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Robert Bambrick (b1827)

stub bambrick genealogy

First Marriage: The Fate of Harriet Howard

According to newspaper records "Robert Bambrick and Wife" arrived in Australia in 1849 on the Cheapside, and according to shipping records this would be "Robert Bambrick, 21" and "Harriet Bambrick, 30"

We don't know what became of Harriet after that. It's unlikely that they divorced, more likely that she died some time between 1849 and 1863 (when Robert re-married). When Robert and Harriet arrived in Australia, Robert was aged 21 and Harriet was aged 30.

I searched for marriage records in England, prior to 1849, and did not find any. But now I've found a source claiming Robert Bambrick married Harriet Howard, at St. Luke's, Chelsea, 24 July 1848.

(My earlier theory was that Harriet and Robert were not married — she may have been his older sister (also named Harriet) — and in a kind of SitCom style farce, they pretended to be married for the journey over, as otherwise Robert, an unmarried man, would not have been allowed to migrate to Australia.)

A particular Harriet Howard — in case you don't know — was a pretty famous personage, back in the 1800s. That Harriet Howard was born in 1823 (approx 4 years after our Harriet Howard) — ran away from home at age 15, became a rich supporter and mistress of none other than Napoleon III (not Napoleon Bonaparte, btw., Nap' III is His nephew) ...supporting him all the way to becoming the first President of France, and France's last monarch; and she was definitely too busy being written about in the tabloids of Paris, in 1849, to have hopped on a boat with our Robert. But our Harriet Howard was born first, so we can confidently state that the famous HH was named after our HH.

Near Orroroo

From Judy Schramm:

Doing a bit more research for last week's assignment and came across a very interesting newspaper article.

It seems sometime between 1878 and 1884 Robert and Jane were living in a dug-out hut along Bambrick Creek, near Orroroo. They grew fruit and vegetables that they sold to passing stage coaches as well as farming.

I told you previously they had section 1 in the 100 of Walloway and section 14 in the hundred of Coomooroo. But they also had section 304 in the hundred of Pekina and section 192 in Black Rock Plain, all adjoining each other. I have also added a map so you can see what I mean.

It was after the bankruptcy they left the land and went to White Cliffs where their daughter Beatrice and her family were living. Beatrice married George Samuel Maiden in 1883 and had three children there before moving to Broken Hill in 1912. Jane died in White Cliffs in 1904 (at 63). Robert died three years later in Liverpool at 79 years of age.

See attached map and pdf

orroroo-historical-society-medium.jpeg

Orrorroo Historical Society - Map

Injury of Robert Bambrick (age 71) in Broken Hill, saved by son Mr H Bambrick

from Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954) Sat 29 Jan 1898 Page 2 Mining Accidents in Bendigo

The Western Life (White Cliffs) reports :
" An accident, which but narrowly escaped
being fatal, occurred on Wednesday, at the
Tarella Government tank. It appears that
Mr. Robert Bambrick, caretaker of the
tank, accompanied by his son, Mr. H. Bam-
brick, were just leaving in a two-wheeled
vehicle when the horse's belly-band either
broke or came undone. The horse took
fright, and started kicking ; the cart cap-
sized on top of Mr. Bambrick, senior,
causing severe injuries about the head and
face. As Mr. Bambrick is 71 years of age,
his escape from more serious results is very
fortunate. Two other sons were quickly in
attendance, and liberated the horse and
rendered assistance to their father. Mr H.
Bambrick received a nasty kick on the arm.
Both father and son were brought to White
Cliffe, and their wounds attended to by Mr.
Brunswick, who was on a visit from Broken
Hill." Mr. Bambrick was formerly of
South Broken Hill.

The Western Life (White Cliffs) reports:

"An accident, which but narrowly escaped being fatal, occurred on Wednesday, at the Tarella Government tank. It appears that Mr. Robert Bambrick, caretaker of the tank, accompanied by his son, Mr. H. Bambrick, were just leaving in a two-wheeled vehicle when the horse's belly-band either broke or came undone. The horse took fright, and started kicking ; the cart capsized on top of Mr. Bambrick, senior, causing severe injuries about the head and face. As Mr. Bambrick is 71 years of age, his escape from more serious results is very fortunate. Two other sons were quickly in attendance, and liberated the horse and rendered assistance to their father. Mr H. Bambrick received a nasty kick on the arm.

Both father and son were brought to White Cliffe, and their wounds attended to by Mr. Brunswick, who was on a visit from Broken Hill." Mr. Bambrick was formerly of South Broken Hill.

The son in this case is Horace Bambrick (b1881), Robert Bambrick and Jane Pratt's youngest son. My father Graham Bambrick, knew Horace Bambrick as "Uncle Horry" and I think he knew him well.

Horace was not my father's uncle, but his Great Uncle. Horace was a late arrival though, 20 years younger than Graham's grand dad, and thus probably seemed more like an "uncle" than a "great uncle". Robert Bambrick was 53, and his wife Jane (nee Pratt) was 40, when their last child, Horace, "Uncle Horry," was born.

rip_robert_bambrick.png

The above is a photo of a piece of paper on which I believe someone (perhaps an uncle of mine?) transcribed words from Robert Bambrick's tombstone.

(Regarding Robert’s mother, Harriet Ann Bambrick -- The words "Harriet Ann Redan nee Bailey", describing Robert's mother, are confusing. Reddan should have two "d's", and (i've eventually realized) that Reddan is the surname of her first husband, who left her a window until she remarried and became Harriet Bambrick. I’ve searched for more information about this Reddan chap, without success. Elsewhere, information about Harriet says 'Harriet Ann Gale Bambrick (born (Reddan))'. None of these names are her maiden name -- which is “Villars”. I don't know where the name/word Bailey comes from, or why it is written there.)

Also it gives the birth year of Jane Pratt as 1840, which must be considered approximate. Elsewhere it is recorded at 1838.

VOYAGES:
6 July 1849 → 10 October 1849
CHEAPSIDE
London & Plymouth

Robert Bambrick
Age 21
Occupation: Carpenter

BAMBRICK, Robert | Passengers in History

The “Anglo-Indian” theory concerning Robert Bambrick.

There is an untested theory that Robert Bambrick may not have been, as shown in the official records, the first-born son arising from the Union of John Bambrick and Harriett Villers (widow of Reddan) — the alternative theory is either of these

  1. Robert may have been a direct son of Harriett and step son of John — his “birth” father was, under this theory, a man from the Cawnpore region, OR
  2. Robert may have been a direct son of John Bambrick and step-son to Harriett, his birth mother was, under this theory, a woman from near Cawnpore.

In either of these cases. Robert would have been considered “Anglo-Indian” or “Eurasian”.

References

See also

 

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