Thomas Veitch (abt. 1836 - 1885)

Born about 1836 in Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Wignall) Veitch — married 21 Oct 1871 in Adelong, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 10 Aug 1885 at about age 49 in Grahamstown, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gillian Thomas [send private message]

Biography

Thomas Veitch was born in Scotland.

Thomas Veitch was born about 1836 at Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland. ^[1]

In the 1841 census, he was aged 5, living with Jane Veitch, aged 40 at the Kevock Mill, paperworks at Lasswade, presumed to be his mother. He was a paper maker. ^[2]

Thomas (Vitch) is recorded in the 1851 Scottish census living at St Cuthbert's Edinburgh, in the household of Robert Niven, aged 66, a master gardener. Thomas was a servant, and apprentice gardener, aged 15 of Lasswade, Midlothian. Also in the household were James Niven, aged 8, the son of Robert Niven, and other servants, Thomas Vitch (sic), aged 38, gardener of ? Peebleshire, Jane Thomson, visitor aged 32, of Midlothian and two house servants. ^[1]

Thomas migrated to Australia as a single male on the 'David McIver', which departed from Plymouth on 31 December 1851 and arrived in Sydney on 9 April 1852. He was described as a farm labourer, and was of Leswynd (sic), Edinburgh, Scotland. ^[3] Also on the ship were Thomas Veitch, age 39 and wife Jane age 32. ^[3] The record stated that his parents were Robert and Jane, both dead. ^[3]

Thomas was variously described as a labourer and a miner. He married Margaret Wignall on 21 Oct 1871 at Adelong, NSW. ^[4]

When Thomas and Margaret had their first daughter, Ellen Louisa in 1875, Mrs Robert Veitch was present at the birth. ^[5]

Margaret died in 1884, and Thomas, soon after, on 10 Aug 1885 at Grahamstown in New South Wales of congestion of the lungs & exhaustion from rupture of large blood vessel in lungs. He was buried on 11 Aug 1885 in Adelong. On his death record, his father was named as Robert Veitch. ^[6]

Research Notes

As no record of Thomas's birth or marriage of his parents has been located, the research about Thomas's origins has been difficult, and at this stage his parents remain uncertain/unconfirmed.

However, the key additional source is two photos, passed down through the family and designated by Ellen Veitch, the daughter of Thomas, respectively as her father's father and father's mother. These have been confirmed as photos of Robert Veitch and Alice Landells, Thomas's step-mother.

This has enabled identification of other family members, namely, his father's brother Thomas Veitch in the 1851 census and on the 'David McIver' with him when he travelled to Australia, and Robert Niven, the brother of his grandmother. The Jane Veitch that Thomas was living with in the 1841 census has not been identified, but was probably his mother, and the Jane Thomson in the 1851 census is also unknown, although may have been Jane Tweedie, wife of Thomas Veitch, recorded with the incorrect surname.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Scottish General Register Office: 1851 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5903d8e2e9379091b1fd2be6 : viewed 2 Oct 2020), Thomas VITCH in household of Robt NIVEN, Allanfield, St Cuthbert's, Midlothian, Scotland; from 1851 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives /685, Folio 694, Page 1, Schedule 2, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
2. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a15175bf4040b9d6e2333b7 : viewed 2 Oct 2020), Thomas VEITCH in household of Thomas VEITCH, Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland; from 1841 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives HO 107/3, Folio 3, Page , Schedule Kevock Mills, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood New South Wales, Australia; Persons on bounty ships to Sydney, Newcastle, and Moreton Bay (Board's Immigrant Lists); Series: 5317; Reel: 2463; Item: [4/4923]. Image accessed at Ancestry.com. Image
4. ↑ Marriage: NSW Marriage Certificate. 2397/1871. Available from http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au.
5. ↑ NSW Birth certificate. Ellen Louisa Veitch. 12455/1875. Adelong.
6. ↑ Death: NSW Death Certificate. 14674/1885. Available from http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au.

• Family History publication: Walter, P., The Walter Family History, 1992 Sydney, NSW, Australia. Copy held by Gillian Thomas

• 1880 'WARDEN'S COURT.', The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), 15 October, p. 2. , viewed 23 Sep 2022, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127638967