The Carroll's and Greenhills to 1900

The Carroll's and Greenhills

This history relates to the families of Carroll and Greenhill, both families migrated to Broken Hill seeking work in the Silver Lead and Zinc mines, the most exciting prospect of their time.

Facts: It will always be hard to substantiate information that has been gleaned from elder members of the family due to the possibility of hidden family secrets. The information that follows mainly comes from records, such as: Military Records, Australian War Museum, NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages, Broken Hill Cemetery Records, Australian Migration Records, English and Irish Census , B.D & M and finally archived Newspaper articles and advertisements, Barrier Miner and the Adelaide Advertiser.

Key Players: 

John Carroll (aka Albert Harrison) born Melbourne, 1888.  
Olive Carroll, nee Greenhill born Broken Hill, 1898.

Johns Family: Father unknown, Mother, Catherine Harrison, born Melbourne 1870.

Birth record of Catherine Harrison

Marriage records of John Harrison and Margaret Falloon.

Her parents John Harrison of Kildrick, West Riding Yorkshire and mother Margaret Caroline Harrison nee Falloon born in Ireland and migrated separately from England and married in Australia. 

The birth certificate of Alfred Harrison aKa John Carroll.

 John was born Albert Harrison and adopted by Patrick & Elizabeth Carroll, nee Mitchem of Ballarat shortly after birth and was given the name John Carroll. The Carroll's moved to Beryl Street, North Broken Hill possibly 1895. The Carroll family originated from Castleconnel, Ireland and migrated to Victoria. 

 

Olives Family: Father Charles James Greenhill, born Stepney London, 1852 to Richard Mills and Ann Greenhill. He had a twin sister Mary Anne and three other sisters, Sarah, Caroline & Jane and one brother Richard.

Charles Greenhill's baptism record page 2, 6th entry The entry above is of his twin sister, Mary Anne.

As a young man he was a seaman on the vessel Velocipede, a small coastal sailing ship that carried a captain, his family and 8 crew.

The 1871 census for the vessel Velocipede

  and travelled a few times between the UK and Australia aboard the 'Keilawarra'. During his time aboard the 'Keilawarra' his ship collided with another ship, the 'Helen Nicoll' near North Solitary, Coffs harbour with the loss of 36 lives. 

The crew list of the Keilawarra 1884, Charles Greenhill is 8th from the top

 An article in the Burra Record, 14 December 1886.

THE KEILAWARRA.

The Keilawarra (Captain N. G. Buttrey) was on her way to Brisbane from Sydney, and was about six miles off the coast when the collision with the Helen Nicol occurred. Each steamer saw the other's lights about 20 minutes before the accident, but misunderstood each other's intentions. The boats from the Helen Nicol passed over the spot where the Keilawarra had sunk and rescued those who were still struggling in the water. Among the passengers was a Mrs. Cornwell, from Western Queensland. She was returning from Sydney, and had with her a little girl, 12 years old. Mrs. Cornwell was drowned, and the girl, who could not swim, clung to some floating wreckage. Later she grasped other wreckage, and was finally rescued by the boats. Two valuable racehorses were on deck. They were to compete in Brisbane events. One disappeared when the vessel sank, but the other followed the boats persistently for half an hour, and had to be beaten off with the oars. He was last seen by the passengers heading for the shore, six I miles away. Close in shore the locality was shark Infested, and no one ex pected to see him again. However, about six weeks later he was seen grazing on the hills close to the beach,. This was considered a wonderful performance. Captain Buttrey was among the drowned, also the man who was in charge of the horses. I have never heard that there were anv sharks in the neighbourhood of the "disaster.

An artist impression of the collison between Keilawarra & Helen Nicol

Charles Greenhill is assumed to have survived the shipwreck as there are no available records at this time. It is also assumed that he travelled to England afterwards where he fathered a son, Percival Charles Greenhill, born in London 1887, the mother is unknown and the child left with foster parents. In 1891, aged 3yrs, he was a 'nurse child' ie fostered by William and Emma West in Eton, Bucks, William was a bricklayer's labourer. 
Charles Greenhill ended his days at sea in Australia possibly around 1888 where he settled in Burra, South Australia. Burra was a copper mining town where the copper petered out in the late 1880's.

There he met his future wife Elizabeth Mitchell and they moved to booming Broken Hill around 1991 where they were married. The Mitchells, John Mitchell and his wife Elizabeth Ann Mitchell, nee Carthew migrated to Australia from St Just and Redruth, Cornwall prior to 1856 their line has been traced back in that area as far as 1550.

It was on 2 July, 1891 that Charles Greenhill was mentioned in the Barrier Miner newspaper of Broken Hill as a member of the:

 'Loyal Orange Association and the reopening of the Prince Leopold Lodge, South Broken Hill. The preliminary meeting was advertised to be held at Brother Greenhills home in, Boughtman street, South Broken Hill on FRIDAY, July 3, at 8 p.m. sharp. All Members and Intending members: are urgently requested to attend.'

