Bridget (Corbett) Gielis (abt. 1833 - 1883)

Descendants

Biography

It may never be known exactly when Bridget (or Biddy) Corbett was born, but based on her stated age when she left Ireland, it was about 1833, in Scarriff, County Clare, Ireland.^[1] It may also never be known if she was given the name Bridget (or Biddy) by a parent, or by the institution that housed her as an orphan ― the Scarriff workhouse, County Clare. Likewise it may never be known if Corbett was the name of her father, or if that, too, may have been a name assigned to her by the workhouse.

It is not known if she was (or, indeed, any of the girls and women were) given any choice, but Bridget (or Biddy) Corbett, aged 18 years, was one of some 300 to 450 single females, mostly orphans, mostly between the ages of 17 and 24 who were "selected" to be transported to Van Diemen's Land as part of the relocation scheme set up by the "Female Immigration Society". On page 27 of the passenger list she is written as "Biddy", but on another page (39), she is being paid as "Bridget".

Erin Weeps.

Established as a result of those governing Van Diemen's Land feeling they had been short-changed of young, marriageable-age, non-work-shy females by the ending of the Earl Grey Scheme in 1850, and subsequently corresponding with the government in England, the Female Immigration Society Scheme arranged for two ships, the "Beulah" and the "Calcutta" to be provisioned and otherwise set up to take young women to the colony in Hobart; all under the backing of the Poor Law Commissioners and the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (who happened to be the 3rd Earl Grey). There were 151 female orphans, mostly from Irish workhouses, who were taken to Van Diemen's Land in 1851 on the "Calcutta", departing Portsmouth on the 15th July 1851. Biddy Corbett was just one.^[2] The arrival of the "Calcutta" was noted an article on page 2 of the Colonial Times (Hobart) Tuesday 4th November 1851.^[3]

It is not known just how, or where Bridget met Leopold Henry* (also Henry Leopold) Gielis, but on the 1st February 1855, in St Joseph's, Launceston, Van Diemen's Land, by the Rites and Ceremonies of the Catholic Church, they were married by Thomas Batton (or Button).^[4] They were both listed as "Free", and the marriage was by license. Leopold's occupation was listed as "farmer", his forename as "Henry", and his last name rendered as "Giles". (From documents found for Leopold, he seemed quite happy (as were many Europeans who had multiple forenames, none of which were locked down as "first" or "second") to switch Leopold with Henry and vice versa, seemingly on a whim.)

The first of their nine children, Matilda Marie, was born in Launceston in 1856, followed a couple of years later by another daughter, Mary Jane, in 1858.

Not long after Mary Jane was born the family moved to the mainland, to Victoria.

It was in Victoria where the next three of their children were born: Francis Henry in 1860, Richard Henry in 1862, and Edmond William in 1864.

Very shortly after Edmond was born, the family packed up and moved all the way north to Queensland, eventually ending up in the Thornborough area inland from Cairns, after a stop or two along the way.

It was in Queensland that the rest of the children (four more) were born, and young Edmond died in 1867:

Maria Eliza (1866)

Charles Achilles (1868)

Leopold (1870)

Josephine Pharilda (1873)

Bridget Gielis née Corbett passed away in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, aged about 50 years.^[5] No mother is listed and the father's name is misspelt as "Corbell".

Bridget was buried in Townsville's West End cemetery, where her daughter, Josephine, was also later laid to rest. Her husband's brother, August Achille (listed as aged 49, although was 51) lies nearby.^[6][7]

* According to the great-granddaughter of one of the girls (per the Clare Library article linked below) "they married Irish convicts".

Some Extra Reading

• From Clare to Van Diemen’s Land: Some forgotten Mothers of Tasmania by Michael MacMahon^[8]
• The passenger list, by County, (more easily readable than the earlier linked government passenger list).^[9]
• An alphabetical list of the "Calcutta" passengers (includes those who were "regular" or "other" passengers who were not orphans/workhouse girls).^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth year as calculated from the age as stated on the arrival document in 1851.
2. ↑ Tasmania Government immigration passenger list "Calcutta" 1851
3. ↑ National Library of Australia Trove article
4. ↑ Tasmania Government BDM Marriage record
5. ↑ QLD BDM Death Registration details: 1883/C/3637
6. ↑ Queensland Government Townsville West End Cemetery records
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 26 October 2020), memorial page for Bridget Corbett Gielis (1830–21 Jan 1883), Find A Grave: Memorial #150375948, citing West End Cemetery, West End, Townsville City, Queensland, Australia ; Maintained by jlong (contributor 48741020) .
8. ↑ Clare Library article From Clare to Van Diemen's Land
9. ↑ Clare Library passenger list by County
10. ↑ Clare Library Van Diemen's Land passenger list

• BDM registrations.