Biography

Mary Katherine died suddenly on Cobra Station at Bengemall.  She was buried near the old homestead by Police Constable Harold Charles Slater (Regimental No 1234) and GF Egan, JP.  Her death was certified in writing by William James Comtesse, husband, of Cobra Station, Bangemall.  James Comtesse, with the help of his neighbour, Jack McGuire, of Gifford Creek, made a coffin for his wife and she was laid to rest in the country she and her husband had set out to pioneer.

Born in England, at the age of 19 years, she married a Mr Thorp and they had a daughter named Gay, who was 20 years of age at the time of her mother's death.  (There was a Gaynor Elsie born in Birkenhead, England, in 1907.  There is no confirmation that this is the same person.)

At the age of 40 years, Mary Katherine remarried in Carnarvon to William James Comtesse.  Cobra Station was taken up in 1906 by James Comtesse of the Euranna Hotel, later named Bangemall Hotel.  Owing to the absence of particulars, the Coroner deemed an inquest to be necessary.  The body of the deceased was exhumed and examined by Dr Hemsted, who then performed a postmortem.   An inquest was held at Bangemall on 17 February, when the finding of the Acting Coroner, Mr GF Egan, J.P., was that death was due to "natural causes, indirectly brought about by excessive use of alcohol".