The Story of James Hickey

This is the story of my paternal Great Great Great Grandfather, James Hickey (1798 - 1879).

The details of my 3x great grandfather's birth and early life are rather scant, but it's been a fascinating research journey trying to find clues.  From the few records I have ended up with, which really only includes the immigrant passenger list, the baptism records for two of his children, and his death certificate, there appears to be a difference in his supposed place of origin.  It appeared that James hailed from both County Limerick and County Clare.  So, which was correct?

From what I've been able to glean so far, it seems that both are most likely correct.  Why?  Well, that needs an explanation.

James was probably born and definitely lived in the Coonagh area (not to be confused with the Coonagh Barony!).

Coonagh was comprised of two townlands, Coonagh East and Coongah West.


The area was part of the Civil Parish of Killeely.

The Civil Parish of Killeely was part of the Roman Catholic Parish of Parteen-Meelick-Coonagh in the Diocese of Limerick.


Both the Civil Parish of Killeely and the Diocese of Limerick straddled two counties, County Limerick and County Clare. Indeed, the majority of the Limerick Diocese was in fact within the borders of County Clare, as was most of the Parish of Parteen-Meelick-Coonagh. 

The area of Coonagh (which included Coonagh East and Coonagh West) sat on the banks of the Shannon River, and was at different points in time considered to be part of both counties, although when James was growing up it was most definitely considered part of County Limerick.

Sunset on the Shannon, taken from Coonagh
By ThadysLamp - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44392588

I have not yet uncovered a definitive date of birth, but the year 1798 is an educated guess, based on the age recorded on James's immigration passenger list.  His death certificate contradicts this date though, and indicates that he was born a lot earlier, in 1793.  I do think that 1793 was in fact the date of birth for one of James's brothers.

James was the son of Patrick Hickey and Mary Price.  He had at least two older brothers.  I think that it was Patrick who was born in 1793, and then Denis came along in 1795.  James was the youngest of the boys.  It's likely other siblings were born to his parents, but it seems they did not survive into adulthood.

My 3x great grandfather James married Margaret McNamara sometime around 1820, when he would have been aged 22.  On James's death certificate it is recorded that he married in County Clare, and that would be correct if they married in the Catholic Church in the Parish of Parteen, which was part of the Diocese of Limerick!

After their marriage, James and Margaret went on to have at least 8 children whilst living in Ireland.
Their eldest son Dennis was born in 1822.
Patrick came along in 1824.
Twins, John and Thomas were born in 1827.
Bridget was born in 1829.
Ellen (my Great Great Grandmother) came along in 1832.  At that time James was 34 years old.
James (Jnr.) was born in 1835.
William was born in 1837, but it seems he died as a very young infant.

Sadly, back in 1833, James's father Patrick had died.

Tithe Applotment Book 1833 Townland of Coonagh

At that time, in a valuation undertaken on May 30th 1833, recorded in the Tithe Applotment Books, the inhabitants of Coonagh were listed under three main family groupings - Coonagh Hickey, Coonagh Sexton and Coonagh Calcutt.  The townland of Coonagh itself was owned by the Earl of Thomand and leased to these families, who would have in turn probably subleased portions to others.

Tithe Applotment Book 1833 - Coonagh Hickey

The 1833 record showed that the Hickey brothers Patrick, Denis and James, along with a Widow Hickey (likely to be their mother Mary) were all working farmland in Coonagh, totaling 18 acres.

Patrick, being the eldest brother would have been left the lease of the large 15 acre farm after the death of his father that year.  That was in accordance with the inheritance traditions at the time.  The younger brothers, including my 3x great grandfather James, would have worked the land together as well as their own small 1 acre plots.  Apparently it was fairly common for each fully fit man to work 5 acres with a spade at this time.  Hard, back-breaking work!

Both James and Denis, the younger brothers, would have been deprived of property rights, and that would have been the reality for their own sons as well. My 3x great grandfather James already had 5 sons by this time (1833) and his brother Denis had 4.  Whilst James and Denis remained working the farmland as tenants for several more years after 1833, they were to make a life-changing decision in the hope of changing their futures.

