Mary Skillicorn and Elizabeth Carbis Memorial
Pennyweight Flat Cemetery, Castlemaine, Victoria
1. Introduction
This document details information on the families relating to two baby girls, Mary SKILLICORN and Elizabeth CARBIS, whose memorial gravestone stands in the Pennyweight Flat Cemetery, Castlemaine, Victoria. The document has been put together to provide family data for members of the BassettByLines genealogical research group.
The Pennyweight Flat Cemetery (also known as the Pennyweight Flat Children's Cemetery) is a historically significant cemetery situated in Colles Road, Castlemaine. Only very few of the gravesites are marked with headstones, and even fewer with decipherable inscriptions.
2. Gravestone Inscription
Skillicorn in
memory of his daughter MARY
who died 8th february 1855 aged
18 months
also
in memory of ELIZABETH
Carbis who died 30th january
1854 aged 12 months
3. Establishing the ancestry of Mary Skillicorn
The Pioneer Index for Victoria has listed, Maria SKILLICORN died in 1855, her father was listed as John and mother Agnes UNKNOWN. She was also listed as been born in SAUS [1] .
A search of the South Australian indexes did not show any listings for the birth of either Mary or Maria SKILLICORN.
However, the Pioneer Index of Victoria lists the birth of Ann SKILLICORN, father John and mother Agnes (nee CARSON). Ann is listed as having been born in The Loddon [2] .
Note: Ann SKILLICORN eventually married John BASSETT (son of William BASSETT and Martha (nee MOFFAT) in 1876 at Eaglehawk, Victoria [3] .
4. Establishing the ancestry of Elizabeth Carbis
The Pioneer Index for Victoria contains no listing for the death of Elizabeth CARBIS circa 1854.
However, the Pioneer Index does contain a number of entries for births and deaths for children of William CARBIS and Mary Jane (nee CARSON) around central Victoria in the 1850's to 1870's[4] .
William CARBIS died on 13th November 1882 at Sandhurst, Victoria [5] . William's death certificate provides the following details:
of Death:13th November 1882
Place of Death:Hospital, City of Sandhurst, County Bendigo
Name:William CARBIS
Profession:Miner
Sex and Age:Male, 55 years.
Cause of Death:Tuberculosis Pleurisy, 1 year.
Father:Richard CARBIS, farmer.
Mother:Elizabeth CARBIS, formerly THOMAS.
Informant:Edward Charles Brown, undertaker.
Buried:Eaglehawk Cemetery, 14th November 1882.
Born:Cornwall, England - 28 years in Victoria.
Married:Mary Ann Jane CARSON, at age 19 years.
Children:Elizabeth, dead.
Elizabeth, dead.
Richard, dead.
Mary Jane, dead.
Isabella Thomas, 24 years.
William, 22 years.
Agnes Ann, 14 years.
Note: Mary Jane CARBIS (nee CARSON) died on 16th November 1882 (3 days after William) of Serous Apoplexy as a result "over indulgence in drink" [6] . Either Mary was grief stricken by the death of William or he had a pretty good wake!
5. The Carson Connection
Agnes SKILLICORN (nee CARSON) died in 1907 at Carlton North, Victoria aged 72 years [7] . In the Victoria. The Victorian indexes list Agnes' father as Robert CARSON and mother Mary (nee SPENCE).
A search of the International Genealogical Index (IGI) reveals that Agnes CARSON was born to Robert CARSON and Mary (nee SPENCE) on 29th December 1834 at Penninghame, Wigtown, Scotland [8] . Further, Mary Jane CARSON was also born to Robert CARSON and Mary (nee SPENCE) on 20th January 1829 at Penninghame, Wigtown, Scotand [9] .
The IGI also contains a listing of the following marriages [10] :
Mary Jane CARSON on 21st September 1849 at Penninghame, Wigtown, Scotland to William CARLIES.
Agnes CARSON on 11th March 1852 at Penninghame, Wigtown, Scotland to John SKILLIECORN.
