Thursday 27 October 2016

I am looking for Elizabeth Clarke do you recognise her?

Elizabeth Clarke widow married William Carbis also a widow in 1847 in the Gosford Church of England in NSW.[i]  They were married for sixteen years before William died suddenly of a heart attack in 1863, while working on his sea-going vessel “William & Betsy”.[ii] 

As Elizabeth was a widow when they got married, it is likely then that Clarke was not her maiden name.  Her son William Browster died 26 November 1864, intestate a farmer of Mangrove Creek. In 1865 Elizabeth made an application as his mother to settle the estate valued at £15.[iii]

William Browster/Bouster was her son so it is likely that she shared the same surname as him at some stage.

Possible surnames for Elizabeth are
  1. Her maiden name which is unknown or could have been Browster or Bouster
  2. First - married surname possibly Browster or Bouster - implied
  3. Second  - married widow  surname Clarke - confirmed
  4. Third – married surname Carbis/Carbus – confirmed

William Carbis came to Australia with his father, William Carbis,  and brother-in-law Francis Bassett as convicts.  It is also possible that Elizabeth could have also been a convict however as there are quite a few Elizabeth Clarkes I have not been able to narrow down the field to eliminate those who are not her.

Hoping someone can help. Elizabeth continued to live in Mangrove Creek, her occupation being listed as “dairy” after her son’s death at least until 1877 however very little else is known about her.[iv]  Any help would be greatly appreciated.




[i] Marriage certificate of William Carbis and Elizabeth Clarke, married 20 August 1847, Gosford Parish Church Register, Northumberland County NSW, Australia
[ii] Death Certificate  of William Carbiss, 10 May 1863, Registry of Birth, Death & Marriage NSW, 685/1863;
[iii] NSW Government Gazette 16th Nov 1865. Pg 2594
[iv] Greville’s 1872 Post Office Directory, Mangrove Creek Page 314, Greville’s 1875-77 Post Office Directory Mangrove Creek Page 451

3 comments:

  1. There's an Elizabet Clark/Clarke in my tree - same time frame ---sorry it's not the same woman.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jill Ball for taking the time to have a look. I just have to keep search no short cuts on this one!

      Delete
  2. There's an Elizabeth Clark/Clarke in my tree - same time frame ---sorry it's not the same woman.

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to leave a message