Thomas Barker

1

Chris Nolan on 26th November 2011

Thomas was the son of Abraham Thomas Barker b Feb 1813 Bethnal Green and Elizabeth Frances Cushion b 9 July 1813 Shoreditch, Middlesex, England. He was the third of ten children. Thomas married Mary Ann Lowe 5 Sept 1864 at St Philip, Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England. They had one daughter Mary Ann Elizabeth b 21 July 1866 at Middlesex, England. Mary Ann and daughter can be found living at 24 Duke St in the 1871 census under the mother's maiden name of Lowe. Thomas was convicted at Surrey. The outcome being Adjourned General Quarter Sessions Newington for a term of 10 years. Thomas left England on 6 April 1867 as a convict from England to Western Australia on the ship Norwood. This 849 ton ship was built in Sunderland in 1854 and although [Bateson] agrees that it was employed twice as a convict transport for Western Australia, he claimed that this voyage's ship was only 786 tons. All accounts agree that on this second voyage she left Portland, England on April 18, 1867 bound for the Swan River Colony and carried the thirty sixth of 37 shipments of male convicts destined for Western Australia. The voyage took 86 days and the Norwood arrived in Fremantle on July 13, 1867 with 81 passengers and 253 convicts [Erickson]. Frank Bristow and W.M. Saunders were the captain and surgeon respectively. (see this reference for further information - http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/ convicts/con-wa41.html). He is listed as Barker, Thomas Registration Number 9385, sentence of 10yrs, aged 29, tried at Newington on 02 01 1866 for House breaking. Thomas settled in the Perth area and married Harriet M Burton. Her obituary as follows from newspaper article in West Australian (trove.nla.gov.au). The funeral of another old colonist took place on Friday morning in the person of - Mrs. H. M. Barker, wife of Mr. Thomas Barker, aged 69 years. The deceased lady was born at Brighton, England, and arrived ia this State in 1863 by the sailing ship Bur lington. She was then 20 years of age. The deceased leaves a grown-up family of four sons and two daughters and 20 grand. children. The cortege, which was a long one, moved from the residence of her daughter, Mrs. E. J. Burgess, 97 Edward-street, East Perth, mind proceeded to the Methodist Cemetery at East Perth, where the remains were laid in the family grave, the Rev. Thos. Allan conducting the burial ceremony. The chief mourners were Messrs. William, Thomas, John, and George Barker (sons), Mrs. E. J. Burgess and Mrs. H. K. Benneti (daughters), Mesdames William, Thomas, John; and George Barker (daughters-in-law), Mr. E. J. Burgess and Mr. H. K Bennett (sons-in-law), Mr. E. J. Burgess; jun., and Mr. L. Burgess (grandsons), and Miss Queenie Burgess (granddaughter). The pall bearers were Messrs. M. McArdle, T. Latti more, M. J. Walsh, H. Palmer, J. , W. Auckett, and E. Mews. A large number of wreaths and floral tributes were received, including a handsome domed wreath from the employees at the G.P.O. The funeral arrangements were in the hands of Messrs. Bowra and O'Dea. Information obtained from census records (Ancestry.com; Trove - nla.gov.au; Perth DPS and convictrecords.com.au).