George Thorn (1806 - 1876)

Born 11 Apr 1806 in Stockbridge, Hampshire, England

Husband of Jane (Handcock) Thorn — married 2 Nov 1837 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 28 Apr 1876 at age 70 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

George Thorn

George Thorn was born on the 11th April 1806 in Stockbridge, Hampshire, England; and baptised in Stockbridge on the 18th of May 1806, the child of Simon and Elizabeth Thorn. ^[1]

He arrived in Australia as a colour-sergeant with the 4th (King's Own) Regiment in 1832; where he served as an orderly for Governor Richard Bourke, later joining a detachment for service in Port Phillip, Victoria in 1836. ^[2]

George Thorn married Jane Handcock on the 2nd November 1837 in St. Andrews Scots Church, Sydney, Cumberland, New South Wales, Australia. ^[3]

In 1838, George Thorn was transferred to Moreton Bay, Queensland in charge of the Limestone Hill penal settlement. ^[4]

He kept the Queen's Arms Hotel; In 1847 he sold sold the Queen's Arms and established a general store in Ipswich.

From 1843, he began to purchase properties in Queensland, including Rosebrook, Nukienda and Warra Warra stations. He also purchased allotments in Toowoomba, Mogill and Cleveland. The family home was Claremont, in Ipswich.

In 1859-60 he returned to England.

George Thorn was a member for West Moreton in 1860-63 in the Legislative Assembly. He was an alderman in the years 1862-65

He died on 28 April 1876.

Burial - on the 28th April 1876, aged 70 years in Ipswich Cemetery; with Robert Somerset Thorn ^{[5] [6]}

Henry Stuart Russell noted these memories of Limestone and George:

"Limestone in 1840 ! How the recollection of that solitary Government cottage - hitherto the most northern and western dwelling in Australia - stands out as the handselled resting -place for the " jackeroos ! " By this wild name the " jumped up " white men beyond the range had been reported by the blacks from tribe to tribe until the news reached the settlement, and all therein had cried " who can they be ? " Some said, escaped prisoners ; and the propriety of sending out constables to see and seize had been discussed. Then from Sydney had come the usual every six- months' schooner, and the authorities had been informed that perhaps white settlers would ere long find their way to the north and (as far as Brisbane's parallel) to the west. So the constables stood at ease. Then the approach of “ jackeroos ' ' ) ( P. Leslie and Murphy) last June, some moons before, had been heralded by the frightened darkies ; then ( for Leslie had turned back without approaching Limestone) that they had gone away again ! They were thus reported as six - legged monsters : big dogs, which had a leg out of either side, and a man's body on them, and great was the beseeching that the Commandant and " diamonds " ( soldiers, a detachment of the 8oth ) should come and shoot " numkull, ” the jackeroos ! When " up jump " " jackeroo ” Hodgson and Elliot, and the wondering stops.

Limestone in 1840 ! —Who, after clearing through the past stretch of flats, ridges, gullies, and nasty creeks, could have flattered himself that he should ' so soon break in upon this peaceful abode ? But what is the abode without its welcome greeting ? “ By golly ! ” ha- ha'd no end of a pair of strong lungs from within, followed by a sounding slap on the thigh . “ By golly ! see here, Jane !" and out strode into the verandah the sturdy frame of George Thorne. Ah ! George Thorne ! George Thorne ! though you have left but your ashes in the soil under our feet, your name , your humour, your thoroughness, and above all your integrity of heart, head and hand, lie not there with them ; they are not even shelved among past regrets : they are so often dwelt upon among the memories without words ( lied ohne worte) of those who afterwards knew you well, and so knowing, esteemed and honoured you. See the keen , honest embrowned features of as good a specimen type of Somerset shire and soldier as ever stepped in shoe leather. See, again, by his side , standing the earnest, active, faithful wife, who has dared to brighten by her presence this dark corner of the land. What a contrast ! The upright and intelligent man, and the so winsome helpmate, willingly allotting themselves to the charge of a prison post, a gang of hardened outlaws, whose compulsory labour was utilised under their eyes at the Plough Station close by .

Thorne had obtained his discharge from the army when colour- sergeant in the 34th Regiment. He had carried away with him the good wishes of all who had known him in it and out of it , not excepting Governor Sir Richard Bourke, whose very right hand he had long been . It must have seemed a strange request, when , after leaving the service, he applied for and obtained the appointment which he now held, at the very confines of the civilised world, and in charge of unhappy beings , whom the civilised world had put out of the way.

