Elizabeth CONNER in VDL

[Webby]

Hi Bob
Yes it certainly looks like Conner in the notice.  I will have a closer look at the H.T.G when I go to the library.  I will also look up that last birth for Eliza.

The Rev. Bobby Knopwood was one of the drinking, eating, hunting, tally ho Reverends.  His personal diary has been put into book form and it is at my local library, so I will also have a look at that (if it's not on loan) because he mentions his daily life  (eg: where he was eating and whom he was meeting....very social person!), perhaps he may have mentioned John & Elizabeth.  I would image that he probably dined with them at some stage as I think the Eddington's were the up & comers in Hobart at that time.

I've had another look at the marriage of John & Elizabeth and it is definately Cannon.  The Rev's 'r'  is written quite differently to his 'n'.

Will let you know as soon as I have been to the library....hopefully this week.

Regards

Webby

[trish251]

Hi Bob/Webby

As mentioned, Knopwood was quite well known for enjoying a glass or two of wine. One of my relatives was close to the first "drunken in charge of horse and cart" when he died (1826) after being thrown from his cart after spending a few hours with the Rev. The inquest report had Knopwood vowing they had only had a couple of drinks

There are also notes to his diary (that Webby mentions) that indicate after the first couple of years, he was not particularily good at his record keeping. He may have written the name incorrectly, or simply not written it until some time after the marriage & forgotten it. Marriages are sometimes mentioned in the diary that don't appear in the register - and vice versa

I checked the notes I have from the diary. I haven't saved a mention of the Eddingtons but I have two mentions of O'conner. There are probably more.

Tues. 5 (Apr 1814)
The Govnr. sent for me. I swore Francis Williams Esq. in for a magistrate for the county of Buckinghamshire. I calld on Mrs. Lord; I dind with Mrs. Collins. Mrs. Lord, Mr. Williams and O'Connor went to Risdon on their way to Pt. Dalrymple.

Thurs. 23 (Feb 1826)
At court all the morn. I dind with Jocelyn and Mrs. Thomas, met Mr. O'Farrell and Mr. O'Connor.

Trish

[Rochdalian]

Hi Webby & Trish

The Eddingtons certainly did get mentioned in the good Rev's diary at various times.  I have not seen the diary myself but have seen extracts.  He had a particular interest in John's sister Margaret who for a short time was Gov Collins mistress and bore him a child.  In fact Knopwood wrote in his diary about Margaret's death in the 1820's.  Can't remember the date and I'm at the wrong computer to look it up.

The name O'Connor only appears in the family as a second given name two or three generations later.  Makes you wonder though.

Cheers

Bob

[Webby]

Been to the libary and found the following information:

The female child born 27/9/1843 has father:  John Eddington and mother: Elizabeth Eddington - formerly O'CONNOR.  Father was a landholder and it was John Eddington of Elizabeth St, Father who registered the birth on 17/11/1843. 

The O in the O'Connor looks to be a small o'Connor - but that's definately what it says.   This was a piece of luck having John register the birth.  You would hope he actually knew Elizabeth's maiden name if the other half of Hobart apparently didn't!!.

I did have a look at the HTG marriage notice and she is named in that as Conner.  So looks as though the newspaper man was incorrect...perhaps he didn't know of the family?

Next the death notice of Elizabeth Eddington in the Mercury newspaper:

On August 13, 1889 at her residence, Church-street Hobart, Elizabeth relict of the late John Eddington, aged 85 years 5 months:  a native of Sydney, and a resident of Hobart for over 70 years.

So there you have it....she came from Sydney New South Wales and doing the math she would have been here c 1819 or so.   Another little mystery solved!!.

The Knopwood diary is a reference book these days....so I did have a quick look for the Eddingtons........but would you believe that the whole of 1821 was not listed in the book!!!.   I couldn't see any explanation as to why that year was missing.  No Eddington's listed in the Index. 

Although there were numerous mentions of O'Connor's and the few I looked at didn't give a christian name or even a Mr O'Connor - just O'Connor.   Perhaps not up to the Rev's social scale? 

Regards

Webby

[regross]

HI all

Is this NSW rego possibly be her? ,

V18112597 1A/1811      CONNOR      ELIZABETH      ROGER      ELIZABETH

It agrees with the age given on the marriage certificate.

RObyn in Wodonga

[Webby]

Robyn
I don't think the date of 1811 would match up with Elizabeth & John's marriage of 1821. 

I think Elizabeth would have been born c 1801/02?

Sorry, the c 1819 I mentioned in the previous post would be the time frame that Elizabeth would probably have lived in Hobart.

Webby

[regross]

The 1811 is an early church record. This is not necessarily the year of birth.

I have found some children not always babies or infants when bapised. One family in Tasmania had 4 children baptised in the one service ages ranged from 2- 10.

Robyn

[Webby]

Something else for Bob to have a look at!.

Webby

[trish251]

Hi All

I was interested to read the comment re Knopwood's diary for 1821 - because my notes have absolutely nothing for 1821 either - and I do have notes from most years of the diary. I do have a summary from the 1821 census
Population of New South Wales and its dependencies ascertained at the General Muster of 1821
Population New South Wales -   29783
Van Diemen's Land -   7185

as per the diary, but perhaps no other entries were found. The years between 1808 and 1814 were also never found. It seems to me that the editor did an incredible job unravelling and indexing what was retained.

Meanwhile, I checked another book I have - a biography of Knopwood by Geoffrey Stephens and it mentions a Roderick O'Conner 1784-1860 who worked as commissioner of Survey and valuation and inspector of Roads and Bridges under Gov Arthur. Knopwood did not like Arthur & according to this book - nor O'Connor. - There is a little more about him - if he is a likely suspect in the story


Trish