Thomas Allan Thorley (1815 - 1861)

Born 1815 in Riverstown, County Cork, Ireland

Husband of Mary (Meehan) Thorley — married 1845 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 13 Jul 1861 at about age 46 in Salisbury, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Sources

• FamilySearch profile and sources: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G37G-D5X

Thomas Allan THORLEY (1815 - 1861) Thomas Allan was born at Riverstown, Parish of Glanmire, County Cork, Ireland, circa 1815. The Public Records Office in Templesque was destroyed by fire in 1922 so it appears there is little in the way of proof of his birth.

He embarked, presumably from Cork, on board HMS “PORTLAND" for Australia on the 23rd of November I840, together with another 225 migrants. The ship arrived in Sydney on 1st March 1841 after a journey of some three and a half months. James Stalker was master of the ship. The report of ship’s surgeon, Thomas Ryan, states there were 5 deaths during the voyage. The most common illness experienced during the voyage was chronic diarrhoea. There were six births during the trip. The 225 immigrants were on consignment, imported by the agents Gilchrist and Alexander, at a bounty of nineteen pounds per adult. This was part of a scheme whereby immigrants had their passage paid on agreement to contact their services to the sponsor for a period of time.

Thomas Allan's emigration certificate states he was a twenty seven year old carpenter, a native of Cork, Parish of Glanmire, Ireland. He could read and write. He left behind, his mother Mary Ann (nee CADMAN) Thorley who was living at Glanmire. His religion was listed as Church of England. The witnesses to the certificate were John Busland, curate and Edward Garde Rowland. His father is not named on the certificate so perhaps he was deceased by 1840.

There were 24 emigrants native to Cork on board Portland so Thomas may have been in the company of old friends.

There was a Thorley family at Glanmire who were proprietors of large linen and bleaching mills at Glanmire, Sallybrook and nearby Poulacur South. It is thought that Thomas was part of this family however no documentary proof has been found other than his later employment as a millwright in Australia.

On the 7th July, I845, he married Mary Mehan at the Parish of St. Philip Church of England, County Cumberland, Sydney. The spelling of Mary's surname is uncertain, Mahan, Mehan, Mahony and Meehan are spellings which appear on various certificates. Mary was also of Irish origin, however some of her records have been elusive.

On 6 January 1846, Thomas Thorley, a former constable in the police, was committed for trial in Sydney, accused of stealing a black silk vest or waistcoat, from the Police stores, the property of one William Bryant. The principle witness, William McQuillan, a convict in custody, for being a runaway, prison breaking and store robbery, also testified that an amount of 18 shillings and sixpence was also stolen from the same store and handed over to him to induce him to be quiet. The jury found the Thorley prisoner not guilty and he was discharged on Friday 6th Feb. Darlinghurst Goal records show his occupation as engineer and his origin as Cork, Ireland, but Glenswilly is shown as the ship which brought him to Australia in 1841, not Portland. Portland and Glenswilly arrived in Sydney on the same day!

Their first son, William Joseph Thorley was born at Tenterden, New South Wales on 3rd May I846 . William's death Certificate ( 1903) states his father was a station hand and spells his mother's surname as Mahan.

Allan, their second son was born at Armidale, on 3rd. March 1848. His baptism certificate states his parents lived at Moredun and his father was a Millwright. The baptism was performed at the Church of England Parish of St. Peters, New England.

The third son, John, was born on 27th January, 1850, at New England. It is a curiosity that he is recorded in a register of Roman Catholic Baptisms. It would appear that there was a change in religious faith. Perhaps his mother was a Roman Catholic.

Cadman Samuel Thorley, the fourth son was born at Uralla on 1st January 1851.

Mary Anne Jane Thorley was born on 13th January 1854 at New England.

Ellen MargaretThorley, was born at Armidale on 19th. April 1857, but she died in 1860 aged 3 years.

The Armidale Electoral District Roll shows Thomas Allan Thorley as a resident of Salisbury 1859-60. Family story has it that he was employed and lived at Salisbury Court where he was employed as a bookkeeper.

He died of "natural causes" on 13th. July 1861, aged 46, after an illness of 13 days duration. His death certificate stated his occupation as "carpenter and shepherd". The cause of his early death is unknown. He is subject of notes in the diary of his employer, C W Marsh that “Thorley died today” and two days later “buried Thorley”. He was buried on l5th. July 1861 at Salisbury. A headstone has not been found but may have been washed away in floods.

He was survived by his widow and 6 children, the eldest aged mid teens. It is presumed his employers, the Marsh family, were of assistance to the young fatherless family. There is evidence that at least two of the children worked in their teens at the Marsh family's Salisbury Court.

Four years after his death, Mary Ann married James Butler, widower and shepherd of Salisbury, on 28th January 1869, in the Roman Catholic Church, Armidale. Her son Cadman was one of the witnesses. There was no issue from this marriage.

Mary died aged 75 years, of “senile decay”, on the 15th July 1898 at “Eastlake” a property near Uralla, New South Wales. Therefore she was born about 1823. Her birthplace is listed as Antrim, Ireland. She is cited as being in New South Wales for 60 years, implying she arrived in about 1838. Her father is named as Patrick Mehan. She was buried on 16th July 1898 at Salisbury Cemetery. Again no headstone has been found.

Compiled by Richard Ian Thorley 2021