'Ellen' Coates

 ~ wife of  (1) George Luck, (2) Nathaniel Beck ~ (3) John Gilbert ~

Eleanor Coates was born [i] in 1825, the daughter of former convicts William John Coates and Mary Ann Marjoram.  Eleanor Coates aged 4, born in the colony, appears on the Census of 1828 Bathurst Plains, and her mother Mary Ann arrived in 1814 aboard the Wanstead and father John William via ship Sir William Bailey (?) ~ farmer grazier Protestant. Other children noted were Richard (10); Jane (7); Mary Ann (5); Louisa (2); John (10 mths).

George Lock (Luck) (1804-1853)

~ gardener, convict, constable, carrier, emancipist, innkeeper ~

George Lock was born in Tonbridge (pronunciation and historic spelling Tunbridge), Kent about 1804 and at age 20, was 5'5" tall, of ruddy complexion, dark hair and grey eyes and worked as a gardener.  

He was accused of house breaking in St.Pancras and was tried at Middlesex on 7th. April 1824 and having a prior conviction was sentenced to death, commuted transportation for life due to their young age..

"THOMAS PEARSON and GEORGE LOCK were indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of William Pitcairn , about seven o'clock in the night of the 27th of February, at Tavistock Place, St. Pancras*, with intent to steal, and burglariously stealing therein six wine glasses, value 3 s., and a set of castors, value 3 l. , his property."

LOCK'S Defence. The glasses are my property; I bought half a dozen of them the same evening; five were rather larger than one - I had the smaller one to make up the half-dozen.

PEARSON - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 19.

LOCK - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 21.

Recommended to Mercy by the Prosecutor on account of their youth . source:- Old Bailey, London's Central Criminal Court 1824

Transportation*~ Middlesex Gaol Delivery; Sentence term: Life; Ship: Asia 1 Departure date: 1st June, 1825. Arrival date: 29th April, 1825 . Place of arrival New South Wales. Passenger manifest Travelled with 200 other convicts

George Lock arrived in Sydney in 1825, aboard the ship "Asia". Ship records shows religion Protestant.aged 24.

In the census of 1828, George was recorded as a constable living in Bathurst and was granted a ticket of leave on 1 May, 1830, and permitted to travel as a courier between Sydney and Bathurst. He received a Conditional Pardon on 25th. November 1835, having participated in the capture and conviction of robbers and cattle stealers. He seems to have then assumed the surname Luck, possibly due to his feeling lucky, or maybe as a variation in pronunciation of his name.

He appeared on Thursday, 14 August 1833 at the Supreme Criminal Court, before the CHIEF JUSTICE, and a Jury of Civil Inhabitants to give testimony in a case against Thomas Bridgens for receiving stolen cattle. George Luck being sworn, said,

"I am a carrier between Sydney and Bathurst ; I hold a ticket-of-leave; I recollect purchasing some cattle from the prisoner in April, 1833; part of these cattle were delivered over to me by the chief constable Bathurst; I saw a document from the Mahoneys to the prisoner conveying their cattle to him; this was about the time the Mahoneys were apprehended; my impression on seeing the document which I have not a perfect recollection of, was, that the prisoner was empowered to sell the Mahoneys cattle to fee counsel for them; I believe that instrument gave the prisoner power to dispose of all the Mahoneys cattle."

In 1838 George Luck married Louisa Goddard at Sydney, St James' Church of England, (Source record: Parramatta, St John's Church of England V18383087 74A/1838 JB(CB).

Louisa was murdered by Bushrangers robbing the Wellington Inn, while George who ran the hotel was away. Louisa died in December 1839 (BDM. V18391267 23A/1839 LUCK, LOUISA; Fathers age 40).

• although no direct relationship is known it is probable her infant also died in 1839 (BDM NSW V1839 651 23A/1839).

Eleanor Coates was George's second wife aged only 14 years 5 months; a very young bride. Their marriage was celebrated at Bathurst Church of England on June 9, 1840, Abercrombie District (BDM NSW V1840861 24B/1840) / CW). Their first child was born in 1843 and four children survive their eleven years of marriage. 

George's death, which occurred from injuries received while travelling on horseback from Carcoar on 18 June 1852. His death may have been in June or in November 1952 (aged 48),  An inquest concludes accidental death when he was struck by a bough and was thrown to the ground and died later from injuries received. (BDM NSW V1852 1368 38B/1852).  

Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal (NSW : 1851 - 1904), Saturday 26 June 1852, page 3 :- Mr. GEORGE LUCK

At Mount Macquarie, on the 13th instant, Mr. GEORGE LUCK, aged 48 years, leaving a wife and four children to lament his loss.

Ellen assumed the name Luck for three children fathered by another or others, after George's death.

George Thomas Luck (1804–1852)

• • • 1. Emma Louisa Luck (1843 – 1877) in 1861 married George Hinds (1840- ), Bathurst. Emma Louisa Luck died in 1877 in Carcoar, New South Wales, Australia, when she was 34 years old.

      2. George Luck (1844–1926) George Luck married Susan Collier in Blayney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1914 when he was 69 years old. He died 15 Feb. 1926.

      3. Albert Edward Luck (1847 – 1912) Albert Edward Luck married Susan Dyest in 1874 when he was 27 years old. He died in 1912, Parramatta. 

      4. John William Luck (1851 – 1933) John William Luck served in the military iii  n October 7, 1916, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, when he was 65 years old. John William Luck died in 1933 in Blayney, New South Wales, Australia, when he was 82 years old.

Nathaniel Beck (1808 – 1859)

• • 1. Henrietta Luck (1853 – 1919) born 17 Nov. 1853, Carcoar, NSW. Died 16 July 1919, Orange, NSW. 

       1. Married William John Smith (1849 - 1919) children (11): Edward James (1873), Emma L. (1875), Thomas (1877-1877) and William (1877-1877), William Patrick (1878), Andrew Edward (1881-1964), Elizabeth Ann (1884-1962), Charles Alfred (1886-1948), Thomas J. (1889-1889), George (1891), Alfred(?) (died 1885).

       2. Susannah M Luck (1856 – 1931) (aka. Ma Wallace), born Carcoar, NSW. Susannah M Luck married Charles Wallace in Carcoar, New South Wales, Australia, in 1877 when she was 21 years old. Susan was a foster mother to children born of her brother Peter's marriage (1883) to Sarah Worling who after bearing four children, died as a young mother on April 30, 1888, in Bathurst, Australia, at the age of 26.

       3. Peter Nathaniel Luck (1858 – 1942) born Kings Plain, NSW.

For more detail on Peter N Luck turn to his page entry on this site.

John Gilbert (1806-1883)

John Gilbert is a fairly common name so it has not been clarified, which one married Ellen and Emma Coates in the 1861s-1873. The gathering of facts below is speculative.

A person of the name John Gilbert born about 1808 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England was convicted of larceny in July 1823 and imprisoned for nine months. He was convicted again of housebreaking and burglary in the Lent session of Bedford assizes on 6 March 1834 and sentenced to death, which was commuted to transportation for life. John Gilbert arrived in New South Wales on 18 November 1834 on the vessel “Hooghley” (aka Hougley) departed England on 25 July 1834.  The Hoogley was the same ship on which Thomas Putland arrived and who was tried for the same crime at the same place, so they may have been known to one another before arrival in Australia.  

John Gilbert was disposed of to Edward Park of Sydney and was recorded in 1837 working as a farm labourer and received a conditional pardon in 1846. His conditional pardon[vii] was issued on 30 Jul 1847 in Sydney, New South Wales, when he was 40 years of age, a labourer 

• • • Birth Year: 1807

    • Place of Origin: Bedfordshire

    • Date of Conviction: 6 Mar 1834

    • Record Type: Conditional (signed 13 July 1847)

    • Pardon Number: 47/594 granted 30 Jul 1847

    • Height: 5' 5.25", Ruddy complexion, Brown hair and Blue eyes. His nose was thin and a mole on the back of right ear; scar on the ball of the left thumb, and a wart on the back of the left hand.

John Gilbert married Ellen Luck in 1861, Bathurst (M # 1233/1861[i].

He is probably the same John Gilbert who died in 1883 in Carcoar. Born c 1808. (BDM 6523/1883 - GILBERT JOHN, AGE 75 years, Died Carcoar )

An Ellen J Gilbert death was registered 1860 and may have been their child. A female person with no registered first name (#3053/1872) and surname Gilbert died in 1872 with parents William and Mary[ii] and this death registered in Bathurst. This is possibly the death of Eleanor Coates.

[i] There were four females born in NSW with parents William Gilbert and Mary who could be the female however there is some possible traces for each of them – Hannah (1844- ?), Louisa (1854-1893?), Emma (1848-1873?) and Mary (1870-1877?).

