Mary Comely (King) Coward (1826 - 1914)

Born 5 Apr 1826 in Hinton Charterhouse, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 5 May 1914 at age 88 in Footscray, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Born 5 Apr 1826, Hinton Charterhouse, England. Baptised 27 Apr 1826, St John the Baptist, Hinton Charterhouse, Somerset. ^[1]

Married Henry (Harry) COWARD, 1 Jun 1848, St. John the Baptist, Hinton Charterhouse, Somerset, England. ^[2]

Mary and Henry emigrated to South Australia with their daughter Fanny, & Mary’s Aunt and Uncle, Sarah and James Crook, and their daughter Mary Ann, arriving 15 Sep 1850 in Port Adelaide, on the “Stebonheath". ^{[3] [4]}

Initially they lived at North Adelaide. Fanny died of dysentery a month after their arrival. By 1853 they were farming at Glenelg, South Australia . Seven more children were born there. The farming venture was not successful, and the family moved to Ballarat in Victoria, where the gold rush had created opportunities. They left their 10-year-old daughter Susannah behind with Mary’s Aunt and Uncle whose own children had all died.

Henry is reputed to have walked the 380 miles (610 km) to Ballarat, where he set up shop in his original trade as a blacksmith . His family joined him later, probably by ship to Melbourne, and then by coach.

They lived in Victoria Street Ballarat East, 2 doors from Buninyong railway bridge. Business possibly in Wills Street (now Mair Street) . Two more children were born in Ballarat.

Henry died in 1887, and Mary moved to live with her daughter, and died 5 May 1914, Footscray, Victoria. Buried 7 May 1914 in Ballarat Old Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581844dae93790eca3c7a516/mary-comley-bush-baptism-somerset-hinton-charterhouse-1828-04-27?locale=en Free Reg Baptisms
   St John the Baptist, Hinton Charterhouse, Somerset
   No: 388; Born: 05 Apr 1826; Baptism: 27 Apr 1828 Mary Comley, daughter of Susanna BUSH; Abode: Hinton
2. ↑ https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5f3a27e5f493fd9e4f51e43f/mary-combly-king-henry-coward-marriage-somerset-hinton-charterhouse-1848-06-01?locale=en Free Reg Marriages
   St John the Baptist, Hinton Charterhouse, Somerset
   No: 40; Marriage: 01 Jun 1848; Henry COWARD; Full Age; Bachelor; Occupation: Smith; Abode: Hinton; Father: Thomas COWARD, occupation: Smith and Mary Combly? KING; Full Age; Spinster; Abode: Hinton; Richard King, Grocer; Witness: Richard KING, Witness: William COWARD; By Banns
3. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38442252?searchTerm=%22James%20Crook%22
   South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Monday 16 September 1850 p 2 Article
   SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
   ARRIVED.
   Sunday, September 15 the ship Stebonheath, 1030 tons, Sargent, master, from London 1st June, and Plymouth 16th June. Passengers For Adelaide and Port Phillip: Dr Oaklev, Mr and Mrs Sears and family, Mr and Mrs Bowler and family and infant born on board and Maria Shareliffe (servant), Mr and Mrs Abbott, Mr R. Snow, Mr John Dalley, Mrs Ruddle, three Misses Ruddle, Mr G. Ruddle, Mr C. Cripps, Mr John Curr, and Miss Fox, in the cabin; Judith Geelan, John Harvey, Thomas and George Berri- man, Thomas Bedford, William Lewin, Charles Lacey wife and son, George and Emma Adams, John Davey, Clement Warren, Keragon Barnwell, Edward Harrison, W. O. Maro, George Blake, Richard Boxer and four sons, Robert Barber, Eliza and Charlotte Clark, Henry Coward wife and child, James Crook wife and child, Robert Coombes, James Clark, William Collins, Sophia Dannes, James Daniels wife and ten children, Mary Fowler, George Fincham, Henry Falconer, Eric Finlason, Louisa and Fanny Fouyere, Henry Goodland, William Hurn and wife, Charlotte Gill, Henry Hurst, James Hoolton, William Harris wife and five chil dren, John Harper, Francis Hawley, Sophia Hewans, Harriet Hardingham and four children, George Ireland, Charles Lick Josiah Kidner wife and three children, William Kearsland. wife and two children, William and Edward Lewis, Mary Ann Lodor and two children, Thomas Linton, B. Lanceter, Arthur Morris wife and seven children, John Martin and wife, John Mortimer wife and child. James Menitt wife and two children. James Orchard, John Rolls, George Reynolds, William Stevens William Stilton and two daughters, Hubert Sprowl, John Sawyer, Jane Sullivan, Alexander Taylor, Jane Tuff wife and two children, John Walters, George Fraser, E. Withers wife and two children, Luke White and wife, W. Wood, Geo. Whittington, and Elizabeth Douglass, in the intermediate.
4. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38442252?searchTerm=%22James%20Crook%22<br /. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Monday 16 September 1850 p 3 Article
   THE "STEBONHEATH" AND THE "JANE MORRISON,'" FROM ENGLAND.
   The first-mentioned ship sailed from London on the 1st June, and the other on the same day from Plymouth, whence the Stebonheath did not take her final departure until the 16th June, and has consequently made the passage from port to port within 90 days, bringing 199 passengers. No deaths occurred on the Voyage, and only one birth. The Jane Morrison's passengers are in number 86, including 23