Thomas Bossuet Coveny and his brother Robert Coveny (1809-1878) arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, on 3 February 1835 in the Undaunted. In May 1837 the brothers opened a grocery warehouse in Market Street in Sydney. In September 1842 Thomas stood unsuccessfully for the Macquarie ward in the Sydney Municipal Council. The financial depression of the 1840s led to the Covenys becoming insolvent in June 1843. The brothers separated after their debts were cleared in August 1844 with Thomas Bossuet opening a grocery store in York Street in Sydney.
From June 1840 to 1 January 1842 the Australasian Chronicle newspaper listed Thomas Bossuet Coveny as a joint proprietor with William Davis, Roger Murphy, Thomas Smidmore, Thomas Smith, Timothy Maher, John Murray, and W. A. Duncan. However Coveny may have been a joint proprietor of the newspaper from its foundation in 1839 and he seems to have continued as a joint proprietor into 1843. His name appears with that of Thomas Smidmore as acting proprietors in a column of the newspaper warning against payments to the former editor of the paper W. A. Duncan. (25 February 1843: 3). However for much of his time as a joint proprietor Coveny seems to have been a supporter of Duncan.
In October 1843 the then editor of the Australasian Chronicle, John McEncroe, announced changes to the Chronicle. The changes were due to the reduction of the joint proprietors to one individual '[i]n consequence of death and other unavoidable circumstances.' Possibly the 'unavoidable circumstances' may have been the insolvency of Coveny.
Sources: Duffy, C. J., 'Coveny, Robert (1809-1878)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/coveny-robert-3271/text4957, accessed 18 January 2012; Australasian Chronicle newspaper.
