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Charles Hervey Bagot

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Charles Hervey Bagot
Born1788-04-17
Nurney, County Kildare, Ireland
Died1880-07-29
North Adelaide, South Australia
Occupation(s)Pastoralist, mine proprietor, legislator
Years active1840–1869
Known forEarly South Australian copper mining; member of South Australian Legislative Council and Assembly; pastoralism

Charles Hervey Bagot (17 April 1788 – 29 July 1880), commonly known as "Captain Bagot," was a prominent South Australian pastoralist, mine proprietor, and legislator, recognized as an ancestor to several distinguished figures in South Australia.

Life

Bagot was born in Nurney, County Kildare, Ireland, the son of Christopher and Elizabeth (née Clibborn). In 1805, he enlisted in the British Army with the 87th Regiment of Foot and served honorably in India during the Mahratta War, ultimately attaining the rank of captain. Around 1819, he retired on half pay and settled in Ennis, County Clare, where he fulfilled duties as a Justice of the Peace.

In 1840, Bagot emigrated to South Australia aboard the Birman with his spouse Mary (née MacCarthy) and their five children, arriving at Port Adelaide on 17 December.

Pastoralist

Shortly after arriving, Bagot secured roughly at Koonunga along the River Light, where he established a sheep grazing enterprise in partnership with Frederick Hansborough Dutton. This collaboration concluded in 1843 when Dutton leased land near Kapunda, naming it Anlaby.

Bagot was an early proponent of agricultural innovation, being the first in the district to implement John Ridley's reaping machine.

Copper mining

In late 1842, Charles Samuel Bagot uncovered mineral samples near present-day Kapunda. Simultaneously, Francis Stacker Dutton discovered comparable deposits on nearby Anlaby. The Dutton brothers and Bagot collectively purchased 80 acres at the government rate of £1 per acre and subsequently bid up to £2210 for additional parcels. Alongside Mr. Ravenshaw, they formed a company to operate what became Australia's inaugural copper mine in 1844, predating the development of Burra Burra by eighteen months. The Kapunda mine yielded exceptionally pure and rich copper ore, playing a crucial role in strengthening South Australia's economy throughout the 1840s. Mining activities ceased there in 1877.

Politics

Bagot received appointment to the South Australian Legislative Council on 1 July 1844 and later was elected to represent the seat of Light in the Assembly from 12 July 1851 until his resignation on 7 July 1853. He subsequently returned to the Legislative Council representing "The Province" from 9 March 1857 to 27 March 1861, and again from 1 March 1865 until 29 January 1869. Following his resignation in 1853, his relative John Tuthill Bagot succeeded him.

During his political career, Bagot was a vocal opponent of Colonel Robe's proposals advocating state funding for certain religious institutions as well as imposing royalties on mineral extraction.

Other interests

Bagot played a key role in founding North Adelaide Congregational Church in 1864 and served as president of the Total Abstinence League. He authored a work titled The National Importance of Emigration published in London in 1863.

In 1848, he held the position of chairman for the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society. His grandson Christopher Michael Bagot Jr. (1852–1899) later served as Secretary from 1890 until 1899.

In 1853, Bagot constructed the family home "Nurney House" on Stanley Street in North Adelaide, which underwent significant reconstruction around 1930.

Family

Charles Hervey Bagot (circa 17 April 1788 – 29 July 1880) wed Mary MacCarthy (died 17 January 1860) around the year 1815. He passed away in North Adelaide, South Australia. Their large family encompassed:

  • Christopher Michael Bagot Sr. (1817 – 8 November 1853) united in marriage with Margaret Elizabeth Watts (circa 1823 – 6 November 1910) in 1846. Both died at Koonunga and Nurney House on Stanley Street, North Adelaide.
    • Charles Hervey Bagot CB (1847–1911) married first Laura Mildred Daniel in London and subsequently Alice Law; he served with the Royal Engineers, achieved the rank of Colonel by 1899, and was honored as a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1900.
      • Beatrice Bagot (1876–1959)
      • Cicely Bagot (born 1878)
      • Several other children born between 1879 and 1891
    • John Bagot JP (1849–1910) married Lucy Josephine Ayers, daughter of Sir Henry Ayers. He held a director position at the National Bank of Australasia from 1888 to 1893. After his death, his widow established a botany award at the University of Adelaide bearing his name.
    • Walter Hervey Bagot (1880–1963), partner in Woods and Bagot, was responsible for rebuilding "Nurney House" and designing gardens for "Forest Lodge" located in Stirling.
      • John Hervey Bagot (1910–2008), a distinguished lawyer
    • Mary Jane Bagot (1850–1901) married George Mathieson Turnbull; their son Don Turnbull gained recognition as a leading tennis and squash player.
    • Christopher Michael Bagot Jr. (1852–1899) served as Secretary of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society and was a local councillor at Semaphore.
    • Additional offspring included professionals and public officials connected to Australia, Canada, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom.
  • Mary Elizabeth Bagot (circa 1822–1892) married William Jacob, a draftsman who worked under Col. William Light; she managed the "Morooroo" farm near Rowland Flat, which lent its name to the Jacobs Creek wine region.
    • Charles Bagot Jacob (1844–1873)
    • John Christopher "Chris" Jacob oversaw the family farm before retiring to England.
  • Edward Meade "Ned" Bagot (1822–1886) had two marriages; he adopted his stepson James Churchill-Smith who later worked for Bagot Shakes & Lewis Ltd.
    • James Churchill-Smith Jr. attained the rank of Major during both World Wars; his diaries are valued historical documents.
    • George Wallwall Bagot (1858–1919) was a director at Bagot's Executor and Trustee Company and partner in a land agency firm that eventually merged into Goldsbrough Mort and Co. Ltd.
    • Richard Neetlee "Dick" Bagot (1860–1934), Frank Neetlee Bagot, Charles Mulcra Bagot, among others, were active in diverse business and farming enterprises.
  • Charlotte Owen Bagot (1824–1893) married Captain William H. Maturin CB.
  • Sir Charles Samuel Bagot (1828–1906), practiced law as a barrister and served as Commissioner in Lunacy in London.
  • Another lineage traces to Charles Bagot (1791–1864) of Kilcoursey House, Ireland, who may have been a brother to Charles Hervey Bagot:
    • John Tuthill Bagot MLC (1819–1870), barrister and politician based in South Australia.
    • Descendants including Charles Ulysses Bagot and John Meyler Bagot were involved in legal professions and political affairs.

Robert Cooper Bagot (circa 1827–1881), a civil engineer and the inaugural secretary of the Victoria Racing Club, does not appear to have a clear connection to this family branch.

Placenames in SA and NT

Honouring C. H. Bagot
Named after John Tuthill Bagot
Without specific citation

Further reading

  • Drew, G. J. (2017): Captain Bagot's Mine: Kapunda Mine, 1844–1916. Self-published by the author.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Rodney Cockburn South Australia — What's in a Name? Historically significant place names Axiom Publishing 1990 ISBN 0 9592519 1 X
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Manning
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