This page documents the story of Cecilia Eliza Rush, the second child of Richard Rush and Cecilia.
Cecilia was born on 1 October 1843 in the Hutt. By this time, the family would have settled into their new life in the colony and started to clear the bush and build homes. She had an older sister Sarah, and a half brother Thomas.
At 17, Cecilia married a Simon Moar, a carpenter from Scotland on 9 August 1860. Their marriage notice appears in the Wellington Independent on 4 September 1860 and reads: "MOAN-RUSH - On the 9th August, at the Catholic Cathedral of Wellington, by his Lordship Bishop Viard, D.D. SIMON MOAN, late of Scotland, to CECELIA MARY RUSH, of the Hutt, second daughter of Mrs. John Rush Steele, of the Hutt." (Note: Spellings were regularly incorrect in newspapers.)
In 1878, the following newspaper item was published in which Cecilia was applying for a property protection order, but changed it to an order under the Destitute Persons Act. She had been married for 18 years and it says she " had no children at present".
RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. This Day. (Before J. C. Crawford, Esq., R.M.)
THE LAW OF HUSBAND AND WIFE. Cecilia Moar applied for a property protection order against her husband, Simon Moar. The defendant did not oppose the order, which was therefore granted. Mrs. Moar also applied for maintenance, but as she had no children at present, Mr. Crawford was obliged to refuse this. He advised the applicant to renew the application at a future date, if in the meantime a child were born. Mrs. Moar - What am I to do for a living until then? Mr. Travers, who was in Court, said he was under the impression that the Act of 1877, which would come into force on the Ist April, had some provision for maintenance. Under any circumstances, Mrs. Moar could apply for an order under the Destitute Persons Act. Mr. Gordon Allan thought the latter course was barred by the issue of the protection order. Mrs. Moar said she originally applied for an order for maintenance. After looking into the various acts, Mr. Crawford could find no power to grant an order for maintenance while a protection order was in force. He, therefore, advised Mrs. Moar to withdraw her present application, and to apply for an order under the Destitute Persons Act. Mrs. Moar agreed to this course, saying she would take out a summons, as advised. At a later period of the day, Mrs. Moar applied for an order under the Destitute Persons Act. Evidence having been given an order for the payment of l0s per week for four months was made out.
Source: Evening Post, Volume XVI, Issue 89, 28 March 1878, Page 2
Money woes must have dogged the family, as this newspaper advertisement in the "Evening Post", Volume XLVIII, Issue 6, 7 July 1894, Page 3 shows:
"If Simon Moar, Carpenter, does not take his Goods and pay what is owning ten days from date, they will be sold at public auction. W Marshall."
It is not known if Cecilia and Simon Moar had any children. We have found no references to Cecilia's death, but believe it to have been sometime before 1900. Research continues.
Simon Moar, who was a Wellington carpenter in cases involving Cecilia Eliza, appears to be mentioned in 1893 (again as a carpenter) in connection with the sudden and suspicious death of "his wife Bridget Neville Moar", so it appears that Cecilia may have died before this. He refers to his wife as having had fits "for years past". She was 29 at the time of her death, and was found to have died of alcoholic poisoning. [Evening Post, Volume XLV, Issue 61, 14 March 1893, Page 2]. There is no record in NZBDM of their marriage, nor her death, so the marriage is likely to have been common law.