Thomas Todd (1823 - 1908)

Born 28 Aug 1823 in Craighall, Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Wright) Todd — married 1 Nov 1849 in Rothesay, Bute, Scotland

Descendants

Died 12 Nov 1908 at age 85 in Waikiwi, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand

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Biography

Thomas was born in 1823. He is the youngest son of Mathew Todd and Mary Gibb.

1823 Thomas Todd was born on 28th August 1823 at Craighall, the family farm^[1] and christened on 10th September 1823 in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland.^[2]

Father started work in a tileworks at an early age, usually working until the light faded.... Young Thomas also worked on his father's farm where he learned much of Ayrshire cattle and dairy work in general, but his chief work as a lad was in the tile works.^[3]

1841 Thomas Todd is working as a Tilemaker and living in Henrietta Street, Galston also living at the same address is his elder brother, John Todd also a Tile Maker. There was a tile works in Galston so presumably they both worked together at this works.

1848 Thomas was appointed Manager of the Marquis of Bute's tile works on the Isle of Bute at the age of 25. Thomas was a member of the Cameronian Church (Presbyterian). On his first Sunday in Rothesay he attended the church where the Wright family worshipped. William Wright invited Thomas to family lunch at "Braeside". In three months Thomas was engaged to Elizabeth, the Wright's eldest daughter and a year after Thomas' arrival they were married by Revered Thomas Neilson who had christened Elizabeth.^[4]

1849 Thomas Todd married Elizabeth Wright on 6th November 1849 at Rothesay, Bute, Scotland.^[5] There were fireworks in Rothesay that night to celebrate the wedding. The bride and bridegroom went to Cumnock, Ayrshire, for their honeymoon, spending most of their time with the groom's parents.

The Marquis of Bute built a house for his Tileworks Manager at Kilchattan Bay.

1850 child Matthew Todd was born on 4th August 1850 and christened on 25th August 1850 in Kingarth Buteshire.^[6]

1851 The Scotland census of 1851 records: Thomas Todd age 27 Brick and Tile Maker employing 10 labourers born Mauchline, Ayrshire is living at Kilchattan Tileworks with his wife Elizabeth Todd age 18 born Rothesay, Buteshire, Scotland and their son Matthew Todd age 0 born Kingarth, Buteshire, Scotland. Also living at the same abode is Robert Steel age 28 Brick and Tile Burner born Ayrshire, Scotland.

1853 child Mary Gibb Todd was born 1853 in Kingarth Buteshire.

The period at Kilchattan Tileworks did not end very well when there was a downturn in the market. It is described by Thomas' elder brother: Misfortunes, it has been well and long said, never come singly, and so having been urged to allow a younger brother to go and start a new tileworks in the Island of Bute, and as he had to give long credit to his customers, and the machinery was very incomplete, and the clay-field then with no proper fall for the water, the business was a losing one; having been induced to become a party on a cash credit for several hundred pounds by some Bute farmers, who wrote me they were going to be co-obligants on the deed, though they afterwards in the most wonderful way refused to sign unless I would grant them a back letter relieving them of liability, I soon found myself involved for the full extent, and for very considerable other sums to keep the cash credit square.^[7]

1854 child William Todd was born on 17th April 1854 in Sanquhar Dumfries-shire.

CANADA

1855 About 1855, Thomas and his family embarked for Canada.

1857 child Adam Brown Todd was born 1857 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

1859 child John C. Todd was born 1859 in Downie, Ontario, Canada.

1860 The family stayed in Canada for about five years during which time Adam Brown Todd and Robert Wright Todd had been born. They travelled from East to West of Canada and decide to go back home as the wheat crop had failed and prospects for the winter did not look very promising. Thomas' brother Adam Brown Todd had written asking him to come and manage the Tileworks in Ayrshire. The family returned on the steamer "The United Kingdom" and went to live in Taiglem, near Cumnock in Ayrshire. Here child Robert Wright Todd was born.^[8]

The above period in Canada is described quite differently by Thomas' elder brother Adam Brown Todd: My brother,...afterwards went abroad , settling, or rather unsettling, in Canada; for he and his family flitted fourteen times in the course of five years; and they becoming sick of the country, as well as sick from ague, I at his earnest and repeated solicitations, paid £35 to a Shipping Company in Glasgow to bring them over; furnishing a house for them and meeting them at and bringing them out from Glasgow.^[9]