Upon the death of their mother Mary, which happened sometime between 1833 and 1839, the two younger brothers decided to emigrate, in the belief they could build a better life for their families elsewhere and perhaps end up as landowners themselves.

In November of 1839, James Hickey and his family of 8, as well as his brother Denis and his family of 6, boarded the ship Adam Lodge, along with what is highly likely to be a number of other Hickey relatives.  In all, there were 28 people with the surname of Hickey from either County Limerick or County Clare who departed Cove Cork in Ireland on the 11th of November 1839.

The Adam Lodge was a 576-ton ship carrying 273 government immigrants.  According to the journal kept by the Surgeon Superintendent Alex Stewart:

"The immigrants included 54 Protestants and 219 Catholics.  A crew member and two children died on the voyage, one child was born.  A school was established and 37 regularly attended.  The schoolmaster was very attentive and many of the scholars improved considerably. The chief amusements were dancing and leap frog and were always encourage in the evenings until 9 o'clock.  Divine Service was performed five times during the voyage, the unfavourable state of the weather, the rolling of the ship and their indisposition prevented its being done oftener."

 The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser Sat 15 Feb 1840 p2

The Adam Lodge arrived in Sydney on February 14th, 1840, after a voyage that lasted for 95 days.  The ship had taken a course from the Cape of Good Hope, across the Southern Ocean, and then up the Eastern seaboard of Australia.  The ship had 'spoken' with the Mary Ridgway whilst passing through Bass Strait, on the 10th of February 1840.

Upon arrival in Sydney all the immigrants would have resided in the government barracks on Bent Street, where an immigration muster was completed detailing information about James and his family.

It was noted that James had been 41 years old upon embarkation, but was 42 years old by the time he had arrived in the Colonies.

His previous occupation had been 'farmer'.

He was Roman Catholic and could both read and write.

James's wife Margaret was recorded as being 38 years of age and her occupation was listed as 'farm servant'.  She could neither read nor write.

Children Patrick, Thomas, John, James, Bridget and Ellen were all listed with Margaret.  Son Dennis was listed separately as a Single Male.

Dispersal List for assisted immigrants on Adam Lodge 1840 p.3 - James Hickey and family

James and his family had been bought out as part of the Assisted Immigration Scheme, which means their passage had been paid for by either the government of the colonies or a wealthy private individual.  In James's case, his passage was paid for by the government as the Dispersal List (shown above) lists his prospective employer as "unknown".

Dispersal List for assisted immigrants on Adam Lodge 1840 p.2 - Denis Hickey and family

His brother Denis and his son Dennis, on the other hand, had been sponsored by a Mr. Hunt of Sydney for 1 year at wages of 90 pounds plus rations.  It's likely that James stayed in Sydney for a while, close to his brother and son, anxiously awaiting employment prospects.

I'm not entirely sure just how long after landing in Sydney, James and his family moved north to the Hunter River District, and in particular the Maitland; but within two years of disembarkation, as another son was born in the Maitland area in 1842.

Son Michael was born in October of 1842, when James was 44 years old.

James was to reside in the Hunter River District, around Maitland, for the remainder of his life, as did his brother Denis and most of the extended Hickey family.  It seems that they were a close-knit clan.

Article in the Empire Newspaper Wed 5 Aug 1857 p2

There is mention of a "Hickey's Farm" in an article published in the Empire newspaper dated 5th of August 1857.


The article told of the effects of significant flooding in the Narrowgut / Morpeth / Phoenix Park area of the Hunter River District in New South Wales that year.


In the last paragraph there is mention that:

"Below Hinton the river broke over at several places, and poured a deluge of water into the adjacent hollows.  This was the case at Berry Park, Duckenfield, Hickey's Farm, Nelson's Plains, and Miller's Forest - all the low lands in these localities were covered with water."

Was this my 3x great grandfather's farm?

Map of Hunter River District around Maitland -
shows location of Wallalong, Phoenix Park and Narrowgut.

Oral family stories mention that James originally tenanted a farm at Wallalong sometime in the 1850s, moved across the river to Phoenix Park, and at some time tenanted farmland in Cooley Camp (later known as Bolwarra).

