Eliza Coomb Gay was born in 1833 in Penryn, Cornwall, the daughter of a shoemaker John Gay and Mary Ann nee Lane (or Laen). On 14 April 1833 she was baptised at St Gluvias.
At the time of the 1851 census she was a tailoress living with her widowed mother and some of her siblings. The household also included a lodger, William Trevena who was a stone mason.
On 27 May 1852 Eliza married William Trevena.
A few months later William and Eliza emigrated to Australia as bounty emigrants on the Wilson Kennedy. William paid £4 for their passage. The Wilson Kennedy sailed from Plymouth on 9 September 1852, with 481 immigrants. They arrived in Sydney on 27 December. In the list of immigrants inspected by the Immigration Board William and Eliza were recorded asbelonging to the Church of England. They could both read and write. Neither of them had relatives in the colony.
From Sydney William and Eliza made their way to Avoca in the central highlands of Victoria. In 1855 Eliza gave birth to a daughter, Mary Ann. That year William died at the young age of 26.
In 1856 Eliza (22) married again, to a young widower, Thomas William Henry (26), a bootmaker in Avoca. Over the next twenty years they had twelve children, five of whom died in infancy.
In 1895 Eliza became very ill.
Avoca Mail (Vic.), Friday 1 February 1895, page 2
A serious operation was performed yesterday afternoon on Mrs Henry, a lady upwards of sixty years of age, and wife of Mr T. W. Henry, an old resident of the neighborhood. Dr Grimmer, who has been attending the lady for some time, discovering that she was suffering from a tumour inside the stomach, at once saw that the only chance of effecting a cure was to take out the cause of complaint, and Mrs Henry having consented to the course, Drs Grimmer of Avoca, Featherstonhaugh of Talbot, and Scott, of Maryborough, yesterday performed the operation, with, we are pleased to say, success. The tumour when removed, weighed between two and three pounds, and the quantity of matter in connection therewith that came away made a total weight of 20 lbs. which is sufficient indication of the seriousness of the complaint. The doctors did their work skilfully, and the patient came through remarkably well, especially when her age is considered, though of course it will be a day or two before her medical attendant, Dr Grimmer, can give a decided opinion as to how she is likely to proceed. At present there is every indication of her progressing satisfactorily.
Avoca Mail, Tuesday 10 May 1898, page 2
Mrs Henry, wife of Mr T. W. Henry, of Avoca, was operated on by Dr Tremearne, at Creswick on Sunday, the cause of complaint being a tumor attached to the back bone. It was found impossible to remove it, but the doctor was of opinion that with treatment and care the sufferer might survive for some years.
Avoca Mail, Friday 27 May 1898, page 2
We regret to record the death of Mrs Henry, wife of Mr T. W. Henry, of the Avoca River, at the age of 67 years. The deceased lady passed away this afternoon at Maryborough, whilst on the way to her home from Doctor Tremearne's private hospital at Creswick.
Eliza died on 22 May 1898 at Maryborough. She was buried in the Avoca cemetery.
[Many thanks to Eliza’s great great grand daughter Jo for sharing her family history with us.]
Wikitree: Eliza Coomb (Gay) Henry (1833-1898)
