Thomas Read

2

Clarke Whitehand on 13th July 2025

Thomas Griggs Read, a farm labourer (“a ploughman, able to reap grain, milk cows and plant and pole hops”) was a casualty of harsh times in southern England during 1830. Thomas had married Elizabeth (nee Marsh) in Wingham, Kent, in March, 1829. During the following 12 months the couple were confronted with significant cost of living impacts that occurred across the agricultural workforce. The 1929 nationwide recession and deflation, low wages, tithes, low Poor Law payments and (3) successive poor grain harvests (that resulted in less available work) had combined to create a caste of impoverished agricultural workers. Then, during the Summer (June - August) of 1830, rich tenant farmers introduced grain threshing machines, which significantly reduced the amount of manual labour required for separating grain from stalks. The result was widespread unemployment among agricultural workers. The threshing machines concerned, consisted of a sturdy wooden frame, which housed a swinging mechanism that held the cereal stalks. The machines were driven by harnessed horses. Worker protests, against use of the machines, began during the Autumn of 1830. The protests escalated into rioting and to the destruction of threshing machines, the first of which occurred in the Elham Valley (only about 8 miles from Wingham) East Kent during August, 1830. Protestors who had participated in the destruction of the machines, were arrested. On 23/24 October there was a trial in Canterbury of the first protestors accused of breaking threshing machines. The sentences apportioned were lenient and designed to offer a deterrent to further such activity. On the evening of 25/26 October, 1830, Thomas Read was one of about 200 of farm labourers who assembled near Sarah Matson’s farm, about 700 metres north of Wingham township (the Matson’s were known to have acquired a threshing machine). The labourers had met to protest the loss of work and income caused by the use of threshing machines. The leader of the group was an anonymous man dressed in a white hat – such riot leaders subsequently became known as “Captain Swing” (a symbolic figure, named after the swinging mechanism of the threshing machines). Thus began the notorious “Swing Riots” of the early 1830’s; the protestors - “Swing Rioters,” also became known as “Machine Breakers,” because they destroyed threshing machines. The protestors at the Matson farm demanded keys to the barn, and when asked why they wanted the keys, said that they intended to destroy the threshing machine that was inside the barn. They said that they were doing the Matson’s a favour, as that would save the barn being destroyed by fire. The protestors were provided with keys and entered the barn. Thomas Read was one of about 6 protestors that overturned the Matson’s threshing machine and broke it into pieces. Thomas was witnessed by two of the Matson family, to have been carrying a hammer and to have participated in breaking their threshing machine. Thomas was also recognised as being part of a mob that destroyed a threshing machine owned by tenant farmer John Sweetlove, of Wingham, later that night. He was arrested on the 26th of October, by military and constabulary officers. On the 25th and 26th of November, 1830, Thomas Read, together with 9 other protestors, appeared before the Eastern Division of the County Court of Kent, at Saint Augustine’s, near Canterbury. The court was chaired by Sir Edward Knatchbull, Baronet, to hear charges relating to the October riots. Thomas’s offence – he was charged “on the oath of Robert Matson, with having, on the twenty-fifth day of October, 1830, at the Parish of Wingham, in this County, feloniously broken and destroyed a threshing machine, the property of Sarah Matson.” Thomas Read was found guilty and was sentenced to be “transported (to Van Diemen’s Land) for life & one day imprisonment.” Thomas’ wife, Elizabeth, was present in court when his sentence was handed down, and fainted on hearing it. Thomas Read’s sentence was greater than those sentences delivered for similar offences at the court sitting of 23/24 October, in light of those sentences not having the desired deterrent effect, and that Thomas had a prior conviction (stealing lead). I must acknowledge the research contributions of author Jill Chambers, in her 2006 editions “Kent Machine Breakers, The story of the 1830 riots;” two volumes, “Volume I: The Riots and Trials,” and “Volume II: The Rioters.” Jill detailed Thomas’ involvement in the riots, his court appearance, his convict record and, after his release from prison, his establishing a new family life on the Australian mainland. Recognition also to author Geoffrey Sharman (1925-2015) (“Swing-rioters under the Southern Cross”) who contributed to Jill Chambers’ 2006 memoir about Thomas, by locating the record of Thomas’s post-release departure from Launceston to Port Phillip colony on the “Lowestoft” on the 15th of August, 1840.

2

Kaye Patterson on 7th June 2025

Thomas READ was born 10 Oct 1805 at Margate, Kent, England, the son of William READ and Hannah IMPETT [England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975, FindMyPast]. He grew up in Wingham, Kent. A newspaper article on 4 Dec 1830, reporting on the East Kent Special sessions where Thomas was sentenced for Machine Breaking, stated that "The prisoner's wife, who had been standing in court the two days of the sessions, fainted on hearing the sentence." [Oxford University and City Herald] There is a marriage record from St Mary the Virgin, Wingham, Kent for Thomas Griggs READ and Elizabeth MARSH, both of Wingham parish, being married by Banns on 28 Mar 1829. Witnesses were Edward READ and Mary Ann READ [Kent Marriages and Banns, Ancestry]. Thomas was transported to Tasmania for Life. He arrived at Hobart Town aboard the convict ship 'Eliza' on 29 May 1831. He served just over six years of his sentence, and received a free pardon on 25 Apr 1837. According to a UTAS thesis by Bruce W Brown the last record for Thomas was for him departing Tasmania for Port Phillip on the 'Lowestoft' in 1840. There is a record for a Robert REED aboard this vessel on 22 Aug 1840 [NAME_INDEXES:599269. Resource: CSO95/1/1 p65. Libraries Tasmania]. Thomas READ [as REID] married Elizabeth BOYLE of 7 Mar 1842 at the Presbyterian Church, Geelong. Elizabeth was the daughter of Robert BOYLE and Elizabeth BRADLEY, and was born at Castlecomer, Kilkenny, Ireland about 1818 (she was baptised on 15 Feb 1818). She arrived in Melbourne on 19 Sep 1841 aboard the 'Forth' age 19, unmarried, housemaid, Roman Catholic. Thomas and Elizabeth's first child, Elizabeth Ann, was born at Geelong on 7 Dec 1842. A further eight children were born in the Geelong/Newtown area between 1844 and 1859. My G Grandmother Maria's birth on 22 Jun 1854 was registered as Muddy Warre (Modewarre). The family eventually moved to the south-western district of Victoria, where Thomas selected land in Tallangatta Parish near Laang.

