| Notes |
- Robert Thomson was the second eldest of the six children of David Thomson (IV) and Anne Fowle. They were married in Teston, Kent, on 17 September, 1791.
Had 12 children:-
Charles Leddiard Thomson 1814
Marianne Amelia Thomson 6 December 1815
David Thomson 24 December 1816
Eleanor Frances 20 October 1817
Alfred 1818
Adelaide 7 July 1819
Henry 1820
Laura Morland 6 January 1822
Francis George 1825
Isabella 1826
Robert 1827
Horace 1828
Robert Thomson brought his family to Western Australia in 1829, most of them in the "Atwick". He brought about £2,400 worth of goods and equipment, and selected 1100 acres on the Swan River at Bassendean. He later moved to Rottnest Island, where he lived until 1838, and then returned to the mainland when the island was turned into an Aboriginal penal settlement.
Thomson died at Kangaroo Island, South Australia on 11 January, 1865, while visiting relatives.
http://members.fortunecity.com/78blencowest/rthomson.htm
Peter Mitchell (email: peter_m-at-amnet.net.au) has written a short biography of Robert and Caroline Thomson, which remains unpublished. It is intended to make this available on the Net at some later date.
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http://trees.ancestry.com.au/tree/31904135/person/18145051009/
Robert Thomson held the position of Master-of-Hounds on the Estate of a Scottish nobleman named Lediard. Thomson fell in love with Lediard's beautiful daughter, lady Caroline, & the pair eloped, marrying at Gretna Green'..........
So begins the romantic & somewhat fanciful tale that has been woven into the story of the Thomsons of early Rottnest over the years. This has been embellished in books such as 'Rottnest Its Tragedy & its Glory' so that it is difficult to separate family hearsay from facts which can be verified in official records & correspondence.
Even the Dictionary of West Australians suggests that Thomson was the younger son of Lord Thomson of "Eskdale", Tweed-dale, Scotland.
An American, Thomas Payne, has traced the Thomson ancestry back to William Thomson from Mid-Lothian,Scotland in the 17th Century. For several generations they were salt merchants.
Robert's father, David was born in Prestonpans, Mid-Lothian, east of Edinburgh. His father, David was the last of the salt merchants, however it seems that the Scottish connection is somewhat distant as Robert Thomason, his brother & sister and his children where all born in Teston, Kent, near Maidstone.
Robert's father, David Thomsson, was stewart of the Earl of Gainsborought's Barham Court Estate in Kent. He marreid Anne Fowle, dtr of John and Mary nee Knight of Yalding at the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul, Teston. Robert was born on the 2nd Jan 1792 and bapt at the same church two years later. Most of his children were also bapt there.
Caroline born 12 June 1787 was the third child of Thomas and Ann Leddiard (nee Parker) who lived in St. Antholm's parish in the 'old city' of London near St. Paul's Cthedral. She was bapt. at St. Antholm's the same place her bans where called.
Thomas Leddiard, merchant of London, owned property in Tenton, Kent & Robert Thomson, a yeoman farmer, was said to be Huntsman Master of his pack of fox hounds. Robert was a few years younger than Caroline. Could this have been the reason that the marriage was not favoured?
In the event, Robert & Caroline were married in the fashionable parish of St. James in Piccadilly on December 28th, 1813 so they could hardly have eloped. Twelve children (7 sons & 5 daughters) were born between 1814 & 1829. When the Thomsons embarked for the Swan River Colony, second son, David, stayed in Kent. Three daughters also stayed with relations but in 1831 sailed to join their parents, just before they settled on Rottnest. The story of this venture is well recorded from official files & letters. Several of the next generation are known to have travelled to other states.
Thanks must go to Kent Acott & Margaret Findlay as well as Thomas Payne for sorting out this line of the family.
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1794 - 1865 (70 years)
Has no ancestors but more than 100 descendants in this family tree.
1787 - 1863 (76 years)
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