Thomas (convict) Cole

  General Notes:

source: Keith Shrimpton where it is noted:
Arrived as a convict on the "Surrey" on the 4/3/1823.

The Pragmatic Pioneers Page 82/83.
Thomas Cole was sentenced, at the Worcester Assizes on March 9th, 1822, to Death, later commuted to Life Imprisonment and Transportation. Described in the court records as, a labourer late of the Parish of Lower Sapey, he was charged with breaking into the premises of James Corbet at Lower Sapley in the daytime (no person therein) and stealing with force and arms, one coat and three waistcoats to the value of forty three Shillings and six Pence. I arrived in Sydney Cove on the Surrey in 1823. The indents of that vessel tell us that he was a farmer from Rockford five foot ten and a quarter inches tall, had brown hair grey eyes, and was twenty five years of age. He probably spent his early years in the Colony in the Hawkesbury are and it is possible that he was a convict servant to one the Gospers. In 1834 he made an application to marry Mary Gregory, which was refused, but which stated that a Colo settler, (the person's name is illegible) was required to keep both parties in service.

Manchester born Mary Gregory was convicted and sentenced to seven years transportation, at the Lancaster Quarter Sessions on 9th July 1832. In company with Thomas Gregory she was convicted of Larceny before being convicted of Felony. She also had a previous conviction for Larceny and had been sentenced to three months imprisonment earlier in 1832. Mary arrived on the Diana in 1833. The indents describe her as seventeen years of age, five foot nine inches tall, ruddy and freckled complexion, brown hair grey eyes, nose cocked, with a scar on inside top of middle finger of left hand and a wart on same. She could neither read nor write. It is possible that Thomas Gregory, was her husband and consequently that Gregory was not her maiden name. Many people tended to forget a previous marriage
after they arrived in the Colony.

Thomas Cole and Mary Gregory married on 18th March 1834 the entry appears in the Christchurch Church of England Register, Newcastle. Both made their mark in the register. At this time they were both convict servants to Colonel Dumaresq at his St.Heliers Estate near Muswellbrook. Thomas received his Ticket of Leave in 1841 and his Conditional Pardon in 1848. Mary received her Ticket of leave 1837
and regained her freedom in 1839 when her seven-year sentence expired. In later years Thomas worked as a Labourer and Shingle Cutter. He died at Muswellbrook in 1856.

Thomas and Mary had four known children; all were at born at Muswellbrook. They were John born 1836; Anne born at St.Heliers Estate in 1838 and who married George Gosper; Alice born in 1839; and Sarah in 1844, she married Isaac Budden in 1862.

Rockford five foot ten and a quarter inches tall, had brown hair grey eyes

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection.

Thomas married Mary (convict) Gregory on 18 Mar 1834 in Christchurch C of E, Newcastle, NSW Australia. (Mary (convict) Gregory was born in 1816 in Manchester, Lancashire England.)