Family Friday, Thomas Abberton.


Family Friday;  Thomas ABBERTON

Thomas was born c1830, in Ballinakill, Co Galway, Ireland, to Thomas Abberton and Bridget Halleran. I know that Thomas was sponsored by his brother Patrick, of Goulburn, NSW and that he arrived in February 1852*, with his sister Anne, on the Joseph Somes. It would appear that they had another brother, James and sister, Catherine. This pair arrived in 1854* on the Caroline.

Thomas married Mary Torp(h)y in the St Peter and St Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, Goulburn, on 22 July 1854*. Mary had arrived, with her mother and siblings, in 1850*

(As this was during the time of the Great Famine, in Ireland, 1845 -1852. It is probably safe to assume that that was the reason they left and came to New South Wales.)

Thomas and Mary settled at Mummell, some 23km from Goulburn.

They raised a large family of 15 children, including four sets of twins. Two children died young, an un-named female twin in 1859 and Julia May, in 1879 aged four years. Of the remaining 13 children, 11 married and raised large families of their own.

Thomas, as well as being a farmer, was also the Postmaster of Mummell. From documents and newspaper articles, I have found, he was also actively involved in the local community. He also petitioned for a school, to be built and donated the land for it.

Thomas died on 22 November 1901 and is buried in the Kenmore Cemetery. His obituary, in the Catholic Press, Sydney, mentions that he spent time in the Ovens goldfields, Victoria. Something that I need follow up on. (See Trove Tuesday, 16 August 2016).

Over the coming weeks I will tell you more about his large family. Some will have long stories but most will be the bare bones. If I was to do an in-depth study of each one, I would be writing a novel of epic proportions.

So Great-granddad, can you please let me know, where, when and why you went to the goldfields? It would be nice to know. Okay, it was the gold that took you there, I understand that but I really want to know more,

Bye, your great-granddaughter, Lilian.  

*denotes that I have the documents.
                                                      Thomas and Mary Abberton.

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