Corby family

After leaving quarantine, the family settled in Wingecarribee Shire near Berima then later moved to Cootamundra.  William was a farm labourer.  

Joseph grew up and married Eliza Crisp and they had 12 children, two of whom died.  After Eliza died, Joseph married Elizabeth Bellman and they had 6 more children.

This is a copy from one page of the List of Immigrants who arrived on the Constitution in 1855.

On this page is recorded the fact that carpenters were paid £14, bricklayers $5 and farm labourers $1 
to emmigrate to Australia.

In 1905, twenty two former passengers of the Constitution who had been quarantined in 1855 had a reunion with many of their descendents at the Quarantine Station. They placed tablets containing their names on the commemorative monument that had been erected in memory of the Constitution passengers who had died at sea.

Emily Cole died at age 2.  Joseph Corby was also aged 2 but he lived to raise 16 children to help populate Australia.

Quarantine Station in 1855

The Corby family arrived on the Constitution which was a "salted" ship, which Lady Jean Foley explains in her book "In Quarantine" meant that rock salt had been packed into all cavities between planks to preserve her timbers. As moisture seeped into the salt, it caused constant dampness below-decks and an odour which was nearly unbearable for steerage-class passengers. The Health Officer believed this dampness caused much of the sickness particularly that of a typhoid character. 

On the voyage, 4 people died from smallpox and ten from whooping cough, diarrhoea or fever."  On arrival there were twelve cases of smallpox and during quarantine another thirteen people died.

Corby Family information on this page was supplied by Jan and Bill Hall.  Bill Hall is a descendent of William Corby via Joseph's sister, Matilda, who was born in 1858 after the family settled in Wingecarribee.

Reference:
"In Quarantine"  by Jean Duncan Foley
Kangaroo Press, 1995
ISBN 0 86417 703 8

Click to see past residents at Manly Quarantine Station who are grouped as follows:-