Parson William Tom:
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Date of Birth |
25 May, 1791, Blighland, Cornwall |
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Parents |
Unknown |
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Education |
Unknown |
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Arrived Sydney |
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Married |
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Died |
28 September,1883 "Springfield", Byng, NSW |
Anne Lane:
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Date of Birth |
02 October, 1796, Bridgerule, Devonshire |
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Parents |
Unknown |
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Education |
Unknown |
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Arrived Sydney |
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Married |
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Died |
16 October, 1870 "Springfield", Byng, NSW |
Why travel to Australia?
We must start the story
back in Cornwall - of course! The economic conditions in Cornwall in the 1820s
produced "Agricultural Distress" as reported in the West Briton
of March 1822 (ref 1). 482 signatories to a petition to the High Sheriff of the
county of Cornwall from owners and occupiers of land wrote, "We…,
labouring under unexampled distress from the unprecedented low price of all
agricultural produce, and oppressed by an excessive weight of taxation, which
added to the payment of rent, rates, tithes, and an enormously increased
poor-rate, has become intolerable, request you to call a meeting ... to consider
the present distress of all classes, and of the agricultural classes in
particular, and of the best and speediest means of obtaining relief ... ."
The Tom Family
In these conditions, it is little wonder that William Tom
Senior, his wife Ann, daughter Mary (4 years), John (3) and James (2) left
Cornwall in 1823 for Sydney Town. They sailed on the Belinda but,
coming into Tasmania waters, they met a fearful storm near the mouth of the
Derwent River. It is said (ref 2) the Captain knew that William Tom was a
deeply religious man and told him of the plight of the vessel, drifting with
two lifeboats gone, both masts, rudder and the cook's deckhouse smashed; Tom
went below to pray. It is written that the doomed vessel was saved when the
wind changed direction soon after and sent it into the mouth of the Derwent
River. Nothing daunted once safely in port, William and his family moved onto
the Jubilee and headed for Sydney Town. During the five day trip, Ann
bore another son, William Tom Junior.
Hardy people that they were, they walked across the Blue
Mountains to the west, looking for land for which to lodge a Grant application.
They chose a site on the southern bank of the Fish River, 680 acres not far
south of the half way mark between Lithgow and Bathurst. It was not far from
the village of Tarana. William had a hard time for some six years on his
low-lying land which was unsuitable for sheep, large numbers of which succumbed
to foot-rot.
By 1829, the ban prohibiting settlers selecting land west of the
River Macquarie (the Western District) was lifted. Tom and his family were
early in taking advantage of the decision. In 1830, they chose 640 acres at the
place where Lewis Ponds Creek is joined by Sheep Station Creek; they called
their property Springfield. Less than two years later, they had
constructed a lath and plaster house with five rooms, built well up a hill
overlooking Sheep Station Creek. He very soon had the company of other
Cornishmen - George Hawke, John Glasson and his brother and others with recognisable
surnames such as Lane.
William Tom's Pipe Organ
It was around the pipe organ in the parlour of the Springfield
homestead about 160 years ago that William Tom, his wife Ann and their 13
children gathered for their nightly session of hymns. It is said that William
"Parson" Tom would pump the pedals enthusiastically and lead the
singing in his strong resonant voice. The problem was that William did not
always stick to the right key and his wife would make a quiet protest that he
was putting them all out. The story goes on to record that William would
invariably reply: "Well, my dear, I must praise the Lord and thank Him for
all our blessings". What is behind this story is the hunt for the organ,
which had been sold out of the family many years before. It was discovered that
it was up for sale again, causing the rallying of the many descendants to raise
funds to recover it and present it to the Orange District Historical Society.
Two persistent ladies of the family wrote more that 1000 letters to trace Tom
descendants in England, Denmark, Fiji, South Africa, New Zealand and all over
Australia.
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A Tribute to the memory of |
The Tribute to William and Ann Tom
In the later 1960s, the
two ladies collected well over 500 names and conceived the idea of
commissioning an artist to set out on parchment a short history of William and
Ann Tom and the names of their descendants. The parchment pages were finally
bound handsomely in calf, with three Cornish welcome stones embossed in its
cover. That fine book is on display in the Museum in a glass case and is the
source of the images of some of its pages below that of the pipe organ.
The frontispiece in the
book is a drawing of the welcoming door of the "Springfield"
homestead, a fitting reminder of the wonderful spirit that was given to the
inhabitants and visitors by this pioneering Cornish family.
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William Tom |
married |
Ann Lane |
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Children of William and Ann
Tom |
In the background of the
page above is the faint outline drawing of the Cradle, the likes of
which gave William Jnr and James Tom and J.H.A Lister the ability to discover
the first payable gold in Australia.
Footnote:
Parson
William Tom and Ann Lane are my daughter, Rosemary’s, great, great, great,
great grandparents