MANDEVILLIAN JUNE 2020 VOL. 35 NO. 1
Generations of Mary Ward Women Elizabeth Mary Cussen Negline (Sprigg, 1944) In the Rathfarnham playground, at the beginning of the 2013 school year, two Year 5 girls learned that they were cousins. Amy Cussen and Assa (Alessandra) Negline have remained friends and are presently two of our Year 12 students. Their great-great-grandfathers, Sir Leo Cussen and John Finn Cussen, were brothers. Leo and John’s youngest sisters both became Loreto nuns – Mother Teresa (Daisy Cussen) and Mother Columbiere (Cassie Cussen). Daisy Cussen, as a student at Loreto Mary’s Mount, was commended for her support of the intellectual training of girls, as opposed to ordinary duties. An article she wrote concluded; “No nation ever yet was great whose women did not glory in its greatness”. John Cussen’s daughter, Margaret, attended Loreto Albert Park and married James Sprigg. They had three daughters, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth, who all attended Loreto Toorak. The extended family is firmly entrenched in the wider Loreto community around Australia, including Loreto Claremont, Loreto Normanhurst and Loreto Kirribilli. Elizabeth Mary Cussen Negline had one daughter and six sons – one of whom is Peter Negline, husband of Maria and current parent to Moira (2018), Assa (Year 12) and Elizabeth (Year 10). Elizabeth Mary Cussen Negline is also the first cousin of Francesca Shelton (Cash, 1955), who is the daughter of Rene Cussen, youngest sister of Margaret Cussen (Peter’s grandmother). Francesca is the mother of Margaret Kennedy (Shelton, 1984), Caroline Kennedy (1985) and grandmother to Katherine Kennedy (2015).
Sadly, on 16 March 2020, Elizabeth Mary Cussen Negline died; Queen of Loreto was played at Elizabeth’s Requiem Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Beautiful tales of her school days at Loreto Toorak have been shared with her granddaughters. ‘Nana’, as she is fondly remembered, always loved telling her granddaughters about the green verandah and how the nuns used to clean it with water from tea leaves. She also recalled the time when the School sheltered Aboriginal children during World War II and were looked after by the nuns for a while. The girls used to hear Nana talk about the school uniform; gloves, pinafores to protect the uniform (as it was originally made of silk material), and shoes that were strictly for indoors only. It was the responsibility of the Prefects of the School to check that the students’ uniforms were in order. Elizabeth loved playing tennis for the School; her sister Mary was also a very good tennis player and both played at the School a lot. There were also stories about horse-back riding. She was very fond of the productions that the School performed. One in particular was Still Life, where the students recreated scenes from famous paintings or plays. Her oldest sister received the Spirit Award and she was very proud to remind listeners that only one student is awarded every year. The Cussen-Sprigg-Negline family is one of our Loreto historical treasures. The current members of the family represent a Loreto connection of many generations. In faith, sport, arts and spirit, as Loreto Sisters, parents and students they have celebrated their Loreto education and become part of a living history which we hope will continue for generations to come. Above: Elizabeth Mary Cussen Negline (Sprigg, 1944) holding a photo of her sister Mary O’Connor (dec) (Sprigg, 1938), Josephine Powick (Cashmore, 1957) holding a photo of her mother Margaret Cashmore (dec) (Sprigg, 1935). Elizabeth Negline (Year 10), Moira Negline (2018), Assa (Alessandra) Negline (Year 12). Left: (Middle row, far right) Elizabeth Mary Cussen Negline.
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