Thomas Lansdown (1817-1885)

Birth and Immigration to Australia
Thomas Lansdown was the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, born in Yeovil, Somerset (marriage certificate of 1873), and christened on 17 December 1817 (parish records). He had arrived in Australia in about 1847/48 (death certificate). There is a story in the family that Thomas told one of his sons that he helped with the cooking on the voyage out from England to Australia.

Not the convict sent to Tasmania in 1848
For a long time it was believed that Thomas Lansdown, the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, had arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on 14 July 1848 as a convict aboard the ship "Bangalore". It is now known, from new research undertaken in 2013, that the convict Thomas Lansdown is a different man. Records kept in Tasmania reveal that Thomas Lansdown the convict was born the son of William Lansdown and Nancy/Ann Fussell in about 1821 at Stoke Lane, Somerset, a few kilometres from Shepton Mallet where he was living when he was convicted.

Possibly employed as a cook at Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum
In 1847 a Thomas Lansdown was employed as a cook at Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum (Gladesville, Sydney). Records from there show that this Thomas Lansdown arrived in the Colony of New South Wales as a free man. Further research needs to be undertaken to establish if this is Thomas Lansdown, the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, or another different Thomas Lansdown.

Did not marry Sophia Todd in 1850
For a long time it was believed that on 25 November 1850 Thomas was in Sydney marrying Sophia Todd (1831-1916) and that either Sophia had died shortly after the wedding with her death being unrecorded, or that the marriage had broken down as Thomas had a child with another woman, Jane Kelly (c1830-1872), in September 1851. It is now known, from new research undertaken in 2013, that Sophia did not die shortly after her wedding but moved to Victoria and lived until 1916. It is also now known that Thomas Lansdown, the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, did not marry Sophia Todd but that Sophia married another different man by the name of Thomas Lansdown. Thomas Lansdown, the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, was literate (as proved by a court case in 1857, and his marriage to Rebecca Best (1834-1921) in 1873 where he signed the marriage register with his signature), and Sophia Todd and her husband Thomas Lansdown were both illiterate (as proved by the marriage register which they both signed with their mark, that is a cross).

First confirmed record of Thomas Lansdown in Australia
The first confirmed record in Australia of Thomas Lansdown, the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, is at the christening of his first-born child, Isabella Lydia Lansdown (1851-1911), at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Sydney. (It is not known why Isabella was baptised at the Catholic Cathedral as both parents were protestant, and this is the only record of either parent being assicated with the Catholic church.) Isabella Landstone(sic) was born on 4 September 1851 and christened on 6 October 1851 as the daughter of Thomas Landstone(sic) and Jane Kelly (c1830-1872). The christening register records Isabella's date of birth and that Thomas and Jane were living at Hunter Street, Sydney. It also records both Thomas Lansdown and Jane Kelly by those names, confirming that Thomas and Jane were not married when Isabella was christened. Research has confirmed that Jane Kelly was already a married woman. She had married Thomas Digby in Yass on 4 November 1850, but had conceived Isabella with Thomas Lansdown about 6 weeks later in mid-December 1850. Isabella's birth in Sydney in September 1851 suggests that Thomas and Jane had then run away together to Sydney sometime after Isabella was conceived.

Did not fossick for gold near Braidwood
For a long time it was believed that Thomas next joined in the gold-rush in New South Wales and moved with Jane and baby Isabella to near Braidwood in New South Wales. There was a Thomas Lansdown who was prospecting for gold at Bell's Creek which is about 100 miles south of Goulburn on the Braidwood side of Araluen. (Bell's Creek was first pegged out for gold prospecting in September 1851.) This Thomas Lansdown was successful in his gold prosepecting as in September 1852 he sent 134 onces of gold from Bell's Creek to Sydney (Sydney Morning Herald, 21 September 1852). It is now known, from new research undertaken in 2013, that the Thomas Lansdown prospecting for gold near Braidwood is another different Thomas Lansdown: a different Thomas Lansdown who by 1855 had moved his gold-mining operations to Major's Creek, nearby to Bell's Creek, and who is listed in the Grenvilles Post Office Directory of 1872 as a miner living at Labert, Braidwood.

Thomas Lansdown, the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, was working and living at "Springfield", Tirrannaville, Goulburn in 1855 with Jane Kelly (c1830-1872) and their then 4 children, with their youngest children being born there, and then baby Thomas having been born there as recently as January 1855. The "Sydney Morning Herald" in April 1855 lists people who had subscribed to the Patriotic Fund. Listed among those identified as living at "Springfield" was Thomas Lansdown who subscribed 5s. "The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser" in February 1855 shows a different Thomas Lansdown, of Major's Creek, advertising in regard to a horse that had strayed. (Major's Creek was 100km from Goulburn and covered by the Goulburn newspaper as the largest settlement in that area). This clearly shows that these were 2 different men by the name of Thomas Lansdown both living within about 100km of Goulburn.

Moved to Goulburn
Thomas, the son of Thomas Lansdown and Mary Spencer, moved with Jane and baby Isabella to Tirrannaville, 20 kilometres south of Goulburn. There he obtained work as a stock overseer for William Pitt Faithfull (1806-1896) on his property "Springfield" at Tirrannaville. It was here that Thomas and Jane's second daughter, Rebecca Jane Lansdown, was born on 25 December 1852 (her place of birth, Goulburn, is unstated at her marriage but confirmed by her death record). Mary Anne Lansdown followed on 21 January 1854, their son Thomas followed on 11 January 1855, and their daughter Ellen Henrietta followed on 26 January 1856. Birth records do not exist for these children, but their dates of birth are recorded at their baptism at the Presbyterian church in Goulburn on 27 November 1857. (Isabella was also christened for a second time on 27 November 1857 confirming her date of birth and her parentage. That she was born in Sydney is confirmed at her marriage in 1900, and at her death in 1911.)

First Parcel Of Land Purchased
Thomas Lansdown purchased his first land, 55 acres (22 hectares), at Boxers Creek in the parish of Towrang, on 3 April 1856. In 1856 he was also leasing land at "Springfield", Tirrannaville. He also continued to work on the "Springfield" stud. Even though he owned and farmed land at Boxers Creek from 1856, Thomas did not live there for quite some time. He continued to live and work at "Springfield".

Break-down of one relationship, and beginning of another
In September 1856 the relationship between Thomas and Jane broke down (court documents). Thomas began a new relationship with Rebecca Best (1834-1921) by about July 1857 when their first child was conceived. Rebecca had arrived in Sydney on 18 October 1855 on the Gilmore as a single female immigrant at the age of 21. The ship indent shows her to be illiterate, a general servant, from Compton Dundon in Somerset.

In December 1857 Thomas was sued for maintenance by Jane Kelly (c1830-1872) who at the time was pregnant with her first child, Ann Jane, by her new partner William Garner (1809-1868). It is this court case that establishes that both Thomas and Jane could read and write. Thomas and Jane never taught their children to read and write, however, and their children were illiterate. Other details of the court case include that in September 1856 Thomas had "brutally beaten her (Jane's) naked body with a whip" on a day when Thomas "had detected an improper intimacy between her and a man (Mr Burns) in his employ". (At the time Jane was probably unaware that she was newly pregnant, having conceived near the end of August 1856. Thomas never accepted paternity for this child, Martha, and Jane never claimed that this child was his.) Jane only sought (and was awarded) maintenance for herself. The assumption to be drawn from this is that the Lansdown children, ranging in age from 1 to 6 years, were living with their father. This assumption is strengthened in that William Garner (1809-1868), Jane's new partner, would not have wanted to take on the support of the Lansdown children in addition to his own and Jane's baby Martha, and by the fact that Jane did not take the Lansdown children with her and their younger half-siblings to Sydney in December 1862.

In November 1857, a month earlier than the court case, Thomas's children Isabella, Rebecca, Mary Ann, Thomas and Ellen, were baptised at the Presbyterian Church in Goulburn. Isabella who had been previously baptised as Catholic was rebaptised as Presbyterian. It is not known if the children were taken to be baptised by their father Thomas who was in a new relationship with Rebecca Best (1834-1921), their mother Jane Kelly (c1830-1872) who was in a new relationship with William Garner (1809-1868), or if both of their parents had been able to overcome their differences to be together for this ceremony. However, Jane Kelly's then youngest child, Martha, born in May 1857 after the break-up of her relationship with Thomas, was not christened in this ceremony, and it is likely that the Lansdown children were living with their father, suggesting that Thomas was the instigator of this christening.

Thomas and Rebecca's first child Henry Thomas Best Lansdown was born on 12 April 1858, followed by Frances Mary Best Lansdown on 7 April 1860, Susan Best Lansdown on 10 May 1862, and Robert Best Lansdown on 1 August 1864. Three more children were to follow: Emma Best Lansdown on 1 June 1866, Frederick Best Lansdown on 27 September 1868 (he died in 1869), and Edith Best Lansdown on 17 March 1870. Thomas and Rebecca did not marry until 1873.

Residence at "Springfield" near Goulburn
A story that has survived in the family is that Thomas worked a stock overseer at "Springfield" stud for about 20 years.

The seat of the "Springfield" stud, the homestead, was in the parish of Terranna. The farm, however, also extended over lands that were owned by William Pitt Faithfull (1806-1896) in the adjoining parishes of Quialigo and Gundary. (The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle, 9 January 1867)

Newspapers of the day show that Thomas Lansdown did indeed live in the area of "Springfield" for a long period.
 * In Dec 1857 Thomas Lansdown was to call Mr Huggart as a witness at the court case. Mr Huggart was Senior Overseer for the Faithfull family property "Springfield"
 * In Aug 1860 Thomas Lansdown is described as Thomas Lansdown, Quialigo
 * In May 1862 Thomas Lansdown was appointed a ranger of Springfield (duties include impounding stray animals)
 * In Apr 1863 Thomas Lansdown is described as Thomas Lansdown, Quialigo
 * In May 1863 Thomas Lansdown is fined for illegally impounding three head of horses

Marriage to Rebecca Best
On 10 April 1873, at the Weslyan Parsonage in Goulburn, Thomas Lansdown married Rebecca Best (1834-1921). The details that Thomas provided at this wedding to Rebecca Best included his age, place of birth and parent's names. Thomas signed the marriage register with his signature, and Rebecca signed the marriage register with her mark (that is a cross). They married after the death of Jane Kelly (c1830-1872) in 1872, and Thomas recorded his martital status as widower.

No record of an earlier marriage between Thomas Lansdown and Jane Kelly (c1830-1872) has been found. The court case of December 1857, where Jane sued Thomas for maintenance, suggests that they did marry. A marriage to Jane would also explain why Thomas and Rebecca, in an era when divorce was the prerogative of the rich, did not marry until after Jane's death in 1872, and why Jane never married William Garner (1809-1868). If Thomas and Jane never married, Thomas and Jane maintained that they had, and Rebecca would not have married Thomas whilst Jane was still living.

Residence at Boxers Creek
Their marriage certificate from 1873, and newspapers of the day reveal that Thomas and Rebecca were living at Boxers Creek, 6 kilometres east of Goulburn in the latter years of Thomas' life.
 * In 1875 Thomas lansdown placed an advertisement warning trespassers to stay of his purchased and leased land at Boxers Creek
 * In 1876 Thomas Lansdown of Boxers Creek advertised to sell a horse
 * In 1879 Thomas Lansdown of Boxers Creek won a tender to plant trees for the local government
 * In 1882 Thomas Lansdown of Boxers Creek received a license to slaughter
 * In 1884 Thomas Lansdown of Boxers Creek posted a reward for the return of a dog.

More Land Purchased
In October 1876 Thomas is known to have purchased an additional 40 acres (16 hectares) which was described in the newspapers as being at Towrang. The land, however, may have been at Boxers Creek which was in the parish of Towrang.

Thomas had continued to purchase land after his initial purchase of 55 acres (22 hectares) at Boxers Creek in 1856. At the time of his wife, Rebecca's death in 1921 the farm, then known as "Shaws Creek", comprised of 255 acres (103 hectares), all at Boxers Creek, Goulburn.

WOOD & CO.

''HAVE received instructions from the Executor in the Estate of the late Mrs. Lansdowne Vaughan, to sell by auction, on Saturday, 21st May at 12 o'clock sharp, at the Town Hall, Goulburn, that Snug Little Grazing Property known as Shaw's Creek, at Boxer's Creek, 4 miles from Goulburn, comprising 255 Acres of Good Grazing Land, which will be submitted in two lots; viz., 224 Acres Homestead and 31 Acres which does not join the homestead. This property has all conveniences for carrying on a dairy or trading depot, in easy distance of factory and market, and can be a suburban home, half mile from school; mail passes every other day; very sound country; well watered, and richly pastured; has been used chiefly for dairying for the past thirty years.''

Terms and full particulars at sale.

(Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 14 May 1921, emphasis added)

Death
Thomas died on 24 August 1885 at Towrang, just 2 months after the death of his youngest daughter Edith at Boxers Creek. Towrang is 15 kilomtres north-east of Goulburn, and about 10 kilomtres north of Thomas's land at Boxers Creek (in the parish of Towrang). There is a story in the family that Thomas died at the Towrang Hotel. It is interesting that Thomas was described in the marriage notice for his son Robert in January 1886 as “the late Thomas Lansdown of Towrang” as there is no evidence that he ever resided there.

Thomas is buried at Goulburn. His stated age at death was 66 years.

After Thomas' death his wife Rebecca continued to farm Thomas's land at Boxers Creek. Rebecca had been left use of the land and its profits for the term of her life, after which the land was to pass to his at that time unmarried son Robert, and then on Robert's death to any children that Robert may have. Thomas's will was written before his daughter Edith died in June 1885, and under the terms of the will Edith was to inherit if Robert died without issue. Executors of the will were Richard Styles of Bullamalite, Grazier and James Worrall of Goulburn, Miller. When probate was granted on 22 September 1898, James Worrall was living at "Cargo near Orange", and Thomas's place of death was stated to be Boxers Creek.

Nearly 20 years after Thomas's death Rebecca married Michael Vaughan on 21 Septemeber 1903 at Moss Vale.

Rebecca died on 20 January 1921 at Towrang, Goulburn. When Rebecca died the then 255 Acre (103 hectare) farm at Boxer's Creek was placed up for auction by her estate.

Thomas's son Frederick Thomas Lansdown
It is not known if Thomas's son Frederick Thomas Lansdown (1849-1910) was adopted as a young child, or if instead Thomas's son Thomas Lansdown (1855-) and Frederick Thomas Lansdown (1849-1910) are the same person.

There is a story that has become folklore within the family. In this story Thomas Lansdown had an adopted son by the name of Frederick, adopted in exchange for a piece of land, and that his birth name was either Day or Faithfull. The only Faithfull associated with the Goulburn district in that period was pastoralist William Pitt Faithfull (1806-1896) who had settled in the district in 1828, and married in 1844. (William Pitt Faithfull was the son of Corporal William Faithfull (1774-1847) who had arrived on the "Pitt" on 14 February 1792 as a soldier in the NSW Corps.) It is known that Thomas Lansdown worked for a long period on the "Springfield" Stud of William Pitt Faithfull at Tirrannaville near Goulburn. In 1838 William Pitt Faithfull did himself father an illegitimate son, Henry Pitt Faithfull (1838-1896), with a female employee working on his farm. This child was raised by his mother whilst retaining the Faithfull surname, and is the exact opposite of a precedent of adopting out illegitimate children fathered by the Faithfull family. There is no record of a Day family associated with the Goulburn district in that period, but it is possible that an employee with the surname of Day worked on the Faithfull farm. One version of the story states that Frederick was the son of a Miss Faithfull and an employee by the name of Day who became scared of what her family would do to him and absconded. There was, however, no Miss Faithfull of child-bearing age in the Faithfull family in that period. Neither has a record of transfer or ownership of a piece of land been found. The story that Frederick was adopted, however, may be true. Frederick may, for example, have been born illegitimately on the Faithfull farm from a liason between two employees neither of whom was in a position to raise him.