Mary Jane CARBIS (nee CARSON) and Agnes SKILLICORN (nee CARSON) were therefore sisters, making Mary SKILLICORN and Elizabeth CARBIS (the baby girls subject of the memorial) first cousins.
We next go to the 1851 Census for Scotland [11] , where the following entries can be found:
1.
Name:William CARBIS
Age:29
Relationship:Head
Spouses Name:Mary Jane
Gender:Male
Where born:England
Parish Number:895
Civil Parish:Penninghame
Town:Newton Stewart
County:Wigtownshire
Address:47
Occupation:Lead Miner
Household Members:Elizabeth Thomas Carbis, 3 mo
Mary Jane Carbis, 21
William Carbis, 29
2.
Name:Agnes CARSON
Age:16
Relationship:Servant
Gender:Female
Where born:Newtonstewart
Parish Number:895
Civil Parish:Penninghame
Town:Newtonstewart
County:Wigtownshire
Address:High Street
Occupation:House Servant
Household Members:Agnes Carson, 16
Margaret Levisigthie, 38
Helen McMillan, 66
3.
Name:John KILLICORN
Age:27
Relationship:Lodger
Gender:Male
Where born:Penninghame, Wigtownsh
Parish Number:895
Civil Parish:Penninghame
Town:Newton Stewart
County:Wigtownshire
Address:58
Occupation:Lead Miner
Household Members:Isabella Caison, 13
James Caison, 19
Mary Caison, 51
James Gile, 28
John Haroing, 5
John Karmoda, 35
John Killicorn, 27
6. Details of John and Agnes Skillicorn Family
More research required.
7. Details of William and Mary Jane Carbis Family
William CARBIS and Mary Jane (nee CARSON) had seven children:
a.Elizabeth Thomas CARBIS (subject of memorial)
Born: circa 1851, Penninghame, Wigtown, Scotland [11] .
Died: 30th January 1854 [12] .
b.Richard CARBIS
Born: circa 1855, Cast.
Died: 1861 in Victoria, aged 6 years [13] .
c.Mary Jane CARBIS
Born: 1857, Sandhurst, Victoria [14] .
Died: ? pre 1882.
d.Isabella Thomas CARBIS
Born: 1859, Peg Leg, Victoria [15] .
Married: 1877 to John Henry UREN in Victoria [16] .
Died: ?.
e.William CARBIS
Born: 1864, Eaglehawk, Victoria [17] .
Married: (1) 1886 to Elizabeth Ann ANGOVE in Victoria [18] .
(2) 1899 to Rose Florence KENWORTHY in Victoria [19] .
Died: 1921 in Ballarat East, Victoria, aged 55 years [20] .
f.Agnes Anne CARBIS
Born: 1868, Sailors Gully, Victoria [21] .
Married: 1886 to Henry RICHARDS in Victoria [22] .
Died: ?.
g.Elizabeth Mary CARBISS
Born: circa 1872, Victoria [23] .
Died: 1872 in Victoria, aged 27 weeks [23] .
8. Descendants of Richard and Elizabeth (nee Thomas) in Victoria
The following descendants of Richard CARBIS and Elizabeth (nee THOMAS) have been identified as living in the Eaglehawk/Bendigo area of Victoria:
a.Mary Ann HUNKIN (nee CARBIS)
Born: ?.
Married: ? , to John HUNKIN
1892, Eaglehawk, Victoria [24] .
b.Susannah CARBIS
Born: circa 1855, Cast.
Married: (1) William HICKS,
(2) John GRENFELL,
Died: ?.
i.Richard HICKS
Born: circa 1850, Cornwall, England [25] .
Died: 1922, Bendigo, Victoria [26] .
ii.William GRENFELL
Born: circa 1859, Cornwall, England [27] .
Died: 1903, Bendigo, Victoria [28] .
iii.Thomas GRENFELL
Born: 1861, Cornwall, England [27] .
Died: 1923, Long Gully, Victoria [29] .
iv.
Grace GRENFELL
Born: circa 1864 [30] .
