Several public notices appearing in the Bendigo Advertiser reveal that there was more behind Anthony Corvan's actions as reported in the article in the preceding blog entry than was at first obvious.
On February 5, 1859, the Bendigo Advertiser printed the following:
"NOTICE. Mr Corvan is not authorised to receive any money or take orders on our account from this date. Pollard & Co, Bridge Street, Sandhurst, 3 February, 1859."
Directly underneath this was:
"NOTICE. If Pollard & Co (late A.J Jones) do not pay me my twelve week's wages, amounting to 48 pounds and commission on goods sold, I shall be compelled to take legal proceedings forthwith.
A.E Corvan, Paddy's Gully, Sandhurst."
It was on September 28 of the same year that Anthony Corvan was seemingly in cahoots with the local licensing police in setting up Edward Pollard for selling liquor without a license. When questioned in Court, Anthony stated that he "did it of his own accord, and from a love of justice", and that he had informed the police what he was going to do three days before he had purchased whisky from Edward Pollard.
It seems that there was bad blood between Corvan and Pollard, and the former had decided to seek revenge in a premeditated set-up, despite him denying this in court.
The year before- in August of 1858- more notices appeared in the Bendigo Advertiser that give us an insight into Anthony's life on the goldfields:
"CAUTION-To our customers and the Public. COWAN alias CORVAN has left our employ, and is no longer authorised to take orders or receive moneys on our account. Benj. Williams and Sons, Market Square. 31 July, 1858."
- Bendigo Advertiser, August 5,1858
"ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.
COWAN ALIAS CORVAN.(To the Editor of the Bendigo Advertiser)
Sir,- Such is the heading of an advertisement from Bn. Williams and Sons in this day's ADVERTISER. Now, Sir, you know what ignominy is attached to a man having an alias. My name is Corvan, and as such I put an advertisement in your paper on Friday 22 or 23 July, declaring that I had no longer any connection with Messrs Bn Williams and Sons. They know, and hundreds on Bendigo are aware, that my name is Corvan; therefore, in justice to yourself and protection to me, as the advertiser, you will be kind enough to say that the compositor mistook the "rv" for the "w", and that is the alias Messrs Bn Williams and Sons wish to make out.
Respectfully Yours, A.E CORVAN.
Paddy's Gully, Sandhurst, 5th August, 1858.
( The mistake of 'rv' for 'w' in manuscript is so likely that we should have thought there was no doubt as to the manner in which our correspondent's name came to be wrongly printed. We regret that it should have involved him in any unpleasantness.)"
- Bendigo Advertiser, August 6, 1858.
Looking up the Bendigo Advertiser for Friday, July 23, as specified in Anthony's letter, we find:
"To The Wine and Spirit Trade:- A.E Cowan begs to inform his friends and customers that he has no longer any connection with the firm of Benjamin Williams & Sons, of Sandhurst, Spirit Merchants. 22 July, 1858."
"CAUTION- To our Customers and the Public. Mr Corvan has left our employ, and is no longer authorised to take orders or receive moneys on our account.
Benj. Williams & Sons, Market Sq. 31 July, 1858."
- Bendigo Advertiser, 7th August, 1858.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Oh dear...more evidence of an unlikeable character!
Tonight has been both frustrating and rewarding in my quest for more information on Anthony Edward Corvan. The Bendigo Advertiser is starting to be published on Trove, and I have been keenly awaiting its appearance as the index showed over twenty Corvan references.
An email from Trove tonight notified me of the first of the articles to appear, but before I had downloaded more than three, the site went down. Hopefully I will be able to finish feeding my insatiable Corvan curiosity tomorrow, but for now I can report on an article about Anthony published in 1859, which is in effect yet another assassination on his character:
Bendigo Advertiser, Thursday, October 6, 1859.
ILLEGALLY SELLING SPIRITOUS LIQUORS.
Edward Allan Pollard appeared on remand, charged on the information of Mr. Superintendent McCulloch, the Inspector of Distilleries, with having, on the 28th day of September last, sold two gallons of brandy, he not having a license for so doing. Mr Lysaght, with whom was Mr Helm, conducted the offence.
James Edwards, Detective Officer, deposed that on the evening of the 28th ultimo, he was in Short Street, Sandhurst, and met a man named Corvan with a two gallon keg in his possession, and close to the premises of the defendant. He took him to the defendant, and asked him if the man Corvan had purchased the keg and contents of him. The defendant replied "Yes." Corvan then said "The detective has taken me for stealing it." Witness again asked "Has he purchased this here?" He answered "Yes."
