17 January 1855 Colonial Times
Wife of photographer Thomas Nevin, Elizabeth Rachel Nevin nee Day, was named after her father's sister Elizabeth Goldsmith nee Day who married Captain Edward Goldsmith at Liverpool, UK, in 1829. Captain and Elizabeth Goldsmith had two sons: Richard Sydney, born 1830 at Perth, W.A. and christened in Sydney, NSW, who died of fever aged 25yrs in Hobart, in 1854; and the second son who was named after his father, Edward Goldsmith, born at Rotherhithe, UK on December 12,1836. He travelled with his parents on several voyages to Hobart from London before attending Trinity and Caius Colleges Cambridge in 1856-7. In 1855, when Edward Goldsmith jnr was 19 years old, he accompanied his father to the Governor's Levee, an early afternoon reception and ceremony held only for men, at Government House, Hobart. Edward's cousins, the Day sisters, still children under 8yrs, would have been deeply impressed by their older cousin's account of this fine affair.
State Library of Tasmania
Title: Ball-room, Government House / Sharp photo
Creator: Sharp, John Mathieson, 1823-1899
In: Abbott album Item 52
Publisher: 1860
Description: 1 stereoscopic pair of photographs : sepia toned ; 8 x 7 cm. each
Format: Photograph
ADRI: AUTAS001136189065
Source: W.L. Crowther Library
Government House Drawing Room ca. 1868
Photographer's blindstamp impress: S. Clifford Hobart Town Tasmania
Special Collections: University of Tasmania
Who's Who in Hobart 1855
This is the list of those who attended, published in The Colonial Times (Hobart), 17 January 1855. The text below has not been corrected from its original Trove NLA digitisation. The Levee was also reported with some variations in details of events and omission of names in The Colonial Times of 13 January 1855.
"THE GOVERNOR'S LEVEE.
His Excellency Sir Henry E. F. Young
held a levee yesterday in the Ball Room of Government House at 2 o'clock in the af- ternoon. His Excellency who wore the customary uniform of a Governor, entered the reception-room at a quarter to two, at- tended by Colonel Last and the Aide-de- camp. The principal officers of the Govern- ment, and others who enjoy the privilege of the entrée, were first presented, namely, their Honors the Chief Justice and Puisne
Judge, the Collector of Customs, Colonial Secretary, Colonial Treasurer, Surveyor General, Attorney-General, Chief Police Magistrate, Colonial Auditor, the Lord Bishop of Tasmania, Deputy Commissary General, Major of Brigade, Comptroller General, Postmaster-General, the Sheriff, Chairman of Quarter Sessions, Immigration Officer, Port Officer, Major-General Des- pard, and the Vicar-General.
A Guard of Honour, furnished by H.M. 99th, was in attendance, and the splendid band of the regiment performed some favor- ite airs during the ceremony.
We subjoin a list of the gentlemen pre- sented, distinguishing ministers of religion, gentlemen of the bar, Members of the Le- gislative Council, Corporation, &c.
Ministers of Religion. - The Lord Bishop, Archdeacon Davies. Revs Benjamin Ball, W. R. Bennett, J. Burrowes, J. R. Buckland, A. Davenport, L. Davies, T. Ewing, Dr. Fry, E Freeman, J R. Gurney, J. T. Gellibrand, D. Galor, J B. Seaman, J. Wright, R. Wilson, (Church of England ) the Vicar-Ge neral, Revs. G Hunter, W. J. Dunne, A McGuire, C. Woods, (Roman Catholic,) Revs Dr Lillie, A. Cairnduff, P. Campbell, C. Simson (Church of Scotland,) Revs. W. Day, H J. D'Emden, E. Miller, J. Nisbet, J. M Strongman (Independent,) Revs. W Nicolson, W. R. Wade, (Free Church of Scotland,) Rev. M. Andrew, (Wesleyan,) Rev. K. Johnston, (Baptist,) Rev. Dr. Hoelzel. (Rabbi )
Members of the Legislative Council, &c. -Dr Butler (Brighton), R Cleburne (Huon), Chapman (Hobart Town), Dunn (Hobart Town), Greg- son (Richmond), Morrison (Sorell), Dr. Officer (Buckingham), Sharland (Hamilton), Sinclair (Morven), Mr. Henslowe, Clerk of the Council, and Major Frazer, Sergeant at-Arms.