HOME AGAIN

One short year was all Father could stand of long hours and low pay, always overdue as the workmen had to be paid first. Father's brother was Head of the Works and was a dreamer, a poet, and finally Editor of the "Cumnock Express". ^[10]

Mother's father having died, Father was asked to manage a branch of the business in Glasgow. The family moved again but the crowded city and foggy weather did not suit them after the open, free life in Canada^[11]

1861 The Scotland census of 1861 records: Thomas Todd age 37 Coal Agent born Mauchline, Ayrshire is living at Warroch Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire with his wife Elizabeth Todd age 28 born Rothesay, Buteshire, Scotland and their children: Matthew Todd age 10 Scholar born Kingarth, Buteshire, Scotland; Mary G. Todd age 8 Scholar born Kingarth, Buteshire, Scotland; William Todd age 6 Scholar Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire; Adam R Todd age 4 born Canada; John C. Todd age 2 born Canada; Robert W Todd age 1 born Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.

1862 eldest child Matthew Todd passed away in May 1862 while at Blythswood, Gasgow , Scotland. Matthew became very ill following on a terrifying experience when a burgalar dressed as a "ghost" chased him and held the door when the child tried to enter his home. Very soon afterwards he passed away at the age of 12.^[12] Two months later, child Thomas Todd was born 13th July 1862 in Blythswood, Glasgow, Scotland.^[13]

1864 child Helen Thom Todd was born 1864 in Blythswood, Glasgow, Scotland. In June 1864 (about the time of Helen's birth) Thomas Todd left his family behind in Scotland and made the long sea journey to New Zealand; searching for a better life. He left Glasgow and arrived in Dunedin by the "Amelia Mitchell" in September.

NEW ZEALAND

1865 In April 1865, Elizabeth (Wright) Todd and her seven children boarded the "Caribou" bound for New Zealand.

1866 child Eliza Thom Todd was born in 1866 Dunedin, New Zealand.

1867 child Margaret Wright Todd was born in 1867 Braeside, Invercargill, New Zealand.

1869 child Jane Todd was born in 1869.

1871 child Joseph Rodger Todd was born in 1871.

1873 child Nathaniel Todd was born in 1873.

Newfield

1878 On 12th May 1878, the family moved to "Newfield".

1880 Son William Todd married Jane McKellar Pollock.

1881 Daughter Mary Gibb Todd married John Watt, on 13th July 1881.

Belgravia

1890 In the spring of 1890, Thomas Todd moved his family and business to "Belgravia", a large and comfortable house, although the family was smaller now as William, Mary, Adam, Maggie and Helen had all been married while the family was at "Newfield".

1893 Thomas Todd retired from active work at the age of 70.

1908 Thomas Todd passed away after a short illness at the age of 85 in Waikiwi, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand on 12th November 1908.

Sources

1. ↑ The House of Todd by E.T.Todd
2. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY8D-T7N : 10 February 2018), Mary Gibb in entry for Thomas Tod, 10 Sep 1823; citing MAUCHLINE,AYR,SCOTLAND, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,041,395.
3. ↑ The House of Todd by E.T. Todd (Thomas Todd's daughter)
4. ↑ Grenock Advertiser - marriages 13/11/1849
5. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTL6-RXL : 10 February 2018), Thomas Todd and Elizabeth Wright, 06 Nov 1849; citing Rothesay,Bute,Scotland, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,041,086.
6. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYZJ-SVW : 10 February 2018), Matthew Todd, 04 Aug 1850; citing , reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,041,085.
7. ↑ The Poetical Works of A. B. Todd: With Autobiography and Portrait by Adam Brown Todd (Author)
8. ↑ The House of Todd by E.T. Todd (Thomas Todd's daughter)
9. ↑ The Poetical Works of A. B. Todd: With Autobiography and Portrait by Adam Brown Todd (Author)
10. ↑ The House of Todd by E.T. Todd (Thomas Todd's daughter)
11. ↑ The House of Todd by E.T. Todd (Thomas Todd's daughter)
12. ↑ The House of Todd by E.T. Todd (Thomas Todd's daughter)
13. ↑ Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQQD-LJP : 10 February 2018), Thomas Todd, 13 Jul 1862; citing BLYTHSWOOD,GLASGOW,LANARK,SCOTLAND, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 6,035,516.