I think , from what I see, that this happy couple might in all conscience claim the “ flitch of bacon " at the hands of the Lord of Whichenore. ( How pleasant to turn over the old yellow leaves of a note-book . How painful the after- math : down both : garnered both . )

" By golly ! " it's well you weren't shot for runaways . But come in , come in ; Tommy will see to your horses," when he had somewhat " shook himself” together out of bewilderment ; " Jane, Jane, I say,” to his amazed spouse, “ out with the beef, eggs, bacon ; by golly ! all you've got ; well, this is a queer go—haw, haw, haw !" And so, with a bang of both hands together, their unexpected guests welcomed, housed, fed in such kindly custody, passed the few hours of their arrest ; a tame emu and kangaroo, who had shared the surprise, standing sole sentries over them.

This cottage stood in a bight , formed by the junction of a deep gully, on the western aspect, with the Bremer, which flowed by us on the north, about a hundred yards away, and stood some sixty feet above the western level. [ I mention this , because a flood which occurred shortly afterwards surrounded the verandah , and a few feet more of rise would have swept the whole building away . On the other side of the gully , and opposite , Thorne afterwards built the first hotel - Victoria or Queen's — which years again afterwards he sold to “ Bill the Fiver ” "^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "England, Hampshire Parish Registers, 1538-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGQL-L4YS : 26 October 2020), George Thorn, 18 May 1806; citing Christening, Stockbridge, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, Lancashire Record Office and Hampshire Record Office, England; FHL microfilm 1,041,367.
2. ↑ Australia Dictionary of Biography - Thorn, George 1806–1876 by Helen Haenke
3. ↑ "Australia Marriages, 1810-1980", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTZD-FZT : 28 January 2020), George Thorn, 1837.
4. ↑ Queensland State Archives - Moreton Bay Penal Settlement 1824 to 1842
5. ↑ "Australia Cemetery Inscriptions, 1802-2005," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGVR-ZD6V : 17 March 2018), George Thorn, 28 Apr 1876; from "Australia, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1802-2005," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : n.d.) citing Death, citing Jim and Alison Rogers : n.d. Various cemeteries, Australia; FHL microfilm .
6. ↑ "Australia Cemetery Inscriptions, 1802-2005," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGVR-ZD6V : 17 March 2018), George Thorn, 28 Apr 1876; from "Australia, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1802-2005," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : n.d.) citing Death, citing Jim and Alison Rogers : n.d. Various cemeteries, Australia; FHL microfilm .
7. ↑ Russell, Henry Stuart, The Genesis of Queensland, Turner and Henderson, Sydney 1888, pp207-9, accessed on Google Books

• "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J9CM-FFV : 20 September 2020), George Thorn, 1806.
• Source: Margaret Nicol Title: The Thorns of Ipswich URL: http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/documents/heritage/george_thorn_book.pdf Date: April 2013
• Queensland Govt. Family history research service
• DEATH - Queensland Deaths - 1876 / C1015 George Thorn parents : Simon Thorn & Sarah - ** (George Thorn born in England died aged 70 years)

See also:

• Helen Haenke, 'Thorn, George (1806–1876)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/thorn-george-4719/text7825, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 11 September 2022.

Obituaries

Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser, Thursday 18th May 1876 page 3.

DEATH OF MR. GEORGE THORN, SEN.

It is with profound regret that we record the death, at half-past 5 o'clock on the morning of the 28th ultimo, of Mr. George Thorn, sen. A brief notice, in our previous issue,of the deceased gentleman's serious and apparently hopeless condition was, alas! but too true a foreboding of the gradual loosening of " the silver cord," and the swift departure from amongst us of the oldest and one of the most respected and highly-esteemed of the residents of Ipswich. It has been our melancholy duty as public journalists to chronicle the decease, within the last two or three years, of several of our most useful and respected fellow-townsmen-men whom we could ill spare, whose benevolence and philanthropy have, on many occasions, been recognised by an ever-grateful public-and now again it has fallen to our sorrowful lot to tell of another of our esteemed public men who has passed for ever away.