8

Trevor READ on 21st September 2024

HIS PRISON RECORDS ALSO INDICATE THAT HE HAD BEEN CONVICTED ONCE BEFORE FOR STEALING LEAD ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO (PRIOR TO HIS CHARGES OF MACHINE BREAKING), FOR WHICH HE WAS SENTENCED TO 3 MONTHS AND A WHIPPING, AND HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON IN 1825 (AGED 20). On arrival in Tasmania he would have been taken from the ship to the Hobart Town Prisoners Barracks (which then took up the whole block of Campbell Street between Brisbane and Bathurst Streets - see attached drawing/photos) where he would wait assignment. OCCUPATION WAS CLASSIFIED AS A PLOUGHMAN, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK FOR MR. GEORGE DIXON WHO HAD A PROPERTY IN THE CLYDE VALLEY NOTE: GEORGE DIXON WAS BORN IN 1800 IN DURHAM ENGLAND AND ARRIVED IN TASMANIA WITH HIS BROTHER GEORGE IN 1821. FOR 2 YEARS THEY BOTH WORKED FOR EDWARD LORD, TENDING HIS CATTLE STATION. IN 1823 THEY WERE BOTH GRANTED 100 ACRES OF LAND IN THE VALLEY OF THE RIVER CLYDE, AND IN 1824 THEY BOTH RECEIVED A FURTHER 200 ACRES. IN JULY 1926, GEORGE BOUGHT HIS BROTHER'S LAND AS HIS BROTHER MOVED TO SYDNEY. THOMAS IT SEEMS DID NOT LIKE WORKING. PRISONER RECORDS (Page 57 of 246) SHOW THAT HE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING PUNISHMENTS DURING HIS STAY........... JANUARY 15th. 1834 - INSOLENCE AND GROSS DISRESPECT TO HIS MASTER (GEORGE DIXON). GIVEN HARD LABOUR ON A ROAD PARTY FOR 4 MONTHS. APRIL 9th. 1834 - NEGLECT OF WORK WHILST IN CHAIN GANG. GIVEN 20 LASHES. APRIL 23rd. 1834 - NEGLECT OF WORK. REPRIMAND. APRIL 30th. 1834 - NEGLECT OF WORK. 30 LASHES. MAY 7th. 1834 - NEGLECT OF WORK. 30 LASHES. MAY 21st. 1834 - NEGLECT OF WORK. 30 LASHES. JUNE 16th. 1834 - NEGLECT OF WORK. 1 MONTH HARD LABOUR IN ADDITION TO HIS ORIGINAL SENTENCE. JUNE 23rd. 1834 - DISOBEYING ORDERS. 25 LASHES. JUNE 30th. 1834 - MAKING AWAY WITH HIS PROVISIONS. 25 LASHES. Sent back to George Dixon from the Road Gang DECEMBER 31st. 1834 - NEGLECT OF DUTY. REPRIMAND. APRIL 15th. 1835 - ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE. DISCHARGED. JANUARY 23rd. 1835 - BEING ON W. PATTERSON'S PREMISES WITHOUT LEAVE AND NEAR A HUT WHERE A FELONY HAD BEEN COMMITTED THE PREVIOUS DAY. SEVERLEY REPRIMANDED. HE WAS PARDONED ON 24TH. APRIL 1837 AND LEFT "TASMANIA" FOR "PORT PHILLIP" IN 1840. ON THE 7th. MARCH 1842 HE WAS MARRIED IN GEELONG. MARRIAGE EXTRACT SHOWS SURNAME SPELT "REID". WITNESSES AT HIS WEDDING WERE THOMAS FREEMAN & RICHARD GROVES. SOMETIME AFTER HIS MARRIAGE ( PROBABLY AFTER 1859 AS HIS LAST CHILD WAS BORN IN GEELONG THAT YEAR), THOMAS AND ELIZA MOVED FROM GEELONG TO ALLANSFORD. WHEN HE DIED HE WAS A FARMER. HE DIED ON 21st. SEPTEMBER 1868 WHEN A TREE FELL ON HIM. Registration No. 5473. AT HIS INQUEST INTO HIS DEATH, TWO OF THE WITNESSES WERE BOTH NAMED GEORGE GOLDSTRAW. GEORGE SNR. (BORN 1800, DIED 1870) WAS A TIMBER MERCHANT (HIS SON GEORGE JNR. (BORN 1840, DIED 1870) WAS A FARMER AT NARINGAL). IT IS BELIEVED THAT THOMAS WAS ASSISTING GEORGE WITH HIS BUSINESS AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH. THOMAS'S GRANDSON WILLIAM HENRY READ (1874 - 1916) LATER ON MARRIED GEORGE GOLDSTRAW'S (SNR.) GRANDAUGHTER ELLEN. BURIED IN WARRNAMBOOL CEMETERY ON 23rd. SEPTEMBER 1868 IN THE WESLAYN SECTION ROW 8, GRAVE 34. HE IS BURIED WITH HIS WIFE ELIZABETH AND WILLIAM (WHO IS HIS SON). HIS SON WAS 65 WHEN HE DIED IN 1915.