Date and Ship unknown, believed to be about 1854
→ George Henry Blincko (1820, Stroudwater, Gloucs) → Sydney, NSW. Arrived: Abt 1854.
→ Ellen O’Brien (1834, Tipperary, Ireland) → Geelong, Victoria. Arrived: aboard the ship Agincourt a single woman age 20 on 10 February 1854.
Stroudwater (Easington) Gloucestershire
Very little is found in the traditional records ie Census, Baptisms etc for the origins of George Henry Blincko. The best evidence comes for Jennifer Carter descendant in her short piece in the Blencowe Book where Jenifeer states “George and Ellen married in 1855 and their marriage certificate told me that George, a cooper, had been born in Gloucestershire circa 1821 and that his parents were George Blinckho — also a cooper — and Ann Nichols”
The spelling of the surname seems to be an obstacle for research has Jennifer refers to at least three version of the surname.
Well if father George Blinckho was a Cooper in the area of Stroudwater he was familiar with the development of the Canal there for which the place name gets called. The Stroudwater Navigation is an 8-mile canal in Gloucestershire, opened in 1779 to link the River Severn at Framilode to Wallbridge, Stroud. It was built to transport coal to the woollen mills of the Stroud Valley and transport finished cloth, becoming crucial for the area’s industrial development, though it formally closed in 1954.
A interesting coincidence, or part of the story, I’m not sure? One Captain William Henry Bacchus lived in that part of Gloucestershire as the Blincko’s and emigrated to Melbourne in 1837. He made a fortune and eventual settled on land that was to carry his name ie Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. This success story would have been part of the local history in Gloucestershire and so its entirely possible the target destination for George Henry Blincko in Australia was that very town.
The Voyage
The year that George emigrated to Australia is unknown but it was likely a assisted passage and it was before 1855 when he married in Victoria. 1852 was the year assisted passages began and so 1852-54 seems the likely window he emigrated. In any event he met Ellen it seems in Victoria and they married in Bacchus Marsh, so was this because he had Barrel making work there or did they rent land right away. George was a Cooper its said on his marriage certificate and so was he employed in Bacchus Marsh? in that capacity.
Ellen O’Brien we know was a single emigrant in early 1854 from the desperate conditions of Ireland poor and on her own the relationship with George Henry was cemented by their likeness for alchohol it seems. Ellen landed in Geelong and most likely was where she met George Henry it was a common enough immigrant landing place .
Bacchus Marsh 1855
George Henry Blincko a protestant married a Roma Catholic and it seems converted in faith. The couple married at St Bernards , a church first constructed in Bacchus Marsh in C1850. The church built on the property of John Leahy, who gave a one-acre block of land at Hopetoun and contributed half the cost of building the church – the first Catholic Church in Bacchus Marsh. The small brick church of hand-made bricks cost £800 and was opened early in 1851. A school is also reported to have been operating therein. This church later replaced was used by a small congregation the population of catholics in the area being very small in 1855.
Land Ownership.
In 1860 George Henry was able to buy the 155 acres at Coimadai and at a pricve of £1 and acre. The Nicholson Land Act was passed, followed by the more famous Duffy Land Act of 1862. These allowed individuals to “select” crown land for a small deposit and pay it off over several years, provided they met residency and improvement requirements (building a house, fencing, or clearing land).
It would appear over the years 1860-1885 when George Henry died the land was fully paid off. We return to this later in the story.
What work George Henry did on arrival is unknown but in the Bacchus Marsh area there would have been plentry of Barrel making as it was the primary packaging/shiip of loose and liquid materials. The first child Mary jane born in Bacchus Marsh and second Ellen at Pentland in 1858 tells us where the couple were and sure enough the third child Catharine born at Coimadai in 1861 confirma the move about 1860 to there own land.
George and Ellen may have tried other farming but the land likely full of trees was a resource they could used right away and make a living that was Charcoal Making. The charcoal was likely Ironbark common to Coimadai area and when taken to town a full horse-drawn dray load would have fetched George between £1-2 a load. the typical Farmer would have cleared his land sold the Charcoal and then planted crops, we have no idea whether the Blincko’s did this or whether they relied on the Charcoal business.
After giving birth to five daughters in 1867 the Blincko’s finally got a son named George Patrick, The youngest of the family was to find I surmise overtime his parents drinking issues and the amount of work he personally had to do on the land was just too much and at around 22 yrs he just one day disappeared and never returned. He apparrently didnt communicate at all with anyone and when later both parents died he was out of reach to get any news, Newspaper advertisments were tried but to no avail and in 1924 he was officially pronounced presumed dead so that his share of the inheritance could be dealt with. There was one more girl to come (Jennifer’s Grandmother) Luck Maud Blincko in 1870.
