Thomas Gepp MRCVS (abt. 1809 - 1894)

Born about 1809 in Hockley, Essex, England

Husband of Ann (Francis) Gepp — married 17 Mar 1840 in St George's, Hanover Square, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 17 Nov 1894 at about age 85 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

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Biography

Birth

Thomas Gepp was born about 1800 to William Gepp (Vet) and Mary Warren in Hockley, Essex, England and was baptised 16 Dec 1801 in Maldon, Essex, England.

Migration

Thomas migrated from England to the Colony of South Australia.

Marriage

Thomas married Ann Francis^[1], who died 6 Dec 1868 at their home at Hindley St West, Adelaide, Colony of South Australia in at the age of 52.^[2]

Children

Thomas and Ann had ten children:

1. Henry Francis Gepp, born about 1836 at Hindley St West, Adelaide, Colony of South Australia;^[3][4] and died 18 Jul 1871 at the age of 35 at Willunga, Colony of South Australia.^[5][6][7]
2. Sarah Ann Gepp, born 22 Apr 1841 in Adelaide, Colony of South Australia;
3. William John Gepp, born 9 Jun 1843 in Adelaide, Colony of South Australia;^[8]
4. Rebecca Frances Gepp, born 10 Jun 1845 in Adelaide, Colony of South Australia;
5. Thomas Gepp, born 30 Nov 1847 in Adelaide, Colony of South Australia;^[9] died 3 Dec 1847 in Adelaide, Colony of South Australia;^[10]
6. Ellen Gepp, born 24 Apr 1849 in Adelaide, Colony of South Australia;^[11]
7. Thomas Gepp, born Jul 1852 in Adelaide district, Colony of South Australia;^[12]
8. Isaac Gepp, born abt. 1853 [location unknown];
9. Un-named Gepp son born 17 May 1856 in Adelaide Colony of South Australia; and
10. James Gepp, born 21 May 1861^[13] in Hindley St West, Adelaide, Colony of South Australia; died 23 May 1861, aged two days, in Unley, Colony of South Australia.^[14][15]

Occupation

Vetinerary surgeon.^[16]

Death

Thomas Gepp died 1894, aged 85, at his son's residence, Gillies St East, Adelaide District, Colony of South Australia.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22][23]} and interred at West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, Colony of South Australia the same day at location Road 2, Path 24, Aspect W, Site Number 12.^[24][25]

Obituary

THE LATE MR. THOMAS GEPP. An old and interesting identity has gone over to the great majority in the person of Mr. Thomas Gepp, of Gilles street east, at the ripe age of eighty-five on Saturday, November 17. Mr. Copp was a native of Essex, and came out to the colony in April, 1837. After a time he paid England a visit and returned to the colony with his wife.
Being a veterinary surgeon and a coltbreaker and trainer he found plenty of scope for his abilities in the young colony. He was the first veterinary surgeon appointed for the South Australian Government. In 1852 he was attracted to the Victorian diggings, but he came back wiser and sadder to resume his work among horses. Mr. Gepp was highly trusted by our wealthy colonists, and did much to improve the horse stock of the colonies.
He served as trainer for, among others, the late Mr. W. H. Formby and Mr. H. B. Hughes. In 1854 he went to England for Mr. C. B. Fisher and other gentlemen, on whose behalf he returned with the famous thoroughbred entire Muscovado, the thoroughbred mares Henrietta and Omen, and two well-known cart horses, Young Britain and Red Lion. The deceased gentleman was most successful as a breaker and trainer of horses, and a generation ago was a very prominent figure in the sporting community. He experienced a most remarkable number of escapes, and was the victim of numerous severe accidents, some of his limbs and ribs having been broken over and over again. As recently as seven years ago he was knocked down by a horse in the Black Bull Yards, and one of his hips was badly broken. Since then the old gentleman had to refrain from rough work, although he continued to practise his profession as a veterinary surgeon. Apart from spending a few years at Jamestown, most of his life in the colony was passed in the neighbourhood of the city. During the Duke of Edinburgh's visit he was in charge of the stables and stud specially provided by the Government for His Royal Highness. Mr. Gepp lost his wife in 1868, and did not marry again. He is survived by two sons (Mr. W. J. Gepp and Mr. T. Gepp, solicitor), two daughters (Mrs. C. M. Morrison, of Stockyard Creek, and Mrs. Harry Ingham, of North Adelaide), and several grandchildren. He was a member of the Church of England, and was deservedly respected by a large number of friends and acquaintances.^[26]