Corporation_His Worship W. G. Elliston (Mayor of Hobart), Aldermen Lipscombe, O'Reilly, Rheuben, Sims, Sly, Thomson, the Town Clerk City Surveyor, City Collector,
Members of the Bar.-Attorney-General, Crown Solicitor, Commissioner of Insolvent, Court, Messrs. Allport, Brewer, Dobson, Graves, Harris, Knight, Nicholson, Perry, Pritchard, Pitcairn, Sorell, Sutton, Watkins, Young.
A,
J N. Allport, Abbott, A.C.O. Atkins, Sir H. Atkinson, Ashton, H. Atkinson Jno. Abbott, Dr. Agnew, Austin, Arnold. T.
B,
Bates S. A., Burnett J. L Boothman E. Brent; Beaumont; Butler E. W. D. Butler, R.; Butler, F.; Butler, C. H.; Butler, Alfred J.; Browne J. M. C.; Barnard J., Benson, Dr. Boyes, Bisdee Jno. jun.. Boot T , Buckland, Boyes H , Brent T., Butcher, Buckland J A., Bright Dr., Buckland H , Black, Jno , Brock Dr., Bryan R. B., Barker R., Burgess Mur ray, Best H.
C.
Culley C. T., Carns Dr., Crosby W, Crouch. Chalmers Capt., Cartwright, Carter W., Cor- bett Lieut. A., Cowle T. P., Cox T. F., Cotton, Major, Coverdale Dr., Campbell J. P., Crooke Dr., Campbell J. W., Cane F. .
D.
Dunn, Dixon J., Downing, Deakin J. E. Dawson S. R., Dickinson Jno., Dickson B. junr, Dandridge.
E.
Ely Lt., 99th, Edgar, Evans M.
F.
Forster G. B., (P. M. Pontville), Forster Chas., Ferguson, Fletcher G. W., Fletcher W. Feneran, Fiddick, Forster, Brooks, Forster Jno., Forster Jno., Franck, E., Forster G., Fletcher J. W., Flaherty J. R.
G. Gell P. H. Gresley N Guy B, Giblin W, Giblin T., Gilles O. H., Gill W. H., Giblin R., Goldsmith Capt, Goldsmith E jun, Gray R. G. Gardiner A, Gresley R. E. P, Gould J. M, Gaze O.
"Goldsmith Capt, Goldsmith E.jun."
H.
Horne Thomas, Haig A. Hardinge, Haller F. Huybers A. Hall Dr. Hopkins H, Harrison G. T. Hutton, Hewitt, Hall F, Harrison J, Hawkins Capt. R.E , HalI ( Tolosa). Hampton G, Hewitt T. E, Hall John, Hall C. W.
J.
Johnson Capt. 99th, Jones A. B, Jean, Jeffery S. Jacobs, L Grand Lieut.-Col. (Bombay Army),
Jackson Dr.
K.
Knight W, Kay W. P, Kearney, Kerr John, Kenny Lieut.-Col. Kemp A. F, Kilburn D. T,
Kirwan, Kennett, Knox.
L.
Lowes T. Y, Low J. J, Lewis R, Lewis Neil, Lewis T, Lulham Capt, Lavender C. W.
M.
McCarthy Dr. McArdell I. O. O, Miller Capt, McLachlan, Milligan Dr, Mason C. Kemble, Macnamara Dr, Moses S, Matson G, McPherson D, Mills E. McKay Capt. Maning H, McGowan J T, Murphy L. E, Murdoch J, McKeig G. A, Moore J. A. Moss P, May J, M, Milward J, Midwood, Midwood E.
N.
Nairne, Newman, Neill G. J, Nicol P.
O.
O'Donohoo, Ogilvy Capt, Orr A.
P. Pritchard, Pike, Proctor, Proctor G. M,
Illegible
R. Reaves L G Lieut. 99th; Russell, Major (Staff Officer of Pensioners); Read, Row croft Horace, Roope Lavington, Rogers L. G.
S.
Smales J. H, Smith H. E, Stevenson G Smyly, Lieut.-Col. 99th; Stanfield. J. W. Shaw C. C. Solomon Joseph, Swan John, Stewart J L. Smith Dr. Smith H. Seal M, Swan John, jun. Scott S, Scott H. W, Smith, J. G, Schaw Major, (P. M. Richmond).
T.
Tully A, Tribe F, Tarleton (P.M. New Nor folk), Trappes, Turnbull James, Taylor G. L,
Truro.
V.
Vautin.
W.
