Family of Alexander Campbell and Isabella McDonald

Families

Married Husband Alexander Campbell ( * 1830-12-16 + 1915-06-26 )
Married Wife Isabella McDonald ( * about 1831 + 1914-11-23 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage 1855-09-14 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia   1a 2a
Event Note

1855,02533,F,Mcdonald,Isabella,Campbell,Alexander,,

Separation about 1860-03-00 Newham, Victoria, Australia   3a 4a
Event Note

Initial desertion of Alexander Campbell to dig for gold at the Lachlan in NSW. Month extrapolated.

Separation before 1863-05-00 Newham, Victoria, Australia    
Event Note

Per newspaper story and family oral history. Vanished before Alexander Duncan Campbell was born.

Separation 1872-05-31 Woodend, Victoria, Australia   5a
Event Note

Cause: deserting his wife. Alexander remanded. Bail granted?

Separation 1872-06-03 Woodend, Victoria, Australia   5b 3b 4b
Event Note

Court proceedings re abandonment

  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Margaret Campbell1856-06-23about 1930-04-00
Kenneth Campbell1858-04-261935-01-09
Roderick Campbell1860-04-041930-08-28
Alexander Duncan Campbell1863-05-261938-06-15

Source References

  1. Ancestry.com: Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950
      • Source text:

        Marriage date: 1855
        Marriage place: Victoria

  2. Ancestry.com: Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1950
      • Page: The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Victoria, Australia, Marriage Records
  3. Hobart Mercury
      • Date: 14 June 1872
      • Page: 1872 'VICTORIA.', The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), 14 June, p. 3
      • Source text:

        The matrimonial troubles of the Campbells occupied the attention of the Woodend bench for a long time on Monday morning. Mrs. Isabella Campbell charged her husband, Alexander Campbell, with deserting her, and leaving her and her four children without means of support, and the tale that she told was a pitiful one. Twelve years ago her husband went away to seek his fortune on the Lachlan diggings, leaving his wife and three children settled upon a small piece of land at Newham, the property of Mrs. Campbell's brother. Two years elapsed, and as the husband neither returned nor contributed to the support of his family, a warrant was obtained for his apprehension, but when the truant was brought back the heart of his wife relented ; the husband promised to be faithful in future, and the two lived comfortably together for some months. Campbell, however, soon grew tired of home, and once more bent his stops to the Lachlan, promising faithfully to send for his wife as soon as he had made his pile. At first he used to write regularly-"such loving letters," Mrs. Campbell told the bench-and remitted several sums of money ; but the letters and remittances gradually got less frequent, and at last ceased altogether ; whilst, to make matters worse, the brief visit home of the husband had added another to the family, and the wife had now four children dependent upon her exertions for support. For seven years she had managed to keep them and herself from actual starvation partly by tilling the little plot of ground upon which she was living, partly by going out to work, and partly by the kindness of the neighbours, many of whom were in court willing to bear testimony to the excellent character of the deserted wife. To add to her misfortunes, her house and furniture were destroyed by fire about twelve months ago, and she would have been absolutely homeless, but for the kindness and sympathy of some of the residents of Newham. It appeared that her husband was the owner-with his brother-of a farm of 235 acres, which had always been let, though no portion of the rent was ever received by the wife. The bench ordered security to be found for the payment of 10s. a week ; but Campbell said he would live with his wife and support her. Against this arrangement, however, Mrs Campbell vehemently protested, and offered to take 6s. a week if the bench would make the order so that she could get the money without the husband. When it was explained that no such order could be made, the friends of the parties concluded an arrangement by which Mrs. Campbell undertook, upon the receipt of £20 in cash, not to seek maintenance from her husband for the next six years, and to withdraw the summons. One- sided as such an arrangement was, it was gladly acquiesced in by the wife ; and at its conclusion, the husband jeeringly told her that she had made a fool of herself, for that he was about to sell his farm, and that she would not be able to got a penny of the money.-Kyneton Guardian, 5th June.

      • Citation:

        Reprint of a story from Kyneton Guardian, 5 Jun 1872.

      • Date: 14 June 1872
      • Page: 1872 'VICTORIA.', The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), 14 June, p. 3
      • Source text:

