The Campbell Clan - secrets and scandals for all to see
On many occasions where a
family is financially prosperous, a scandal is never far from the surface. Today's
blog comes to you with scandals galore and an attempted murder.... I guess I
have your interest...
CHARLES CAMPBELL, HIS FATHER
ROBERT CAMPBELL JUNIOR, HIS HALF BROTHER ROBERT TERTIUS CAMPBELL AND HIS NIECE FLORENCE
BRAVO
Charles Campbell was born on
the 8th of March 1843 the fourth child to Robert Campbell Junior and
his common law wife, Isabella McDonald nee Donnell and was baptised at St Scots
Church Sydney with his mother’s married surname.
I couldn’t find a great deal
of information about Charles but can confirm he was a builder and had served
three times as Mayor of Paddington in the years from 1878-1888 and when not
serving the community in that capacity he took an active part in the
development of that district. He married Betsy Higham in 1867 and they went on
to have nine children.
He died at his home in
Paddington on the 18th of November 1915 and was buried in a vault in
his name in the Old Presbyterian area Rookwood cemetery. His mother, Isabella,
sister Mary Ann and his son William who died in a tragic accident at on the 9th of March 1903 whilst surfing fracturing and dislocating his spine were interred
before him. Betsy joined her husband upon her death in 1921 with his son Edward
in 1930.
Charle’s father was Robert
Campbell Junior, a man who accumulated great wealth in the Colony. Born in
Greenoak, Scotland in 1789 he came from a distinguished military family, but
Robert was apprenticed to a surgeon for two years. His uncle Robert Campbell
Senior assisted him to return with him to NSW in 1806 to become a clerk in the
mercantile house of Campbell & Co. in Sydney.
Robert Jnr engaged in
speculations and made some considerable amounts. He then went into retailing
goods in Hunter Street Sydney and later from his home in that street which was
designed by Francis Greenway. In 1812 he married Margaret Murrell who was born
to convict parents on Norfolk Island before they were transferred to Sydney. He
and Margaret went on to have four sons and two daughters. By 1817 his business
was faltering and he took, at first, a salaried position with the new Bank of
New South Wales, an association he had for over 34 years, one where he was a
major shareholder. The Bank went from strength to strength and Robert Jnr
reaped the benefits.
In 1831, his wife, Margaret
left for England for a visit and to arrange for the education of their daughter
Margaret Jane but did not return until the 31st of December 1837. After
such a long absence Margaret was estranged from Robert Junior who no longer
resided in the marital home but elsewhere in another relationship, the first
child of that union being born earlier that year. Once again Margaret went on a
visit to England in 1840 and returned almost five years later with her
daughter-in-law Ann and her children where she took up residency at the Hunter
Street address.
Isabella McDonald nee Donnel
from Londonderry Northern Ireland arrived in the colony in @1833/34 at the age
of around 16. I am not sure how she met Robert Junior but may have been
employed in the household, but I do speculate; what we do know is that she and
Robert Junior had a family of four children, their youngest being Charles who
is buried in Rookwood. She lived on the Hopewell Estate in Paddington.
Robert Junior died in 1851
and Margaret his wife inherited most of his estate including the large property
in Hunter Street where she lived until she once again departed for London in
1859. She then chose to reside in Paris France where she died in 1864. The
Hopewell Estate was left to Isabella and was where she resided until her death
in 1875.
Robert Junior’s eldest son
(and Charles Campbell’s eldest half-brother) was Robert Tertius Campbell, a man
who had the best education Sydney could provide and who went on to be a
successful trader and pastoralist. He was also at times a ship owner and
whaler. He married Ann Orr, an Irish lass, whose family were involved in the
linen trade and had received a good education. Together they went on to have
ten children. In 1840 they undertook a Grand Tour of Europe and eventually
settled in England from 1852, choosing the Buscot Estate in Oxfordshire from
1859.
Florence was their eldest daughter.
Florence was born in 1845 in
Darlinghurst NSW and led a genteel life taking elocution lessons, learning
French and German and doing needlework. In her teens she travelled with her
family to Canada where she met Alexander Ricardo, a young British Military
Officer, who came from a family that included members of Parliament as well as
landed gentry.
