Betsy (Bess) Leask Corrigall - my generation’s great grandaunt - and her son Alex Corrigall

Betsy (Bess) Leask Corrigall was the oldest child of James Corrigall and Jean (Jane / Janet) Flett, my generation’s great great grandparents. Bess was named after her grandmother Betsy Leask (1828 - 1899) who married John Corrigall and lived at Ballareat House in Orkney. Bess was born on the 15th of October, 1882 in Harray, Orkney, a month after her parents’ wedding. She was she only 7 months old when she embarked on the clipper ship ‘Nelson’ to come to New Zealand with James and Jean. I wonder if the fact that she was born so soon after their wedding was a contributing factor to her parent’s decision to emigrate? Bess had her first birthday on the ship, arriving at Port Chalmers 5 days later on the 20th of October, 1883.

Bess was known as Bessie when she began at Blacks school in 1890, a year after her younger brother. Perhaps she had been kept home to assist with the younger children. Little else is known of her early life in Central Otago, however, she was no doubt a hard worker, helping the family with routine tasks. One task that she must have become very good at is making butter and baking, as a Miss Corrigall won several prizes at the seventh Central Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Show held in Mr Pitches paddock at Blacks / Ophir in 1899. Bess would have been 17 at the time, and as the next Miss Corrrigalls were Janet who was 15 and Nell who was only 10, it is highly likely that we are talking about Bess in this instance. Reportedly 800 people were in attendance at the Show that day, Friday the 17th of November 1899.

Bess’s prizes included:

• 3rd in 2lbs fresh butter in plain rolls or squares

• 2nd in dish of fancy butter (fresh)

• 3rd in plain rolls or squares

• 2nd in best collection of butter to be exhibited in one dish, including plain, face, powdered and fresh

• 1st in oaten cakes (the prize was 7s 6d)

Bess Corrigall date unknown

In 1902, when Bess was 20, she had a son called Alexander, known as Alex, born in Ophir (Registration number 1902/15656) or possibly Waihola. Alex’s father was not registered on the his birth certificate, and Alex’s given surname was Corrigall. This must have been a difficult time for Bess, as unmarried mothers were not as well accepted in society as they are nowadays. Furthermore there was no welfare available for such mothers, so Bess would have been very reliant on her family. Possibly the birth of her son was a reason why Bess remained unmarried for her entire life. However, the fact that Bess’s family supported her and Alex is a credit to her, and the Corrigall family, as at the time many other less fortunate illegitimate children were sent to orphanages or worse.

Alex attended Blacks School and was photographed in 1915 with the other school children. He is in the third row, third from the left. Alex would have been 13 years old at the time.

Alex at Blacks School in 1915 (third row, third from the left)

Alex must have been a sociable, musical and sporting young man, as his name arises several times in the newspapers during the late 1910s and 1920s. Of course, these mentions are not a full account of his activities but do give us an insight into his interests and abilities. Alex contributed a musical item to celebrate the ratification of peace after World War I at Chatto Creek in July 1919 and performed a vocal item at a similar event at the Omakau Hall later that same month. He initiated a singing group in 1921, was involved in a show in October of that year and presented an item at a farewell in 1923. Alex participating in the Ophir card group during 1922 and attended a fancy dress ball at Moa Creek as a Pierrot in November of that year. He was involved with the Vincent Sports club from at least 1918 till 1925 when it was reported in March that he was a joint secretary. Alex played football in 1918 and 1919 and tennis in 1923 and 1925. He came first in the 440 yard race and the hop, step and jump in 1922 Vincent Easter Sports Day, and he was placed in the 1924 Sports Day. Alex was generous and donated 4 shillings to the Dunstan Hospital in 1920.

Unfortunately, Alex died very young aged only 23 in July 1926. His death notice very simply states he died in Clyde Hospital and does not mention his family. An article in the Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette on the 21st of July, page 5, 1926 says Alex was from Omakau and until a few months earlier, he had enjoyed good health and ‘he was a fine athlete and splendid specimen or our young manhood’. The article informs that Alex contracted lung trouble that could not be helped with medical intervention. It finishes by mentioning the sympathy felt for his mother and all relatives in their sad loss. This mention of Alex’s mother is as close as Bess comes to being publicly acknowledged as his mother.

Unfortunately, Alex died from Tuberculosis (TB) aged only 23 on the 13th of July 1926. His death notice very simply states he died in Clyde Hospital and does not mention his family. An article in the Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette on the 21st of July, page 5, 1926 says Alex was from Omakau and until a few months earlier, he had enjoyed good health and ‘he was a fine athlete and splendid specimen or our young manhood’. The article informs that Alex contracted lung trouble that could not be helped with medical intervention. It finishes by mentioning the sympathy felt for his mother and all relatives in their sad loss. This mention of Alex’s mother is as close as Bess comes to being publicly acknowledged as his mother. His obituary in the Otago Witness on the 10th of August 1926, page 35 states that Alex was:

‘the most popular young man in the community - a first class rugby player and lawn tennis player, also honorary secretary to the local sports club. So unselfish was he that he was never known to turn down a request for assistance, and many a time he over taxed his great strength for others. Very few young fellows nowadays, are as fond of reading as he was. He had a good library, a good memory, and could talk well on many subjects. Over four months ago in some mysterious way, he contracted lung trouble and was for four months in hospital. The very large number of people, especially of young men and women, who gathered around his grave at his burial, and the seventeen memorial wreaths placed upon the coffin, were good evidence of the love and respect in which he was held’

There are no memorials or any further mention of Alex and we can only imagine how Bess must have felt at this time and and forever more after losing her son.

