Thomas John Thompson (1843-1924)

Obituary
THOMAS J. THOMPSON. In the death of Mr. Thomas J. Thompson, which occurred at his late residence at St. Albans, on Sunday, 24th ultimo, the Macdonald district has lost one of its oldest inhabitants. He was a man of many parts, being in turn a farmer in the days of his young manhood, afterwards engaging in shipping, when he ran a sailing vessel, the "Alice Mary," conveying the produce of the Macdonald to Sydney. In those days, the Macdonald River was navigable up to and past St. Albans, and the order of things was then very different to that of the present day, when all produce for Sydney is carted to deep water miles below St. Albans. After giving up the sailing vessel, he established a storekeeping business, his premises being on the flat in the township.

Here also he kept the post and telegraph office for many years—in the days when they had only one mail a week conveyed on horseback from Windsor by the late Tommy Thompson, of Pitt Town, familiarly known as 'Tom the Mailman.' In 1889 there came a very big flood, the waters extending from mountain to mountain on each side of the river and completely submerging all land on the flats, including of course the business premises of the subject of this notice, and thereby causing heavy loss to Mr. Thompson, whose store was almost full at the time. Very little was removed, as no one had any idea that such a deluge was coming, and so almost the entire stock was destroyed or damaged. His residence, though not actually washed away, as were other houses, was so badly damaged that it was not habitable afterwards, and as a new house was necessary, he decided to get out of flood reach and acquired the property and built a new home and store on the rise near the bridge, where he lived the remainder of his life. For many years he was undertaker; but, as in the case of the post and telephone office, he handed the business over to his son in his declining years. For many years he acted in an honorary capacity as a road trustee, having under his supervision all the roads in the Macdonald valley, about 20 miles of road between St. Albans and Wollombi, and the old North Road, which runs through mountainous, uninhabited country, between the Macdonald River and Mangrove Creek.

In this capacity he gave much of his time, going first to lay out contracts, preparing specifications, and going back to inspect the work when completed. As some of the work was twenty miles from his place of residence, and as two trips were necessary for every contract done, it will be seen what sacrifices he made in this connection, without fee or reward. He was relieved of this work eventually when the roads were placed under the supervision of an engineer. For many years, being an honorary magistrate, he sat on the Bench at St. Albans Police Court. His findings were never questioned, and in no case was there ever a suspicion of vindictiveness in the punishment that it was his duty to hand out to offenders. But, as he neared four score years, his strength began to fail, and, suffering from a weak heart, the effort of getting to the court house where it now stands was too great, and he had to decline alike invitations and requests to be present in judicial capacity. For many years he was also district registrar for births, deaths and marriages. He took a keen and intelligent interest in politics—Federal and State. The average man would always become enlightened by a discussion of this subject with him. He always knew what went on in other parts of the world as far as the cables would enlighten him. Few men had a wider range of knowledge than he had, or a more varied experience, the rehearsal of which never failed to interest one. His wife, whose obituary notice appeared in these columns some three and a half years ago was a local girl, a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Sternbeck, of Upper Macdonald, and one whose memory will always be, cherished by those who knew her. Nine children were born of the marriage—Mrs. George Hayes and Mrs Harry Hayes, of Sydney; Mrs. Shepherd, living in West Australia; Mrs. Rodgers (Rev. Mr. Rodgers, an Anglican clergyman, is at present stationed at Gloucester); Ethel and Grace, unmarried; Bert, who died in early manhood; Ernest, school teacher, at the present time teaching at Central Macdonald, five miles from his birthplace (married), and Harold (unmarried), who is carrying on the business established by his late father. The burial took place in the cemetry below St. Albans, and was at tended by a great number of local people, the service being conducted by the Rev. R. Rooke, the resident Church of England minister.

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