Mary Cagnacci was the first married name of Angelina Sgapponi the 13 year old who arrived in Australia in June 1877 with her adoptive father William Cagnacci and his wife Carlotta.
Read about Angelina Sgapponi before continuing.
Angelina was 18 years old when she married Pietro Eunandesi who was really her adoptive father William (aged 43) on Friday 6 October 1882 at St Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane. William appears to have used a false name to legitimise the marriage. Available birth and death certificates of the children usually record Mary Sgapponi and William Cagnacci as parents and confirm the marriage.
In November 1886 Mary (aged 22) registered a stock brand for use at South Pine River, Bunyah Queensland. By 1888 William, Carlotta, Mary and children had moved to Portion 46 (76 acres, 30.7 Ha) of Bunya, which was owned by J.H.Austin. They were living there when Bridget Baker was murdered.
Nine year old Bridget Baker was murdered at Bunyah on the 12th of May 1888. A black fellow gone wild was rumoured to be responsible for violent acts in the area, but the mother, who claimed it was ‘Cagnacci or some of the Italians‘, was eventually charged, though not convicted. See “The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 – 1933) 16 June 1888: 4. Web. 3 Sep 2017 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3477973>”. The story was widely covered by major newspapers.
SHOCKING MURDER BY AN ABORIGINAL
News has been received of a terrible murder committed yesterday at the Bunya reserve, about 14 miles from Brisbane. It appears that a little girl named Bridget Baker, nine years of age, the daughter of a selector, was taking her father’s dinner to a place where he was working, about a mile and a half from his house. She was accompanied by a little brother, aged four. She delivered the dinner to her father and then started for home with her brother, the road being a simple bridle track through the scrub. The little boy states that when about half-way along the road a blackfellow suddenly jumped out of the scrub, seized the girl, and carried her into the scrub. The boy ran home and informed his mother, who at once run to the spot, calling to her aid in the meantime a neighbouring selector. On arriving at the place they found stains of blood, and a well defined track of blood marks leading into the scrub. This was followed for about a quarter of a mile, when the body of the child was found brutally murdered, having evidently been first outraged. The girl’s head had been cut and bruised in many places, and the clothing was saturated with blood. As soon us the news was brought into town the mounted police and a black tracker were despatched to the scene of the outrage. The unfortunate girl was outraged by a blackfellow near the same place about 12 months ago.
“SHOCKING MURDER BY AN A BORIGINAL.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 14 May 1888: 5. Web. 3 Sep 2017 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6124777>
The suggestion that an aboriginal person was responsible appears to be a case of the community passing the blame for crimes on to those least able to defend themselves.
William is recorded in the Official Queensland Post Office Directory for 1894/95 at George Street Breakfast Creek, now named Anstey Street Albion.
He is recorded again in the 1896/97 Official Queensland Post Office Directory at Bridge Street Hamilton, now named Nariel Street. Mary is recorded in the Post Office Directories of 1897 to 1899 also at Bridge Street Hamilton.
Mary and William had 6 (or 7) children, 4 sons (Joseph, Raffael, Antonio and Curzio) and 2 daughters (Florence and Charlotte) all surviving to adulthood. The seventh child would be Raphael who died at birth in 1880 with no recorded father.
William Cagnacci died in February 1896 (aged 56) when Mary was 31 years old. His death certificate shows children as: Joseph (age 12), Florence (age 10), Raffael (age 8), Antonio (age 6), Charlotte (age 4), Curzio is not listed, with 1 male (Raphael) and 1 female deceased (Augustina/Sarah).
Children of Mary and William
Joseph
Joseph was born in April 1884 in Brisbane, but probably Bunyah. His birthplace is believed to be Bunyah because William Cagnacci is recorded as owner and occupier of land described as Portion 44 (80 acres, 32.4 Ha) in the Parish of Bunya in 1887. He married Charlotte Ila Percival at the age of 49 years in 1933 at Coolangatta. Charlotte and Joseph did not have children. Joseph died aged 69 years at Burleigh Heads in June 1953.
Filomena
Filomena, also known as Florence or Phillis, was born in March 1886 at North Pine. She married Robert John Simpson (aged 26 or 27, born in Limavady Ireland) when aged 15 and together they had 6 children: Mabel (b1902), Grace (b1905), William (b1911), Robert (b1913), Olive (b1916) and another daughter. One of Filomena’s grandchildren remembers grandma Cagnacci refusing to cross the flooded Currumbin Creek to attend the family’s Christmas dinner, and that she couldn’t speak much English, only Italian.
Angelo
Angelo Raffael ‘Leo’ Cagnacci was born on 12 August 1888. At 31 years old he married Mary Bourke (aged 23 or 24) with whom he had 3 children. Leo died in 1959 and Mary in 1968.
Antonio
Antonio was born in January 1891. He died in Longreach Queensland on 23 Jun 1911 at the age of 21. The inscription on his gravestone reads “Death is eternal life, Why should we weep”.
Charlotte
Charlotte was born on 1 July 1892 at North Pine, which becomes Bunyah on her marriage certificate. When aged 17 she married William Thomas Rummery (aged 25) on 13 May 1910. One of their children served in the Australian Army during WW2.
In October 1894 Joseph (age 10), Filomena (age 8), and Angelo (age 6) all enrolled at Breakfast Creek State School, located between Agnes and Amy Streets. Their father was recorded as a fish hawker.
Curzio
On 5 February 1895 Curzio, known as William or Bill was born at Breakfast Creek in the Nundah District. Curzio enlisted in the AIF on 22 June 1915 (aged 20) and enlisted in the 2nd AIF on 27 June 1941 (aged 46) giving a different date of birth (5 Feb 1905) the second time. Curzio embarked with the 10th Reinforcements from Brisbane on HMAT A69 “Warilda” on 5 October 1915.
Curzio (aged 24) married Ilma Pauline Muller (aged 25) in July 1919. They had three children. The second child served with the RAAF in WW2. Curzio enlisted with the 2nd AIF (now 10 years yonger), being discharged from the 3rd Railway Construction Company in October 1945. Curzio died in 1980 and Ilma in 1970.
In October 1894 Joseph (age 10 years 6 months), Filomena (age 8 years 7 months) and Angelo (age 6 years 2 months) are attending Breakfast Creek State School, located between Agnes and Amy Streets. Records for January 1901 show Angelo (age 12 years 5 months), Antonio (age 10 years), Charlotte (age 8 years 6 months) and Curzio (age 5 years 11 months) are enrolled at Mudgeeraba Lower Provisional School. Records show that the children left and returned to school periodically. Curzio was apparently unschooled for almost 24 months over 1903 to 1905.
L-R, Back Row; Frances Blakney; James Connor; Antoni Cagnacci; Rankin Andrews; Joseph Cagnacci; John Davenport; Bill Andrews; -; -; William Cagnacci; Third Row; Emma Schmidt; -; -; -; Margaret Laver; Mary Connor; Jesse Andrews; Elizabeth Davenport; Second Row; -; -; Grace Andrews; -: -; -; -; Front Row; -; -; Sam Laver; Alec Laver; Thomas Andrews; -;
Twenty-three months after her husband’s death, a man who was – her adoptive father – Pietro Eunandesi at their wedding – father of her 6 (or 7) children born over 17 years, Mary (age 33) gave birth to the first of five Natoli children to a new partner, Antonio Natoli (age 31).