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Mary Hughes née Casey (1899-1987) - Housekeeper for Catholic Presbytery. Recorded 23 October 1984. Part 1/1.
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SummaryMary Hughes née Casey
23rd October 1984
Part 1/1
0:40
Housekeeper at the Presbytery. Originally from Aberdeen. Originally her father and his brother Will came to Kurri together.
The first priest when Father Cullen in 1909. She was born 1900. They went to Kurri first and then to Maitland. Jack Casey, a carrier was her father, working and living near the station at Kurri in Victoria St. 1913.
George Doyle and her brother Jack Casey who was killed at the pit. George died in Sydney after 1960.
3:38
Her father and his brothers carried the road gravel to build the road. Her brother Frank enters the conversation. He is 75 at the time of the interview.
Charley Hampton was a produce merchant as well as having a horse bus. He had a motor bus later. Christiansen was in opposition and the buses to Maitland as well as selling refreshments.
Mary went to school in Kurri – Uncles Mick and Harry Casey were in Kurri – the church burned down. The convent was originally a bought house. She began working at the Presbytery as a young girl, during Father Cullen’s time. Father Marshall and Father Gloucester came later. The school had partitions for the separate classes.
11:06
Father Cullen had an Irish housekeeper who walked out on him leaving the clothes in the washtub. Polly Thompson (Allworth) and Mary came together as housekeepers. She left (although she couldn’t cook) and then Father Magurk came. (Polly’s sister married a Mr Parker ) Father Cullen went to Ireland. He returned with some of his family.
When the fire burned down the church they went to Mass over at the Ambulance Hall. She married a non - Catholic fellow (Bert Hughes) from Kurri. Mary worked in her teens for the church as a collector (money). There was no church at Weston so they went to Abermain. The Parkers.
20:40
Four horses were used to pull Charley Hampton’s buses (The big drag). It had two decks, open on top. Commercial travellers used to hire sulkies. Her family lived near the station with Billy Hall, as station master
Georgie Doyle went on picnics together. He had one son, his wife was a nurse at the hospital. Her name was Alma White.
Sunday picnics were held down around the Lakes and they all travelled on the Hampton’s bus. Bert (was Mary’s husband) and Charley Christiansen and another fellow who had a barbershop went off and celebrated the birth of her first baby.
Charley Christiansen’s bus business. (He named his main bus Marble Bar. He was a cranky man who was hard on his staff.) His shop got burned down. He moved to a boat business at Lemon Tree Passage and he and his wife had an adopted girl. Charley was alive in 1965. Christiansen was always referred to as Christie.
31:32
The Caseys and the Hamptons were good friends. Bryson’s shop was started by Sanderson who had a pie shop with a good reputation. His children - Gladys (married Mary’s brother) and Herb and Jimmy Sanderson. Jimmy and his wife (Iris) had a shop at Weston. Kurri shops - Hector’s butcher shop. Fitzgerald the barber.
39:22
End of Tape 113A.
Hughes née Casey, Mary Pearl, 1899-1987PersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010Location[1] Catholic Church, Kurri Kurri, NSWIdentifier113A
23rd October 1984
Part 1/1
0:40
Housekeeper at the Presbytery. Originally from Aberdeen. Originally her father and his brother Will came to Kurri together.
The first priest when Father Cullen in 1909. She was born 1900. They went to Kurri first and then to Maitland. Jack Casey, a carrier was her father, working and living near the station at Kurri in Victoria St. 1913.
George Doyle and her brother Jack Casey who was killed at the pit. George died in Sydney after 1960.
3:38
Her father and his brothers carried the road gravel to build the road. Her brother Frank enters the conversation. He is 75 at the time of the interview.
Charley Hampton was a produce merchant as well as having a horse bus. He had a motor bus later. Christiansen was in opposition and the buses to Maitland as well as selling refreshments.
Mary went to school in Kurri – Uncles Mick and Harry Casey were in Kurri – the church burned down. The convent was originally a bought house. She began working at the Presbytery as a young girl, during Father Cullen’s time. Father Marshall and Father Gloucester came later. The school had partitions for the separate classes.
11:06
Father Cullen had an Irish housekeeper who walked out on him leaving the clothes in the washtub. Polly Thompson (Allworth) and Mary came together as housekeepers. She left (although she couldn’t cook) and then Father Magurk came. (Polly’s sister married a Mr Parker ) Father Cullen went to Ireland. He returned with some of his family.
When the fire burned down the church they went to Mass over at the Ambulance Hall. She married a non - Catholic fellow (Bert Hughes) from Kurri. Mary worked in her teens for the church as a collector (money). There was no church at Weston so they went to Abermain. The Parkers.
20:40
Four horses were used to pull Charley Hampton’s buses (The big drag). It had two decks, open on top. Commercial travellers used to hire sulkies. Her family lived near the station with Billy Hall, as station master
Georgie Doyle went on picnics together. He had one son, his wife was a nurse at the hospital. Her name was Alma White.
Sunday picnics were held down around the Lakes and they all travelled on the Hampton’s bus. Bert (was Mary’s husband) and Charley Christiansen and another fellow who had a barbershop went off and celebrated the birth of her first baby.
Charley Christiansen’s bus business. (He named his main bus Marble Bar. He was a cranky man who was hard on his staff.) His shop got burned down. He moved to a boat business at Lemon Tree Passage and he and his wife had an adopted girl. Charley was alive in 1965. Christiansen was always referred to as Christie.
31:32
The Caseys and the Hamptons were good friends. Bryson’s shop was started by Sanderson who had a pie shop with a good reputation. His children - Gladys (married Mary’s brother) and Herb and Jimmy Sanderson. Jimmy and his wife (Iris) had a shop at Weston. Kurri shops - Hector’s butcher shop. Fitzgerald the barber.
39:22
End of Tape 113A.
Hughes née Casey, Mary Pearl, 1899-1987PersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010Location[1] Catholic Church, Kurri Kurri, NSWIdentifier113Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Mary Hughes née Casey (1899-1987) - Housekeeper for Catholic Presbytery. Recorded 23 October 1984. Part 1/1., [113A]. Living Histories, accessed 29/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55692