Eliza (Bessie) Mellsop Canavan - Irish Post Mistress
Eliza Bessie was the first daughter born to Alicia and Richard Merrick, in Tallow, Eire in 1852. When her parents left to go to Australia in 1854, Bessie's mother Alicia was already pregnant with her second child, son Samuel who was born in Tasmania soon after the Hirondelle arrived Down Under.
It was perhaps because of her mother's condition that one year old Eliza Bessie was left behind in Ireland with her maternal grandnparents Thomas and Elizabeth Mellsop. Thomas was the Postmaster at Tallow, a post in which he was followed by his daughters Mary Jane and Catherine and eventually by his grand daughter Eliza (Bessie) as well.
In the 1901 census she is shown as Post Mistress at Barrack Street,Tallow, but was calling herself Bessie Mellsop Merrick, and was unmarried. Research by Kathy O'Neill, who is Alicia Merrick's great grand daughter uncovered evidence that Bessie married John Canavan who was also a post office official, but there appear to be no children from this marriage and it may have taken place in later life. One marriage record located indicates they married in 1903 when Bessie was 50. A census in 1911 shows Bessie Mellsop Canavan aged 58 as a widow (occupation postmistress) living in Tallow, Waterford with two boarders who were employed as assistant post office personnel, so her marriage to John must have ended due to his death.
Kathy O'Neill suggests the family probably remained in touch with Bessie because her brother Thomas Mellsop Merrick, born in 1858 in Melbourne, named his first daughter Bessie Mathilda, probably in honour of the sister left behind.
It is suggested that both John and Bessie died in 1909, however census information leads us to believe Bessie outlived her husband by a few years.
Bessie's dates: 18 Sept, 1852, Tallow Eire.
Died 12 June 1909, Cork, Eire.
It was perhaps because of her mother's condition that one year old Eliza Bessie was left behind in Ireland with her maternal grandnparents Thomas and Elizabeth Mellsop. Thomas was the Postmaster at Tallow, a post in which he was followed by his daughters Mary Jane and Catherine and eventually by his grand daughter Eliza (Bessie) as well.
In the 1901 census she is shown as Post Mistress at Barrack Street,Tallow, but was calling herself Bessie Mellsop Merrick, and was unmarried. Research by Kathy O'Neill, who is Alicia Merrick's great grand daughter uncovered evidence that Bessie married John Canavan who was also a post office official, but there appear to be no children from this marriage and it may have taken place in later life. One marriage record located indicates they married in 1903 when Bessie was 50. A census in 1911 shows Bessie Mellsop Canavan aged 58 as a widow (occupation postmistress) living in Tallow, Waterford with two boarders who were employed as assistant post office personnel, so her marriage to John must have ended due to his death.
Kathy O'Neill suggests the family probably remained in touch with Bessie because her brother Thomas Mellsop Merrick, born in 1858 in Melbourne, named his first daughter Bessie Mathilda, probably in honour of the sister left behind.
It is suggested that both John and Bessie died in 1909, however census information leads us to believe Bessie outlived her husband by a few years.
Bessie's dates: 18 Sept, 1852, Tallow Eire.
Died 12 June 1909, Cork, Eire.