        The matrimonial troubles of the Campbells occupied the attention of the Woodend bench for a long time on Monday morning. Mrs. Isabella Campbell charged her husband, Alexander Campbell, with deserting her, and leaving her and her four children without means of support, and the tale that she told was a pitiful one. Twelve years ago her husband went away to seek his fortune on the Lachlan diggings, leaving his wife and three children settled upon a small piece of land at Newham, the property of Mrs. Campbell's brother. Two years elapsed, and as the husband neither returned nor contributed to the support of his family, a warrant was obtained for his apprehension, but when the truant was brought back the heart of his wife relented ; the husband promised to be faithful in future, and the two lived comfortably together for some months. Campbell, however, soon grew tired of home, and once more bent his stops to the Lachlan, promising faithfully to send for his wife as soon as he had made his pile. At first he used to write regularly-"such loving letters," Mrs. Campbell told the bench-and remitted several sums of money ; but the letters and remittances gradually got less frequent, and at last ceased altogether ; whilst, to make matters worse, the brief visit home of the husband had added another to the family, and the wife had now four children dependent upon her exertions for support. For seven years she had managed to keep them and herself from actual starvation partly by tilling the little plot of ground upon which she was living, partly by going out to work, and partly by the kindness of the neighbours, many of whom were in court willing to bear testimony to the excellent character of the deserted wife. To add to her misfortunes, her house and furniture were destroyed by fire about twelve months ago, and she would have been absolutely homeless, but for the kindness and sympathy of some of the residents of Newham. It appeared that her husband was the owner-with his brother-of a farm of 235 acres, which had always been let, though no portion of the rent was ever received by the wife. The bench ordered security to be found for the payment of 10s. a week ; but Campbell said he would live with his wife and support her. Against this arrangement, however, Mrs Campbell vehemently protested, and offered to take 6s. a week if the bench would make the order so that she could get the money without the husband. When it was explained that no such order could be made, the friends of the parties concluded an arrangement by which Mrs. Campbell undertook, upon the receipt of £20 in cash, not to seek maintenance from her husband for the next six years, and to withdraw the summons. One- sided as such an arrangement was, it was gladly acquiesced in by the wife ; and at its conclusion, the husband jeeringly told her that she had made a fool of herself, for that he was about to sell his farm, and that she would not be able to got a penny of the money.-Kyneton Guardian, 5th June.

      • Citation:

        Reprint of a story from Kyneton Guardian, 5 Jun 1872.

  4. Kyneton Guardian
      • Page: This abandonment is detailed in the 1872 court case proceedings.
      • Date: 14 June 1872
      • Page: 1872 'VICTORIA.', The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), 14 June, p. 3,
      • Source text:

        The matrimonial troubles of the Campbells occupied the attention of the Woodend bench for a long time on Monday morning. Mrs. Isabella Campbell charged her husband, Alex- ander Campbell, with deserting her, and leaving her and her four children without means of support, and the tale that she told was a pitiful one. Twelve years ago her husband went away to seek his fortune on the Lachlan diggings, leaving his wife and three children settled upon a small piece of land at Newham, the property of Mrs. Campbell's brother. Two years elapsed, and as the husband neither returned nor contributed to the support of his family, a warrant was obtained for his appre- hension, but when the truant was brought back the heart of his wife relented ; the husband promised to be faithful in future, and the two lived comfortably together for some months. Campbell, however, soon grew tired of home, and once more bent his stops to the Lachlan, promising faithfully to send for his wife as soon as he had made his pile. At first he used to write regularly-"such loving letters," Mrs. Campbell told the bench-and remitted several sums of money ; but the letters and remittances gradually got less frequent, and at last ceased altogether ; whilst, to make matters worse, the brief visit home of the husband hod added another to the family, and the wife had now four children dependent upon her exertions for support. For seven years she had managed to keep them and herself from actual starvation partly by tilling the little plot of ground upon which she was living, partly by going out to work, and partly by the kindness of the neighbours, many of whom were in court willing to bear testimony to the excellent character of tho deserted wife. To add to her misfortunes, her house and furniture were destroyed by fire about twelve months ago, and She would have been absolutely homeless, but for tho kindness and sympathy of some of the residents of Newham. It appeared that her husband was the owner-with his brother-of a farm of 235 acres, which had always been let, though no portion of the rent was ever received by the wife. Tho bench ordered security to be found for the payment of 10s. a week ; but Campbell said he would live with his wife and support her. Against this arrangement, however, Mrs Campbell vehemently protested, and offered to take 6s. a week if the bench would make the order so that she could get tho money without the husband. When it was explained that no such order could be made, the friends of the parties concluded an arrangement by which Mrs. Campbell undertook, upon the receipt of £20 in cash, not to seek I maintenance from her husband for the next six years, and to withdraw the summons. One-sided as such an arrangement was, it was gladly acquiesced in by the wife ; and at its conclusion, tho husband jeeringly told her that she had made a fool of herself, for that he was about to sell his farm, and that she would not be able to got a penny of the money.-Kyneton Guardian, 5th June.

      • Citation:

        Woodend Court proceedings of 3 June 1872 reprinted from the 5 June 1872 Kyneton Guardian for the benefit of Hobart readers on 14 June 1872!

  5. Ancestry.com: Victoria, Australia, Petty Session Records, 1854-1922
      • Page: Public Record Office of Victoria; Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Petty Sessions Records, Public Record Office of Victoria, Australia, 1854-1922
      • Page: Public Record Office of Victoria; Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Petty Sessions Records, Public Record Office of Victoria, Australia, 1854-1922