gailcostiganwhite on Family Tree Circles

My Paternal Grandmother Married William Martin Costigan on 2.2.1887. Charlotte and Martin had 9 Children, the 7th of whom was my beautiful Dad, Michael Joseph Costigan (3). Charlotte spent most of her early years at Evergreen, Jondaryan, where her parents settled and pioneered the District and attended Jondaryan school.

Charlotte was an accomlished horsewoman in Toowoomba, and apparently had expressed the desire to have her funeral cortege driven by horses. When the time came for her funeral, the undertakers were to use a motorised hearse, however the Gods were smiling on Charlotte, the hearse broke down, and Charlotte was transported to her final resting place by a horse driven hearse after all!

Charlotte & Bill?s home at Gordon Avenue, Eton Estate was built around 1907. The Cottage cost 252 pound to erect and they had freehold title to the land, which comprised one acre. Bill was a Blacksmith and initially worked for Snell Brother's business in Russell St, Toowoomba. Bill Costigan was bitten by a red-back spider circa 1906 and suffered progressive nerve and muscle wasting and weakness until his death at home in Gordon Avenue Toowoomba aged only 49 years, in November 1915. He is listed on the Electoral Rolls as a Blacksmith up to 1913, just 2 years before his death. It is not know how long he continued working but I seem to recall Dad saying that Bill was in a wheelchair for some time prior to his death.

About 1923, Charlotte moved to Coorparoo Brisbane with her 3 youngest sons. She was ill for only 4 days before her death on 13.3.1927.

Stephen and Sarah Pioneered the Evergreen district on the Darling Downs. When the railway line was built west across the Downs, Jondaryan was the railhead for the district. For the convenience of settlers, there was a coach running between Jondaryan and Nanango from about 1870. Stephen and Sarah Patch ran a Stagecoach Boarding House and Shop called Evergreen House, (Pictured) to cater for passengers during the stopover at Evergreen.
The Jondaryan to Nanango coach ran casually from 1870 to 1880 and carried passengers and mail, with a regular run three times a week introduced in 1890. Wagons carried goods, and beer was brought by bullock wagon from Jondaryan to Cooyar. In these early times, the whole district was named Evergreen and Evergreen was the centre.

Stephen Patch was Baptised on 4.6.1824 in Essex, and Married Sarah Brett in Kedington on 4.1.1851. They sailed on the "James Fernie" from Gravesend on 24.10.1855 and arrived in Brisbane on 5.2.1856. Stephen Patch couldn't read or write and had no relatives in the Colony; Sarah could read but not write and had a brother in Sydney. He established a livery stable at the top end of George Street Brisbane soon after arrival, and he later worked for some time for Mr. J F McDougall in Milton Brisbane. After Milton, Stephen moved to Tucka Tucka Station on the McIntyre River, Warialda district NSW, returned for a further short time again in Brisbane, before moving permanently to the Downs. They settled about 3 miles north of present-day Kulpi, giving the surrounding district the name Evergreen. They called it Evergreen due to the presence of a creeping vine, closely resembling one which grew in Evergreen Harwich in England. At first they lived in a slab hut. They bored holes of around one inch in the walls so they could put a gun barrel through as the Aborigines used to frighten them when they came around. The prickly pear was so thick that they had only narrow lanes between on which they could walk, and how the death adders used to sun themselves on the tracks! Stephen and Sarah Pioneered the Evergreen district. When the railway line was built west across the Downs, Jondaryan was the railhead for the district,with a coach running between Jondaryan and Nanango from about 1870. There was a stopping depot at Evergreen and Stephen and Sarah ran a Stagecoach Boarding House and Shop to cater for
passengers during the stopover there, called Evergreen House, on Middle Creek. Stephen and Sarah had 11 children,one of whom was my paternal grandmother Charlotte Patch (Costigan). At the time of his death in March 1911, Stephen Patch was recognized as one of Evergreen's oldest pioneers.

Up until 2010, I had never seen a photograph of my paternal Grandparents William Martin (Bill) Costigan and Charlotte (Patch) Costigan and their children, nor my paternal G. Grandmother Mary Frances (Donoghue) Costigan, native of Tipperary. I then found a cousin who kindly gave me copies of this photo and others, which I treasure today. The quality of this one is not great, but it is very precious to me and my family.

I believe this was taken in 1898.
From Left: Bill Costigan seated nursing his youngest child at the time, baby Roy Costigan. Behind Bill standing, his wife Charlotte (Patch) Costigan, next to her standing, Bill's older sister Hanorah Costigan.

Standing in the centre his only daughter, Sarah Frances Costigan, seated in the rocking chair Bill's mother Mary Frances (Donoghue) Costigan, and the two little boys seated in front, are his sons Stephen and Arthur Costigan.

How I would love to find a photo of my Great Grandfather Michael Joseph Costigan (1), sadly he had died before this photo was taken.

Gail Costigan White