1877 Both George and Ellen Charged
In an incident, that I think was not isolated, the couple went on a drinking binge after delivering Charcoal to town.
1877 ‘BACCHUS MARSH.’, The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 – 1943), 20 January, p. 2. ,
George Blinckho was charged with drunkenness. Senior-constable Rogers said it was a regular thing with defendant and his wife to come into the township every Saturday with charcoal, and return drunk, and they were in the habit of commiting various improprieties. Upon Saturday last the same thing happened, and defendant fell out of his dray, and he thought he was killed. His Worship lectured the defendant upon the impropriety of his conduct, and fined him 10s., or twenty-four hours imprisonment. Mrs. Blinckho was charged with the same offence. Senior-constable Rogers deposed that he attempted to get Mrs. Blincho home, and put her in the dray, which she left, and when he put her husband in the lockup she followed him and abused him. He put her in the lockup too, and she destroyed a new blanket, just placed in the lockup. His Worship said defendant’s conduct was even worse than that of her husband. It was very distressing to have a man and wife brought up upon such charges. Her position was a very disgraceul one. Fined 5s. for drunkenness, 5s. for destruction of blanket, and 10s. for the damage done
Death 1885
Jennifer Carter Blencowe Book Chapter 17 writes However, the Inquest Indices listed George Blencoe (another spelling!) as dying at the Yarra Bend of Disease of the Brain. This, of course, pointed to the asylum where at that time people were admitted suffering from depression, the reslts of a stroke, etc. The Admission Register for Kew Asylum (Yarra Bend) was an enlightening document; the only source giving George’s birthplace: Stroudwater, Gloucestershire.
With his father dead in 1885 and had already been absent some time its evident that George Patrick was to carry the mans burden of the Charcoal business, and perhaps had done so since a teenager. But in 1889 he left home and Ellen was now to cope on her own, it could this was tipping point for her drunken bouts to eventually be the end of her.
Death of Ellen Blincko nee O’Brien 1890
Ellen death after her continuation of her alcoholism, the inquest tells a great deal her and the relationship with the nearby daughters. This below in Jennifer Carter’s words.
The Inquest Indices also revealed an entry for Ellen Blinkho (yet another spelling!) who died in 1890 from a fall over an embankment. The various depositions tell several stories. Ellen lived at Coimadai with her daughter Lucy who was unaware of her mother’s financial situation.
The third daughter Catherine lived at Parwin, working for a Mr Scott and had not seen her mother for eight years, but she knew that she had £300 in the National Bank at Bacchus Marsh, and 155 acres of land.
We learn from Lucy that on several occasions her mother had not returned home from a visit to Bacchus Marsh until next morning, the horse and cart arriving home the prior evening. On this last occasion Ellen had been drinking; the jury decided that she had died accidentally after falling over the embankment after leaving her dray.
The newspaper report of the death told that Ellen had been living at Coimadai for over thirty years and was a widow with six daughters and one son living. It also reported that Ellen had not administered her husband’s will, which
left the estate to her. Upon her death all was to be sold and divided between the children. For many years I was concerned by the fact that Catherine, although living just the other side of Bacchus Marsh from Coimadai, had not seen her mother for so many years, and yet had greater knowledge of her mother’s affairs than Lucy.
Probate 1890-91
George Henry Blincko when he died in 1885 had a Will that bequeathed all assets to his wife Ellen including the 155 acres at Comadai, furthermore the Will states that on his wife’s death all assets were to be equally divided amongst his surviving children ie 5 daughters and a son.
A messy situation was created by the death of George Henry because Ellen did nothing to activate her husbands Will. In other words because she was the primary benefactor ie she inherited all the assets including the land, but because she ignored the Will the land was technically still owned by George Henry at Ellens death in 1890 she was technically a tenant. Consequently, her assets as stated below were just the local bank balance of £300. This delayed the probate and so we have a final letter of confirmation in 1896 there is a handwritten letter from the executor, George Dickie, dated October 23, 1896. In this letter, he explicitly states to the Court after selling the acreage worth about £400 plus the bank balance £300 (£700) less debts and expenses.
“I paid the money to the children of Ellen Blinckho in March 1891 and have the release signed by each…”
Probate Ellen Blinckho 1890
This is the full transcription of the probate and administration documents for the estate of Ellen Blinckho, late of Coimadai, following her death in September 1890.
Estate of Ellen Blinckho (1890)Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria – Probate Jurisdiction
- Affidavit of Administratrix: Catherine Blinckho Deponent: Catherine Blinckho of Parwan, Spinster, the second daughter of the deceased.
Death Details: Ellen Blinckho died on September 5, 1890, at Coimadai,intestate.
