Thomas Skelton

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D Wong on 3rd December 2016

Thomas was born to William and Fanny Skelton in Barnetby-le-Wold, Lincolnshire. Married to Sarah, they had 4 children at the time of his transportation. He was listed as on the Warrior Convict Hulk, and was described as 5'7" tall, hazel eyes, brown hair, sallow complexion could read and write. Assigned to the George Armytage on arrival in VDL. (Armytage had extensive land holding in the Geelong area in Victoria). Thomas worked on this property for 5 years before George Armytage moved to Victoria. 18/11/1850: Departed Launceston for Port Phillip on the “Shamrock”, recorded as “Free by servitude”. Upon arriving in Port Phillip Thomas began work at Ingleby which was one of George Armytage’s numerous properties in Victoria. 15/6/1853: Married Charlotte Richards (Charlotte was 23 years old, arrived as an assisted immigrant on the 'British Empire; in March 1853) they had 10- children and lived in the Colac, Mount Moriac and Mt Duneed areas around Geelong. In 1871 when his last son, Richard was 3 months old Thomas committed suicide. An inquest was held into his death and Charlotte his wife submitted: Thursday evening about seven o’clock my little girl went to meet deceased who was returning from Birregurra, met him about a hundred yards from the hut, when he said he had lost his swag. The child came and told me that her father had lost his swag and I sent her back to see if he could find it. He then came home, and said he lost his swag, and asked me where the strychnine was. I would not tell him. He then searched for it, and got it in a box. The strychnine has been in the house for eighteen months. I don’t know how much was in the bottle. He appeared very excited when he came in and his eyes were starry [photocopy is missing] of his hand and swallowed it. I thought he had not taken it but had thrown it down on the floor. I took the bottle and threw it into the fire. He then took a cup of tea, and eat a potato. About ten minutes after he was taken ill and died. He had convulsions before he died. He threatened once before that he would take strychnine. He has been complaining of headaches, and pain in the chest. The swag contained a few groceries, and has since been found. When he went to the township, he used to drink. He was excitable when he drank.. Charlotte did not remarry and died in 1900 aged 72 at Deans Marsh. 2/3/1871 The Brisbane Courier: Intercolonial News - Victoria: Australian Bush Life -A mournful spectacle was presented at the inquest on the man Thomas Skelton, who poisoned himself at Murron lately. The residence of the family is some twelve miles from Birregurra, in the very centre of the bush, and situated in a valley, a considerable distance from any other habitation. The building where the parents and seven children were huddled together, is a slab hut of only one room, with no chimney, and here eight persons dragged on a dreary existence, away from the society of other human beings. The jury were unable to find admittance to the house, and there being a large log outside, this was brought into requisition for the purposes of the inquest. During the time the evidence was being taken, the stench from the body of the unfortunate man was almost unbearable, and the day being extremely warm, the piercing rays of the sun rendered the holding of the inquest a very great difficulty. The wife of the deceased also is almost totally deaf, and this considerably delayed matters, while during the time she was giving her evidence a baby in arms was piteously screaming. As a specimen of Australian bush life (says the Colac Observer), the whole scene was heartrending.