Thomas William Dawson

  General Notes:

Emigrated to Australia in 1848.
Paul Shurte notes:
Thomas William Dawson and Elizabeth "Betsy" Dawson's family quickly expanded by 1848 and their family reached up to ten children. In the year 1848 three sons were already married but other children were reaching that age where they were ready to expand into the world but England had nothing to offer but factory jobs or unemployment. The elder children and the father of the Dawson family gathered and discussed the future prospects in England and what was offered for the Dawson's and maybe what could be done in the colonies. The family agreed to give the land down under a try. One son, the one who was already married and stayed close to home was encouraged by his spouse to adventure to Australia however one son indicated England was home and that is where his and his family would remain. This son was Joseph Benjamin Dawson. As the leader of the clan Thomas William Dawson decided to immigrate to Australia and would make recommendations and find funds for the others who would be willing to go. He had convinced all of his children to accompany him except his one son Joseph Benjamin. Joseph elected to remain in England to stay the course - he had work and enjoyed what his life held. Joseph Benjamin later changed his mind. Joseph Benjamin Dawson joined the rest of his family in Australia six years later only after his wife realized England had too many hardships to overcome and too many crimes were occurring because of the poor conditions. It is noted here that it was Joseph Benjamin Dawson who organized the transportation of many other family not Dawson's, but married to the clan members who also joined the Dawson clan and he helped get them passage to Australia. Joseph himself worked so hard he neglected to take care of himself and forgot to pay for his own and his families' passage while he pushed others off to the new world. If it had not been for the generosity of his sisters future husband and his desire to marry her that he made ready Joe and the other family passages to be part of his dowry in marriage. His sister said his gift was payment in full.
Thomas helped the other families including family in-laws, once Thomas' children married and developed widening the family with grandchildren in support in England or paying passage for the families to migrate to Australia. These families did join the Dawson in Australia before 1858 and they included such families as Ingram, Chapman, and Hare.
When the bulk of the Dawson's immigrated to Australia they left England on the S/V "Equestrian" and made the crossing over to Australia landing first in India then coming to Sydney harbor, Sydney arriving in New South Wales, on July 16, 1848:
First Group same ship: sailing vessel "Equestrian were:
Thomas William DAWSON aged 47 years, (Father)
Elizabeth "Betsy" (nee HARE) Dawson aged 48 years, (Mother)
Benjamin DAWSON aged 19 years, (Thomas William Son)
Rebecca DAWSON aged 16 years, (Thomas William Daughter)
Ruth DAWSON aged 14 years, (Thomas William Daughter)
Rachel DAWSON aged 13 years, (Thomas William Daughter)
Robert Hare DAWSON aged 11 years, (Thomas William Son)
Ralph Ingram DAWSON aged 9 years, (Thomas William Son) and
Reuben DAWSON aged 6 years (Thomas William Son).
Second Group same ship sailing vessel "Equestrian"
Ellis Hare DAWSON aged 26 years, (Thomas William Son), his wife,
Mary (nee RICHARDSON) DAWSON aged 26 years and their three children,
Dinah DAWSON aged 5 years, (Ellis Hare's daughter)
Zilpha DAWSON aged 2 years and (Ellis Hare's daughter)
Joseph Equestrian DAWSON, who was born on the voyage, (Ellis Hare's son).
Third Group it is the same ship: sailing vessel "Equestrian"
Thomas DAWSON aged 23 years, (Thomas William Son) his wife,
Mary Anne (nee GARNER) DAWSON aged 22 years and their two children,
Benjamin Gardiner DAWSON aged 3 years born 1845 (Thomas Jr. son)
George DAWSON aged 1 year born 1847 (Thomas' Jr. son).
Forth Group different ship: Sailing Vessel "Ascendant"
On March 14, 1854, Thomas William Dawson arranged and paid seventeen pounds and ten schillings (remittance regulator-depositor), for his daughter-in-law's, Mary Ann (nee Garner) Dawson, sister, Elizabeth (nee Garner) White, and her family to come to Australia. On the March 18, 1855, the family arrived into New South Wales on the Sailing Vessel "Ascendant". Elizabeth White (nee Garner) she was 30 years old. Her husband, Thomas White aged 35 years, with an occupation as a Bricklayer's Laborer. They have with them four of their children. Emily Ann White aged 7 years, Benjamin Joseph White aged 5 years, and John White aged 3 years, and Mary Ann White and newborn infant. All the family will be recorded as to be from Bedfordshire, England. Elizabeth's parents were listed on the shipping records, as Thomas and Esther Garner, the mother Esther is noted to be deceased while the father remains back in Bedford, England. Thomas' parents were: William and Ann White, his father deceased at time of departure of England, his mother at Bedford.

His known cause of death is due to liver failure related to a short-term illness followed by the long-term liver disease believed to be caused by mosquitoes but this is not certain. Thomas William Dawson could read and write early in his childhood as soon as he arrived in Australia and possible well before arriving. He immigrated to Australia as a young man in July 16, 1848, when he arrived on S/V "Equestrian" at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from England. He first departed England to go to Victoria and there he was to meet his other sons however Thomas discovered he did not like Victoria, so he migrated towards the area, which he believed would work for him to start new. This area he moved to was Darthbrook, an area near Tenterfield, and Armidale, in the State of New South Wales. When Thomas died he was 62 years of age. His lifetime occupation was that of a laborer, gardener, shepherd, and horse stockman, starting his varied career as early as the date he arrived in Australia which is no less than early as 1848. His religious preference was that of a Baptist and he practiced this faith at least between the years 1828 to 1863 near his residence, which it is known he had in 1856. The residence was in the area of Dunwell, Dartbrook, New South Wales, Australia.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Baptism, 3 May 1801, Renhold, Bedfordshire England.

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Thomas married Anne Elizabeth (Betsy) Hare, daughter of Ellis Hare and Rebecca Ingram, on 4 Nov 1820 in Renhold, Bedfordshire England. (Anne Elizabeth (Betsy) Hare was born on 26 Oct 1800 in Old Warden, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire England, christened on 7 Nov 1800 in Great Barford, Bowerford, Bedfordshire England, died on 21 Mar 1854 in Armidale, NSW Australia ⁵³¹ and was buried on 23 Mar 1854 in Armidale, NSW Australia ⁵³¹.)