Married: ? CHITTS [30] .
Died: 1948, Northcote, Victoria [30] .
c.William CARBIS (see section 7 for more details)
Born: circa 1822, Cornwall, England [5 & 11] .
Married: 21/091849 to Mary Jane CARSON in Wigtown, Scotland [10] .
Died: 13/11/1822, Bendigo, Victoria [5] .
Source Citations
1.Pioneer Index Victoria, 1836 - 1888 (Version 2.11 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1855; Reg Number: 1873.
2.Pioneer Index Victoria, 1836 - 1888 (Version 2.11 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1856; Reg Number: 9704.
3.Descendants of Martha Carbis & John Bassett, 2006. (BassettCarbis.pdf). BassettByLines - Sandra Williamson.
4.Pioneer Index Victoria, 1836 - 1888 (Version 2.11 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: various; Reg Number: various.
5.Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia, Death Certificate William Carbis (Reference Year 1882 #13220 Original a certified copy in possession of Warwick Anderson).
6.The Bendigo advertiser [microform] (Began Dec. 9, 1853. Sandhurst, Vic. : R.R. Haverfield, -2003. Newspapers - Microfilm - Select reel(s) from cabinets NM), Articles.
7.Digger - Edwardian Index. Victoria 1902-1913 (Version 2.21 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1907; Reg. Number: 11579.
8.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, International Genealogical Index (R) (Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of January 3, 2006), Batch #: C118954, Source Call #: 1068040, Printout Call #: 6901692, Dates: 1820 - 1854.
9.Ibid.
10.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, International Genealogical Index (R) (Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of January 3, 2006), Batch #: M118954, Source Call #: 1068040, Printout Call #: 6901693, Dates: 1820 - 1855.
11.Ancestry.com. 1851 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Original data: Scotland. 1851 Scotland Census. Reels 1-217. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Parish#: 895, Civil Parish: Penninghame, Town: Newton Stewart, County: Wigtownshire.
12.Pennyweight Flat Cemetery - Gravestone Inscription. Transcribed by Warwick Anderson - 3 Jan 2007.
13.Pioneer Index Victoria, 1836 - 1888 (Version 2.11 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1861; Reg Number: 3092.
14.Ibid. Year: 1857; Reg Number: 3596.
15.Ibid. Year: 1859; Reg Number: 9980.
16.Ibid. Year: 1877; Reg Number: 2299.
17.Ibid. Year: 1864; Reg Number: 21569.
18.Ibid. Year: 1886; Reg Number: 5509.
19.Victoria Federation Index 1889 - 1901 (Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1899; Reg. Number: 3924.
20.Victorian Death Index 1921 to 1985 (Version 2.21 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1921; Reg Number: 12705.
21.Pioneer Index Victoria, 1836 - 1888 (Version 2.11 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1868; Reg Number: 23022.
22.Ibid. Year: 1886; Reg Number: 5991.
23.Ibid. Year: 1872; Reg Number: 4195.
24."Bendigo Cemeteries Trust Website" (http://www.bencemtrust.com.au), HUNKIN, MARY ANN, Cemetery: EAGLEHAWK, Internment Number: 004291, Section: MON K2, Grave Number: 15.
25.Cornwall Census -1851 extract - extract for William & Susan Hicks family (Transcript of Public Record Office - Reference HO 107/1919).
26.Victorian Death Index 1921 to 1985 (Version 2.21 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1922; Reg Number: 11938.
27.Cornwall Census -1861 extract - extract for John & Susanna Grenfell family (Transcript of Public Record Office - Reference RG 9/1596).
28.Edwardian Index. Victoria 1902-1913 (Version 2.21 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1903; Reg. Number: 12403.
29.Victorian Death Index 1921 to 1985 (Version 2.21 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1923; Reg Number: 2184.
30.Victorian Death Index 1921 to 1985 (Version 2.21 Produced by Macbeth Geneological Services P/L, Coherent Software Australia Pty Ltd), Year: 1948; Reg Number: 5021.