I am grateful to Jill Ferry, who told me some more about Alex. Jill’s grandmother Bell Huddleston nee Corrigall was pregnant when Alex fell ill and Jill’s mother Gwenyth (Gwen) Alexandra Janet Huddleston was born shortly before Alex died. Apparently Alex’s girlfriend was called Gwenyth and hence Bell and Ernie Huddleston chose Gwenyth for their daughter. Gwenyth’s second name came from the town of Alexandra and no doubt her third name, Janet came from Bell’s sister Janet who had died in1907. So Gwen was bestowed a very special name. I wonder if anyone else knows more about the original Gwenyth and what became of her?

Jill also told me that Alex was apparently living in a hut beside the main Corrigall house, the contents of which were burnt after his death, including a very beautiful doll that must have belonged to one of the girls.

Bess Corrigall with Charlie Drake outside the ‘Jockey Club Hotel’ circa 1932

Bess with her mother Jean (seated on right) and Miss McNamara, house keeper for the Omakau Catholic priest, date unknown

Bess had no choice but to keep on going after the death of her son. Her name does pop up from time to time in the newspapers of the day. She won the ladies prize while attending a euchre eying to raise funds for the hall at Ophir in July 1931. Bess attended the Otago Central Ball in aid of the Catholic Presbytery funds in 1936 wearing black georgette and lace. She wore floral crepe to the Omakau Golf Ball that same year. In 1937 Bess attended the Military Ball in Omakau, put on by the Otago Mounted Rifles, where she wore wine marocain. She may have been the Miss Corrigall that won third prize for her dark fruit cake at the Central Otago Show in 1932. And she was probably the Miss Corrigall from Omakau that won the ladies best score at the Chatto Creek social club in 1936. By 1944 Bess was involved with bowls along with her sister Polly, and was on the Omakau bowling committee.

At some stage Bess moved in with her mother Jean or perhaps she may have never left home? Bess is in a photo of Jean and Dulcie Paterson when they were at the Corrigalls’ house circa 1921, suggesting she was living there then. Isla Lowe nee Robertson and Clare Corrigall both told me that they felt that Bess was punished for having a child out of wedlock. Her punishment was to never get married and to look after her parents. Perhaps that was the deal for raising Alex as part of the Corrigall clan. A few older members of the family had thought that Alex was in fact Jean and James’s youngest child until much later in life. Isla said that Bess had a pullout sofa bed beside Jean’s bed which she would make up every day. She would sleep beside her mother in case she needed anything during the night. Isla stayed with Bess and Jean as a teenager and became good friends with Bess.

Bess and her mother Jean had nursed Bess’s younger sister Maggie Paterson nee Corrigall when she became ill with TB around 1934 - 1935. Maggie remained at their house until she died in January 1936. They had probably done the same for Bess’s son Alex ten years earlier until he was taken to hospital around April 1926. While Maggie was ill they had also cared for her youngest son, Alex Paterson, who was about 6 - 7 years old at the time.

My mother, Vyonne, recalls Bess often ‘grabbing’ one of the kids to hold onto in photos. For a long time, she thought it was always one of her siblings that Bess held onto to pose for a photo. This photo proves that Bess ‘grabbed’ Vyonne on some occasions too. I wonder if that action to holding a child was some sort of compensation for losing her beloved Alex.

Bess with my mother, Vyonne circa 1948 at Jean a.k.a. Grandma Corrigall’s house at ‘Grand View’

Gwen Rowley nee Huddleston (mentioned above) who of course was Bess’s niece wrote about Bess in Grant Barrett’s unpublished book ‘Joseph Barrett and Mary Dodd and the descendants of Richard James Barrett’. On page 94 Gwen recalled that Bess was the one responsible for milking the cows and separating the milk, and she would wear a red felt hat and big black apron for these jobs. She was also in charge of the washing, which was done in coppers outside under the trees. Clothes were boiled and everything got ‘blued’ with lots of things got a very light starching. Gwen said Bess had a special cupboard, which was a space between two buildings, where there was always boiled sweets, nuts and other goodies for visiting children.

Bess passed away on the 6th of April, 1959 in Omakau, aged 76. She is buried in Omakau cemetery with her son, Alex and brother, W. L. (Bill) Corrigall in Lot V,

plot 28.

Headstone of Bess, her son, Alex and brother, Bill