Thomas Towells

  General Notes:

Baptism from Parish Registers. Baptised by I H Mules. Father a B'Smith.
See pic 94 in Towells docs for photo of Church Christened in
See 1851 census.
See pic 63 for newspaper cuttings of arrival of Malvina Vidal taken from Maitland Mercury Jun/Jul 1853
See pic 64 for details of Malvina Vidal
See pic 90 for 2008 photo of Turanville Homestead
See pic 87 for Notice placed in Maitland Mercury by Thomas 1 & 8 Apr 1854
See pic 88 for Notice in Maitland Mercury by William DANGAR for the arrest of Thomas. 22 & 29 Apr 1854 & 6 May 1854
See pics 15, 16, 17 & 18 in Towells Docs for copies of letter written for Thomas in 1862.
See pics 2, 3, 4 & 5 in Towells docs for photo's of area (Campbell's Creek near Windeyer, NSW) in vicinity of where Thomas lived 1862/3 to 1908.
Campbell's Creek was also known as Gulgong Creek. Is in the Local Council of Mudgee, Parish of Warratra and County of Wellington. Description in 1978: A watercourse abt. 25 k long rising 3k SE x E of Carcalgong & flows generally WSW into Long Creek.
1903 Electrol Roll living at Campbell's Creek, Division of Robertson, Sub Div of Windeyer and a Farmer.
Death from Death Certificate.
See pic 101 for Remberance Articles.
See pic 103 in Towells docs for Living in 1908 year Thomas died
See pic 72 for Newspaper article "Memories of the Past"

  Research Notes:

source: Jim Allen who notes:
Thomas's mum Sarah Towell was my sixth Great Grandmother!! Via her Illigitimate daughter Anne mentioned in the "Australia Letter"
Thomas Rice and Mary Legg had a daughter Sarah in Ilminster 1791 she had an liaison with we think John Towells after his first wife died and this produced a Daughter Anne Rice '96 Sarah then went on to Marry John Towells and had seven children Thomas was the 6^th born 16^th June 1829. In 1851 he married Caroline Gillingham in Ilminster and their child Emma was born in Ilminster Somerset in December 1851
Caroline lived until 1^st June 1906 aged 78 at Armidale New South Wales I have no record of a second husband or additional children.
Thomas's Second wife was Sarah Ann Smith who list Eleven children including Thomas Richard as the first born bearing the name Smith.
source: & Wal Towells who is his Great Grandson

Garry Bung also notes:
The reason that Thomas Towells felt free to marry Sarah Smith was probably that he assumed that Caroline was deceased (or legally could be regarded as deceased, 7yrs after she abandoned him in 1854).
Caroline appears to have assumed the same at about the same time when she married James Ellis. There is a record of Caroline "Towells" marrying James Ellis in Armidale in 1861.

Below is a reference to the Newspaper advert Thomas paid for when Caroline scarpered. {Trove}

"The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Saturday 1 April 1854, page 3"

There is also an Ad inserted by William Dangar offering a reward of 5pounds for Thomas' apprehension on the grounds of deserting his master. {Trove}

"The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Saturday 29 April 1854, page 1s"

These were the times of the "Master and Servant Act" when even a free settler could be chased by an employer to force continuance of a labour.


This is consistent with Emma (Towel?) marrying Joseph Edmonds in Armidale. Emma had traveled with her mother when she left Thomas.
When Emma died her family gave James as her father (the one she'd grown up with) and Caroline as mother.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence, 1851, Ilminster, Somerset England.

• connection.

• Letter: Letter From Austrailia, 6 Dec 1862.

• Alt. Birth, 1831.

• connection.

Thomas married Caroline Gillingham in 1851 in Ilminster, Somerset England. (Caroline Gillingham was born about 1828 in Herefordshire England, died on 1 Jun 1906 in Armidale, NSW Australia and was buried on 2 Jun 1906.)

Thomas next married Sarah Ann Smith on 11 Apr 1863 in Campbells Creek, Mudgee, NSW Australia. (Sarah Ann Smith was born on 28 Dec 1843 in Millers Point, Sydney, NSW Australia, died on 27 May 1928 in Hunter St, Hornsby, Sydney, NSW Australia and was buried on 28 May 1928 in Salvation Army Section Northern Suburbs Cemetery, Sydney, NSW Australia.)