Thomas H Ayres (1828 - 1913)

Born 1 May 1828 in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Sarah (Willis) Ayres — married 5 Apr 1855 in Durban, Natal, South Africa

Died 31 Jul 1913 at age 85 in Potchefstroom, Transvaal, South Africa

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Biography

Thomas, the son of John and Martha, was born on 1 May 1829 and baptised on 28 May 1829 in Hertford, All Saints, England.^[1]

He was a British born South African ornithologist. ^[2]

^[3]

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From the wikipedia article

Thomas H. Ayres (July 1838 – 31 July 1913) was a British-born South African ornithologist. Ayres is commemorated in the names of the Ayres' hawk-eagle (Hieraaetus ayresii), Ayres' cisticola (Cisticola ayresii), and the white-winged flufftail (Sarothura ayresi).

Early life and career

Ayres was born in Hereford, England, to John Ayres, the mayor of Hereford, and Helene Duschesne in July 1828. He and his family emigrated to Natal as part of the great influx of British settlers to South Africa in 1850. Two years later, Ayres joined a group of colonists departing for the gold fields of Australia, but was unsuccessful and returned to Natal a few years later to farm in what is now the Pinetown district, just inland of Durban.

...

Natal period

Ayres became one of the colonists in Natal who augmented their incomes by collecting and preparing items of natural history, which were sold to ardent and often well-funded naturalists in western Europe. Most new bird species shot by Ayres were named by Dr. K. J. G. Hartlaub of Bremen in Germany.

Ayres's main patron was John Henry Gurney Sr., of Norwich, England, who consulted Hartlaub on taxonomy. Gurney disposed of some of his material to R. Bowdler Sharpe of the British Museum (Natural History), in South Kensington, London, and others.

Transvaal period

In 1865 Thomas and his brother Jack moved to the Transvaal, where they farmed, panned for gold, brewed and collected birds for sale. He and his brother also hunted and traded with the Boer settlers. He settled down at Potchefstroom, where he ultimately died. Here he did much to encourage the young Austin Roberts, who was to become a well-known zoologist.

Marriage Record

Thomas Ayres, Age 25, bachelor

Spouse Sarah Willis, Age 31, spinster

Marriage Date 5 Apr 1855

Marriage Place Durban, Natal, South Africa ^[4]

Thomas Ayres 1.5.1829 Hertford – 31.7.1913 Potchefstroom • 9KHT-YZ4​​

Marriage: 26 Apr 1855 Pinetown, Natal, South Africa

Sarah Willes 1824 – 23.6.1886 Pinetown • 9KHT-Y89​​

Children of Sarah Willes and Thomas Ayres (1)

Thomas Lambert Ayres 1856–1922 • GDF9-MYF​​

Parents and Siblings

John Ayres 5.12.1790 London – 6.7.1878 Durban • GCFB-1DG​​

Marriage: 10 April 1828 Christ Church Spitalfields, London, England

Martha Duchesne 15.6.1804 London – 21.6.1883 Durban • M9H8-N1P​​

Children of Martha Duchesne and John Ayres (6)

Thomas Ayres 1829–1913 • 9KHT-YZ4​​

Ellen Ayres 1833–1902 • GCF1-C3G​​

John Ayres 1836–1920 • M38H-Q6F​​

Martha Ayres 1838–1860 • GSY2-RD2​​

Alice Ayres 1839–1918 • M2TY-XYM​​

Walter Ayres 1842–1899 • K6GN-9FC ^[5]

eGGSA library Gravestones in South Africa Noordwes : North West North West, POTCHEFSTROOM, Urban area North West Province, POTCHEFSTROOM, Main cemetery A AYRES Thomas - 31 Jul 1913, aged 85 years, Naturalist

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "Hertfordshire Baptisms," database with images, FindMyPast Image - (FindMyPast Transcription : accessed 30 September 2023), Thomas Ayres baptism on 28 May 1829 (born 1 May 1829), son of John & Martha, in Hertford, All Saints, England.
2. ↑ Wikipedia
3. ↑ S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science.
4. ↑ '"South Africa, Civil Marriage Records, 1840-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZHB-2W3H : 21 September 2022), Thomas Ayres, 1855. Added on 30 Sep 2022 by Ian McArthur
5. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9KHT-YZ4 Added on 30 Sep 2022 by Ian McArthur