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JOHN & BRIDGET JARVIS

Submitted by Bernadette Grace

In November 1841 John Jarvis and Bridget Driscoll, both “residents of Manaroo”, were married by Fr. Mick McGrath of Goulburn. Witnesses to the marriage were Daniel Driscoll and Patrick Clifford. The couple settled at Cross Creek, Nimitybelle where they raised a family of three; James, John Joseph and Catherine. Bridget, born in Ireland, worked in the district as a domestic servant and is reported to have lived in the colony for 43 years before her death in 1881 at the age of 72. John, originally from Nottingham, arrived in the colony around 1833 and worked as a farmer in the district until his death in 1883 aged 75 years. Both are buried in Nimitybelle.

James, their first born, died in 1875 at the age of 31 from “falling sickness” (epilepsy) although the death certificate reports that he had not been well since birth.

John Joseph Jarvis (1845-1907) married Isabella McDonald (1858-1896) in 1879 at St. Andrews Catholic Church, Nimitybelle with John and Sarah McDonald as witnesses. John’s occupation at the time of his marriage was given as shepherd. Isabella’s father, Ronald McDonald of Myalla, gave his consent to the marriage as Isabella was under the age of twenty one. Her mother was Catherine McDonald. John and Isabella’s first child Joseph James did not live. Their surviving children were Mary, Clara, Bridget, Margaret, Annie and John Ronald (aka Ron). The family originally lived at One Tree Hill but from around 1882 until shortly before his death John Joseph Jarvis and his family are listed as living at Summer Hill.

Catherine Jarvis married Thomas Peters in 1867 and they raised a family of twelve children; Bridget, Catherine, John, Mary, Julia, Margaret, Sarah, Hannah, Thomas and Elsie Elizabeth, with twins Theresa and Cecelia living only a few months.

On the 6th March 1896 Isabella Jarvis died at Summer Hill Station having suffered from pulmonary phthisis for the previous twelve months. After her death Annie was adopted by George and Mary True (nee Driscoll), while the eldest child Mary, who was then 14 years old, took on the responsibility of caring for the remaining children aged 11, 9, 7 and 3.

George True (1852-1933), the eldest child of Samuel and Mary Ann True, was born and grew up in Gundagai but later moved to Bemboka where he worked as one of the town’s 5 blacksmiths. He and Mary (1854-1935) married in 1892 and lived in a house beside the Catholic Church in Bemboka. It was here that Annie grew up and gave music lessons to the children of the district until she moved to Sydney.

The following obituary for Mary True is transcribed from the Perkins Papers, Mitchell Library, CY899 Vol 9 1931-1948.

Cooma in 1935 from Cooma Express:
Aug 10 Death of Mrs George (Mary) True at Sunnybrook, Jindabyne. She was 80 years of age and resident at Bemboka. Was on a visit to her brother, Daniel Driscoll at “Sunnybrook” when she took ill and died. She was 2nd daughter of the late Daniel Driscoll and of Mrs O’Neill of Sunnybrook, her mother having married twice. She was born at Thoko and went to live at Sunnybrook at the age of 2. She became a schoolteacher on Monaro and South Coast schools- Berridale, Cobargo, Toothdale and Glenbog successively. At Bemboka subsequent to her marriage she acted as Supervisor for the Dept. of Education in Correspondence Education. Was also a teacher in Sunday School preparing children for Confirmation.
Her husband predeceased her. They had no children but she had adopted Annie Jarvis on the death of her mother and she lived with her at her home at Bemboka and survives her. She also reared from infancy, Kathleen O’Neill, a niece, daughter of Mr & Mrs Thomas O’Neill, but she died at age of 15 at a Convent in Goulburn. She was a devout R.C. She leaves 1 brother, Daniel of Mt Emerald, Nimmitabel, 3 step brothers- Patrick, Thomas, and Michael O’Neill, all but Pat residing in Nimmitabel; one sister Mrs McDonald of Tomgroggin predeceased her. Buried at Nimmitabel. Rev. Dean Carey of Bega officiating. J.F.Allen undertaker.

(The death certificate for Kathleen O’Neill identifies acute peritonitis as the cause of death. Kathleen is buried in a grave beside that of Mary True in Nimitybelle Cemetery)

Nine years after his wife’s death John Joseph Jarvis died in 1907 in Cooma Hospital after a short illness. Mary, Clara and Bridget moved to Sydney where they found employment as housekeepers. Bridget worked for many years for the Horden family as housekeeper and nanny to the Horden children. Her time was divided between their Sydney and Moss Vale homes. Mary worked as housekeeper at a number of Catholic presbyteries. Margaret undertook her nurse’s training at Cooma Hospital where she then worked before joining the Bush Nursing Association. As a Bush Nurse she spent time working in Nimitybelle, Bemboka and Lightening Ridge among other country centres.

Ronald Jarvis was a keen member of the Nimitybelle Rifle Club. Records held at Gelmacher House show his regular participation in competitions. He enlisted in the AIF in July of 1915 where he served as a gunner in the 5th Field Artillery Brigade. His enlistment papers show his occupation as that of wheelwright. After serving in France he returned to Australia in 1919 and in 1931 married Veronica Edna Greer. They had a son Allan Edward Jarvis.