Saturday, June 26, 2021

CORLETTE


Mr Corlette of Gulgong, alleged chemist.
Click here for zoomable image

There's something not right about this photo from the Holtermann collection. The State Library has him labelled as "Mr Corlette, chemist in Gulgong". There seems to be no information about this Corlette fellow when all the other chemists of the era (1870-75) were pretty well documented.  But then I found the following footnote:

"There is no record of a chemist called Corlette practising in Gulgong. On a NSW list of chemists for 1882, there is no Corlette."
Source: Information supplied by Baldwin & Davis, Research Gulgong (July 2006)

The first clue that he may have been from a different profession entirely comes from a WANTED ad in 1874:

1874 - WANTED, A HOUSEKEEPER; must be a good Cook and Laundress. Terms liberal. References required. Apply W. C. Corlette, Bank New South Wales, Gulgong.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Tue 28 Jul 1874 Page 8

It is very much confirmed by a further ad in September of the same year: 

Notice
Bank of NSW
to close on 1st October
for half-yearly Balance.

W. C. CORLETTE, Manager 

In 1869 William Curphy Corlette, had been a bank teller in the Bank of New South Wales at Newcastle as revealed in his testimony in a long article about a robbery of £1300 in £5 notes.

Next, we find he's the treasurer of the Gulgong Turf Club. In this same year, his father James Corlette of Newcastle died (8 Aug, aged 70), leaving his estate (approx 8 acres) to his two sons: James Christian Corlette of Ashfield, and William Curphey Corlette, of Gulgong.

1876 - [GULGONG TURF CLUB]
At the annual meeting of the Turf Club the following members were elected for the year: — President, Mr. R. Rouse, Guntawang; vice-president, Mr. R. Rouse, jun., Biragambil; treasurer, Mr. W. C. Corlette, Bank of New South Wales: and a committee consisting of Messrs. J. Scully, H. J. Woods, C. Driscoll, M. O'Neill, J. F. Plunkett, T. Brown, W. Selff, J. Powell, and M. McGrath; secretary, George Hewitt; clerk of the course, Mr. T. Ryan; starter, Mr. W. Selff. A committee meeting is to be held on Wednesday for the purpose of issuing the programme of the annual meeting.

Five years later he was still based in Gulgong but had been married in Holborn to a Londoner.

1879 - MARRIAGE.
CORLETTE—FAVENC.—On the 3rd June, at London, by the Rev. J. C. Corlette, D. D., brother of the bridegroom, William Curphy Corlette, of Gulgong (N.S.W.), to Edith, eldest daughter of the late George Favenc, of London.

CORLETTE—FAVENCE.—June 3, at St. John the Evangelist's, Holborn, by the Rev. J.C. Corlette, D.D., assisted by the Rev. E. C. Coney, M.A., W. Curphey Corlette, of Gulgong, New South Wales, second son of the late James Corlette, of Newcastle, New South Wales, to Edith, eldest daughter of the late G.A. Favence.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Sat 30 Aug 1879 Page 1

In 1886, William Curphy Corlette applied to register a mining company at Home Rule:

I, THE UNDERSIGNED, hereby make application to register "The Ellan Vannin Gold-mining Company," as a No-Liability Company, under the provisions of the " No-Liability Mining Companies Act of 1881."
1. The name of the Company is to be "The Ellan Vannin Gold-mining Company (No-Liability)."
2. The place of intended operations is at Brittania Lead, Home Rule, Gulgong.
3. The registered office of the Company will be situate at No. 12, Bridge-street, Sydney.
4. The value of the Company's plant and machinery is at present nil, the same being rented by the Company with an option of purchase.
5. The Company's mine consists of four Gold-mining Leases of twenty-five acres each, situate at Brittania Lead, Home Rule, Gulgong, now standing in the name of William Peter McGregor, and numbered respectively 193, 194,195, and 258.
6. The amount of money at the Company's credit is nine hundred and twenty-five pounds, and the total liability of the Company is nil.
7. The nominal capital of the Company is £25,000 in 25,000 shares of £1 each; the whole are paid up to nineteen shillings each, and the whole are contributing shares to the extent of one shilling each.
8. The number of contributing shares subscribed for is twenty-five thousand.
9. The name of the Manager is William Curphy Corlette.
10. The names and addresses and occupation of the shareholders, and the number of shares held by each at this date are as below :—