A scene of the township of Broken Hill 1891

On the 18 November, 1891 the Barrier miner published a notice from the Land Board, it reported that about:

'60 allotments were decided upon at Alma, Willyama and Tibooburra all details of each allotment was published including Charles J Greenhill allotment 3, section 15, 1 rood 12 pounds 10 shillings.'       (I assume that this was the original western lands allotment for 243 Hebbard Street, South Broken Hill. A few blocks away from Boughtman Street.)

On the 11 January, 1892 a marriage announcement was published by the Barrier Miner. 'GREENHILL-MITCHELL.-December 12, by Rev. K J Tuck. Charles James Greenhill, of South Broken Hill to Elizabeth Jane, daughter of the late John Mitchell, of Burra, S.A.'

It was passed down though Ron Carroll, that Charles GreenHill had lived in Burra before coming to Broken Hill. It was told that he brought his house with him, this now stands as a part of the house still standing at 243 Hebberd Street, Broken Hill. 

House transport at Broken Hill, 1890's.

On October 17, 1893 a second Percival Charles Greenhill was born to Charles, this child to his then wife Elizabeth (nee MITCHELL) at Broken Hill.
In 1895 they had a second child, a daughter Mildred Greenhill.

The Barrier Miner reported on the 6^th march, 1895,

'FIRE BRIGADE BOARD.

The Superintendant’s Report

Mr. H. R. HASSEN, superintendent of the Fire Brigade, has reported for the year ended December 31, 1894.

Broken Hill Fire Station and staff, 1907.

 The report states that the alarms received for fire or supposed fires , totalled 77. Of this number ll were false alarms, six were for chimneys, and 60 bona-fide fires. Ten were classified as serious, and 20 resulted in the total destruction of the. property affected. Twenty-one of the propertied were , insured, 36 were not covered by any risk and in three instances it could not be ascertained whether the building and contents were insured or otherwise. He (Mr. Hansen) regretted having to state that two fatal fires had taken place during the year, three lives being lost  The following applicants were enrolled as firemen:-South station: J. H. Smallcombe, D. Kilded, C. J. Greenhill, G. A Axell, H. M. Dixon, H. Relph, J. Donald. Central station : 0. Henwood, W. Davison, T. J. Lyons.' 

The fire Brigade at South Broken Hill.

 The Miner reported on the 3^rd of December 1896 a 'Boughtman street, South Broken Hill, owned and occupied by a Mrs. Jordan In a front room where Jordan conducts a little store. On the alarm being given, Fireman Greenhill and several of the neighbors turned to, and by hard work (there being a plentiful supply of water and buckets) succeeded in saving the shell of the building. The fire started in the bedroom, in the middle of the house, and the contents of this room were all destroyed. Most of the other portable property, however, was saved. The building was of wood and iron, and was uninsured. Mrs. Jordan estimates her loss at between £16 or £20. She cannot account for the outbreak, unless that while coming out of the bedroom she may have trodden on a match. To firemen Greenhill and his volunteer assistants too much praise cannot be given for their efforts to subdue the flames.'

Charles James Greenhill seated in centre at front. South Fire Brigade 1893. 

1890 at Ballarat, death of John Carroll, father of Patrick, grandfather of John Carroll, (aka Alfred Harrison) arrived in Victoria from Ireland in 1852, he settled in Ballarat. After his marriage to Mary Supple in July, 1856, he was employed as a miner and watchman and resided either in Ballarat or Ballarat East where all his children were born before the family settled in Rubicon Street in the Sebastopol/Redan area of Ballarat. The six children of the marriage were – John, Patrick, Mary, James, Catherine and Thomas. The death of John senior in November, 1890 was sudden and subject to an Inquest.

Ballarat, July 1897,

The death of Mary Supple CARROLL, the mother of Patrick. Elizabeth Ellen Carroll, (nee Mitchem) was the informant cited on her death certificate. Patrick , Elizabeth (known as Ellen) and John probably departed Ballarat for Broken Hill sometime after that event. Mitchem men as well as Carrolls were cited as pall bearers in the newspaper notice.

1897/98 The Carroll family consisting of Patrick, Elizabeth and John had settled in their home at Beryl Street, North Broken Hill around this time.

On the 22 October, 1897 the Miner reported that the:

'Broken Hill Starr-Bowkett Society held its fourth appropriation meeting last Tuesday night in the Mechanics' Institute, South Broken Hill. Mr. Greenhill was elected chairman, Messrs. Chettle and Black were appointed scrutineers, and Thomas Croft drew the marble. Registered number 483 secured the drawing, this share is held by Mrs. M. E. Roberts, of Lane Street, who was thereby granted the loan of 100 pounds free of interest, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the society.' It appears that this society was one of the first sort of building societies, lending money to those who the banks chose to ignore.

 Olive Gladys Greenhill was born to Charles and Elizabeth Greenhill at Broken Hill in 1998, their third and final child.

On the 16^th of March 1899 a report was published by the Miner about the:

THE EUREKA STOCKADERS and the Death of Patrick Carroll.

