Thomas Southwell

  General Notes:

In 1840 Thomas came from Camden NSW to settle on Ginninderra Creek at Palmerville, now Belconnen, Canberra ACT.Thomas worked as farm labourer and a teamster in the early days of the region's settlement. Thomas and his first wife, Eliza were devout Methodists who introduced the Wesleyan faith to the district. They had nine children and after Eliza died, Thomas had another nine children with his second wife, Mary

In 1854 he purchased a property on Ginninderra Creek, which he named "Parkwood" after the woods near where he had lived in England. He built a new slab house, established an orchard and planted weeping willows on the Creek. Thomas' second wife, Mary, was a widow with two children. They had a further nine children, making the total number of children they raised nineteen.

Thomas met a Mr Edward Smith when in about 1860 he needed help erecting a headstone for his late wife's grave. Three of the Southwell children married Smiths.

During his long life, Thomas had many adventures. Perhaps the most frightening was when a gang of masked men rushed into his house demanding that he hand over his money. He refused so they tied him to a tree and one of the gang was going to kill him.
He refused to give in so he was badly beaten. The robbers never found his money which was hidden in the bark roof of his house.

  Research Notes:

source: & J Jones who notes:
Thomas Southwell.William and Mary and her husband Alf Bembrick they were the original Pioneers of Rye Park,and they named the villiage Rye Park NSW after Rye in England.
source: & Maree Agland who notes:
He immigrated to Australia on July 23, 1838 from Gravesend, Kent on the Vessel "Lady Nugent". Arrived Sydney November 27 1838.
Occupation: teamster and purchsed 987 acres of land from Alick Osborne 1854 Ginninderra, NSW.

  Noted events in his life were:

• source.

• fact.

• connection.

• connection. ¹⁹

Thomas married Eliza Cooke, daughter of William Cooke and Mary Hicks, on 1 May 1833 in Roberstbridge And Ewhurst, East Sussex England. (Eliza Cooke was born on 25 Feb 1810 in Ewhurst, Sussex England, christened on 25 Mar 1810 in Ewhurst, Sussex England and died on 20 Mar 1852 in Ginninderra, near Queanbeyan, NSW Australia.)

Thomas next married Mary Roffe, daughter of Edward Roffe and Sarah Gibb, on 19 Apr 1853 in Wesleyan Church, Gunning, NSW Australia. (Mary Roffe was born on 1 Dec 1826 in Leigh, Kent Or East Grinstead Sussex England, christened on 25 Dec 1826 in Leigh, Kent England, died on 29 Apr 1885 in Gunning, NSW Australia and was buried on 1 May 1885 in Weetangera, ACT Australia.)