Given that James's brother Denis had died in 1852, then perhaps the "Hickey's Farm" mentioned in that 1857 newspaper was indeed the farm of James Hickey.  The death of his brother Denis would have been a terrible blow to James, considering they had made the journey out to Australia together and spent their lives in the colony living in the same places.

I have little knowledge of the life of James during his years spent farming in the Hunter River District.  Did he end up owning his own land, or did he spend his life as a tenant farmer?

Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser Sat 21 Jun 1879 p16

James Hickey died on the 14th of June, 1879 and the death notice published on Saturday the 21st of June states:

"Mr. James Hickey, senior, died on Saturday night, the 14th inst., at his late residence, Narrowgut."

The article also mentions that he was an "old and respected resident of the district" who had been a "native of Ireland, but has spent thirty-nine years in this colony, always located in the Hunter River  district."  It was wonderful to see that he was described as "of a remarkably active temperament, and possessed a warm-hearted, genial disposition, which served to endear him to a large circle of friends."  The death notice also mentions that James died "with his children all around him", which seems to indicate the closeness of the family unit.

James's death certificate stated that he died of "senile debility" and that he was survived by 7 of his children - Patrick was 46, the twins John and Thomas were 44, Bridget was 40, Ellen (my great great grandmother) was 38 and Michael was 35.  That means his eldest son Dennis was deceased by that time.

The death certificate also lists 1 other male as deceased, and 1 female.  I know that James and Margaret had lost a son named William before they left Ireland, but I have not yet found any record of a third daughter born to them, either in Ireland or Australia.  These details were given by son Michael, so I'm assuming he would have known the true facts and I now have some more researching to do!

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.

The Story of William Conners / Connors

This week's post tells the story of my paternal Great Great Grandfather, William Connors (1820 - 1882).

Firstly, I'd like to mention that it took me ages to research the story of my 2x great grandfather William because of the different versions of his surname written down in the various records over time.  On his immigration record, his surname was listed as 'Conners'. His record of marriage had his surname listed as 'Connor'.  Over his life time however, this morphed into 'Connors', which was the surname listed on various records for many of his children.  Records pertaining to his death and burial have him listed as 'Connors'.   What's in a name?  Endless hours of research when it's not a straight forward one!



I literally have no records about William before he boarded a ship and headed to Australia.  He is the only one of my direct ancestors for whom that is the case!  I've searched and searched birth records in Ireland for the year of his birth, but have not been able to find any evidence of his baptism or birth.  I have not yet found evidence of his parents' marriage and I have not discovered his parents in any census records.

The only background information I have about William before he landed in the colonies, comes from the information that was recorded on the assisted immigrant passenger list of 1840.

So, here's what I've managed to put together for my 2x great grandfather William so far.

William Conners/Connors was born in 1820 in the civil parish of Gallen in  King's County, Ireland.

King's County became known as County Offaly later on.

It is located in the Irish midlands, covers an area of around 771 square miles and in the year of William's birth had a population of around 131,000.





William was apparently the son of Benjamin and Sabina.  I have not yet found out any more detail about William's parents or his siblings ... other than I know that his sister Mary (who migrated with him to Australia) was born two years before William in 1818.

Whatever the circumstances of their childhood and early adult life, William and his older sister made the decision to leave Ireland and emigrate to Australia under the Assisted Immigration, or Bounty, Scheme.  They boarded the ship Berkshire and headed for the colonies.

Details recorded on the Assisted Immigrants Passenger List show that William was single, aged 21, was Roman Catholic and came from Gallen in King's County, Ireland.  His occupation was that of farm labourer and he could read and write.  His father was named Ben, a farmer, and his mother was named Sabina.

The Berkshire left Plymouth on the 20th of November in 1839.  223 emigrants were under the supervision of  Dr. Bernard Kenny, and the ships captain was Captain Norris.  The journey lasted just short of four months.

William, aged 21, and his sister Mary, aged 23, arrived in Sydney on the 13th of March 1841.   Unfortunately I don't have any details about what happened immediately after their arrival in Australia.

By 1848 however, William is living and working at a place named Cooley Camp in the East Maitland area of New South Wales, near Woodville.


This was a very rich and productive farming area, later to become known as Bolwarra Flat.

In 1849 William married Ellen Hickey.  He was 29 years old and she was aged 17.  They went on to have 13 children over a period of 25 years.