Research notes

• Children: Two of the children listed above are not listed on the Genealogy SA online index or in newspaper notices, so must at present be regarded as speculative.
• Immigration Rapid 1836 ?

Christening 16 Dec 1801

• 16 Dec 1801 Saint Peters - Independent, Maldon Essex England

Parents - see separate entry as parents to Isaac GEPP. See http://www.pioneerssa.org.au/files/093%20Gepp%20APPROVED.pdf Immigration Citation Opie (Questionable reliability) Departed 4 April 1840 from London, Arrived 7 July 1840 at Port Adelaide on the Fairlie.

• Thomas Gepp appears to have emigrated twice to South Australia. According to the Duryea Pioneer photographs in the State Library of SA, Thomas Gepp was on the 1836 voyage of the Rapid, commanded by Colonel William Light. References, including an advertisement made by Thomas himself, indicate he was working in Sydney with the Colonial Government from 1837, although there is no definite proof of this. It is not known how or when he returned to England, but in 1840 he again emigrated with his wife and son.

Similarly his relationship with Isaac Gepp, who also sailed on the Fairlie and gave his name to Gepps Cross, is not verified. According to his obituary, Thomas was a smith and farrier, breaker and trainer, 3 years in Sydney and 16 years in South Australia. He was highly regarded as a veterinary surgeon who worked with the Government, making several trips overseas to bring back champion horses to improve the local livestock – he helped train the first winner of the Adelaide Cup.

After a brief visit to the goldfields of Victoria, Thomas spent several years in Jamestown aiding the breeding of champion racehorses. He was in charge of the stables and stud specially provided by the Government for the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit.

Thomas and Ann produced 10 children, several of whom were influential in shaping the colony and exploring both South Australia and the Northern Territory. Henry, became a blacksmith in Willunga, gateway to opening the route to the Fleurieu Peninsula. William, also a blacksmith, joined Goyder’s Expedition to Darwin, surveying the inland route.

Thomas became a magistrate and later Mayor of Norwood, being distinguished by his installation of the Town Clock. William’s son, Herbert, was knighted in 1933 after an illustrious career as a chemist, surveyor, industrialist, author and chairman of many concerns. His youngest daughter, Margaret (aka Mardi) was a pilot and flew Spitfire planes in England in World War II. It is apparent that the pioneering qualities carried over many generations after Thomas (1809-1894) landed in Australia.

• Page: 16
• Birth Citation

Pioneers and Settlers Bound for SA (Questionable reliability) Text: This site https://bound-for-south-australia.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/1836Rapid.htm suggests 1809. So does newspaper death notice. However see christening date and source. Ancestry family tree Jennifer Cole, shows 1841 Census, Class HO107; Piece: 330; Book 13; Civil Parish Hornchurch, County:Essex; Enumeration District: 1; Folio 18; Page 31; Line 21; GSU Roll: 241368.