Next of Kin: The surviving children entitled to share in the property were :
- Catherine Blinckho (Deponent, of Parwan)
- Caroline Blinckho (of Parwan)
- Lucy Blinckho (of Parwan)
- Mary Jane Blinckho (of Broken River)
- Ellen Blinckho (of Broken River)
- Julia Blinckho (of Broken River)
- George Blinckho (noted as being “absent from home,” address unknown)
Valuation: The real estate did not exceed any value (listed as “Nil” on later statements), but the personal property was valued at £323 10s .
Oath: Catherine swore to truly collect and administer the property, lands, and credits of the deceased and to provide a perfect inventory to the Master-in-Equity within three months. Sworn: At Bacchus Marsh on September 19, 1890 .
- Affidavit of Surety: Louis Scott Deponent: Louis Scott of Parwan, Farmer.
Purpose: To act as a guarantor for the administration of the estate.Statement of Wealth: Scott testified that he owned property in Victoria valued at £5,000 (250 acres of freehold land in Parwan).
Bank Deposit: He also noted a sum of £700 deposited in the National Bank of Bacchus Marsh in his own name.
Sworn: At Bacchus Marsh on September 19, 1890. - Affidavit of Surety: Randall George FinchamDeponent: Randall George Fincham of Bacchus Marsh, Bank Manager.Statement of Wealth: Fincham testified that he owned freehold land in the Parish of Korkuperrimul, County of Bourke (Allotment 11), valued at £800.Sworn: At Bacchus Marsh on September 19, 1890 .
- Statement of Assets and Liabilities (Statement “A”)Real Estate: Marked as “Nil” [image 8].
Personal Estate: Consisted primarily of the £300 fixed deposit (plus interest) at the National Bank.Liabilities (Debts owed by Ellen at death):F. Howe (Grocer): £10J. Simpson (Butcher): £1 7s 6dA.E. Osborne (Draper): £2 7sJ. Hollis (Baker): 15sA. Forsyth (Undertaker): £10 12s 6dCommission and Proctor’s Fees (Frank Grey Smith): Approx. £22 .
Final Distribution: After expenses, the remaining estate was divided equally among the seven children, with each receiving £40
Affidavit of Publication and Search Deponent: Angus Archibald Sinclair, Clerk to Frank Grey Smith (Proctor).
Verification: Sinclair confirmed that notice of the application for administration was published in a Melbourne newspaper on September 18, 1890, and that no prior will had been deposited with the Registrar General [image 2].
Caveat Search: He confirmed that no caveat (legal challenge) had been lodged against the estate as of October 2, 1890 [image 2].Filing Details: Documents were filed with the Master-in-Equity in Melbourne on October 27 and 29, 1890. Letters of Administration were officially granted on October 10, 1890
Timeline
| Event | Date/Location | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | George Henry Blincko | ||
| Birth Date | 1820 | ||
| Birth Place | Stroudwater, Gloucs | ||
| Emigrated | Victoria, Abt 1854 | Date and Ship not known | |
| Ellen O'Brien Emigrated | arrived Geelong Vic. 10 February 1854 | Assisted passage - Ship Agincourt Single woman from tipperary, Ireland | |
| Marriage | 17 Jun 1855, St Bernards Church, Bacchus Marsh | ||
| Birth of Daughter Mary Jane | 1 Jun 1856, | ||
| Birth of Daughter Ellen | 1858, | ||
| Purchase of Land | Govt Assisted purchase Coimadrai, Victoria | 155 Acres | |
| Birth of Daughter Catherine | 5 Oct 1861, | ||
| Birth of Daughter Julia | 18 Aug 1863, | ||
| Birth of Daughter Caroline Maria | 12 Jul 1865, | ||
| Birth of Son George Patrick | 1867, Bacchus Marsh | ||
| Marriage of Ellen Blincko | 1885 Bacchus Marsh | to Declan O'Brien | |
| Death | 1885, Yarra Bend asylum, Melbourne Vic. | ||
| Death of Ellen Blincko | 1890, Victoria | Fell over embankment whilst drunk | |
| Marriage of Catherine Blincko | 1890, Bacchus Marsh | to Colin McKellar Todd | |
| Probate | 1891 | 'Benficiaries children in equal share | |
| Official death of George P Blincko | 1924 | Missing Presumed dead |
Descendants
William Robert Carter 1898-1951- Grandson. Served in WW1 Private, 69503, 16th GS Rifles 69503, attested in July 1918 he remained in Australia
William Joseph Creasey -Grandson. Attested in WW2 for Australian Army but was a Labourer at the Darley Fire station and was dimssed because in a Reserve Occupation
Sources
- From ‘Stroudwater’ in Gloucestershire to Bacchus Marsh, Victoria Jennifer Carter Blencowe Book Chapter 17
- Ancestry and Family Search
- Daphne Austin Blencowe Database
- Public Records Office Victoria