Hi Carol,
thanks for the newspaper links, they worked fine.
I'll try not to overload the details here but give a summary of what I know and where I have "gaps" to try and confirm if "my" Thomas is the one who ended up in NZ (Thomas Walker was a common name in the area).
I am descended from Eliza Graham Walker, daughter of Thomas and Charlotte, baptised 1828 in Thirsk (from her baptism record). Thomas is my 4x great grandfather.
In 1827 a Thomas Walker was involved in a slightly convoluted illegal game selling incident that led to a much earlier allegation of hay stealing (in 1820) being brought into play. It was for this hay stealing (and a more recent theft of geese) that he was transported to NSW in 1828 only a month after Eliza Graham Walkers baptism in Thirsk.
In the newspaper report of the trial there is mention of Thomas Walker living in Thirsk in 1828 (matches his daughters baptism at this time). He was described as keeping a public house 1 mile from Northallerton in 1820 when the hay stealing took place (using a single horse cart).
Thomas was convicted and transported for 14 years on the Lord Melville arriving NSW in 1829 and granted his Certificate of Freedom in 1843.
In 1835 back home in Yorkshire a petition was raised on behalf of Thomas and this includes some good information / clues:
"For 5 years prior to his marriage in 1819 he was a domestic servant at Thornton-Le-Moor" - Thomas married Charlotte Gregson Graham 22nd May 1819 in North Otterington, very close to Thornton-Le-Moor. Charlotte and Eliza were both in Thornton-Le-Moor on the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census'. Charlotte died there in 1866.
"his three children the oldest of which is not more than 13 years of age, and his wife who is an industrious respectable woman" - Not more than 13yrs old in 1835 would mean his eldest (surviving) child was born around 1822, and Eliza would have probably been the youngest being born just before his transportation. Charlotte was a school mistress.
Charlotte's death certificate 1866 describes her as "wife of Thomas Walker, Coachman". (Wife, not widow as had been used on previous census'. As I've learned on this forum she could be described as a "widow" due to the length of his sentence).
On the Geni page you directed me to Thomas is listed with a lot more children and I believe this may be the due to confusion over two or more Thomas Walker families back in the UK. I also believe there is an alternative birth date and place and set of parents for Thomas (George Walker and Jane Sherwood, Brompton by Northallerton 1789) but until I'm sure this is "my" Thomas Walker in NZ there is no point climbing back up the (potentially incorrect) tree.
I will try and firm up George and John as children of "my" Thomas and Charlotte but their names are very generic. I am given hope however by the fact that Georges daughters, according to this Geni site, are named Jane "Graham" Walker and "Charlotte" Maria Walker (linking back to Charlotte Gregson Graham).
I hope this makes some sense to you. I will contact the Profile Managers on Geni and see if they can shed some light on the movement of Thomas from NSW to NZ with his son John.
If it turns out that your "son in law" Cam and myself are from the same Thomas I would of course send you everything I have on Thomas but won't "spam" you with unnecessary information til things become more clear.
Thanks again and take care
Caroline
