John CORBETT 1840-1871 Murdered in Queensland.

[jackiea]

wow that is an unreal find! Coincidently very strange to find it where you did.

[mickj]

....I just found a second image of John Corbett's grave. We were told that his body was discovered beside the track, about fifty metres from where he was buried. Supposedly the money (gold?) he was carrying was never found.

[mickj]

Trying again to post the image of John Corbett's headstone .... on the first attempt the image was unacceptably too large.

[LoneyBones]

Thanks Mickj, 
Strangely I never took a photo of the grave.
I have photos of other lonely graves from across the Gulf but not CORBETT's.
Lots of very young children, very sad, around Ortona and other gold, copper, tin & silver mining places.
Leonie.

[jackiea]

....I just found a second image of John Corbett's grave. We were told that his body was discovered beside the track, about fifty metres from where he was buried. Supposedly the money (gold?) he was carrying was never found.

Hi Mickj
There was a majesterial inquiry into the death of Corbett and the enquiry was also reported in The Port Denison Times, Saturday June24,1871 and it states clearly how Thomas Martel took Corbetts pack horse to Western Creek however the police at that time were not at the camp, so on advice from to numerous town folk, Martel handed all the gold over to the Publican, Bindon. It was then at 1am Martel saw  Dr. Borok and Constable Kincaid and they set out to find the body. Further more to the enquiry, Bindon reported Martel gave him 2 bags of gold,a parcel of letters, a blanket and some wearing apparel. After locating Corbetts body Dr Borok searched Corbetts body and found 2 keys, a penknife, some papers and he removed 3 rings from Corbetts fingers and produced them all in court.  It is interesting reading. And so seemingly everything Corbett was carrying was located and handed to the court. Patrick Corbett (Johns brother) was given all John Corbetts possessions. So as you can see some storys told are not always true and it is good to research the reports from the courts in the newspapers to find the truth.
Kind Regards
Jackiea

[mickj]

Thank you for that info. Found via Trove Hugh Borland's "A Journey Through the Years" published in the Cairns Post in 1953. It gives much the same information about the death of Corbett and the events which followed. Three hundred and fifty two ounces of gold would have been worth a great deal.  There seem to be many stories and obviously many campfire tales have been told over the years.
Regards,
Mick

[Micksimmo]

Hi there
I know this thread is old but I have only just come across it. My mother Margaret Simson née Cornett is descended from Patrick Corbett brother of John Corbett who is buried near Gilberton FNQ. I can probably add a little more to this story if anyone is still interested tho not sure I can shed any more light on the mysterious knife??

[KLIWD]

jackiea - Thomas Martel is also my gg grandfather. Which of his children are you descended from? Im through Thomas Ernest, then his eldest son.

Corbett murder was an interesting case. Also showed Martel as an honest man.