Anna Rigg

The seventh child of John Rigg (1805-1863) and Isabella Campbell McTaggart, Anna Rigg was born at Donnybrook, Victoria, on 24 December 1853. She was christened Anna but went by the name "Annie." She married William Symington (1844-1898) at her mother's residence in High Street, Violet Town on 22 May 1872. [1]  She died on 19 November 1942 Marrickville, NSW.

[1] Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth), Thursday 30 May 1872, page 2

Annie's father John Rigg (1805-1863), a native of Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire, won a measure of fame when he discovered gold in his paddocks at Donnybrook, north of Melbourne.

JOHN RIGG

John Rigg was born at Twynholm, Kirkudbright and was baptized there on 8 January 1805. [1] His parents were James Rigg (c.1765-1841) and his second wife, Grace (or Grizzel) McTaggart (c.1765-1837) who were married at Twynholm on 15 October 1796. In John Rigg's baptismal entry, his father is recorded as Jas. Rigg of “Bank of Bishopton.” James Rigg died at High Banks, Kirkcudbright,  on 16 January 1841 aged 75; Grizzel died aged 72 years at Kelton on 9 July 1837. [2] Grace's parents are thought to have been John McTaggart (c.1737-1815) and Sarrah Rain (c.1730-1792) but this needs to be confirmed.

John Rigg married Isabella Campbell McTaggart on 10 April 1838 at Twynholm. [3] They sailed for Australia after the birth of their first child, Grace, who was baptised ay Kirkcudbright on 5 March 1839.

He was a trustee of the land at Donnybrook which was reserved for the Presbyterian Church. [4]

John Rigg died at Bank Vale, Darraweit Guim, on 20 June 1863 from a short illness labelled as “disease of the brain.” He was aged 54 years. He was buried in the Donnybrook cemetery on 23 June 1863. There is no headstone and no record of his interment survives.

[1] SRO OPR Baptisms 883/0020/0080 (Twynholm)

[2] Memorial Inscription Kirkchrist Cemetery

[3] SRO OPR Kirkcudbright 871/20/167 

[4] Victoria Government Gazette 1864 Number 52 page 118

 ISABELLA CAMPBELL MCTAGGART

Isabella was born in Jamaica, the daughter of a planter. Her date of birth is uncertain. An entry in the birth certificate of her son Herbert Thomas Rigg states she was born in 1823. She died in the Melbourne Hospital on 22 August 1896.  Her death certificate identifies her father as "MacTaggart, Planter" but records her mother as "not known".

Her putative parents (by no means proven as yet) were David McTaggart 1795-1835 (b. Borgue 27 June 1795, father John McTaggart, mother Janet Dixon) and Mary Case; they married on 1 November 1820 at Trelawny, Jamaica, Egypt Estate, Parish of St Ann. A daughter, Mary Jane McTaggart, was born in Jamaica on 11 June 1825; she died in Ontario in 1911. An unnamed child was born to David McTaggart at St Ann in 1822.

The Return of Slaves for the Parish of St Ann contains a record, dated 28 June 1826, of a slave named Kate, aged 14, whom David McTaggart held as guardian on behalf of his daughter. However, the daughter's name is recorded as "Isabella A. McTaggart" whereas Isabella Rigg's middle name was "Campbell". [1]

After John Rigg died, Isabella continued in residence at Mickleham until 1865. The property was then owned by Clarke but he was doing her no favours, as she is listed as the ratepayer. [2] In 1866 and 1867 she leased a farm of 484 acres, owned by W. Murray, at Wallan Wallan, of Gross annual value £48.

By 1872 she was living in High Street, Violet Town. Her youngest daughter Anna married William Symington there in 1872.

In 1875 she ran a boarding house, near the railway goods-shed at Benalla.  [3]

In 1880 she leased a store and small farm from Mary Huggard at North Murchison.

In 1881 she lived at 214 Spencer Street Melbourne. [4]

Thereafter, she turned her hand to hotel-keeping leading a somewhat itinerant existence:

HOTEL KEEPER

BALLARAT AND SMEATON HOTEL

In 1881 her residence was an eight-roomed house at 74 Elizabeth Street North, known as the Ballarat and Smeaton Hotel. [5] In November 1881, she applied for a publican's licence which, in July 1882, she transferred to Mary Block.

COMMERCIAL HOTEL AT 61 ROUSE STREET, SANDRIDGE (Corner of Nott Street)

In 1883 she was the rate-payer for this hotel, owned by Robert Byrne.

