Catherine (Kate) Nugent

• Birth Notes

  Born in Ireland - according to her death certificate.
  
  Kate Hempenstall arrived in Rockhampton, Queensland on the ship "Dacca" on the 9th March 1886 and according to the passanger list, she was aged 32 at the time - therefore born in 1854.
  
  The late Mrs. Hempenstall was born in Dublin in 1849, which was also the birthplace of her husband, according to her obituary.

• Death Notes

  Qld Death Cert No. for...
  Catherine Hempenstall
  Event date: 25/10/1927
  Event type: Death registration
  Registration details: 1927/C/4484
  Mother: -
  Father/parent: - Nugent
  
  Her father's name was recorded as ? NUGENT while her mother's name was recorded as Catherine NUGENT (nee Hunt)    
  
  Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld) - Thursday 27 October 1927
  "MRS. HEMPENSTALL. - Rockhampton, October 26, 1927.
  There were many manifestations of regret in the city yesterday, when it was known that Mrs. Catherine Hempenstall, mother of the well-known and highly respected Hempenstall family, had passed away. The late Mrs. Hempenstall possessed a particularly bright and cheerful disposition and great maternal love and affection for her wide family circle, which has always been reciprocated in a marked degree, while she was a strong and ardent supporter of the Catholic Church, and always displayed a wonderfully sympathetic feeling for her innumerable friends.
    The late Mrs. Hempenstall was born in Dublin in 1849, which was also the birthplace of her husband, so that she was 78 years old at her death. She arrived in Rockhampton in 1886, and resided continuously in Central Queensland for nearly 42 years. Her husband, Mr. Patrick William Hempenstall, pre-deceased her in 1899 at Mt. Morgan. Up till a month ago Mrs. Hempenstall had enjoyed good health, but old age began to tell, add she passed peacefully away yesterday morning in the presence of one daughter and five sons.
    The late Mrs. Hempenstall's daughter and five sons are married, and, by a strange coincidence, possess between them 13 sons and 13 daughters. It was a very joyful occurrence for the departed lady, when, a few months ago the wife of her grandson, Mr. W. J. Hemenstall, presented her with a great grandson. It is interesting to record that four generations of happy family life are represented in this one Central district family, and between the oldest and youngest there stretches a span of 78 years. This was always a matter of great rejoicing to the deceased lady.
    The only daughter is Mrs. A. Ross, who unstintedly lavished devotion and care on the nursing of her mother. Her sons are Messrs. W. Hempenstall (Messrs. Lamberton and Co., Ltd.), Edward, George and Joseph (Hempenstall Bros., Ltd.), and Thomas the youngest, a dentist, at Gayndah.
    Forty years ago two other splendid women of about the same age accompanied the late Mrs. Hempsentall to Queensland. One was her sister, Mrs. Jane Conroy, of Mt. Morgan, now 76 years old, and the other was Mrs. Quinlan, of George-street, who is 80 years old. They were inseparable comrades before they came to Queensland and continued so during the long years that followed. They were present when Mrs. Hempenstall passed away.
    Yesterday hundreds of telegrams were received from the bereaved relatives by friends in the various States, testifying to the high esteem in which Mrs. Hemenstall was held.
    The sympathy of a legion of friends will be extended to the bereaved family in the loss of so devoted a mother and so worthy a citizen of the State.
    Requiem Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph's Cathedral at 7 o'clock this morning, and the funeral will leave the Cathedral at 10.30 o'clock for the Rockhampton cemetery".
  
  South Rockhampton Cemetery Records record that...
  "Catherine HEMPENSTALL died on Wednesday, 26 October 1927 at the age of 78. She was buried in the Roman Catholic section of South Rockhampton Cemetery ( 27X 5551 ). The cause of her death was recorded as 'Carcinoma Large Intestine'"