CORBETT MEANEY

Bridget Corbett travelled to Australia on the ship Arabian leaving Liverpool on 5th October 1861 and arriving in Melbourne in January 1862. She was 17 years of age.

Her parents were James Corbett (a wheelwright or Carpenter) and Mary Meaney. They lived near Cranny in south Clare, Ireland and did not come to Australia with Bridget. As far as I have been able to establish none of Bridget’s siblings came to Australia.

She did, however, come on the Arabian with cousins or aunts or uncles. On the ship, which left from Liverpool and travelling as a group with Bridget were Johanna Daly(45), John Meaney(20)possibly Bridget’s Uncle, Patrick Egan(25) cousin of Denis Egan who Bridget first married, Bridget Mahon(18), John Coughlan(18) and Thomas Daly.

On 23rd February 1862, one month after arriving in Australia, Bridget married Denis Egan at St Killians church in Bendigo. Denis Egan’s father was John Egan and his mother was Mary Moylan and they lived in Clare. The witnesses at the wedding were Daniel Meaney and Honour Sexton. In 1863 Honour Sexton married Patrick Flaherty and they lived at Goornong, which is where Bridget lived with her second husband, Patrick Minogue.

Bridget and Denis had a daughter, Bridget Egan, in 1863 and Denis died of Cholera in Back Creek on 23rd February 1864, exactly 2 years after he and Bridget married. He was 30 years old. The informant at his death was his cousin Patrick Egan whom I presume was the same Patrick Egan who came to Australia on the ship with Bridget Corbett. Denis is buried in White Hills Cemetary Bendigo.

On 8th May 1866, Bridget married Patrick Minogue (my great grandfather) at St Killians Church. Patrick was 25 years old and his parents were Colman Minogue and Ann Moylan. (the same surname as Denis Egan’s mother). They were from Newquay in north Clare. The witnesses at the wedding were Martin Meaney and ??.

Patrick and Bridget had 4 children, Mary (my grandmother) who was born on 23rd June 1869 at Campaspe, James born about 1872, Margaret Ann born about 1876 and Patrick born about 1878.

My query is whether there are still Corbetts living in the area and of course all the other relations, Meaney, Coughlin, Daly, Egan and Sexton who all seemed to have a connection to Bridget Corbett and came from the same location.