Thomas Edgar (my great grandfather) was born in 1850.  His birthplace is recorded as Butterwick, which was in the Cooley Camp area.

Given that Cooley Camp was not a large area, being only five square miles in size, the opportunities for a farmer with a small landholding to expand and provide a better life for his family were extremely limited.  It seems that William and Ellen decided that it would be best to move.

They, and a number of other Irish families, all embarked on a journey to the Kiama and Gerringong region on the New South Wales south coast.



It was only just opening up as a new farming area after the established cedar cutting industry had come to a halt, and it must have seemed like an opportunity not to be missed.




It appears, from oral family history, that William and Ellen leased a small plot of land and established a dairy farm.  Whilst living there, there were another twelve children added to the family.


Margaret came along in 1852.
Patrick was born in 1853, when William was 33.
Mary Ann was born in 1855.
Bridget Ellen was born in 1857.
James was born in 1859.
Ellen Sabina came along in 1861.
William was born in 1864.
Benjamin was born in 1866.
Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) was born in 1870.
Michael John came along in 1873.

The historical electoral roll record of 1855-1856 shows William Conner living at Crawley's Forest, near Kiama. This was a big settlement in the hills above Kiama on the slopes of Saddleback Mountain. The record indicates that he was leasing land and did not own it outright.

After living in the Kiama region for just over twenty years, William decided it was time to move again.

He was keen to find a place where he might be able to have a much larger plot of land, and he decided to relocate his family to Wagga Wagga, to the west.


The entire family headed off on a really long and arduous trip by ox and dray.  The distance to be travelled was around 300 miles.


At that time William was aged 53.  His wife Ellen would have been 41.  Their eldest son (my great grandfather) Thomas was aged 23, was married and had a baby.  Daughter Margaret was 21.  Son Patrick was nearly 20 years old.  Mary Ann was 18.  Bridget was 16.  James was 14.  Ellen Sabina was 12.  William was aged 9.  Benjamin was 7 years old.  John was 5.  Elizabeth was 3.  Michael would have been just a new born baby.



Sadly, it was to be a decision that had dire consequences.  A case of very bad timing indeed.

The family arrived sometime around 1875.  By that time typhoid fever, known then as 'colonial fever' was breaking out in several areas across New South Wales and Victoria.  Unfortunately, it was rampant in Wagga Wagga by 1876 and William, now aged 56, lost three of his children.

First of all, Ellen Sabina aged 15 died in May of 1876.

John, aged only 8, died in June.

Then, Patrick succumbed after battling the disease for a month and died in August, aged 22. 

I simply can't imagine the grief and anguish that must have been experienced by William, Ellen and their surviving children.  They would have been absolutely heart-broken.  Other members of the family must have fallen ill along the way as well, so it would have been very distressing wondering if there were to be any more losses.

In amongst all this heartbreak, another son was born.  Edward George came along in July of 1876.  I'm certain William would have held Edward especially close upon his birth!

What a rotten hand William, Ellen and their family had been dealt!  How does a parent recover from such a thing?  I guess one simply puts one foot in front of the other and goes on, for the sake of the remaining family.

Obviously Wagga Wagga held many sad memories, so just over two years later William and Ellen decide to move on once more.  This time though, some of their family did not join them on the trip.  Their eldest son Thomas (my great grandfather) returned to Kiama with his family.  Their eldest daughter Margaret remained in Wagga Wagga and married.  Another of their daughters, Bridget, also remained in Wagga Wagga.

William, along with his wife Ellen, and six of their surviving children moved to the Snowy Mountains district towards the end of 1879.  They settled in Gilmore, a small town outside Tumut.  William at this time would have been 59 years old.


It does not appear as if everything came up roses for William at Gilmore either.  Mention is made of William and his wheat crop in a newspaper in late 1881.

"During the violent storm to which I have before referred, Mr. William Connor's wheat crop at the Gilmore sustained serious injury; indeed, it is affirmed that it has been almost destroyed. Large patches of wheat were cut down as if by a reaping hook, while in many places the blades were torn up by the roots. I have heard no satisfactory explanation as to how this singular effect was produced."

Gundagi Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW),  Friday 21 October 1881, page 2.


