Jessie Massey
5 March 1874 — 27 May 1923
Jessie Massey (18‑116‑8)
The ninth and youngest child of James Hall-Scott and Sarah Ross, Jessie was born at Ross Hall, Bowen on the 5th of March 1874. Jessie, and her five sisters and her brother were taken to Scotland in 1875 by their mother. Sarah intended to educate the children in Scotland and on the Continent. For a time, the family stayed with the Ross family on the farm Kinnahaird, near Contin in Ross-shire.
Jessie and her family left Scotland as a consequence of the premature death of her father, James Hall-Scott, in 1880. The family did not manage to return to Bowen until 1882, only to find that their property had been completely destroyed by a cyclone. They were forced to live several weeks under canvas while a dwelling was built for them. Jessie stayed in the Bowen area at least until 1888, helping her widowed mother to run the small farm they had. Jessie went to Toowoomba in 1892 but had returned to Bowen by May 1893.
On the 15th of March 1897 at the Holy Trinity Church, Bowen, Jessie married Glenville Massy, sixth son of Charles Alphonse Massy of Stoneville, Gundaroo, New South Wales. Jessie's eldest sister Annie had married Glenville's younger brother, John Eyre Massy, seven years earlier. Now the families were doubly connected.
Jessie gave birth to two children, Marie Stuart in December 1897 and Glenville in March 1901.
Within a year of her marriage Jessie had moved to Thursday Island, where her husband had an interest in a meat-freezing works. She was still on Thursday Island in September 1909.
Shortly afterwards, in prosperous circumstances, the family moved to Brisbane. They built a house called Glenville, which stood on the corner of Hobbs Street and Milton Road, Auchenflower, Brisbane. Jessie was an expert wood carver and made many pieces for her home.
Jessie also travelled extensively. She brought back many souvenirs from Japan, which are still in the family. When she made a trip in 1904, Japan was not often visited by Westerners and the war between Japan and Russia had just ended.
Jessie suffered many sorrows during her life. Her sisters Annie, Marion and Ada died within eight years of each other, Annie of a stomach tumor and the others of tuberculosis. None was over the age of forty. Jessie herself died on the 27th of May 1923 aged 49. She is buried at Toowong Cemetery with her husband, Glenville, and daughter, Marie.
Matthew J. Fox wrote this about Jessie in his book The History of in Queensland: its people and industries, published 1921.
Mrs Massy shared with her husband the many privations and sacrifies of life in the Never-Never, gladly separating herself from the accustomed luxuries of civilisation in order to uphold him in the uphill struggle by that cheerful and loving support which may only be accorded by loyal womanhood.
Acknowledgement
This story was contributed by Hilda Maclean.