[ii]   BDM NSW Marriage Online search 1233/1861 GILBERT JOHN  LUCK ELLEN  BATHURST

[iii] As Ellen Coates Gilbert probably died by 1872, the children born to John Gilbert and Ellen or Helen in Taree  were not hers. John F Gilbert born 1887 registered (#23579) Taree and his siblings were not born of this union and John married Gertrude E Halliday in 1915 in Taree.

[v] There were four females born in NSW with parents William Gilbert and Mary who could be the female however there is some possible traces for each of them – Hannah (1844- ?), Louisa (1854-1893?), Emma (1848-1873?) and Mary (1870-1877?).

[vi] … As Ellen Coates Gilbert probably died by 1872, the children born to John Gilbert and Ellen or Helen in Taree  were probably a different person.
John F Gilbert born 1887 registered (#23579) Taree and his siblings were not born of an unrelated union and this John married Gertrude E Halliday in 1915 in Taree. probable Death:- Registration number 49244/1974 Father's Given Name(s) JOHN. Mother's Given Name(s) ELLEN. District 117

[vii] New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870.

 A person also named Johnny Gilbert was an Australian bushranger shot dead by the police at the age of 23 near Binalong, New South Wales on 13 May 1865. 

KPJ Tree

Footnotes

[i]   BDM #V1825457 10/1825 & V18257481 1C/1825

George Lock trial and transportation 

• Tavistock Place St Pancras is in the parish of St. Giles, on the south, belonged to the Southampton Estate. It is traversed from west to east by Tavistock Place, which now extends from Tavistock Square to Regent Square, 

• Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 88, Class and Piece Number HO11/5, Page Number 202. Source description: This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project.

[ii]  There is a marriage in BDM NSW Marriage: 1233/1861  GILBERT, JOHN  / LUCK ELLEN   / BATHURST. In the absence of a clearly determined time of death or cause of death, we find BDM research shows that one person, referenced by some as Ellen Gilbert died in 1872. This has no correlation in the NSW BDM, however, there is an unnamed person parents William and Mary died in 1872.  ~ GILBERT FEMALE…3053/1872 …WILLIAM & MARY…BATHURST and may be referenced by the geni entry:

• 10 June 1872. refer / geni June 10, 1872 ~ Age 46 ~ Death of Ellen (Eleanor) Coates ~ Bathurst, NSW. Four females born in NSW with parents William and Mary. This 'female' could be "Ellen", however, there are some other possible traces for each of them – Hannah (1844- ?), Louisa (1854-1893?), Emma (1848-1873?) and Mary (1870-1877?). Children born to a John Gilbert and Ellen or Helen in Taree  were not of Eleanore Coates.  John F Gilbert born 1887 registered (#23579) Taree and his siblings were an unrelated line; One John Gilbert married Gertrude E Halliday in 1915 in Taree.

[iii] Enlistment in Brisbane on R.M.S Morea 7 Oct 1916 - Reg. #; 17330 Embarked from Australia on 17 Feb. 1917 to Alexandria and Moascar, Egypt. - Sapper with 1st. Signals Squad Engineers. Driver; leave to UK on 1 May 1919; Discharged 21 Oct. 1919.

Before John William Coates died in 1847 he placed his younger daughter, aged 12 years, under George Luck's protection as her guardian, thereby Anne was looked after by her sister Eleanore (Ellen) and husband George Luck and family. Anne Coates became the first bride married at Mount Macquarie (now Neville) on the 6th January 1853 to James Morthorpe. This requires clarification for there is evidence of  James marring Emma (Amelia) Coates)

George Luck: Burial: Jun 1852, General Cemetery, Carcoar, N.S.W. Australia. Cause of Death: Strangulated hernia brought on by falling from a horse. Occupation: Gardiner, Farmer, Publican. Shipping: 1825, Convict Ship per "Asia".

BDM NSW search: marriages for Groom 'John Gilbert' in the years 1800 to 1900 found 

1. V1833201 17/1833 GILBERT  JOHN    /  LYNCH   BRIDGET  CJ    

2. V183979 23B/1839 GILBERT JOHN / WHITEMAN ANN M CJ

3. 1233/1861 GILBERT JOHN / LUCK ELLEN    /  BATHURST

4. 2438/1872 GILBERT JOHN    /  HANNA MARGARET    /  KIAMA

5. 3521/1874 GILBERT JOHN    /  COATES EMMA    /  PARRAMATTA