Thomas Henry Northrop Snr (1840 - 1926)

Born 25 Aug 1840 in Harston, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Louisa (Rawlinson) Northrop — married 14 Mar 1864 in Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)

Husband of Mary Ann (Jennings) Northrop — married 1870 in Penrith, New South Wales (Australia)

Descendants

Died 1926 at about age 85 in Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Thomas Northrop Snr was born in Cambridgeshire, England.

Thomas Henry Northrop was born on 25th August 1940 in Harston, Cambridgeshire, England. He was the eldest of the nine children of Thomas Northrop and Mary Levitt, although he had three older half-siblings from his mother's prior marriage to Thomas Cook. ^[1]

Thomas Northrop Snr migrated from England to New South Wales.

Together with his parents and nine siblings, Thomas migrated to the Colony of New South Wales (Australia) aboard the David McIver, departing England 30th May 1858 and arriving Sydney, New South Wales on 24th September 1858. ^[2][3] His eldest (half) sister, Caroline, came with her husband, John Sheldrick, and their two children.

Thomas was a farmer and pastoralist

Rather than join the thousands of fellow immigrants at the various gold diggings, the Northrops settled at Cobbitty, near Camden in the rich grazing land of the Cowpastures of New South Wales, and bred fine meat with which to feed the miners.

Marriages and Family

Thomas married Louisa Rawlinson on 14th March 1864 in Sydney. ^[4] Following Louisa's untimely death in 1868, Thomas married again, to Mary Ann Jennings in 1870 in Penrith, down the Nepean River from Cobbitty. ^[5] Making their home in Penrith, Goulburn, Wagga Wagga and Hay, before settling in Cootamundra, Thomas and Mary Ann had ten children, two of whom did not survive infancy:

• Thomas Henry (1870 Penrith-1926 Cootamundra) married his cousin, Emily Hammond. As expected, Thomas and Emily were prime producers of meat for the Hammond Bros Butchers slaughteryards and shops in northern Sydney.
• John Gilbert (1872 Goulburn-1917 France)
• Joseph S (1874 Goulburn-1895 Cootamundra)
• Mary Beatrice (1876 Goulburn-)
• Herbert L (1878 Goulburn-1879 Wagga Wagga)
• Charles S (1880 Wagga Wagga-1881 Wagga Wagga)
• Mary Ann (1882 Hay-)
• James A (1884 Cootamundra-1921 Sydney)
• Herbert Stanislaus (1890 Cootamundra-1919 Sydney)
• Paul Leo (1892 Cootamundra-1937 Sydney)

Thomas was the only male child of his family to produce the next generation of Australian Northrops; his brother, Smith, had daughters only, and their brother, Harry, adopted the spelling of Northrope, which his sons perpetuated.

Final Harvest

Aged 85 years, Thomas passed away in Cootamundra in 1926. ^[6] Mary Ann outlived Thomas, passing away in 1933.

The Great War, or First World War, had a devastating effect on rural life. Many of those young men who managed to return to Australia, although raised in the 'outback' moved to cities following the war; and that is borne out by the Northrop children who lived beyond the war. Thomas' second eldest son, John, was killed in action in the trenches of the Western Front, leaving behind a young daughter.

Sources

1. ↑ record of birth is yet to be located
2. ↑ NSW Government: State Archives and Records, Assisted Immigrants (digital) Shipping Lists. Ship: David McIver; Departed Liverpool, England, 4 Jun 1858; Arrived Sydney, New South Wales, 24 Sep 1858. http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5316/4_4795/David%20McIvor_24%20Sep%201858/4_479500158.jpg&No=4
3. ↑ Ship arrival: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13011337
4. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #235/1864
5. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #3205/1870
6. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #3259/1926