Despite this newspaper report, all the evidence suggests otherwise.
MARRIED, At Cowra on the 29th May, [1861] by the Rev. J. Adam, H. Carvill, Esq., of Cowra, to Bridget relict of the late Edward Neville, Esq. [Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Chronicle of 15 June 1861.]
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A. Edward Neville died 28 Jan 1852
B. Bridget married Nicholas Challacombe 27 Jan 1867.
C. Thomas O’Shaughnessy referred to her as Mrs Neville in Jan 1867 when she married Challacombe. Diary extract: “26 Jan 1867 P. Walsh started home. Mrs Neville, Maggie Middlemiss and Dan Neville started for Blayney. Mrs Neville is to be married to Nicholas Challacombe Tom lcely’s overseer “
D. In an insolvency case, relating to her brother Thomas in Court in November 1866, where the Chief Commissioner of the Insolvency Court mentions her on several occasions, she is consistently referred to as Mrs Neville, not/not Mrs Carvill. [Sydney Morning Herald 28 November 1866.]
E. There is no reference to a Neville/Carvill marriage in NSWBDM. No Carvill marriage at all around that time.
F. The Challacombe marriage records her name as Bridget Neville.
G. Rev J Adam was Presbyterian. Does this tell us anything?
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So what of H Carvill?
- 1. Only one reference in O’Shaughnessy Diary.
“Oct 1855. Mrs Neville opened the Public house. We had races at Mulyan Plain. Cooramin won two races. William Ousby kept the old Public house, McNab a store, Harry Carville alias Bumble, kept a store. “
- 2. Henry Carvill bought a town block in Cowra at the first sale on 18 October 1854. [Bathurst Free Press 19 Oct 1861]
- 3. He had a store in Cowra in the early 1860s (Court reports in Bathurst Free Press of a paternity claim against him in 1861/62.)
- 4. “Irish boot maker Henry Carvill, nicknamed Bumble, who arrived at Cowra Rocks as a convict, assigned to squatter Edmund Markham, served his sentence by the late 1840s and opened a small building, where he set about his trade as shoemaker. To this business he soon added general supplies, to become a storekeeper as welL In 1861 Carvill bought a boat in Sydney to ferry people across the Lachlan River.
While they waited in Ireland for their husband and father to send for them, Carvill’s wife and child suffered great hardship and were destined never to see him again. When Carvill sent word that he was able to pay for their passage to Australia, he was advised his wife had already died. His search for his son proved unsuccessful “ [Cowra on the Lachlan Ed. By Joan Marriott.]
5. 1839 ASSIGNEE HENRY CARVILL. Henry Carvill, ship Hercules 1830 signed with his mark a petition to the Colonial Secretary for restoration of his Ticket of Leave, taken from him in 1837. Described as assigned servant to Edward Markham, Lachlan River. [Colonial Secretary Petition R.591.]
6. NSW BDM 3346/1863has his death recorded in 1863 at “63 years, died Cowra, reg Carcoar”.
TENTATIVE CONCLUSION.
Was the newspaper jumping the gun? Hardly, as publication was eighteen days after the (supposed) marriage.
Did she/he pull out at the last minute? Did she go ahead and decide it was a bad idea and left him? He died in 1863 so if she did marry him, she was free to marry Challacombe in 1867. But NSW record would say she married as Mrs Bridget Carvill, not Bridget Neville!
Despite the newspaper item above, I find it difficult to conclude she married him..
Need to check Carcoar Presbyterian church records.
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