The announcement on Saturday of the death, at Geelong, of the Ballarat pioneer Patrick Carroll-making another gap in the rapidly thinning ranks of the Eureka Blockaders-caused regret among old residents on this goldfield (the Ballarat correspondent of the Age writes). It was Carroll who conveyed Peter Lalor, wounded, to Geelong in his waggon, after the affray at the Eureka Stockade. The insurgent leader was hidden by him beneath tarpaulins in the waggon, and an old Cornish digger named Thomas Marks, still resident in Ballarat acted as his nurse while en route to the seaside town. Shortly after leaving Ballarat with his disabled charge, Carroll and Marks were accosted in the bush by mounted police, who made the announcement that they were in search ot Lalor, who was supposed to be going towards Geelong, and that there was a reward of £500 for his head "dead or alive." " Musha," replied Carroll, alighting from his waggon, 'the English are always liberal when they want to book a man, and that's rale fine reward ye are offering for Lalor, and be the same token, if we get a glimpse of him, ye can depend upon us coming back and letting yez know." " Tommy" Marks, devout Methodist as he was in those days, chimed in " See 'ere, you, we know Peter, and will not forget the £500 if we get a sight 'on' him on the road to Geelong." Although suffering great pain, the after- wards Speaker, of the Legislative Assembly, it is stated, had a quiet laugh in his hiding place in the waggon at the "red herring" that had been drawn across the trail by his faithful preservers, in the face of the tempting monetary bait offered by the minions of the law. Had either Carroll or Marka only raised a finger indicating where the rebel chief was to be found concealed, the £500 reward would have been theirs, but their loyalty to the leader of the "people's cause" withstood this golden test, and they conveyed their charge to a haven of refuge.'

Patrick Carroll, the Broken Hill connection was that he was the Great Uncle of John Carroll and the uncle of his adoptive father Patrick James Carroll.

Patrick Carroll of Eureka Stockade fame

Councillor W. Abrahams, of Geelong, during recent years took considerable interest in Mr, Carroll, and he made more than one appeal to Ballarat citizens on his behalf. lt was proposed that an oil painting of the pioneer waggoner should be procured for hanging in the Old Colonists' Hall at Ballarat, but he showed a disinclination to sit for the picture. Carroll, in speaking of the Ëureka Stockade, used sometimes to remark, as singular, that not a little of the agitation in opposition to the digger-hunting tyranny at Ballarat was, in the early stages, carried on by men from the counties of England; but when the climax was reached at the Stockade.on the morning of December 3,1851, the dead and wounded, or those placed under arrest, were found mainly to represent Ireland, Scotland, America, and several foreign countries.It was reported.'

The Miner reported that on May the 5^th, 1899 'Elizabeth Greenhill, nee Mitchell died leaving her husband of 8 years and three young children, Percival, Mildred and Olive. She was 38 years of age at the time of her death.'

The Miner reported on the 30^th of May 1899 'A Peculiar case of Larceny. A Young girl named Lily Colmer was charged before Mr. Makinson, P.M. in the Police Court this afternoon with stealing some articles of clothing and a brooch, the whole valued at 30s, from Charles Greenhill, at South Broken Mill, about May 5. Mr. A. J. Unit appeared for the accused, Evidence was given that accused was employed as servant by the prosecutor. Mr. Greenhill, his wife, died on May 5, and the day after defendant left the house the articles named, which belonged to the dead woman, were then missed. When spoken to by Senior Constable Muckic she produced some of the articles and the brooch, which she was wearing at the time. Accused was one of the pall-bearers at Mrs Greenhill's funeral, and she then wore the brooch and some of the clothes. Accused's account was that Mrs, Greenhill gave her the clothes the day before she died. The nurse, Mrs Brock, told her that Mrs Greenhill had given her the brooch and that she had lost it. Accused found it on the verandah and brought it to Miss Brock, who told her to keep it. This statement was, however, absolutely denied by Miss Brock, After hearing a lot of contradictory evidence the P. M. discharged the accused.

Charles Greenhill must have been a man of means, to have a house servant employed in addition to a nurse to look after his ill wife.

On the 28^th June 1899 an advertisement appeared in the miner, 'WANTED to Buy, PONY and Single Buggy Harness, must be good and cheap.' Apply C. Greenhill, Hebbard street, South Broken Hill, near Alma Hotel.

This MEMORIAM notice was published in the Miner on the 7^th May may 1900

GREENHILL.-In loving memory ot my dear sister. Elizabeth Jane Greenhill who died at Hebbard Street, South Broken Hill on May 5^th 1899.
Remorseless death amongst us comes.And bitter grief imparts.It takes the loved ones from our homes,But never from our hearts. Inserted by her loving brother, Thomas Mitchell, Morish-street, South Broken Hill.

On the 16 June 1900 an advertisement appeared in the Miner.

'WANTED, respectable Middle aged Woman as Working HOUSEKEEPER for widower and three children.

Apply C. Greenhill, Hebbard Street, South Broken Hill'.

Not long after that notice was published Charles Greenhill took on a house servant, Elizabeth H Roberts, a single woman of 39 years. During that same year the 48 year old Charles Greenhill married Elizabeth Roberts, seeing that he was paying her keep anyway, it may have been the case that if they married he no longer needed to pay her a wage.