Mr. Thorn's long uninterrupted residence amongst us, the deep interest he took in everything likely to advance our prosperity, and the universal respect in which he was held by all classes, gained for him the honourable and familiar title of "The Father of Ipswich"-a title deservedly earned, and an honour which, at the good old age of " three score years and ten," he has just left to be conferred upon another.

It will be remembered that on the last day of the year the deceased gentleman unfortunately met with a severe mishap by which his thigh-bone was fractured; and ever since that period he never thoroughly recovered his accustomed health. Previous to this Mr. Thorn, although of course subject to the usual infirmities of advanced age, was in the enjoyment of wonderfully good health; but the long confinement consequent on the accident proved two great a strain on his already enfeebled constitution, and, despite the skill and attention of his medical attendants, he gradually succumbed, and, senile bronchitis having supervened, the inevitable messenger, Death, was soon able to claim another victim. Mr. Thorn was quite sensible up to within a few hours of his decease; but shortly before the final scene he became unconscious, in which state he remained until the vital spark took its flight to that "bourn from whence no traveller returns."

The career of Mr. Thorn was one full of excitement and interest. He was born on the llth of April, 1806, near Stockbridge, Hants, England. He enlisted in the 4th (Queen's own) Regiment, and after serving for some time in the old country and elsewhere, he emigrated, about forty-three years ago, to New South Wales, being at that time a non-commissioned officer in his regiment. He first settled in Sydney, and having renounced his calling as a soldier, he entered the Town Survey Department. Whilst following his new avocation, he formed the acquaintance of Sir Richard Bourke, the then Governor of the primitive and penal colony of New South Wales, and was present with his Excellency at the first survey of what is now the largest and most important city of the Australian colonies-viz., Melbourne. Mr. Thorn was subsequently transferred from the Survey Department to that of the Commissariat, and whilst holding office in the latter he was, in 1838, transferred to Moreton Bay. On arrival he immediately took up his residence in Ipswich, having been placed in charge of all the Government stock-cattle, sheep, and horses then located in the surrounding neighbourhood. He also had the supervision of a large area of land, under cultivation by the Government, at a place then designated the "Ploughed Station," but better known at the present time a " The Grange" and the racecourse. Here were successfully cultivated large fields of wheat-the first ever grown in the colony-as well as the other productions of our modern farmer. With credit to him self and satisfaction to his superiors, Mr. Thorn faithfully discharged the duties of his office; and it is certainly no small compliment to the deceased gentleman to be able to say that, during his whole career as Government superintendent-when he had under him men whose wild and ungovernable temperaments rendered them often the subjects of discontentment and spleen-almost to a man his subordinates held him in the highest esteem. Mr. Thorn continued to hold the office of superintendent until the colony became a free settlement, when he retired. He was offered a grant of land in the vicinity of Ipswich by Governor Bourke, which he refused, thinking that such a primitive and apparently worthless locality would never be anything more than it then was, and that consequently the land would never be of any value. He subsequently built an hotel at the corner of Brisbane and East Streets, which was called the " Queen's Arms," and which, under the name of the Clarendon Hotel, existed until about two years ago, when, as our readers will remember, it was destroyed by fire. After conducting this- hotel for a few years, he turned his attention to the business of general storekeeper, building and opening a store in East-street.

In 1844 - thirty-two years ago-Mr. Thorn became owner of Normanby Station, a magnificent tract of country about twenty miles from Ipswich, a large portion of which is now converted into freehold, and is managed by Messrs. John and Charles Thorn, sons of the deceased gentleman. By steady and energetic perseverance Mr. Thorn succeeded in raising this station to a high standard, and it has now become one of the most valuable pastoral properties in West Moreton. Here the deceased gentleman spent some of the best days of his life, and many an old inhabitant now lives who can tell many an interesting anecdote of those good old times, and of the affable urbane old gentleman who by his droll eccentricities and comical "colonialisms" often scattered gloom and mellowed the hard fate of those whose misfortune it was to experience in their most unwelcome forms the "ups and downs" of colonial life.

Previously to Separation, Mr. Thorn and his family --all of whom are natives of Australia-paid a visit to the old country, and returned to the colony in the same steamer which brought out Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of the colony.