Name

Occupation

Address

Shares

C J Buckland

Sharebroker

Sydney

2,000

A J Brady

Solicitor

Sydney

1,000

Walter Edmunds

Barrister-at-law

Sydney

500

W P McGregor

Gentleman

Melbourne

5,000

J C Hallam

Chemist

Sydney

500

Edward Baird

Ironmonger

Sydney

500

Richard Stear

Produce merchant

Gulgong

500

John Newton

Merchant

Sydney

2,000

L J Marks

Architect

Sydney

500

Thomas Sheriff

Bank official

Sydney

500

James Dickie

Gentleman

Sydney

500

J F De Courcy Brown

MLA

Sydney

1,000

W W Millett

Hotel-keeper

Mudgee

500

W Thompson

Gentleman

Gulgong

7,000

A McGregor

Gentleman

Melbourne

1,000

George White

Commercial traveller

Sydney

500

B Stacy

Bank Manager

Mudgee

500

W C Corlette

Financial agent

Sydney

1,000

25,000

11. Ten per cent, of the subscribed capital has been duly paid up.
12. The only contracts entered into on behalf of this Company are for the rental of its plant and machinery, which are
rented from one William Thompson, at a rental of ten pounds per fortnight for the term of two years now to come, with an
option of purchasing such plant and machinery at any time during the said term for the sum of two thousand pounds.
W. C. CORLETTE,
Manager.
Witness to signature,—Albert Sturt.

I, William Curphy Corlette, of No. 12, Bridge-street, Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, financial agent, do
solemnly and sincerely declare,—
(1.) I am the Manager of the said intended Company.
(2.) The above statement is to the best of my belief and knowledge true in every particular.
And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of an Act made and passed in the ninth year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled " An Act for the more effectual abolition of Oaths and Affirmations taken and made in various Departments of the Government of New South Wales and to substitute Declarations in lieu thereof and for the suppression of voluntary and extra-judicial Oaths and Affidavits."
W. C. CORLETTE.
Taken before me, this 3rd June, 1886,—
J. A. FLYNN, a Commissioner for Affidavits, Sydney.
4272 £2 5s.

Then there's this peculiar case against the bank that employed him.

1890 - CORLETTE v. BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES — AN EXTRAORDINARY CLAIM
This was an action brought by William Curphy Corlette to recover the sum of £7000 from the defendant bank for that, while acting as a servant of the bank, his health had given way through the alleged neglect of the defendants in not providing suitable and healthful residences in the various towns where he conducted the business of the defendants. The plaintiff, who appeared in person, stated that he was first employed by the defendants in 1863, and in 1869 he was ordered to proceed to Araluen to take charge of their branch bank there. He alleged that the building in which the business was carried on was so badlyconstructed that in the summer of 1870 his health suffered very materially. 
In the year 1874, after repeatedly bringing the matter under the notice of the bank authorities, he was removed to Gulgong, and he alleged that at this place also the premises were very detrime ntal to his health. In 1878 his health, had given way to such an extent that he obtained twelve mouths' leave of absenee, and took a voyage to England. He was again ordered to Gulgong on his return, and in the summer his health again broke down. The health of his wife and his fallow officers also gave way. In consequence of his representations some slight improvements were made in the building. He subsequently came to Sydney and became relieving officer. He was sent to Coonamble and was there for six months, during which he suffered from sunstroke. His health continued so bad that he was ordered by his medical advisor to take absolute rest, and obtained three months' leave of absence, without pay. After being away for two months he returned to business and in ten days he again became ill. This was about September, 1884, and owing to the difficulty about getting leave he thought he had better resign, which he did on September 30. The-defendants pleaded never indebted, and also that plaintiff had no claim upon them, inasmuch as his illness was owing principally to a sunstroke which he received while at Coonamble.
His Honor thought plaintiff was very ill-advised in bringing this action, and he should not direct the jury to award him any damages; but they thought the bank might have had some consideration for such an old servant, and they recommended the bank to take the matter into their favorable consideration.