I wonder how he recovered from the destruction of his wheat crop?

Sad to say, poor William did not live long after this event.  Within a year, he had died.  In September of 1882, another article appeared in a couple of newspapers.

Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW), Friday 1 September 1882, page 3

---

TUMUT NEWS.

 A well-known resident of the Gilmore, Mr. William Connors, departed this life early on Sunday morning last, after a brief illness. On the previous Thursday Mr. Connors, who was suffering from the effects of a cold, came into town for medical advice. He returned home apparently no worse in his health, but during the night his cough became violent, and after this he gradually declined until he passed away, apparently without pain. The deceased, we believe, was a brother of the late Mrs. B. Kelly, and has left a widow and a large family to mourn their loss. The funeral took place on Monday.

William died at the end of August in 1882, aged 62  (the age recorded on his death record was incorrect, as was the length of his time in the colony/state ... William had been in Australia for 41 years, not 4!)

He was survived by his wife and ten of his children.  Probate granted his estate to his wife Ellen.

Special Note to any family members:  If you have photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.

The Story of Thomas Edgar Connors (Connor)

My post this week is about my paternal Great Grandfather, Thomas Edgar Connors (Connor) (1850-1910).

Thomas was born at Butterwick, New South Wales in August of 1850, when his father William Connors / Conners was aged 27 and his mother Eleanor (known as Ellen) Hickey was 19.  Thomas was the first born of 13 children. 

His surname was recorded as 'Connor', not 'Connors', as was the surname of his father, William.  It's likely that the original surname was 'Connor' back in Ireland, the birthplace of Thomas's father.

Over time, the surname then morphed with usage here in Australia.  Various birth / death / immigration records show varied combinations - Connor, Connors, Conners - but then by the time Thomas passed away, the family surname was 'Connors'.

At the time of his birth, Thomas's parents were living in an area known as 'the Cooley Camp', a hilly area located in central New South Wales that would later become known as Woodville.

Farms in this area were quite small at the time, and it appears that Thomas's father William and mother Ellen decided that it would not be possible to continue to live on such a smallholding and support their growing family.

By the time Thomas's sister Margaret was born, the family had moved down south to Kiama, and the Gerringong region on the south coast of New South Wales.


Margaret was born in 1852, when Thomas was aged 2.
Patrick was born in 1853.
Mary Ann was born in 1855.
Bridget came along in 1857.
James was born in 1859, when Thomas was 9.
Ellen Sabina was born in 1861.
William was born in 1864.  Thomas was now14.
Benjamin (known as Ben) was born in 1866.
John came along in 1868.
Elizabeth, known as Lizzie, was born in 1870, when Thomas was 20 years old.
Michael was born in 1873, when Thomas was aged 23, and was the last of his siblings to be born in Kiama.

During these years, Thomas grew up on the dairy farm worked by his father William.

In 1873, just a month after the birth of his brother Michael, Thomas married Susannah Fullagar Hukins on the 30th of September, at the Roman Catholic Church, St. Peter's, in Kiama.

Thomas was aged 23 and Susannah (known as Susan) was 22.

His name was still recorded as 'Connor', as it was known at this time.  Interestingly, the parents' names of both the groom and bride were not recorded.  That is an unusual thing amongst all the birth, marriage and death certificates I have accumulated during my family tree research for my Australian ancestors.  That makes me wonder whether or not this marriage was considered favourably by Thomas's or Susannah's families.

Thomas's parents were both Irish-born and Roman Catholic, whilst Susannah's parents were English and she had been baptised in the Anglican Church.  Perhaps the marriage of a Catholic and Anglican was the cause of some angst between the families at the time!

Relationships might have improved though as Thomas and his new wife Susannah settled in to farming life and began a family of their own.

Their daughter, Mary Ellen, was born the following year in 1874.

It then seems that towards the end of 1875 or the beginning of 1876, Thomas's father, mother and siblings were on the move again, and Thomas joined his parents and went along, with his wife and young daughter.  That probably didn't bode well for improving his relationship with his new in-laws.

from S.T. Gill’s Australian Sketchbook of 1865.

The family group of 16 all travelled by ox and dray quite a way westwards to Wagga Wagga.

