Richard Ian Thorley

Ancestors

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Lived in Melbourne for the first year or two when the family moved to live in Adelaide South Australia. Life must have been hard for Mum and Dad leaving family and friends behind, but so many of our ancestors did the same across the other side of the world.

Went to Darlington Kindergarten, Primary and Seacombe (now named Seaview) High Schools in the 1950s and 60s. Later earned a certificate in Surveying and multiple other academic qualifications.....probably could be considered "over-educated". Won a scholarship in 1990 that allowed further studies and more certificates.

Two sisters and two brothers, one of whom didn't make it home from hospital.

Employment has included Survey Draftsman in the Office of the Surveyor General, TAFE lecturer, IT specialist, IT Project Manager, Computer graphics Specialist (an Australian Aid project in Manila, Philippines) Asset/Property Officer for a council and Property/project/proclamations Officer for National Parks.....so my work life has been varied but mainly associated with Land Administration and Education.

Married with two beautiful daughters who are the light of my life. Three grandchildren who add to that light. Divorced, not amicably, but twenty years on, I can be polite in her company.

Played field hockey from the age of 13. I was involved in all aspects of its administration. Club Secretary, Committee Member, Groundsman, Delegate to the State Hockey Association, qualified A grade Umpire, Hockey Tribunal member. A highlight was coaching a women's team to a premiership.

Aged 37 my knees and ankles protested at the new synthetic pitches so I switched to playing golf....which had been a passion of my father. I caught the bug, and became a club member. Playing three times a week didn't get my handicap down further than 16 but I thoroughly enjoyed the 19th hole and its camraderie.

I grew up with no grandparents to pass on family history or stories and my father rarely talked of his family. We had no contact with any Thorley or McGaw family as I was growing up.

Mum's Vale family was still relatively close despite not seeing much of them as most lived in three other Australian states. Travel was very expensive back then but it was good to catch up with them whenever we did so.

I was in my twenties when I discovered my father had three older McGaw half brothers whom he must have known. At least two of them worked in the Thorley cordial factory at Traralgon and one later had his own factory at Maffra. The Thorley and McGaw cordial bottles are now collector's items.

My grandfather Thomas Allan Thorley, who was born at Inverell, NSW, also had cordial factories at Lithgow, Warragul, St. Arnaud, Deniliquin.

Almost at the end of a two year working holiday in England in my early twenties, I noticed my surname on a map.I hopped on a train to Bishops Stortford and took a long walk in the countryside to find Thorley Hall and church. It is mentioned in William the conqueror's domesday book wherein it is spelled Torlei. This was a catalyst for my interest in genealogy.

There is also a Thorley Manor on the Isle of Wight.

On my return to Australia I canvassed as many Thorleys in Australia as I could and discovered at least 7 seemingly different branches here. Helped arrange two Thorley reunions at Uralla and wrote "The family of Thomas Allan Thorley" with the information offered. No guarantees as to its accuracy. Much of the book especially the older generations has been scanned and added to Ancestry.

I'm aware of at least four books on my Mother's Vale and Prussian families.

I'm also aware of other books on other Thorleys here in Australia. I do think we are all related but some perhaps a long way back.

The brick walls in my family tree keep me plugging away in the hope that it can be extended further back. I have been astounded at the family stories I have discovered in my direct lineage and also those in my extended DNA matched family trees. Although we have murders, murdered, assaults and anti-social tales, there are also many highly successful individuals many of whom have been CEO of a business or Government Department. I'm very surprised at how many County Sherrifs there have been....the latest in 2004 in Northumberland..who was also best man at the wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips....literally the closest I have found to Royalty.

Other DNA matches claim descendency from the royal lines of Howard, Plantagenet, Boleyn, Stewart/Stuart, French and old Irish kings, but I suppose if we go back far enough we probably all have both nobility and peasants in our lineage.....I think both should be celebrated!

The message I would like to leave for future family members is that you come from multiple lines of very capable, resourceful, intelligent individuals many of whom have been high achievers in their own right. I hope this knowledge will help you understand that you probably have a higher than average potential to be successful and do well in life.

Richard Thorley 2024