Eleanor Mary Bryan

  Noted events in her life were:

• source. http://www.easystreetretreat.com.au/australianroyalty where it is noted:
Convict arrived 1793 from Waterford 1791 on the ship 'Sugar Cane' aged 30 sentenced 7 years. Crime: stealing goods.
THE FLOOD OF 1806"HAWKESBURY, MARCH 27"
(Sydney Gazette 30th March, 1806)
The extensive damage done by the flood cannot yet thoroughly be ascertained; - though it is known, that many individuals lost every thing they possessed, and that several have perished in the deluge, which was never before known to arrive to so great a height by from eight to ten feet. What rendered its progress still more destructive was the false notion of security which many had imbibed, from the supposed confidence that there never would be another heavy flood in the main river, though without assigning any cause for such an idea; to which the recent alarms seemed to give a colour, as each succeeding fresh had abated without any damage, save from that sustained from the overflow of the South Creek.
The first appearance of this distressing inundation was observable on Thursday the 20th instant; the River, discoloured, having risen several feet above the high water mark. The settlers on the low grounds, known from former doleful experience to be subject to disaster, were now preparing for the consequences; but in the course of the night the rise abated, and by the next morning apprehension had totally subsided. The incessant rains on Friday and Saturday night gave a new turn to expectation; and by day-light on Saturday morning a scene of horror presented itself in every quarter. It was by this time nearly as high as on the 2d of March 1801; many farms were then under water; the rain continued without intermission, and a rapid rise was in consequence observable. The measures adopted by THOMAS ARNDELL Esq. for the preservation of lives were actively carried into execution by Mr. Thompson, Chief Constable; who in one of his boats saved the lives of a hundred persons, whom he took from the roofs of houses, and rafts of straw floating on the deluge. He had two more boats employed in the same humane work, and by means of these also a number of lives was saved.
Mr Thomas Biggers, often at the risk of his own life, saved upwards of 150 men, women, and children; and others who possessed boats, particularly the District Constables, were very active in this benevolent duty.
In the course of this dreadful day upwards of 200 wheat stacks were swept into the stream, and carried down the river with incredible velocity: stock of all descriptions were seen floating about and on the tops of stacks, but could not be saved for want of boats, those of Messrs. Thompson, Biggers, and others being constantly employed taking the settlers families from the roofs and ridges of the houses, where many had for hours clung despairing of assistance, and expecting to be shortly washed into the watery waste. Towards Richmond Hill it seemed to abate on Saturday evening; down the River it still rose - The distress and horror of that evening can neither be described or imagined. - The day heavy and gloomy, the night fast approaching, torrents of rain pauring (sic) with unabating fury; and not a house except at the Green Hills to be seen, the roofs of one or two of the highest on the opposite side of the water being then only visible. Muskets were discharged by the settlers from the trees and roofs all day, and the great number had been taken up, and left in safety on the higher ground; but many were devoted to undergo a night of horror the most inexpressible: in the evening the dismal cries from distant quarters, the report of fire-arms dangerously charged in order to increase the noise of explosion; the howling of dogs that had by swimming got into trees, all concurred to shock the feelings of the few that were out of the reach, but were sorrowful spectators of the calamity they could not relieve. On Sunday morning the rigor of the weather abated; and in the course of the day the water on the high lands showed a disposition to turn off. Nearly 300 persons, saved from the deluge by the humane perseverance and incredible exertions of their rescuers, were released from a state of actual famine by a supply sent from the Green Hills in consequence of HIS EXCELLENCY'S request to Mr. Arndell to afford the sufferers every assistance and relief.
Five persons are at present known to have lost their lives: one of whom was a labourer at Richmond; the others at Chalker's farm, viz. Walter Scott, a shoemaker, who has left a large family to deplore his destiny, & James Burns, with two women, one the wife of Benjamin Coolen, the other the wife of J. Cowan. Three of these unfortunate persons had taken shelter in Chalker's house, there hoping safety: but alas! the highest and the lowest situations seemed alike devoted, and security was nowhere to be found. Chalker was in turn compelled to fly for safety; and taking to his boat with a boy five years of age, and the above three, by fatal accident the boat upset, and they instantly perished. The child was the first object of Chalker's care, as an endeavour to save either of the others must have failed, and been at the same time fatal to himself, as the distance he had to swim was little short of a mile. The child at his desire threw his arms about his neck, and instead of giving way to terror endeavoured to embarrass his preserver as little as possible and occasionally to cheer him with the assurance that they were almost out of danger.
Among some of the wonderful escapes was that of William Leeson, a settler who with his mother, wife and two children, and three men, was carried from his farm upon a barley mow. They were driven by the impetuous current nearly seven miles; and were taken off in the dark by Rich. Wallis, with the greatest difficulty.
The amount of stock loss must indeed be serious and considerable, though a quantity of different kinds was picked up, after the settlers with their wives & children were removed from danger.
Many of the stacks of wheat and barley that were floated off were forced by the current into the ocean; upward of sixty were seen by one observer to clear Cumberland Reach, and twenty were seen by two lime burners in a very short space of time, drifting towards Pit-water where they had but little obstruction to encounter: upon some of these were many pigs, dogs, and prodigious quantities of poultry, a great many of which took flight and got to land as they occasionally approached the banks. By Wednesday about noon the water had fallen about 12 feet; but none of the grounds about the back farms were at all fordable. Many of the stacks that had broke loose have been secured: Indeed nothing but the Officers of Government, & the readiness with which their commands were generally executed, could have left one single hope to this extensive settlement, which had no other appearance than that of an enormous sheet of water. And although distress was visible in every countenance, and universal horror prevailed, yet could there be found beings so destitute of the common feelings of humanity as to refuse their aid in preserving the lives and property of the unhappy sufferers. This inhuman conduct was immediately represented to His Excellency by the Rev. Marsden and Thomas Arndell Esq. who were on Thursday joined by C. Throsby Esq. with 8 Constables; and in consequence of their representation His Excellency was pleased immediately to issue a General Order what was so of itself criminal viz. refusing assistance ..., when not only lives and property, but the welfare and very subsistence of the whole Colony was at stake.
On Wednesday and Thursday 125 Labourers from the Public Works at Parramatta and Castle Hill, were sent under their overseer, together with 27 volunteer soldiers, to give every assistance the Magistrates might direct, in saving as much wheat and growing maize as possible, by drying the former, and pulling and shelling the latter.
The road between Hawkesbury and Parramatta was also in a dreadful state of flood, no communication being practicable but along the elevated grounds, occasioning a prodigious circuit; the Race Ground was nearly covered, and the Ponds, the foot of Lapstone-hill, and various other parts of the road were not fordable.
Much apprehension was entertained for the fate of the Settlers on the Nepean; when whence some satisfactory intelligence has been received, but no certain accounts of the losses at that place or the Hawkesbury can as yet be depended on: Yet it is sufficiently obvious, but that little short of the present destruction of private property in that Settlement is the consequence of this uncommon deluge; which, like those of the nile, may conduce to the abundance of future crops."
Gazette 30th March, 1806)

Eleanor married Thomas Cowling. (Thomas Cowling was born in 1765 in Richmond, Surrey England and died on 23 Sep 1835 in Kurrajong, NSW Australia.)