Thomas Seymour
(Cir 1790-)
Mary Higgins
(Cir 1790-)
Edward Roffe
(1799-1887)
Sarah Gibb
(1803-1880)
George Seymour
(1816-1853)
Hannah Roffe
(1824-1891)
Thomas Seymour
(1843-1931)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. Caroline Thompson

Thomas Seymour

  • Born: 20 Mar 1843, Coxs River, Burragorang Valley, NSW Australia
  • Marriage (1): Caroline Thompson on 28 May 1872 in St Matthews, The Oaks, Camden, NSW Australia
  • Died: 26 Jan 1931, The Oaks, near Camden, NSW Australia at age 87
  • Buried: St Matthews, The Oaks, Camden, NSW Australia

  General Notes:

In 1864 Thomas was the first white man to cross to Kanangra Walls from Kowmung River NSW. Seymour Tops and First Ascent Creek were named after Thomas by Myles Dunphy.

  Research Notes:

source: & Rhonda Bastow who notes:
Thomas Seymour- Great Grandfather:
Thomas Seymour, Who is my Great- Grandfather the second son of George Seymour and Hannah Seymour, who was born two years after they were married, he was born at Bega in 1843, and was christened by the late Rev. Thomas Hassall, of Cobbitty. He spent his childhood days at The Oaks, but left that district at the age of 17 years, and journeyed with William Jones on a horseback trip to Deniliquin, where he worked for H Richardson, owner of Barretta Station, on the Edwards River. Every five or six months he made trips to the Melbourne market with fat cattle, and relates having seen as many as two hundred tramps in a single day. The sundowners were following the gold diggings from place to place, and their womenfolk carried either a child or swag.

Later, while employed by Mr Edward Ashcroft, of Toot Hill Station some 30 miles from Wagga, Mr Seymour had a startling experience with Morgan, the bushranger. Ashcroft, Seymour, R.D. Morton (another station owner) and a stockman, a chap named Toomey, were out after cattle. They were preparing the evening meal, when Morgan (thinking they were police,) bailed them up. Seeing his mistake, Morgan camped with the party, and made a bunk alongside Mr. Seymour for the night. In the morning another station owner (named King) and his stockman joined the campers. Morgan heard the approach of the horse, and had both men covered with two barrels when they arrived. The bushranger rode off a little later, and when he was out of earshot King remarked: "I was stuck up by the ----- yesterday." "Fortunately," added Mr, Seymour, "Morgan did not hear King's remarks," "Yes" There is more about my Great Grand-father. He was a farmer, carpenter, and cattleman.

It was probably because of his pioneering efforts in the Burragorang River area and the crossing of Kanangra Walls that enticed my efforts in tracing our family tree. Probably because of my dad's stories about the first crossing of Kanangra Walls and the plaque now erected at Seymour Tops on Kanangra.
It is also claimed that Thomas Seymour was the first white person to find a way out from Burragorang Valley to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.

A good summary of his early days was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on May 17th 1930, page 10. The original of this story is held by the Camden Historical Society in the care of Mr O. Blattman. This is details of that report below.

Kanangra Walls
The First Crossing
(By C.W.)
"Mr. Thomas Seymour, of The Oaks (near Camden,) claims to be the first white man to cross Kanangra Walls…. The trip was made in 1864 he would have been 21years old at the time, when Mr. Seymour was looking for wild cattle…. Notwithstanding that he is in his 88th year, the old pioneer can relate his early experiences, as if they had happened but yesterday, and his claim, augmented by a vivid description of each of his first three trips across the wall, appears to be justified."

Interviewed on the subject, Mr Seymour said: "I was looking for wild cattle at the time, near Kowmung, and decided to work through to a place now known as The Boyd, some 15 to20 miles from Oberon.

I climbed the Walls, and on the top found a chair-shaped rock, and resting there I viewed one of the greatest sights of my life.
Walls appeared to be everywhere, and in the distance below I could see small mobs of wild cattle and horses on The Boyd.
I also discovered the small hill on the top of the Walls, which is today called Mount Maxell, named after the mate I took on my third trip. I was alone when I crossed the Walls on the first occasion." The second trip was made some little time later.
Mr Seymour took Mr Phillip Hogan of Oberon to The Boyd. The place was good summer country for cattle, Hogan and Seymour canoed at The Boyd.
Date Carved on Rock.
Two years later in (1866) William Maxwell, who was employed by John Lakeman as a stock-keeper at Burragorang, approached Thomas Seymour engraved the date at the year on a rock on the top of the Walls with a tomahawk, at this time he was 23 years old.
Later a track was cleared around the bottom of The Walls, by John Barker, George Siadin, and Thomas Seymour, and cattle were brought through on that route. Mr Seymour tells an amusing story of an incident which occurred on this occasion:
We were camped at the foot of the Walls near a cave now known as "The Dancing Saloon." Barker and I went for a walk to the top on the Sunday.
We discovered a smooth gum-tree that grew from the bottom of the wall, and the branches overhung the top, seeing a quick way to reach camp, I jumped into the branches, and slid down the smooth trunk at a faster rate that I had bargained for. I invited Barker to follow, but he preferred a half-mile walk to the quicker route.

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection. The connection between Rhonda Bastow (nee Frazer-Seymour) and Robert is as follows:
David Bastow (1947) married Rhoda Fraser (1950)
Her father was Ronald Seymour-Fraser (1921)
His father was Thomas Seymour (1880)
His father was Thomas Seymour (1843)
His father was George Seymour (1816) who married Hannah Roffe (1824)
Her father was Edward Roffe (1799) & he also had Mary Roffe (1826) who married Thomas Southwell (1813)
They had Elizabeth Southwell (1861) who married David Boon (1861)
They had Gladys Boon (1891) who married Arthur Firkin (1897)
His father was Caleb Firkin (1863) & he also had Caleb Firkin (1892) who married Laura Bray (1893)
Her father was Thomas Bray (1870)
His father was Thomas Alfred Bray (1848)
His father was Thomas Bray (1821) & he also had Arthur Augustus Bray (18690
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur Bray (1947) who married me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950


Thomas married Caroline Thompson on 28 May 1872 in St Matthews, The Oaks, Camden, NSW Australia. (Caroline Thompson was born on 20 Jul 1837 in The Oaks, near Camden, NSW Australia, christened on 6 Oct 1839 in St Johns, The Oaks, Camden, NSW Australia, died on 23 Dec 1924 in Camden, NSW Australia and was buried in St Matthews, The Oaks, Camden, NSW Australia.)


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