Eileen Gladys (Christie) Walsh (1896 - 1926)

Born 2 Feb 1896 in Arthur Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Wife of James Samuel Walsh — married 27 Nov 1920 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Died 23 Dec 1926 at age 30 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: M. Lohmeyer [send private message]

The unsolved murder of Eileen Gladys Walsh and Marquis Cumming, 23 Dec 1926

Biography

Birth (1896)

Eileen Gladys Christ was born on 02 Feb 1896 in Brisbane to french polisher John Christ and his wife Mary Jane (Mulholland) Christ.^[1][2]

First Child (1913)

Aged 17, Eileen fell pregnant to Edward Roy Hardman (16), a local boy who lived about 200m from the Stephen St. Boarding house where the Christie family lived. Soon after their tryst, Edward made his way to Sydney and boarded the emigrant ship Sonoma, bound for San Francisco. His stated destination was to emigrate to Salt lake City in Utah. The Sonoma departed Sydney on 8 Mar 1913, arriving in San Francisco on 27 Mar 1913.^[3]. Nine months later, on 16 Dec 1913, Eileen gave birth to a boy she named Leslie Christie (see research notes below).^[4]

Leslie was adopted 11 July 1914 by Mrs Leah Hussey-Smith (née Heyward) of Hemmant, Queensland with the permission of her husband Mr. Albert Edward Hussey-Smith.^[5] His adopted parents named the boy Albert Edward Hussey-Smith (1913-1991).

New Partnerships

Sometime during 1914, Eileen struck up a new partnership with James Samuel Walsh. However, in Dec 1915, James enlisted and served in France during WW1. During his absence, Eileen had an affair with another man. In early 1919, she again fell pregnant. The identity of her partner is unknown, save that he was apparently a chauffeur to a member of the Federal Parliament at the time.

James returned to Brisbane in May 1919 and found his sweetheart pregnant.

Child (1919)

On 13 Nov 1919, Eileen gave birth to a girl she named Gladys Delacour Christie.^[6] The father of the girl is unknown, but presumed to be 34-year old married labourer James Delacour who disappeared and abandoned both Eileen and his other young family shortly thereafter.

Sadly, the baby lived only a few months. She died of gastroenteritis, ischemia and heart failure at the Brisbane Children's Hospital on 5 Mar 1920.^[7][8]

Marriage (1920)

Eileen (24) married James Samuel WALSH (29) on 27 Nov 1920 in defiance of the strong counsel of her mother Mary.^[9]

Together the couple had two children:

• James Frederick Walsh (1920-1966)
• Ronald Samuel Walsh (1923-2017)

However, the partnership was not without troubles. Walsh was violent towards Eileen, especially when drunk. He was often out of work and the family had to survive on Government Relief and gifts of food and vegetables from Eileen's mother. Eileen's meager pay as a washer woman also made a small contribution. Eileen left her husband twice for short periods to escape the violence and separated permanently after the birth of their second child. Eileen had just given birth and been discharged from the Mater Hospital. She had been told to rest in bed for a fortnight, but "Walsh pulled her out of her bed and gave her a thrashing." Eileen got dressed and tried to make her way to her mother's house, but collapsed on her way in Vulture Street.^[10]

Further details to be researched and see research notes below.

Death (1926)

Eileen was brutally murdered in the evening of 23 Dec 1926.^[11] She and Acting-Sergeant Marquis Cumming of the Queensland Police Force were both shot at Dutton Park, whilst apparently engaged in a liaison. The double murder has never been solved (see Research Notes below and The unsolved murder of Eileen Gladys Walsh and Marquis Cumming, 23 Dec 1926).

Research Notes

Who was Leslie Christie's father?

Antony Rogers, a great-grandson of Eileen and author of Scaffold of Shame, has researched the Christie family in detail and confirmed that Leslie's father was Edward Roy Hardman (born 1 Sep 1896). Edward lived in the same area of South Brisbane as the Christie family and descendants of Leslie / Albert Edward show appropriate 3rd and 4th cousin DNA matches with the Hardman and Blakeley families to put the assignment beyond doubt.

Why Leslie?

It might just be a coincidence, but representative rugby league player Herbert Leslie Brackenreg was a close family friend of the Christies. Herb had left his wife Frances in Sydney and moved to Brisbane in late 1908 or early 1909 and played for South Brisbane that same year before playing for North Brisbane for a few seasons. When not playing rugby league, we worked as a storeman. By 1916, aged 40, he was lodging with the Christie family at the Stephens Street Boarding House, South Brisbane. Frederick Claude Christie was working as an assistant storeman, so perhaps the two knew each other from work. It's quite possible that Leslie was named after Herbert (Herb) Leslie Brackenreg. Herb was a ladies man by all accounts (see his profile), but initial suspicions of paternity were eliminated by the DNA confirmation provided above, as well as the age gap (Herb was 37 in 1913) making a liaison with Eileen (then 17) less likely.

Who killed Eileen and Sgt. Cummings?

Following the shooting murder of Sgt Cummings and Eileen Walsh on 23 Dec 1926, the inquest attracted much attention in the local and interstate press. Some went to some detail to explore the lives of the deceased. For a detailed overview, see The unsolved murder of Eileen Gladys Walsh and Marquis Cumming, 23 Dec 1926 and Scaffold of Shame by Antony Rogers.

Sources

1. ↑ QLD online BDM database at https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/ for Eileen Gladys Christie, Event date: 02/02/1896, Event type: Birth registration, Registration details: 1896/B/57972, Mother: Mary Mulholland, Father/parent: John Christie as researched by M.Lohmeyer on 8 Sep 2023
2. ↑ Copy of Eileen Gladys Christ's Birth Certificate entry available on Ancestry.com
3. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/5039725/person/-1507281247/facts
4. ↑ QLD online BDM database at https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/ for Leslie Christie, Event date: 16/12/1913, Event type: Birth registration, Registration details: 1913/B/34488, Mother: Eileen Gladys Christie (HUSSEY-SMITH) as researched by M.Lohmeyer on 8 Sep 2023.
5. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/5039725/person/-1507281247/facts
6. ↑ QLD online BDM database at https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/ for Gladys Delacour Christie, Event date: 13/11/1919, Event type: Birth registration, Registration details: 1919/B/57650, Mother: Eileen Gladys Christie as researched by M.Lohmeyer on 8 Sep 2023.
7. ↑ QLD online BDM database at https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/ for Gladys Delacour Christie, Event date: 05/03/1920, Event type: Death registration, Registration details: 1920/B/31519, Mother: Eileen Gladys Christie, Father: unrecorded as researched by M.Lohmeyer on 8 Sep 2023.
8. ↑ Gladys Delacour Christie, Death Register, copy scanned and uploaded to Ancestry.com on 20 Oct 2019 by Ian Simmons and attached to her profile on several ancestry trees.
9. ↑ QLD online BDM database at https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/ for Eileen Gladys Christie, Event date: 27/11/1920, Event type: Marriage registration, Registration details: 1920/B/26720, Spouse: James Samuel Walsh as researched by M.Lohmeyer on 8 Sep 2023.
10. ↑ Scaffold of Shame (2018) by Anthony Rogers, page no. 9-10 of 419, self published book, ISBN 978-0-9925637-5-2 — copy owned by M.Lohmeyer.
11. ↑ QLD online BDM database at https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/ for Eileen Gladys Walsh, Event date: 24/12/1926, Event type: Death registration, Registration details: 1926/B/50844, Mother: Mary Mulholland, Father: John Christie as researched by M.Lohmeyer on 8 Sep 2023.