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Frances Noblett drowned in Rushcutters Bay, 1851

Rushcutters Bay, Sydney 2007. It was here that a tragic family accident occured on March 30, 1851. Mrs Frances Noblett and a friend, Mrs Elizabeth Woods, tragically drowned just as they were setting off to return to Sydney. They and Mrs Woods' husband were in a small sailing boat sailed by its owner Mr McDonald. It was 7pm and night was falling. Mr McDonald realised that a red flag had become entangled and he climbed the mast to disentangle it. As he was up the mast, the small vessel rolled and the two women quickly moved to the high side of the vessel, which accentuated its return roll, especially with the man up the mast. They were tossed into the warm but dark bay, and Mrs Woods sank immediately, and all attempts by Mr McDonald to locate and rescue Frances Noblett failed, and she too drowned. Later, their bodies were recovered and taken to Mr Douglass's public-house, corner of Pitt and Market Street, Sydney where the coroner's inquest was held, with the verdict "accidental drowning". When Frances and Elizabeth were buried, each funeral left from the residence of Frances in Pitt Street, Surry Hills. As Mr William Noblett, Frances' husband of 3 years had died 10 weeks earlier from a "lingering illness", their 2 year old child, Marian Noblett, was orphaned. She later married James Murray Jr. of "Warrawang", whom she met and married in Queensland, where she worked as a domestic servant and he was a pioneer grazier. [Research by Margaret Stehbens, a great great grand-daughter of Frances Noblett. Photo: courtesy Ian Stehbens 12/2006]

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