Webster A, Watt R. G, Aug. H Eardley Wil- mot (P.M. Hobart), Williams J. B, Wilmot C. Eardley. Whyte C. J. Wood J. R, Walker R. Wettenhall Lt. R.N, Walker J. C. Wigmore R, Wilson E. (Melbourne), Windsor W. H, Wynne R, Wood G. F. G, Whyte James, Waterhouse R. S, Watt T, Wilson B. O. N. Windsor.
Y.
Yeoland W. K, Young C. H.
The Lord Bishop, Vicar-General, and most of the clergymen of the churches of England and Rome were attired in eccle- siastical robes. The Chief Justice, Chair- man of Quarter Sessions, Attorney-Gene- ral, &c, also wore their official gowns.
It will be seen by the list that the pre- sentations were numerous, and the cere- mony lasted until about a quarter to three."
THOMAS WAINEWRIGHT 1794-1847, PORTRAIT OF THOMAS GIBLIN (1846).
Source: Sotheby's Catalogue
Among these guests was Thomas Giblin, director of the Bank of Van Diemen's Land whose portrait by convict artist Thomas Wainewright was found recently in a private collection in Scotland and auctioned in Sydney on August 27 2013.
View of the Derwent Hobart from Government House
Special Collections University of Tasmania (n.s; n.d.)
Leaving Hobart VDL, for Gadshill, Higham, Kent
Captain Goldsmith, his wife Elizabeth and son Edward jnr boarded the “Indian Queen” at Hobart as passengers in February 1856, bound for Liverpool, UK, never to return.
The Courier 19 December 1855
TRANSCRIPT
NOTICE
CAPTAIN GOLDSMITH, being about to leave the colony, particularly requests that all Claims against him be forthwith sent in for liquidation.
Broadland House, 17th Dec. 1855
Broadland House was situated on the corner of Collins and Elizabeth Street (site of the present ANZ Bank), very close to the Hobart wharves. Captain Goldsmith's usual residence while in Hobart was at 19 Davey Street, where his elder son Richard Sydney Goldsmith died, aged 25, the previous year (Obituary, The Courier Hobart 5 August 1854), but as he began preparations to leave the colony altogether, he vacated the house, auctioned its contents, and took rooms at Broadland House which was still respectable enough to be considered by the Police as a lodging house not to be entered under their powers of the Legislative Council's Act passed for the "well ordering and regulation of Common Lodging-Houses", if this article published in The Colonial Times, 3 September 1855 is to be believed, although by the 1860s, the clientele was somewhat downmarket (Mercury 15 December 1862).
Broadland House
The Colonial Times, 3 September 1855
Broadland House, cnr Elizabeth and Collins St, Hobart Tas
A. Winter blind stamp impress, no date, ca. 1868
Source: University of Tasmania ePrints
So by February 1856, Captain Edward Goldsmith was headed back to Gadshill, Higham, Kent, UK, where he owned more than fifty properties, including cottages, orchards, and gardens, as well town houses in nearby Rochester and farms near the marshes at Gravesend, a place now familiar to the world from Dickens' portrayal in Great Expectations (1860-61). Captain Goldsmith also had contractual interests in renovations and improvements to the “crows’s nest” Gadshill House and 6 Gad’s Hill Place which extended beyond Charles Dickens’ purchase in 1858, and which remained in the estate of Captain Goldsmith on his death in 1869. He owned the house at 11 Upper Clarence Place, Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent. where Charles Dickens’ mistress Ellen Ternan was born. Her neighbour at No. 13 was Captain Goldsmith’s son, Edward Goldsmith jnr, whose income in the 1881 Census was “houses”.
Edward Goldsmith jnr and his cousins, Mary Sophia Day, Thomas Nevin and Elizabeth Nevin nee Day, Mary's sister, ended up in Chancery over Captain Goldsmith's will in 1872. These two daughters of Captain James Day and nieces of Captain Goldsmith were to have inherited the eleven cottages, No's 1-11, at Vicarage Row, Higham, but their cousin, Edward Goldsmith contested this legacy of his father's will (Ref: National Archives UK C16/781 C546012). More about this extraordinary case in a future article.
This is how the marshes look today;
View from the tower of St Mary the Virgin Church, Chalk Kent UK, known as Chalk Church, down Church Lane to Lower Higham Road, the Salt Marshes, and the Thames beyond.
Photo copyright © Carole Turner March 2016
These marshes are the setting for the opening of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip.