Thomas Underdown (1821-1876)

Thomas Underdown was born in Southleigh, Devon in 1821, the 7th of Thomas and Ann Underdown's twelve children. His siblings were Elizabeth, James, Amelia, Jane, Sarah, Agnes, Robert, Catherine, George, Elizabeth and William.

The Navy
Thomas's father was a labourer who appears to have died in approximately 1837, when most of his children were still young. The family was not wealthy, so by neccessity as a result, all his children were almost immediately sent into some form of service. While most of his brothers and sisters were sent to be apprentices on local farming communities, Thomas joined the navy at the age of only 15.

Nothing is known of Thomas's navy life other than what is provided on his Seaman's ticket number 389.198, issued in London on the 6th December 1847. The certificate gives his birthplace as the Honiton district of Devon, but gives an incorrect birthdate as 27th March 1823 (incorrect birthdates have also been noted recorded on official documents of his brother Robert and sister Sarah, so it is possible that Thomas and his siblings were not certain of their true birthdates, or deliberately wanted to hide their real birthdates for some reason).

He is recorded as a seaman who had served in the navy for 7 years since 1838, having first went to sea as a boy. He is described as 5 foot, 8 and a quarter inch tall, with brown hair, blue eys, and a fresh complexion. He is also recorded as having a crooked little finger on his right hand and not being able to write. When unemployed, it said that he resided at the Sailor's Home. Unfortunetly, no voyages are recorded on Thomas's seaman's ticket, so we do not know the names of any ships he served on. Because his ticket was issued in London, it is assumed he had left the navy by the time he registered.

Australia
Just over a year after registereing for his seaman's ticket, Thomas decided to emigrate to Australia. It is beleived he arrived on 23/1/1849 at Port Adelaide in South Australia, the passanger list recording him under the name of 'E. Underdown'. Further passanger lists from other states may need to be searched however to check that Thomas did not enter Australia via another state. I have located a record of a Mr T. Underdown travelling on the brig WILD IRISH GIRL to Adelaide from Sydney on October 1, 1849, which could potenially be him. This entry was recorded in the Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser on Saturday 6th October 1849.

The Goldfields
Thomas married a 21 year old Irish girl by the name of Rachel Harpur in Adelaide on 30/8/1851. It is uncertain where the couple lived during the first few years of the marriage, but their early married life appears to have been unsettled due to Thomas travelling back and forth from the Victorian Goldfields. There is a record of a T Underdown traveling from Melbourne to Adelaide on the ship BROOKSBY on 10/12/1852 and a Thos Underdown on the ship PHANTOM on 29/12/1852. This would explain why the couple's first child was not born until early 1854, some two and a half years after the marriage. Rachel is likely to have stayed behind in Adelaide until Thomas took over to Victoria with him.

It is uncertain how successful Thomas was on the goldfields, but the family lived there for approximately 10 years. In that time, they lost 3 children in infancy. They were located in the Bendigo area around Iron Bark Gully, First White Hills and Bullock Creek.

Port Adelaide
The family moved back to South Australia between 1863 and 1867, where their son Robert is recorded as being born at Portland Estate (part of Port Adelaide). What he did while there is uncertain, but it is noted that he may have been involved in carting and farming.

Thomas died when his youngest daughter was only 4 years old, of 'softening of the brain'. He was buried at Alberton, and wife Rachel would outlive him by 28 years.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Thomas & Rachel Underdown
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Thomas & Rachel Underdown