Alexander and Florence soon
married but within months there were problems. She wanted a large family but
feared for him in military conflicts. Soon he received an honorary discharge
and became a man of leisure. It wasn’t long before Florence found about his
numerous affairs which he confessed to but did not stop. Drinking heavily, he
became abusive and Florence almost at breaking point, appealed to her parents
to allow them to separate. Her father was against that action at all costs as
the scandal would not be tolerated.
Instead, she and Alexander
were advised to visit Malvern and consult Dr James Gully who was hydro therapist to the “stars” at the time. Dr Gully recommended Florence separate from her
husband for the sake of her health and she went ahead despite the threat of
being ostracised by her family. Alexander made an attempt to reconcile with
Florence in 1871 but she refused and a month later he died after a drinking
binge from an ulcerative condition abroad in lodgings he shared with a female.
Florence inherited £40,000. She was now independently wealthy.
Alexander Riccardo is buried in the catacombs in Brompton Cemetery, London
In the years that followed Florence and Dr Gully had a secret affair to
which her parents disapproved. Even though he was married although separated
for over 30 years he had promised to marry Florence and move abroad after his
wife died.
Florence moved into a property
in South London, the Priory, and would continue to meet Dr Gully to the horror
of her servants. She became pregnant and allowed him to perform an abortion
that went badly and then refused to ever see him again.
Florence was introduced to
Charles Bravo, via her household keeper Jane Cox. He was a barrister on the
rise and in 1875 he proposed marriage; accepting Charles was a way of
protecting her reputation, she could be released from the hold of Dr Gully and
reconcile with her family. He wanted to marry her for the money! And so, they
married in December 1875; it was almost called off after Charles found out that
she had decided to retain control over her fortune as per the 1870 Married Women's Property Act rather than hand it over to
him. In the end she decided to
hand the lease of The Priory to him with all furnishings and put him in her
will.
After a period of initial
happiness, problems soon arose mainly from Charles regarding Florences
extravagances; she had eleven servants and three gardeners. He was also suspicious
of Dr Gully who lived close by as well as the close relationship she had with
Jane Cox. After two miscarriages, Florence was in a weakened state.
On the 18th of of
April 1876, after a morning of quarrelling and shopping. Charles went out for a
ride, his horse bolted, and he returned home tired, irritable and with a
toothache. After more arguments at dinner, they each retired for the evening.
Later Charles burst from his
bedroom shouting for hot water and maids came running, he was violently ill out
of the window, took some mustard and hot water, vomited more and then went
still. Florence screamed for a doctor. Several attended and pronounced a
serious case of poisoning. Charles took some 55 hours to die an agonising
death.
The first inquest suggested
most likely suicide. The post-mortem concluded that he had ten times the legal
dose of antimony and upon that finding the jury delivered an open verdict,
needing to know more about how the poison entered his body
The tabloids had a field
day, speculating all manner of events and resurrecting Florence’s relationship
with Dr Gully.
A second inquest was called.
Held at the Bedford Hotel in Balham, Dr Alexander Gull stated that Charles did
not behave as a person who was being murdered and showed no surprise that he
was dying of poison. He believed he had taken the antimony intentionally but
lost his nerve wanting to flush his system by calling for hot water.
The relationship with Dr
Gully would not go away and Charles’ family lawyers became fixated on stating
that the affair with Dr Gully continued throughout the time of the marriage. In
the end it was found that the poison was more than likely administered via his
water jug and the jury ruled out suicide and death by misadventure and that Charles Bravo had been murdered by the administration of antimony by an unknown
person or persons.
Charles Bravo is buried in
West Norwood Cemetery, South London.
She is buried in an unmarked
grave near the family plot in St Mary’s Churchyard, Buscot.
Her family may have wanted
to avoid a scandal but in the end, they received one that they would never have
envisaged.
The Campbell clan have many
more scandals I’m afraid – like so many of our family’s ones. Being a well-known family though, secrets are harder to keep hidden.
If you have any insights or
comments to make regarding the Campbell clan, Ann Orr or Florence Bravo please
do so below or head to the group Facebook page
Rookwood Cemetery
Discoveries
Or send me a personal
message at
Until next week.
Wow what a story…a great read…
ReplyDeleteTook a while to piece together but seemed to work out ok in the end
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