That must have been an amazing journey ... frightening no doubt, but also exciting as they headed off to what they all no doubt hope for ... a better life.

I wonder what they encountered along the way?




The entire party does seem to have arrived safely though.  Thomas's second child, his son John Edgar, was born in June of 1876 in Wagga Wagga. Thomas's last sibling, his youngest brother Edward George, was born in Wagga Wagga in July of 1876.

Unfortunately, tragedy was about to strike the Connors clan while they were living in Wagga Wagga.

There was an outbreak of what was known at the time as 'colonial fever', but would become reliably diagnosed very soon after as 'typhoid fever'.  In colonial times, overflowing cesspits, polluted rivers and creeks, and very casual use of bedpans, were commonplace.  

There was generally very poor water quality and poor sanitary conditions in these settlement areas, and all this combined with the very hot temperatures led to increasing cases of typhoid fever.


Three of Thomas's siblings passed away in late 1876 as a result of contracting this disease.  So, when he was aged 26, Thomas lost his brothers Patrick, aged 23, and John, aged 8. and his sister Ellen Sabina, aged 15.

It's conceivable that Thomas was closest to his brother Patrick out of all his siblings, as they were closer in age and were the two eldest boys.  I would imagine that this loss, along with the loss of his two other younger siblings, would have caused Thomas great heartache.  The losses would have left Thomas's parents absolutely heart-broken. 

It was not long after this event that Thomas broke ties a little with his father, mother and other siblings.

When Thomas's father, William, re-located yet again to Tumut, Thomas did not join them.

He and his family returned to the coast and into the Shoalhaven region, where Susannah's family were still living.

Thomas settled at a place named 'Far Meadow', not far from the township of Broughton Creek, (which become known as Berry from 1889 onwards).

One of the very close neighbouring townships was Jasper's Bush, which is the place where Thomas's wife Susannah grew up.

Thomas was now back living close to his in-laws.



While living at Far Meadow, Thomas and Susannah went on to have eight more children over the following fourteen years.  Many of these children had Shoalhaven listed as their place of birth though, which probably meant that Susannah gave birth to most of her children at her mother and father's home, rather than on the farm at Far Meadow. 

William Adolphus was born in 1878.  Thomas was aged 28 at the time.
Thomas George (my grandfather) was born in 1880.  He was known as George Thomas throughout his lifetime though!
Alice was born in 1882.

That same year, in 1882, Thomas lost his father, William, who died in August.

Another son, James Alfred, came along in 1884.

Photo courtesy of Mark Connors

        
This photo of the local cricket club, the Berry Agricultural Cricket Club, taken sometime around 1884/1885 reportedly shows Thomas as he is a member of the team.  There is some conjecture about exactly which fellow might be Thomas.  

It seems the Cricket Club's records indicate that Thomas is second from the left, standing in the back row (although they had his name recorded incorrectly!), while a family descendant suggests Thomas is second on the right in the back row.  I wonder which would be correct, given that he would have been in his mid-30s at this time?

In the mid to late 1880s, Berry was a flourishing town with a population of around 1,500.  It was now a main centre in the region, providing services for the surrounding district and its saw milling and dairying industries.

Thomas and Susannah's family continued to grow.
Percy was born in 1886.
Cyril Ernest was born in 1888.
Frederick Augustus was born in 1890.
Erice Sylvester was born in 1892.

During these years, it seems that Thomas was enjoying a comfortable lifestyle on his farm at Far Meadow, albeit whilst working quite hard.  He also participated in many community events and obviously enjoyed being a part of the rural community.

One of his favourite community events appears to have been the Annual Ploughing Contest!  His name featured in many newspaper items between 1885 and 1887 as a competitor and winner in the 'Third Class - Swing Plough' event.

Swing ploughs had no wheels and allowed the ploughman to control the depth and width of the furrow as he was working.  They were much better for use on uneven ground than the wheeled type of plough. 

The swing ploughs were also very popular with farms on small plots as they were cheaper to buy.

 

Shoalhaven Telegraph (NSW),
Thursday 13 August 1885, page 2.

