Thomas Tolhurst b1777 Maidstone Kent maybe.

[LeighR]

Thomas was in the 20th Light Dragoons he transferred to the New South Wales Corps in 1796 where he changed his name to Thomas Tollis in 1799, I am guessing that the Kentish pronunciation of his name was the driver for the change in spelling. There are, as I am sure you are aware, numerous Tolhursts in Kent. The local Kentish manner of pronunciation could easily be heard as Tollis. The following details start from the Thomas Tollis a mason by trade who enlisted in the army at Maidstone, Kent on 12 January 1796 as a Private in the 20th Light Dragoons. He arrived at Port Jackson on the Ganges on 2 June 1797.Thomas Tollis was born C 1777 presumably in Kent and died 25 July 1821.TT had a relationship, apparently de facto, with a convict named Elizabeth ‎(Betty)‎ Atkinson who was born c 1760 at Manchester and who arrived together with 96 female convicts on the Brittania on 18 July 1798 and seems to have died in Sydney c1806.. Betty was 38 years old and had been convicted of a minor felony for which she was sentenced to transportation to NSW for seven years. This relationship produced one daughter named Elizabeth born c 1797 died in New Zealand on 25 March 1867. Corporal Thomas Tollis then met and subsequently married Ann Waters on 26 May 1812. Ann Waters was born in Scotland c 1785 and died 13 April 1821.They had several children including Thomas born c 1808 died at Alexandria on 2 August 1880 and Harriot‎(t)‎ born 18 June 1810 died pre 1832 married James Tierney 29 November 1824 - both of these children appear to have been born before Thomas and Ann were permitted to marry. Then followed Ann born 1 March 1814 died ?? she married George Hely in 1831 and also George Grierson ‎(or was this Gray?)‎ c 1840, Samuel born 8 February 1816, Nathaniel born 16 May 1818 died 24 May 1860 ‎(or should this be 1863?)‎ and married Sophia Walford on 14 May 1836. Sophia was born c 1820 and died c 1905 ‎(as Upton?)‎ but stated as 19 March 1890 per Enid Bohlson ?, and Eliza who was born c 1821 and died 23 April 1821 close to the deaths of both her parents, now after all that i am looking for his birth parents, can you help, my online searches for Thomas Tolhurst have been fruitless so far although i did find a baptism in 8th Dec 1776 with parents Thomas Tolhurst and Alice in Kenardington Kent the only one in the entire UK and a marriage for Thomas Tolhurst and Alice Ditton 1st Oct 1770 which seems to work but hard to prove without a stronger link.

[bearkat]

There was also a baptism for Thomas TOLHURST to Samuel & Elizabeth 1st October 1775 at Sandhurst.

Try looking for a marriage locally for these 2 Thomas' to see if you can eliminate them.

added: both these parishes are included on the Mid Kent Marriages Index

https://www.woodchurchancestry.org.uk/midkentmarriages/index.php