Captain Thomas Farrell, partner of Emma, "Queen of New Guinea"

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

The Canberra Times, 11th Jan 1993, page 26.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126968462?searchTerm=

The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday, 19th September 1953, page 7.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18385711?searchTerm=

Gerry

[Diane Packer]

Thomas was my great, great uncle. His parents were Bryan and Margaret Farrell. He was born 21 November 1837 in England. Bryan was in the British Army and that's where they were at the time. I can give a fair amount about the family history depending on what you want to know.

As a soldier, Bryan was posted to Tasmania on garrison duty. The family came too. He was sent back to England, discharged and then went to New Zealand (Howick) as a Fencible. The family then came to Victoria, Australia.

Ask and I'll answer what I can. I do have documents.

[Diane Packer]

I did reply and my message seems to have been lost. He is my GG Uncle so I have quite a bit of family history

[Anchor425]

Hi Diane
I am extremely delighted that someone from Tom's family has thrown some light on his background.
I have many questions but could I start by asking when his parents came out to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) and when did they migrate to NZ?   With the surname "Farrell", presumably they were Irish, so it would be interesting to know what part of Ireland that they came from originally. Did Tom have a family of his own before he sailed off to Samoa?
Kevin 

[Diane Packer]

Bryan Farrell was born 1806 in Roscommon, Ireland. He joined the 51st Regiment of Foot when he was 18. I have his attestation papers. Margaret Campbell was born 1819 in County Down. They married about 1836-1837 - there are 4 different dates in their papers. Thomas was the first born b 21 Nov 1837, baptised 24 Dec Chatham. Bryan was sent to Tasmania 11/10/1939 (so Thomas was just a little kid.) They were briefly in Sydney as the next child Augustus William was baptised there 1839. Bryan was stationed at Port Arthur and on the Tasman peninsular. Pay records etc are available in the Tasmanian Archives. In 1845, the Regiment was being sent to India and medically Bryan was deemed not fit. He was sent back to England after 5 years and 113 days in Tasmania. He was listed with the Chelsea pensioners and was discharged 15th August 1845. He was one of those who joined the Fencibles and they travelled to New Zealand on the Minerva arriving Auckland 8th October 1847. Family by this stage was Bryan, Margaret, Thomas, Agnes, Margaret and Henry. They were at Howick. My g.grandfather Edward William was born there 21 Aug 1857. I have Margaret and the younger children, Edward, Margaret, Annie, Henry, Charles and James - Agnes by this time married also travelled with her husband - travelling to Australia on the Breadalbane in 1859, so presumably Bryan had gone ahead. Bryan took up land at Dean in Victoria. Not sure when Thomas actually arrived, but he was present at his sister Margaret's wedding in 1861. Shipping records show him backwards and forwards as you might be aware. Certainly he had his ship 'Vision' in 1876. I have never been able to settle the question of whether Tom married here in Australia (or NZ for that matter). There are several possibilities based on name, some I have been able to exclude, but I would have to purchase certificates to be sure. Yes, Thomas did die 6 March 1888 and is buried at Rookwood. His death certificate is not much help. I would dearly like to see a photo of Thomas if any-one has one. I have photos of Edward and Charles, but that is all.

Nice to be in touch with someone else who is interested. 

[Anchor425]

  Hello Diane

Many thanks for all the info.  It will take some time to digest.

I regret I have not come across a photo of Tom.   From what I have read, he died of tuberculosis and left his NG property to his defacto spouse, Emma, but he may have had property in Australia &/or NZ and his will could provide evidence of immediate family.  Tom was a big man with a red beard (R.W. Robson, “Queen Emma”, first published 1965).

My first foray into family history was in my youth after reading an article in an Australian magazine about Tom & Emma, as a result of which I wrote to the editor asking for info about Tom's background, to see if we were related; I received no reply.  Later in life (in the 1970's), I worked in NG for nine years, when my interest in Tom& Emma was rekindled.  In Nov 2016, my wife & I enjoyed a P&O cruise to PNG which included sailing into the flooded caldera of Garove Island (where Emma had a plantation) & a shore excursion to the former site of her residence & plantation at Ralum, Kokopo, the only remnants of which are concrete steps & coconut trees near the golf course.   It is a very attractive place.

I dont think our families are related.   Do you have a family tree on Ancestry or some other family history site?  I have one on Geni, the basic site being free, but sometime ago I upgraded by subscribing to Gen Pro.   My forebears, John (b. ca 1807) & Catherine (b, ca 1810) Farrell (plus daughter Mary Ann), from N. Kildare arrived in NSW 10 March 1839 on "Susan".   

One never knows when, out of the blue, someone new will come up with information that opens up a path that previously was considered to be a dead-end !

Kind regards
Kevin

 

[Diane Packer]

Hello Kevin,

Yes I do have an Ancestry tree. It's Diane's Family Tree. It's a public tree, so easy to look at. You can see the photos of his two brothers. By the way, red hair seems to run through the family. I don't have copies of all certificates etc posted on there, but a rough rule of thumb is that if I have an exact date, I have documentation.

I'll have a look at your tree.

When I was in Ireland (2015) I went to Ballintober and Ash Park in Roscommon, because according to Bryan's army records and the NZ Fencible records that's where he was from. Now Ash Park is tiny. I spoke with a John Farrell who doubted that Bryan was from there as all of their family was Catholic and according to Fencible records etc, Bryan was Protestant. Who knows.

Diane

[Anchor425]

Diane

I cant access your FT without subscribing to Ancestry but I should be able to do so at the public library, later in the week.

My line of Farrells are RC but no doubt some Farrells converted.   It may have been easier in the British Army to be Anglican/Church of Ireland, rather than RC.   I think St. Mary the Virgin, Chatham, Kent where Thomas was baptized is/was CoE but it appears that it is no longer a functioning church.

Thomas had a solicitor managing his estate as this was found on Trove:

Bathurst Free Press & Mining Journal  20 Mar 1888
In the Estate of Thomas Farrell,
Late of New Britain, Trader, deceased.
ALL CLAIMS against the above Estate should be rendered on or before TUESDAY, 20th March, 1888, to the Executors, care E. W. MOLESWORTH, 18, Loftus-street, Sydney.[/i]

There may be a copy of the will in an archive in Sydney, eg State Records, NSW or or in the Mitchell Library, but online search of http://search.findmypast.com.au/results/australia-and-new-zealand-records/new-south-wales-will-books-1800-1952 gives no result.

I have yet to see a copy of the book "Thirty Years in the South Seas" by Richard Parkinson, Emma's brother-in-law, who is said to be the first coconut planter in NG.   Possibly, it could contain a photo of Tom.  Another possible source is "Wanderings in a Wild Country" by Wilfred Powell.

Most of the recorded history I have seen is about Emma, but I believe she would not achieved such success without the partnership, love and support of Thomas, a brave and resourceful man, in the seven or so years that they were together, which was the period of establishment and development of trading and plantations in the wilds of NG. 

Kevin

[Diane Packer]

Depending on where you live, go to your local genealogical society. Most would have Ancestry access. AIGS at Blackburn does.

That Thirty Years in the South Pacific is available on line, so do a search. I obtained a copy in this way. It's very good.

Diane