Researchers who have claimed this convict
There are currently 6 researchers who have claimed Thomas Markwell
- Researcher (889)
- Researcher (Rebecca Mortlock)
- Researcher (7787)
- Researcher (Kara Vandenbosch)
- Researcher (Leanne Aquilina)
- Researcher (Julie Simpson)
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Biographies
Thomas MARKWELL was born about 1770 in Loughton, Essex, England to Stephen MARKWELL (1735-1777) and Elizabeth POPE (1755-1806). He was baptised on 29th April 1770 in the Parish of Loughton, Essex, England. Thomas was the second born of 7 children.
Thomas had been tried and convicted at Chelmsford, Essex Assize Court on the 23rd March 1787 of the felonious offence of burglary. It was alleged in the indictment that about midnight on 11th November 1786, Thomas broke into the dwelling house of Arthur HERON situated in the parish of Walkham Cross and stole a number of items of clothing to the value of £2.8s.6d. He was sentenced to death, but before leaving Chelmsford, Judge KNAPPE, presiding over the trial, gave him a reprieve and commuted the sentence to 14 years transportation to the colony of New South Wales.
Thomas MARKWELL arrived in the Colony on board the “SCARBOROUGH" (one of the First Fleet vessels) which returned to New South Wales with the notorious Second Fleet. In company with “SURPRIZE” and “NEPTUNE” she sailed from England with 253 male convicts on 19th January 1790. Her master was again John MARSHALL and the surgeon was Augustus Jacob BEYER. She arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 13th April 1790, and spent 16 days there, taking on provisions, and 8 male convicts from “HMS GUARDIAN”, which had been wrecked after striking an iceberg. She and “NEPTUNE” parted from “SURPRIZE” in heavy weather and arrived at Port Jackson on 28th June 1790, 160 days out from England. During the voyage 73 convicts died and 96 were sick when landed. She returned to England in 1792.
No record have been found of Thomas' movements during the first seventeen years he spent in the Colony, other than that at the time of the 1806 Muster, Thomas was employed by Thomas SPENCER who was farming 130 acres at Richmond. Thomas SPENCER had also arrived in the Colony on the "SCARBOROUGH", however, he had come on the first voyage that the vessel made to the Colony, as a marine with the First Fleet.
In 1806 he soon gained prosperity and became the owner of sizable holdings around Agnes Banks, near Richmond.
Having been in the Colony for 17 years now, Thomas MARKWELL was ready to settle down and raise a family of his own. On the 5th October 1807, aged 37 years, Thomas married Maria CHESHIRE (aged 15 years and about 7 months pregnant at the time) at St. Phillip's Church, Sydney. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Henry FULTON, the third Chaplain to the Colony of New South Wales and the witnesses were Isaac BARTHOLOMEW and Susannah RAVENCROFT. None of the parties were able to sign their name. It was common for the more established settler to take such a young bride. They would have had to travel from the Hawkesbury to Sydney by horse and cart over bush tracks. Being pregnant, it must have been very arduous for Maria.
As the CHESHIRE’s and Thomas MARKWEL lived in close proximity to each other, it is presumed that it is there that Thomas met Maria and he subsequently married her on 5th October 1807 and had a Family of six children – Sophia, 11th December 1807; Elizabeth, 1909, Baptised 22nd April 1810. After 3 years of marriage and the birth of the first two children, Sophia and Elizabeth, Maria left Thomas with the children. This could have been caused by the hardships of the day and her very young age. It is not known how long Maria was away yet fourteen years would appear to be a very long time for there not to have been another child born to them. The last four children were born: Ellen Maria, 27th December 1824; Thomas George, 27th September 1826; John, 30th May 1828; and Mary Ann, 16th June 1830.
The children of Thomas and Maria MARKWELL married into respected families; Sophia to Henry HEWITT, a man of note being a successful farmer, publican and councillor; Elizabeth to George Pitt WOOD, a descendent of an old and respected English family; Ellen Maria to William FARLOW from a well-known pioneering family; Thomas George to Ann Eather WILLIAMS.
Submitted by Researcher (7787) on 1 May 2018
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