Corbett is the maiden name of one of our maternal great-great-grandmothers, Alice Corbett (1869-1960) (1869-1960) who married William Cain in 1887. The sequence of surnames in the four generations between us goes Corbett-Cain-Rogers-Rogers-Dwyer.
The surname Corbett (or Corbet) is of Norman French origin and translates as “little raven”, so was originally a nickname for someone with dark hair. The original Corbet came to England with William the Conqueror, and the surname was first recorded in Shropshire in the Domesday Book (1086).1 The name came to northern Ireland via the Ulster Plantation in the 17th century.
Our Corbetts, as far back as they are known, were Protestants from County Down. They are therefore most likely descended from Ulster Plantation Corbetts.
Our great great great great grandparents
David Corbett was born in County Down around 1812, but his parents’ names are unknown. His mother’s name was recorded as “Lo” on his brother John’s death record, but it is unclear whether this was short for a given name, perhaps Louisa, or more likely a surname, perhaps Lowe.
Elizabeth Taylor was born around 1813, probably in or around Glasgow, and if so, may have been one of the following:
At some stage David must have found his way from County Down to Glasgow, as he and Elizabeth married there on 22 October 1837.
On 14 August 1841 David, Elizabeth and their four-year-old daughter Elizabeth took ship at Greenock aboard the Allan Kerr, a barque of 696 tons commanded by Captain McKechnie. They were among 266 assisted immigrants bound for the Colony of Victoria, arriving at Port Phillip on 27 November 1841. Aboard were also two of David's brothers:
David and Elizabeth had four children:
Probably soon after arrival in Victoria, David had settled in Geelong and started working as a carrier, but by 1860 he was listed as a new insolvent:
David Corbett, Newtown, Geelong, carter. Liabilities £78 0s 6d; assets, L43 5s; balance deficiency, £34 15s 6d.2
In February 1867 David was involved in an incident which presaged the manner of his death 16 months later:
No Control. – David Corbett was summoned by Constable McGrath for having no control over his horse and dray. It appeared that the defendant, while in a state of intoxication, fell out of his dray and received such injuries as necessitated his removal to the hospital, at a cost of £1 for cab-hire. – Fined 1s. and £1 2s. 6d. costs.3
David died on 8 June 1868, aged 56. His death record gives the cause of death as “Accidental. Fell from his dray the wheel passing over his body causing instant death.” The incident was briefly reported in the Geelong Advertiser on Wednesday, 10 June 1868:
An accident resulting in the sudden death of a waggoner named David Corbett, occurred near the Separation Inn, on the Ballarat road, on Monday. The man was sitting on the poll of the waggon, quietly driving, when from what cause we have not heard, he fell, and the wheels passed over his body killing him instantaneously. An inquest will be held to-day.
The inquest was reported by the newspaper the next day:
An inquest was held at the Separation Inn, on the Ballarat road, by the district coroner, Dr Shaw, yesterday, upon the body of David Corbett, a teamster, who met with his death on the previous day through the wheel of his waggon passing over his body. From the evidence adduced it appeared that the deceased had charge of a dray and three horses with three tons of loading, which he was taking to Balmoral, accompanied by a man named Thomas Mahoney with another dray. At Batesford they had a drink together, the deceased taking a pint of ale. The latter also had a drink at the Eureka Inn, about three miles further on. When they approached the railway gates the deceased got upon the shaft of his waggon and rode through the gates. He was then about thirty yards behind Mahoney. When the latter got to the Separation Inn, he observed the horses of deceased's waggon turning off the road, but could not see the deceased. He went back and stopped the horses, and not seeing his mate, walked along the road calling him. He then returned to the team, unharnessed one of the horses, and rode back on the road. He found the deceased about three or four hundred yards from where the horses turned off the road, lying upon his face, quite dead. It was about half a mile from the railway crossing. Mahoney then procured assistance, and the body was conveyed to the inn. The wheel tracks were traced, and it was found that the wheels passed over the middle of the body, crushing the ribs. The verdict of the jury was in accordance with the evidence.
David was buried at East Geelong Cemetery on 11 June 1868.
It is not known where or when Elizabeth died. She is named on David’s death record, but was not the informant and there is no indication of whether she was still alive then.
Our great great great grandparents
James Corbett was born in 1842 in Geelong, the son of David Corbett and Elizabeth Taylor. Nothing is known about his early life, but he probably grew up in Geelong. Before 1866 James may have relocated to the Castlemaine area, or perhaps his work as a carrier took him there often enough to meet and eventually marry Maria Lewis.
Maria Lewis was born at Kidderminster, Worcestershire, the daughter of Thomas Lewis and Martha Butcher. She was baptised at Kidderminster on 25 March 1848. Aged 4, Maria came with her family to the Colony of Victoria from Liverpool aboard the Marian Moore, arriving at Port Phillip on 15 February 1853. By 1858 Maria and her family had settled in Castlemaine.
James and Maria married at Christ Church Castlemaine on 13 February 1866; he was aged around 22 years and she around 17 years, requiring her father to provide permission for them to marry. James’ occupation was noted as a carrier.
James and Maria had six children:
Apart from the births of their children, the Corbetts remain elusive in the period after their marriage. The birth records of their children suggest that they moved around between Castlemaine, Ballarat, Geelong and Maryborough, before finally settling in Geelong.
James may, like his father, have also been guilty of drinking while driving. On 22 October 1869 a James Corbett was fined a total of 6s. at Sandhurst Police Court for having been drunk and disorderly and for “having left his cart unprotected in a public street”.4 There are numerous other convictions for drunkenness reported against persons named James Corbett in the 1860s, but it is not possible to link these to our James.
Maria died at Geelong on 18 December 1918 and was buried at the Geelong East Cemetery the next day. Her death and funeral was reported in the Geelong Advertiser of Tuesday 24 December 1918:
OBITUARY.
The friends of Mr James Corbett will hear with regret of the death of his wife ,which took place at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. P. Burns, “Allowah," Myers-street, Geelong, on the 18th inst. The funeral took place on Thursday in the Church of England portion of the Eastern Cemetery. The funeral was of a private nature, only the relatives and a few personal friends being present. The Rev. Kingsley Cole, of Christ Church. conducted a service at the house, and also officiated at the graveside. The funeral arrangements were in the hands of Mr. W. Wellington.
James died at Geelong in January 1924. His funeral was reported in the Geelong Advertiser of Wednesday, 9 January 1924:
LATE MR. JAMES CORBETT.
The funeral of the late Mr James Corbett took place on Monday morning when his remains were interred (privately) in the Church of England portion of the Eastern Cemetery. The funeral moved from the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. P Burns of “Allowah” Little Myers Street, only the immediate relatives being present. The deceased gentlemen, who was a native of Geelong, was 81 years of age, and was practically the oldest resident. The service at the graveside Was conducted by the Rev Oates. – Messrs King and Wellington, of Ryrie Street, conducted the funeral.
1 http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Corbett
2 Geelong Advertiser, Monday 1 October 1860, p.2.
3 South Bourke Standard, Friday 8 February 1867, p.3.
4 Bendigo Advertiser, Saturday 23 October 1869, p.3