Her subsequent addresses from Council Rate Books and Sands & McDougall Melbourne Directories were:

28/12/1883, 1886 26 Esplanade Port Melbourne

1889 Park Street Caulfield

1892 Couche Street Braybrook

13/02/1895 Bute Street, Footscray

1896 Catherine Street Footscray

[1] Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies 1813-1834

[2] 1864 1865 City of Broadmeadows Rate Books: Isabella Rigg Rated. Owner WJ Clarke.  Farm, Mickleham gross annual value £112

[3] Ovens and Murray Advertiser 4 December 1875 Page 1

[4] Sands & McDougall Melbourne Directories

[5] Sands & McDougall Melbourne Directories

THE CHILDREN OF JOHN RIGG AND ISABELLA MCTAGGART

GRACE RIGG born 5 March 1839 Kirkcudbright; died 21 June 1895 Footscray; married at Bank Vale 1 December 1864 William Plummer (1838- (?) 1886); remarried 1893 William Spence; buried MGC with her mother. Note William Plummer and William Spence were living in same street, at Catherine Street Footscray 1889 [1]

(Note W. Spence, Builder, Footscray, informant on the Death Certicate of Mary Rigg, relationship given as "Brother-in-law")

JAMES FAUX RIGG, carpenter; born 20 June 1841 at Donnybrook; died at Germanton NSW 1904; married Sarah Adeline Jephson 1881; children Grace B. Rigg 1882-1888, Eric Campbell Rigg 1885-1971, Kenneth M Rigg 1892

MARY RIGG born 28 August 1843; died 21 September 1885 Port Melbourne with "cerebral softening"; buried MGC 23 September 1885; unmarried; illegitimate child Isabella born 26 March 1875 at Benalla. The father was named as John W. Ryan in her application for child support.

ISABELLA RIGG born 10 September 1845 at Bank Vale, Kalkallo; died 28 May 1908 at 9 Little Finlay Street Albert Park; buried MGC 30 May [2]; married Wilhelm Haberecht Albury 23 July 1874

Children:

Joseph William b. 1867 Wallan

Lucretia b. 1873 Violet Town, d. 8 September 1962 (raised as Lucretia Harberecht; married John Gottlieb Gogoll 1889 Albury, d. 8 September 1962; children Elizabeth A. b. 1889, Daphne S. b. 1905, Isabel M. I. b. 1906, Stanley V. K. b. 1909, James Henry d. 1948, Charles Bertie d. 1970)

Amelia Anna b. 1875 d. 1945, married Parker; Mary Louisa b. 1877; Wilhelm Henry b. 1880 d. 1882; [3] Wilhelmina C. b. 1887; Alfred b. c.1884; Ruby Florence b. 1888

JOHN KERR (or CARR) RIGG, horse breeder, hotelier; born 9 May 1848; died Longreach 3 April 1905; married Mary Ann Ward 4 January 1877 Walgett; children: Ellen Isabella born 23 February 1878 at Bourke, 1878-1961, Mary Ann born Bourke 9 March 1879, 1879-1941, Florence Elizabeth 1880-1971, John Herbert at Balmain 4 March 1882,1882-1966, Jessie Agnes 1884-1913, Mabel 1886-1886, Maggie Evelyn 1889-1973

WILLIAM DOW RIGG born 9 January 1851; died 21 February 1941 Broken Hill; married at Saddleworth S.A. Catherine Boucher. Storekeeper, address 581 Blende Street Broken Hill [4]

ANNA RIGG born 24 December 1853; died 19 November 1942 Marrickville; married Violet Town 22 May 1872 William Symington (1844-1898)

CHARLES DAVID KER RIGG [5] labourer at Milo Station; born 5 June 1856 Bank Vale Darraweit Guim; died 1907 Queensland

HENRY ALFRED WILKINSON RIGG, carpenter, lived 36 years in W.A.; born 31 March 1859 Darraweit Guim; died 18 June 1939 Alfred Hospital; residence at death 32 Southey Street Elwood; buried 19 June 1939 Springvale cemetery;[6] married Broken Hill 22 April 1891 Julia Matilda Anderson (1970-1942); children Louisa May b. 1892, Grace R. b. 1894, Alice Isabella B. 1897, Edgar Wilkinson b. 1899, Ethel Mary b. 26 December 1903, died 1964 (m. Cobar 5 July 1902 Walter Mott), Alice b. c.1906

HERBERT THOMAS RIGG born 4 August 1861 Bank Vale; married* at Carlton 25 June 1888 Mary McNie; children Charles H. b. 1899, Annie b. 1890, d. 1890, Wallace H. b.1891

*Living at Park Street Caulfield at the time of his marriage 

[1] Sands and McDougall Melbourne Directory 1889

[2] C of E Compartment CC grave 935 buried with Mary Rigg 1885 and Millicent Gogoll aged 12 1911 no memorial

[3] Sydney Morning Herald Thursday 14 September 1882 records a lad named Haberecht drowned in a tank

[4] Australian Electoral Rolls 1903

[5] Ker was the minister who christened the later children

[6] Springvale Botanical Cemetery C of E Compartment D Section 11 grave 6