Thomas Spencer b.1816 Arklow

[kelbray]

I am looking for information on Thomas Spencer b.1816 Arklow, Wicklow Co.

Thomas married Mary Sharp in 1840 and they sailed to Sydney, Australia on the SS China in 1841. Shipping manifest describes him as a farm labourer and her as a dairy maid.
Spencer told a newspaper in Sydney that both his parents were dead.
It has been reported that he had brothers Edward and John but the information source is not good
Any info about Thomas' parents or siblings would be appreciated.

[spencer_clan]

Hi,

Thomas Snr Spencer b. 1816 d. 1888 moved to Australia. He married Mary Ann Stark, and had 10 children. I am a descendent of him. (g-g-grandson). I can send you more information. Are you a descendent as well?

Cheers

[shanew147]

Unfortunately it looks like none of the parish records for Arklow go back far enough to include a baptism for Thomas - RC baptism records are available back to 1817, and Church of Ireland only to 1871. I had a quick look at the index on RootsIreland but the only Thomas Spencer baptism I see in County Wicklow is in 1896.

There are several public trees on Ancestry that look to be connected and several mention parent names as Thomas and Eliza/Esther ne้ Loughgran, but none of these seem to mention a source.



Shane

[kelbray]

I'm definitely a relative (Thomas - Matthew - Stanley - Wallace - David (me)).Thomas' marriage in 1840 to Mary Sharp or Stark is about as far back as it goes. Shipping manifest says Sharp so I have stuck to that.
The Spencer tree in Ancestry is pretty solid with most names and dates confirmed by various records. Nearly got lost chasing another Spencer line out of Muswellbrook (NSW) that is not related at all.

We have an account of a Paul Spencer that arrived in Melbourne in 1838 and had a father called Thomas and was out of Arklow. That's about it.

I would be glad to share what additional info you may have. Direct contact (*).
Cheers

(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy,
to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.

New members must make at least three postings before being allowed to use the PM facility.
See Help-Page:  http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php

[kelbray]

Shane,
Thanks for info. Paul Spencer from Arklow came to Australia in 1838 and cited his father as Thomas Spencer and mother as a (nee)Loughran. Maybe the same parents as my relative (Thomas Spencer b.1816).

Another puzzle; how would Thomas Spencer and his wife Mary Sharp (or Stark) learn to read and write as stated on the immigration documents when they listed themselves as farm labourer and dairy maid. In 1840 not many people would have had the opportunity to read and write unless they came from a wealthy background. Something does not seem correct. If they came from wealth, they should be easier to track but this does not seem to be the case.
Cheers

[shanew147]

According to this website (on Rootsweb) literacy in Co. Wicklow was about 37% just before (c1841) the time of the the great famine - so maybe not so unusual that Thomas and Mary could read and write.


Shane

[spencer_clan]

I'm definitely a relative (Thomas - Matthew - Stanley - Wallace - David (me)).Thomas' marriage in 1840 to Mary Sharp or Stark is about as far back as it goes. Shipping manifest says Sharp so I have stuck to that.
The Spencer tree in Ancestry is pretty solid with most names and dates confirmed by various records. Nearly got lost chasing another Spencer line out of Muswellbrook (NSW) that is not related at all.

We have an account of a Paul Spencer that arrived in Melbourne in 1838 and had a father called Thomas and was out of Arklow. That's about it.

I would be glad to share what additional info you may have. Direct contact (*).
Cheers

(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy,
to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.

New members must make at least three postings before being allowed to use the PM facility.
See Help-Page:  http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php

Hi David,

we are apparently second cousins.

Thomas-Matthew-Aubrey-Donald-Ian(me).

My first cousin (Leigh) has been documenting a lot of stuff. All my material is basically from him. I believe some of this information was compiled while Aubrey was still alive. I know another cousin Christine did some work then. According to his records, Thomas Spencer married Mary Ann Stark in Ireland (date unknown). He moved to Muswellbrook in NSW where he died in 1888. There is a gravestone with his and Mary Ann's names on it.

Loughgran is a very unusual name, of which there are precious little hits on the net. There aren't that many Spencer's left in Wicklow area either. One bookshop if I recall correctly.

I do not have an account for ancestry.com. Is it worth joining? Is there much information on it. I'd like to get my cousin Leigh's stuff on there, he's not getting any younger.

cheers

Ian

[spencer_clan]

@David,

do you have some place online, where your information is available?

cheers

ian

[spencer_clan]

And here is another second cousin, who I have not yet contacted.....

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/p/e/Therese-Spencer/tree1.html

cheers