and their families settled in the Illawarra  – following their brother, Henry Osborne, to the Illawarra area – refer Murray Family pages ?

As an aside, and by coincidence,  Alick Osborne’s brother, Henry Osborne, would buy 48 acres of land on Bulli Mountain from James and Margaret Hicks by 1858, facilitating their purchase of the 300 acres Chippendale Estate in North Bulli (later Austinmer) from Captain Robert Marsh Westmacott – source The Hicks Family. Henry Osborne had hoped to establish coal mining and bought up quite a large amount of land in the Illawarra for this purpose. Note – James and Margaret Hicks were ancestors of Ross Adams’ wife Joan Lois Callcott. 

Various people have shared information on the internet and it would appear that Singleton Family History Society held information on the McCusker/McCoskers when they came to Australia (source Discus).

Sarah Power was the daughter of convict Thomas Power  who was born on 25 Jun 1806 in Kill, Waterford, Ireland. Thomas Power arrived 1832 aboard ‘Eliza II’. He was tried for ‘highway robbery’ upon Pierse Power on 19 January 1832 at Kill, in Waterford Island. Thomas assaulted Pierse in a manner that endangered his life; the court noted the dreadful and unmerciful treatment the and victim received.Sentenced to Transported for LIFE; later pardoned in 1847. … Thomas was known to be a great supporter of the Catholic Church. He married Jane Byrnes on 22 April 1842. Jane’s birth was in 1824 in Newbridge Kildare Island. Thomas died on 12 October  1889 at Scott`s Flat, Singleton, NSW, Australia and was buried in Singleton, NSW, Australia. His wife Jane died in West Maitland, NSW, Australia on 11 Nov 1891.

– Source : McCosker Tribal Pages site

Above photograph shows Ross Adams, Captain of a post WWII  Boggabilla Champion Team – Ross is holding the Cup – Bren McCosker is in the back row ( in Jacket & Tie) – no other names known

There is also a granddaughter of Arthur James & Matilda Adams who married a great great grandson of Bernard Henry McCosker (McCusker) and his wife Ellen McIllina.  Not to mention inter-connections such as  Matilda’s sister Jane marrying into the Brasens, as did a McCosker descendant, Ellen McCosker’s son Frederick Tudor. And of course the Brasens married into the Maunders,  not to mention yet another Maunder marrying Mary Helen Barden, granddaughter of Mary Jane McCosker and her husband Charles William Barden.

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