I have an Eliza Frost who married Thomas Keep on the 19th June 1848 at Wootton, Bedfordshire,England. Eliza Frost was a milliner.The NSW BDM online index shows her parents were Henry Frost and Mary. However, there is Eliza Frost, daughter of Henry & Elizabeth Frost, who was christened 11th February, 1827 at Mildenhall.
Thomas and Eliza Keep arrived in Sydney on the 28th December, 1848 onboard the Walmer Castle. The shipping lists show that Thomas was 24 years old and Eliza was 21 (giving an est. DOB of 1827). Thomas came from Newport Pagnell, in Buckinghamshire and Eliza came from "Midan Hall" in Suffolk.
From Sydney, they moved to Casino in Northern NSW where Thomas became a trooper.
I've pasted these notes in from my files:
Son Joseph Kidnapped By Aborigines
When their son, Joseph, died in 1927, a terrifying tale emerged where he had been kidnapped by aborigines from Roseberry near Casino while his father was away transporting prisoners to Sydney. It is difficult to imagine his mother’s terror enduring this anguish with her husband away and seemingly extremely isolated with no one to help her.
Kyogle Examiner (NSW : 1912; 1914 - 1915; 1917 - 1954), Tuesday 31 May 1927, page 2
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Five Weeks in Blacks Gamp
ex-casino boy's experience
Stolen when a boy from his home at Kyogle by Roseberry blacks, Mr. Joseph Keep died at Kogarah (Sydney) on May 11. He had conducted a butchering business at Kogarah for the past 31 years. The late Mr. Joseph Keep (cousin of Mr. George Keep, Casino) was a son of the late Mr. Thomas Keep, first police constable to be stationed at Casino, and; afterwards appointed lock-up keeper, the lockup comprising an old slab hut. erected on the. site of Mr. G. K. Imeson's present home. Constable Thomas Keep, was also in charge at Kyogle at about this period, and it was while in residence there that the kidnapping of his young son by the blacks took place. Mrs. Keep was in the habit of engaging a black gin to do her washing, and this gin was blamed for carrying back to her camp the information which led to the kidnapping. Constable Keep was absent at the time, his mission being to escort five prisoners in chains to Sydney. The trip occupied five weeks in a flat-bottomed boat. The blacks took advantage of his absence to raid the home and carry off Master Keep to their camp above Roseberry, where, according to all accounts, he was treated as a little king during his brief but enforced confinement there. Returning from Sydney, Mr. Keep soon learned of his loss and set to work to recover his son from the clutches of the wily blacks. In this adventure he enlisted the co-operation of Constable Thaddeus Walsh, then in charge at Casino, and the pair set out upon an undertaking which, as ex-ents proved, was not to be accomplished without bloodshed. The approach to the blacks' domain was met by a fusillade of spears, and to effect their purpose the approach ing constables found it expedient to bring their firearms into operation. The death of two abos. resulted. Eventually young Keep was rescued and returned to his anxious mother, after having spent five weeks with his new masters. A brother of the late Mr. Joseph Keep (Thomas Keep) was born underneath a bullock waggon at Runny-mede Station when his parents were en route to Wyangarie. He is since deceased. An elder brother, Albert, died and his remains were amongst the very (first to be interred in the Casino cemetery. Undertakers being non.existent, his father made a coffin out of boxes, and in this the remains (were reverently placed for burial. At that time a minister of religion visited Casino from Grafton once a year.
Children:
Name Born Year Married Spouse Died
Mary 1849
Thomas H 1851 1920 St Peters
Joseph 1852 1927
Alfred J 1854 Unrecorded
Lucy 1856
William 1858 Chippendale 1935 Kogarah
Richard 1860 Chippendale 1915 St Peters
Eveline 1861 Chippendale 1862
Julia E 1863 Chippendale 1863
Alice A 1864 Redfern
Florence J 1866 1867
Agnes Eliza 1869 1951
Quite a lengthy reply here but a story worth sharing!
Best wishes,
Rowena
MY profuse apologies for the mistakes in my original entry. Was working too late at night!