• Death Citation

SA BDM (Secondary evidence) Page: Ade 223 24 Text: Given Name(s): Thomas Last Name: GEPP Death Date: 17 Nov 1894 Gender: M Age: 85y Approx. Birth Year: 1809 Marital Status: N Relative 1: Relative 2: Residence: Adelaide Death Place: Adelaide District: Adelaide Symbol: Book/Page: 223/24 Family Notices. (1894, November 19). South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53660658. Also Family Notices. (1894, November 24). South Australian Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1895), p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93854236

• Christening Citation

Misc. internet source (Unreliable evidence) Text: http://boards.ancestry.com.au/surnames.gepp/2.1.1.2/mb.ashx

• Marriage (m. FRANCIS, Ann) Citation

Misc. internet source (Unreliable evidence) Text: http://boards.ancestry.com.au/surnames.gepp/2.1.1.2/mb.ashx

• http://www.pioneerssa.org.au/files/093%20Gepp%20APPROVED.pdf

Sources

1. ↑ http://boards.ancestry.com.au/surnames.gepp/2.1.1.2/mb.ashx
2. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) 12 Dec 1868 p2; Accessed 14 Dec 2022
3. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 24 May 1856 p2; accessed 14 Dec 2022
4. ↑ Ntional Library of Australia - Trove Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) 24 May 1856 p1; accessed 14 Dec 2022
5. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 18 Jul 1871 p4; accessed 14 Dec 2022
6. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912) 18 Jul 1871 p2; accessed 14 Dec 2022
7. ↑ National LIbrary of Australia - Trove Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) 22 Jul 1871 p2; accessed 14 Dec 2022
8. ↑ Genealogy SA online index
   Surname: Gepp
   Given Names: William John
   Gender: M
   Father: Thomas Gepp
   District: Adelaide
   Book/Page: 1/26 Birth Year: 1843
   Accessed: 14 Dec 2022
9. ↑ Genealogy SA oonline index
   Surname: Gepp
   Given Names: Thomas
   Gender: M
   Father: Thomas Gepp
   District: Adelaide
   Book/Page: 2/26
   Birth Year: 1847
   Accessed: 14 Dec 2022
10. ↑ Genealogy SA online index
    Surname: Gepp
    First Names: Thomas
    Gender: M
    District: Adelaide
    Book/Page: 1/95
    Death Year: 1847
    Accessed: 14 Dec 2022
11. ↑ Genealaogy SA online index
    Surname: Gepp
    Given Names: Ellen
    Gender: F
    Father: Thomas Gepp
    District: Adelaide
    Book/Page: 2/146
    Birth Year: 1849
    Accessed: 14 Dec 2022
12. ↑ Genealogy SA online index
    Surname: Gepp
    Given Names: Thomas
    Gender: M
    Father: Thomas Gepp
    District: Adelaide
    Book/Page: 2/26
    Birth Year: 1847
    Accessed: 14 Dec 2022
13. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) 25 May 1861 p4; accessed 14 Dec 2022
14. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 25 May 1861 p2; accessed: 14 Dec 2022
15. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 26 Jun 1861 p7; accessed 14 Dec 2022
16. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 19 Nov 1894 p4; accessed 14 Dec 2022
17. ↑ Genealogy SA online index
    Surname: Gepp First Names: Thomas Gender: M District: Adelaide Book/Page: 223/24 Death Year: 1894 Accessed 14 Dec 2022
18. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 19 Nov 1894 p4; accessed 14 Dec 2022
19. ↑ National LLIbrary of Australia - Trove Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912) 19 Nov 1894 p2; accessed 14 Dec 2022
20. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922) 19 Nov 1894 p2; accessed 14 Dec 2022
21. ↑ National LIbrary of Australia - Trove The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) 20 Nov 1894 p3; accessed 14 Dec 2022
22. ↑ National LIbrary of Australia - Trove South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) 20 Nov 1894 p3; accessed 14 Dec 2022
23. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove South Australian Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1895) 24 Nov 1894 p4; accessed 14 Dec 2022
24. ↑ Adelaide Cemeteries
    Surname: Gepp
    First Names: Thomas
    Date Of Death: 19/11/1894
    Date Of Service: 19/11/1894
    Location: Road 2, Path 24, Aspect W, Site Number 12
    Accessed: 14 Dec 2022
25. ↑ National Library of Austrlai - Trove The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) 19 Nov 1894 p2; accessed 14 Dec 2022
26. ↑ National LIbrary of Australia - Trove Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) 24 Nov 1894 p16; accessed 14 Dec 2022