Mr. Thorn had the honour of being the first representative in Parliament for this district, having been returned as one of the members for the then West Moreton electorate. He was elected in company with Dr. Nelson and Mr. Broughton; and it is somewhat significant, as showing how much he was respected in the district, that occasion he had the honour of being placed at the head of the poll. The Herbert Ministry, it will be remembered, was then in power; and Mr. Thorn continued to represent the district for some two sessions, when he resigned in consequence of increasing years. His Parliamentary career, although brief, was nevertheless productive of much good. He was a consistent and earness advocate of the people's rights; and, allowing for the frailties of human nature, he fought with an earnestness and consistency for what he considered just and right, worthy the imitation of some of our more punctilious but less practical legislators of the present day. True, he did not possess the gift of eloquence, and it is equally true that he did not often try the patience of the House; but - and here is a leaf worth preserving- he knew from experience that neither long-wordy harangues nor pretended sincerity ever did or ever could eradicate the evils which then existed, and he denounced them with a bluntness which may probably have given offence to some, but which received the approbation of every right-thinking member of the community. There are many at present in the colony who will readily endorse our remarks, and who know from experience what we mean. It was not the object of every member of our first Parliament to effect-what should be the aim of every representative-" the greatest good for the greatest number;" but it cannot be denied that Mr. Thorn was an exception - a noble exception, and to his honour be it said lie never sacrificed his principles at the instance of either friend or foe. When Ipswich was proclaimed a municipality, Mr. Thorn was elected one of the aldermen, and on the foundation of the Ipswich Grammar School he was chosen as one of the trustees of the institution. He always manifested the deepest interest in the success of the school; and it was only when compelled by the increasing infirmities of age that he resigned the office a few years ago. Of late years he took no active part in polities, but he always showed a sincere desire to promote the interests of the whole colony.

The deceased gentlemen has left a widow and nine of a family to mourn their loss. Three of his sons hold seats in the Legislature; one, Mr. George Thorn, being the present Postmaster-General of the colony.

In reviewing the career of Mr. Thorn we should like to point out the grand secret of his success.

Whatever he undertook was entered into with spirit, with earnestness, and with a determination to conquer.

As an old friend of his remarked to us yesterday, this was one of his chief characteristics, and it was this more than anything else which won for him that admiration and respect which whilst amongst us it was his privilege to enjoy.

" George Thorn" has left us. The oldest free resident is no more. Older even than Andrew Petrie as a Moreton Bay settler; and unless Tom Brooks, who came here in 1822, be still in the land of the living, we have lost the oldest white inhabitant. Pleasant, genial old George! the exploring associate of rollicking Arthur Hodgson in many a midnight camp about the time when the Prince of Wales was a baby, and when the disciples of Bright and Cobden had begun to multiply in the land. 'Twas then, and even earlier still, that he first crossed that serrated limestone backbone, dotted with grass-trees, which overlooked the basin of fair Ipswich, nigh unto the site where Challinor's paddock now commands a full siteof the hoary battlements of the Main Range, the portal of Darling Downs; and there, under the name we have mentioned, sprung up a town that could a tale unfold, if its old ironbark plates, sills, and slabs would but speak. A tale of nights of wit, when Gore Jones, Frank Lucas, and many more, bandied flashes of fun, that recalled the Noctes of old Blackwood's Magazine; for there was bone and vitality in the limestone waters of our town, and men ate and drank of the best. George Holt made bread of the flour of Hart, and the volcanic pastures of Mount Flinders sent in the purest butter. Faircloth saw that the Club cellars were replate with Veuve Clequot, and Yaldwyn was responeible for the four-year-old turkeys; and what even if Lightfoot and Van Tromp would now finish considerably in the ruck of Richmond and Goldsbrough? We'll warrant you their hearts were none the less right, and even if double distanced they would rush in with open mouths and extended tails; and as the race horses were gallant, so the women who came to see them compete were aye fair to view, and many a Queensland love-match was cemented in old Ipswich, where the hard water would never make good tea.

We never seem to have such sunsets and sunrises now-a-days as used to be witnessed from that old Limestone Ridge, between 1855 and 1860. Perhaps it is that we are getting older and cannot see them so well ; and the early cup of coffee, too, on the old race course about 5 a.m., at the end of May, tastes quite

differently in 1876 from what it used to in 1859, in the year of Mincemeat and Lizard's match ; for things and people grow quickly and fade quickly in 27' south latitude, and the babies of yesterday are the brides of to-day, and the bridegroom of that hour has perchance his will proved by a proctor in this one. "Specialities" in the Queenslander.

Queensland Times, Thu 18 May 1876. p. 6.