In August of 1885 Thomas was competing in the Third Class Match for Swing Ploughs, and according to a report in The Shoalhaven Telegraph, dated August 13 1885, he competed with an "iron plough with knife coulter, made by F. Hamick, Nowra"; with a "bullock team".

The aggregated points for Thomas were: "packing 8, backing and formation 8, straightness 4, even furrows 12, speed 7, finish 4, style 2"; for a total of 45.  He won second prize, which was the princely sum of £2!  The first prize winner won with 47 points.

Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser (NSW),
Tuesday 3 August 1886, page 2.

In August of the following year, 1886, Thomas returned to competition and improved his score.  Again, he competed in the Third Class Swing Plough Match.

According to the Kiama Indpenedent and Shoalhaven Advertiser, dated August 3 1886, he won first prize with a "plough made by F. Hammick." His scores: "packing 12, backing and formation 10, straightness 3, even furrows 7, speed 8, finish 5, style 3."  His total score this time was 48, and he won £4!

Obviously he had been working on improving his speed, finish, style and packing!  

Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser (NSW),
Tuesday 3 August 1886, page 2

Thomas must have been riding on a high that day, as he also won the Sack Race!!!

He added an extra 15s to his prize tally!





Unfortunately in August of 1887, Thomas came in second once again in the Third Class Swing Plough competition.


According to the Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, dated August 20 1887, his scores were:
"packing 12, backing and formation 8, straightness 6, even furrows 7, speed 5, finish 4, style 4."  His total was 46.  The winner's total was 48.


It seems his speed, backing and formation, as well as his finish, just weren't good enough on this occasion!









Life on the Far Meadow farm appeared to have been good, but Thomas had further ambitions. In 1893, when Thomas was aged 42, his tender for the lease of No. 4 farm, of 19 acres, was accepted by the trustees of the Berry Estate.

Landscape around Broughton Creek, near Berry

By 1898 Thomas had a much larger holding of 94 acres, a dairy farm named 'Broughton Villa' about four miles out of Berry, located at a place known as Moeyan Hill.

According to my family relative Mark Connors (descendant of Frederick Augustus Connors, my Great Grandfather's second youngest son and my Grandfather's brother):

"Thomas had twenty-five milking cows, a further nineteen 'dry' cows, one bull and four horses.  He employed four people and had both a cart and a buggy.  An inspection by the authorities under the Dairies Supervision Act, prior to his registration as a dairy farmer, noted that the situation of his mill store was 'good'.  In December of 1900 we know that Thomas acquired an Ayrshire Bull, sired by 'Rob Roy' and 'Princess 11', for six guineas at Dr. Hay's Pedigree Bull sale at Nowra Stockyard. The bull would no doubt have been put to use siring further calves for Thomas's dairy farm."

In all my family tree research so far, Thomas appears to be the one and only ancestor who established an enormous rural enterprise.  The 94 acres of 'Broughton Villa' was apparently sub-divided into four large paddocks all principally used for dairy farming.  It was a substantial concern!

You would hope at this stage of Thomas's story that he would go on for many, many years enjoying the fruits of his hard work.  As has happened in so many of my ancestors' stories though, life was about to throw a few curve balls.

His daughter Mary Ellen had given birth to an illegitimate daughter in 1898, and Thomas and Susannah made the decision to raise their granddaughter Margaret as their own daughter.  Other members of the family and the community thought of Margaret as the child of Thomas and Susannah for many, many years.

The following ten years or so, after 1898, included some tough and heart-breaking times for Thomas.

Many of his children grew wings and moved far away from home. Between 1900 and 1906, three of his sons, John Edgar, my Grandfather Thomas George (known as George) and James Alfred, had married and had left the farm to begin lives of their own.  

1903 Electoral Roll Record for the Illawarra District

The Electoral Record for 1903 shows only Thomas, aged 53, his wife Susan, their son William and daughter Alice Adelaide still living on the farm 'Broughton Villa'.  

Daughter Mary Ellen was living and working in the township of Berry and wasn't living on the farm at the time.  Mary Ellen did marry the following year, in 1904, and she and her husband remained living in Berry for many years.

At the end of 1906, son William Adolphus died at the age of 28. He had been suffering with pulmonary tuberculosis for at least three years, according to his death certificate, and had died at home on the farm.