Witness then asked the defendant "Have you a license to sell liquor here?" He replied "No, I have not, but I will have one tomorrow." Witness then called in the Superintendent, who was close by. On his coming up, he told the defendant who he was, and told him he should have to search his house to see what quantity of liquor he had in stock. Defendant showed them over the cellar,where there was a large quantity of brandy and whisky.The Superintendent asked him if the spirits were his. He replied it was, and that he was about getting a house in View Point to open business. They then searched the cases.Went next into a store in the rear of the house, where they found several hogsheads of brandy and other liquors, some full and some not full. Tasted the brandy out of one of the hogsheads. There were several small kegs containing liquor, the name of which defendant gave. Some of them were marked brandy. In a small yard between the house and the store were two hogsheads. Defendant said one contained brandy,and witness thinks he said the other contained rum. The Superintendent seized the whole stock, and placed two policemen in charge. It was afterwards conveyed to the Government store at the Camp. The keg produced is the same witness took from the man Corvan. It contained brandy.
Cross-examined by Mr. Lysaght: It was not by chance that he was in Short Street on the evening in question. Had seen Corvan once before. From information received, expected to meet Corvan. Did not know whether Corvan knew him or not when he first saw him. Asked him where he got the keg, and if he had stolen it.
By the Bench: Defendant did not try to conceal anything when the Superintendent searched the premises.
Anthony Edward Corvan deposed that on the 28th ultimo he went to the defendant's store, and purchased of him two gallons of brandy, and paid for it, paid him L2 2s for the two gallons, in a one pound note, a sovereign, and two shillings; after purchasing it he left, and was proceeding to his store, when a person whom he did not know at the time caught hold of him and said "What have you got there?". Witness replied "Brandy."
Cross-examined by Mr. Helm. Witness was a storekeeper. Has an application in for a refreshment license. Was not a sly grog seller for four years. Was not set on to inform against defendant. Did it of his own accord, and from a love of justice.Gave the police information of what he was going to do three days previously.
By the Bench: Would swear positively that when he left the defendant's store, he did not expect to meet Detective Edwards.
Robert McCulloch, Superintendent of Police, proved the proclamation of the district as a Special Licensing District.
Cross-examined by Lysaght: Had not had any communication whatever with the witness Corvan, previous to the information; was aware some of the police had with a man or men, but was not aware who they were.
Mr Lysaght addressed the Bench for the defence, representing that the occupation of the house in Short Street for the purpose of a store was only a temporary arrangement, pending his opening a store at View Point; and with the peculiar facts of the case before them, and the knowledge that the defendant had not on any previous occasion violated any legal enactment, he trusted the Bench would look leniently on the matter and dismiss the case.
The Magistrates retired into their private room for a short time for consultation, and on their resuming their seats on the Bench felt bound to give the accused the benefit of any doubt that existed, as, from the valuable stock which was jeopardised by the infringement of the law, as the learned counsel had suggested, it was hardly probable that he would have the temerity or foolishness to embark in sly grog selling. The law had been broken in the letter, but not in the spirit, and from the manner in which the witness Corvan had given his evidence, which had been directly contradicted by the clear and straightforward evidence of Detective Edwards, they could put but little credence in what he had stated, and they should therefore dismiss the case.
The decision was received with audible tokens of satisfaction by those present; the demonstration was, however, promptly suppressed. The witness Corvan was, however, greeted on the stairs with a few hisses, groans, and other tokens of contempt.
The Court then rose."
Oh great...drunk, rogue, vagabond, wife-deserter and now police-informer and loathed member of a gold-mining community...Anthony's life just keeps getting better!!! :-)
I will hopefully be back tomorrow with another blog entry and more articles about Anthony from the Bendigo Advertiser...fingers crossed that whatever problems the Trove site is having will be sorted out by then.
An email from Trove tonight notified me of the first of the articles to appear, but before I had downloaded more than three, the site went down. Hopefully I will be able to finish feeding my insatiable Corvan curiosity tomorrow, but for now I can report on an article about Anthony published in 1859, which is in effect yet another assassination on his character:
Bendigo Advertiser, Thursday, October 6, 1859.
ILLEGALLY SELLING SPIRITOUS LIQUORS.
