Thomas Allan Thorley (1873 - 1953)

Born 1873 in Inverell, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Agnes (Martin) Thorley — married 1910 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 1953 at about age 80 in Darlington, South Australia, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Richard Ian Thorley [send private message]

Biography

Thomas was born in 1873. He passed away in 1953.

Sources

• Thomas was my grandfather. He died at our house 2 Torquay Rd Darlington the result of a stroke. See Death cert uploaded to Ancestry

When Thomas Allan Thorley was born on 3 February 1873 in Inverell, New South Wales, his father, Allan, was 24 and his mother, Sarah, nee Archer Beard, was 29. His father was a carpenter, timber merchant, cabinet maker, builder, and funeral director. The family lived at Brodies Plains near Inverell on a farm named Allandale.

In 1880, when Thomas was aged 7 years and 3 months, he and his younger brother Edwin were gifted their father's farm, Allandale, (or maybe just a portion of it?) under a trusteeship, in lieu of Sarah claiming maintenance for them. The associated legal document confirms Sarah and Allan co-habitated rather than being married. No evidence has been found that Sarah divorced her first "husband" Ridgewell Beard.

Presumably Thomas grew up on the farm and in Inverell.

Thomas was a professional runner who ran, in 1897, in Australia's richest running race, the Stawell Gift. In the same year, a newspaper arcticle states that he and another pedestrian named Cowan "were about the two fastest runners in the colony." (of New South Wales) His "pedestrian" pursuits are well documented in the press.

Thomas is likely to have been introduced to cordial manufacturing as a child as there was a cordial factory across the road from his father's undertakers shop in Inverell. As an adult, Thomas was involved cordial manufacturing in Queensland, Fiji and New South Wales and Victoria.

In 1901 he was resident in Brisbane, working as a clerk, when he obtained a loan of one hundred and seventy pounds, using his part ownership of Allandale as collateral.

A year later, he was resident in Petersham, Sydney when the mortgage was paid out by his uncle William Joseph Thorley of Woodburn. Thomas increased his loan to two hundred and fifty pounds and William now was the mortgage holder. Sarah was resident on the farm in 1916 when she died. Eventually the property was held by Kathleen Gertrude (nee Thorley) Conolly and Rev. John O'Connor, the parish priest of Walcha, presumably as trustees of the will of William Joseph Thorley.

In 1907, having been involved in cordials for more than 16 years, he purchased the Blue Mountains Mineral Water Company in Lismore. There, he won a court action in 1908 against a rival cordial manufacturer who had been using and abusing his bottles. Bottles were a major expense for the business. The court win did not save the business. Voluntary sequestration resulted.

He married Mary (known as May) Agnes Martin, a costumier, on 18 October 1910 in Melbourne, Victoria. He is listed as "Cordial Manufacturer" on the marriage certificate. They had one child during their marriage, but May had three sons from a previous marriage to James McGaw.

The family also owned and ran cordial businesses in Warragul and Traralgon, St Arnaud and Deniliquin. The business at Deniliquin was also an ice works and a brewery. It seems this business was put on the market in 1918.

It is evident that Thomas Allan Thorley was familiar with the inside of more than one courtroom, usually as the civil litigant, but sometimes as managerial defendant representing his wife the business owner in a civil action.

One of the Mc Gaw sons, Lyle, eventually owned a cordial factory in Maffra.

The "codd" bottles (with a marble in the neck) are now a collector's item. In 2016 a Thorley bottle sold at auction for more that $7000!

Unverified family story is that Nestles purchased the cordial business and closed it down.

Later, it is understood Mr Thorley had a showroom in Queen Street Melbourne which held 6 Rolls Royces which were for sale. (this has not been verified)

The family eventually resided at Flat 12 Summerland Mansions St Kilda, a very prestigious address. It seems the family resided at both flats 6 and 12 at different times. It was here in flat 6 that Mrs Thorley met her demise in 1936.

Thomas Allan Thorley moved to South Australia with his son Cyril in about 1952. The family had moved from Enfield to Darlington by about 1953.

Mum told this story about him. He was an avid gambler who regularly attended horse races. He had a beautifully tailored suit, complete with spats (shoe protectors) which he wore to the races. The outfit was completed by either a bowler hat or a top hat depending upon the race meeting. (The grey spats and the bowler hat were later part of our dress-ups as kids.) He studied the form guide and kept his own records. He was generally very private about the results of his gambling, but one day he said to Mum that he was certain that he had picked the winners of a number of races that day and would have won enough money at the end of the day to buy Mum and Dad’s house for them in appreciation for all the things the had done for him. It was not until two days later that he apologised to Mum. He had picked the winners and won enough money from the bookmakers to play for the house. The last race of the day was not one on which he had planned to place any bets, but a “sure thing”, with good odds, became evident at the bookmakers ring. He put the whole of his winnings on it and lost the lot!

Another family story is that Thomas' gambling paid for the gold trimmings of the Rolls Royce owned by his Melbourne bookmaker, Sol Green.

Early in 1953, he suffered a stroke and was unable to walk or talk. He was nursed at home for four months by his daughter in law, Dorothy, until his death on 5th June 1953 in Darlington, South Australia, at the age of 80.

His death certificate indicates he was cremated at Adelaide Crematorium. The certificate shows his occupation as "investor". There is no grave marker.

Compiled by Richard Thorley (a grandson) June 2021.