In 1907, son James Alfred was to die a horrible death.  He was burned alive at his place of employment in Lismore. Thomas's son John Edgar, who worked at the same place, was the first person to come to the aid of his brother James while he was burning. John Edgar never fully recovered from this experience and suffered a terrible demise years later.

Then in May of 1910 Thomas's wife Susannah died.  They had been married for 37 years.

'Berry Bulletins' in Shoalhaven Telegraph (NSW), Wednesday 7 September 1910, page 1.

Thomas died about three months later, on the 31st of August 1910, aged 60.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.  Perhaps heart break would have been more accurate.

Headstone Inscription for Thomas and Susan

It's a testament to his standing in the community that his passing was mentioned in several newspapers of the time:  The Albury & Wodonga Express - Sept. 9, Evening News (Sydney) - Sept 2, The Sun (Sydney) Sept 2, The Daily Telegraph - Sept 2, and The Shoalhaven Telegraph - Sept 7.

Shoalhaven Telegraph (NSW), Wednesday 7 September 1910, page 2.

Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Friday 2 September 1910, page 4

He was survived by eight of his children - Mary Ellen aged 37, John Edgar aged 35, George Thomas aged 30, Alice aged 28, Percy Jerome aged 24, Cyril Ernest aged 22, Frederick Augustus aged 20 and Erice Sylvester aged 18.  Even though Margaret was listed as one of Thomas's children, she was the daughter of Mary Ellen and was in fact the granddaughter of Thomas. 

Thomas was buried at the Harley Hill Cemetery in Berry, New South Wales.  

  

After his death, Thomas's executors began the disposal of his estate assets.

Shoalhaven News and South Coast Districts Advertiser (NSW),
Saturday 22 October 1910, page 5.

The preliminary notice of a 'clearing out sale' appeared in late October.


It appears that none of Thomas's sons were prepared to take on the farm after their father's death.


They had left the farm and were never to return.

According to this notice in the Shoalhaven News and South Coast Districts Advertiser, at the time of his death Thomas owned:
71 Milch cows,
10 springing heifers,
7 yearling heifers,
7 poddy heifers,
6 horses - including one special chestnut mare, 2 bay geldings, 2 brown geldings and a roan gelding,
2 sows,
1 boar, 9 store pigs,
6 half fat pigs,
and 1 bull.

There was also quite an assortment of farm equipment and tools, including ploughs, chaff cutters etc.

He also had a buggy and a sulky.








Information provided by my relative, Mark Connors, states that:

"A family friend, John Britain Taylor, together with Thomas's bank manager, Alexander Colley, provided an affidavit in support of their application for probate by which they declared the net value of Thomas's estate to be £670 16s. 4d. consisting of the following:  livestock  £472 5s.;  crops (40 bushels of corn)  £4;  farming implements  £16 2s.;  carriages (cart, buggy and sulky)  £8 10s;  harnesses and saddlery  £3 10s.;  furniture  £2 17s. 6d.;  a watch and silver ring  £1;  cash at the bank  £142 2s. 6d.;  life policies and bonuses  £111 16s. 6d.;  debts due to estate (Berry Central Butter Factory)  £35 13s. 3d.; debts payable by the estate  £147 0s. 5d."

Whilst it was not an incredibly rich estate, it was certainly comfortable for the times.

Comments from my relative, Mark Connors:

"Not long after his death, Thomas's executors set about disposing of his estate assets.  These would principally have been the cattle and other goods on the farm as the majority of his sons had long since moved to the Northern Rivers or further north and had no use for it, or perhaps were not inclined to follow in their father's footsteps. 

The executors don't appear to have had early success, with buyers having stood off at the first auction, probably on account of the dry weather then affecting the area.  The dairy cattle were entirely withdrawn from sale once four head had been quitted.  A subsequent auction was held in January the following year."

It does seem like rather a sad end to the story of my Great Grandfather.

Now for some family photos:

Thomas's mother, and some of his siblings.

Some of Thomas's sons, including my Grandfather George (whose name was recorded on his birth certificate as Thomas George, but he was known as George Thomas).

(Just as an interesting sideline:  There's a street named 'Connors View' that overlooks the town of Berry.  I wonder if it was named after someone in our family?)


Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.