Edward Allan Pollard appeared on remand, charged on the information of Mr. Superintendent McCulloch, the Inspector of Distilleries, with having, on the 28th day of September last, sold two gallons of brandy, he not having a license for so doing. Mr Lysaght, with whom was Mr Helm, conducted the offence.
James Edwards, Detective Officer, deposed that on the evening of the 28th ultimo, he was in Short Street, Sandhurst, and met a man named Corvan with a two gallon keg in his possession, and close to the premises of the defendant. He took him to the defendant, and asked him if the man Corvan had purchased the keg and contents of him. The defendant replied "Yes." Corvan then said "The detective has taken me for stealing it." Witness again asked "Has he purchased this here?" He answered "Yes."
Witness then asked the defendant "Have you a license to sell liquor here?" He replied "No, I have not, but I will have one tomorrow." Witness then called in the Superintendent, who was close by. On his coming up, he told the defendant who he was, and told him he should have to search his house to see what quantity of liquor he had in stock. Defendant showed them over the cellar,where there was a large quantity of brandy and whisky.The Superintendent asked him if the spirits were his. He replied it was, and that he was about getting a house in View Point to open business. They then searched the cases.Went next into a store in the rear of the house, where they found several hogsheads of brandy and other liquors, some full and some not full. Tasted the brandy out of one of the hogsheads. There were several small kegs containing liquor, the name of which defendant gave. Some of them were marked brandy. In a small yard between the house and the store were two hogsheads. Defendant said one contained brandy,and witness thinks he said the other contained rum. The Superintendent seized the whole stock, and placed two policemen in charge. It was afterwards conveyed to the Government store at the Camp. The keg produced is the same witness took from the man Corvan. It contained brandy.
Cross-examined by Mr. Lysaght: It was not by chance that he was in Short Street on the evening in question. Had seen Corvan once before. From information received, expected to meet Corvan. Did not know whether Corvan knew him or not when he first saw him. Asked him where he got the keg, and if he had stolen it.
By the Bench: Defendant did not try to conceal anything when the Superintendent searched the premises.
Anthony Edward Corvan deposed that on the 28th ultimo he went to the defendant's store, and purchased of him two gallons of brandy, and paid for it, paid him L2 2s for the two gallons, in a one pound note, a sovereign, and two shillings; after purchasing it he left, and was proceeding to his store, when a person whom he did not know at the time caught hold of him and said "What have you got there?". Witness replied "Brandy."
Cross-examined by Mr. Helm. Witness was a storekeeper. Has an application in for a refreshment license. Was not a sly grog seller for four years. Was not set on to inform against defendant. Did it of his own accord, and from a love of justice.Gave the police information of what he was going to do three days previously.
By the Bench: Would swear positively that when he left the defendant's store, he did not expect to meet Detective Edwards.
Robert McCulloch, Superintendent of Police, proved the proclamation of the district as a Special Licensing District.
Cross-examined by Lysaght: Had not had any communication whatever with the witness Corvan, previous to the information; was aware some of the police had with a man or men, but was not aware who they were.
Mr Lysaght addressed the Bench for the defence, representing that the occupation of the house in Short Street for the purpose of a store was only a temporary arrangement, pending his opening a store at View Point; and with the peculiar facts of the case before them, and the knowledge that the defendant had not on any previous occasion violated any legal enactment, he trusted the Bench would look leniently on the matter and dismiss the case.
The Magistrates retired into their private room for a short time for consultation, and on their resuming their seats on the Bench felt bound to give the accused the benefit of any doubt that existed, as, from the valuable stock which was jeopardised by the infringement of the law, as the learned counsel had suggested, it was hardly probable that he would have the temerity or foolishness to embark in sly grog selling. The law had been broken in the letter, but not in the spirit, and from the manner in which the witness Corvan had given his evidence, which had been directly contradicted by the clear and straightforward evidence of Detective Edwards, they could put but little credence in what he had stated, and they should therefore dismiss the case.
The decision was received with audible tokens of satisfaction by those present; the demonstration was, however, promptly suppressed. The witness Corvan was, however, greeted on the stairs with a few hisses, groans, and other tokens of contempt.
The Court then rose."
Oh great...drunk, rogue, vagabond, wife-deserter and now police-informer and loathed member of a gold-mining community...Anthony's life just keeps getting better!!! :-)
I will hopefully be back tomorrow with another blog entry and more articles about Anthony from the Bendigo Advertiser...fingers crossed that whatever problems the Trove site is having will be sorted out by then.
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