Source: Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931) Tue 25 Mar 1890 Page 2


By 1893 he was entangled in a bankruptcy case:

1893 - Re William Curphy Corlette.
The bankrupt stated that he had an interest under the will of his father, which he valued at £500. His interest was disputed by the trustees, who advanced him, two or three years ago, £1000. The trustees considered the advance an absolute assignment. He valued the estate of his father at £6000, and there was £4000 cash. He held property at Gulgong, which was mortgaged. His furniture was worth about £30 or £40. There was £60 rent due. He had a right to introduce a patent for the manufacture of coke here, but he had to make a payment of £1000 before he could exercise the right. The right might be considered worth £3000 or £4000. The examination was adjourned to 6th March.
1893 - W. C. Corlette's Bankruptcy.
Before the Registrar in Bankruptcy yesterday Wm. Curphey Corlette, of Burwood, was examined in connection with his failure. He said he had put in his statement the interest in his father's will. It was a sixth share in the estate subject to his surviving his mother, since dead. It should be worth £500. The property consisted of £4000 in cash, and 2500 acres of land at Wallerawang and about an acre at Newcastle. His claim was disputed on the grounds that the advance of £1000 given to him some years ago was an absolute assignment. Through a solicitor he applied to the trustees to reinstate him, subject to the amount advanced and interest thereon. The trustees refused, and would not recognise him. He maintained, however, that he was entitled to the interest. The sum of £10,000 was refused for his father's estate, the value of which now should be £60,000. He (bankrupt) had property at Gulgong worth £300 or £400. He had a right to introduce a patent out here. He held it from Mr. Hy. Symons, of Manchester, and it was for the manufacture of coke. No payment was made, but it would have to be made before he could exercise the right, The patent had not been exercised here. The examination was adjourned to March 6.
1893 - EXAMINATION OF BANKRUPTS AND WITNESSES
Re William Curphy Corlette. The bankrupt (who was examined by Mr O'Brien) deposed that he owned the Herbert-street property at Gulgong. It consisted of two small houses. There was a mortgage over them to George Edward Fallence for £600. That was virtually overdue. Fallence held the deeds of that property. The title was Torrens. Mr. Tuxford had also a claim on the property. He had a mortgage for £103. No one else had any claim on the property. He had three lots in Gulgong near the showground There were 10 acres, two acres and one acre. Their value was about £300 or £400. That property, was in Fallence's mortgage and also in Tuxford's. Fallence's mortgage was registered, Tuxford's was not. No
one but those two had any claim on the land.

1920 - [RETROSPECTIVE]
Mr. Thomas Sheriff is amongst the oldest officers in the service of the Bank of New South Wales, as he is amongst the most highly respected, trusted, and popular. Mr. Sheriff is to be found daily at work at the head office of the bank, Sydney, as head of the bill department. He was the bank accountant at Gulgong in the roaring mining days of that once prosperous field and town, when the population of the town was any thing between twenty-five and thirty thousand, and when there were banks, stores, public houses and what not there galore.
Amongst the Gulgong bank officials of those great days were the late Mr. W. C. Corlette (manager of the Bank of New South Wales), the late Mr. Beauchamp Stacy (manager of the Oriental Bank, and afterwards manager of the Commercial Bank at Mudgee), Mr. A. P. Stewart, still happily alive, well, and active, and who only a few years since retired from the general managership of the Australian Bank of Commerce), and Mr. A. B. Cairns (uncle of Mr. Herbert Rouse, Biraganbil, who, after leaving Gulgong, was for many years manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Parramatta. The 'Guardian'' representative, when in Sydney recently, had a very interesting conversation with Mr. Sheriff, who talked most entertainingly of the good old Gulgong days, and retailed many most interesting experiences and recollections.

William C Corlette died on 15 February 1898 and is buried near his mother and brother at Rookwood Cemetery. A limited family tree is included at that link.

Source: austcemindex



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