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« on: Saturday 13 February 10 01:33 GMT (UK) »
Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread posted on my behalf by my wife Lynda. The information above is both confusing and fascinating, but on balance it now seems most likely that the Thomas Gledhill who sailed to Oz is not my ancestor although the door doesn't feel completely closed.
...I have at least two Thomas Gledhill's from Dewsbury (my great great grandfather and his father) in my family tree. The younger Thomas Gledhill certainly did not leave Yorkshire and my grandmother and four siblings are present with him (aged 65) in his house on the occasion of the 1911 UK census.
The issue for me is over the disappearance of Thomas Gledhill (senior) who is present with his wife Elizabeth and children living on Dewsbury Moor in the 1841 and 1851 UK census pages, but missing thereafter. Perhaps you can all see how I was attracted to the notion that he might have gone alone to Australia and not the least because he was a coal miner and miners would have been flooding into Bendigo in the 1850's. Found a new wife in Sarah Walker as well.
That said in the last few days I have now found records for five Thomas Gledhill's who died in Dewsbury between the 1851 and 1861 census. ...Seems Thomas Gledhill's were two for a penny in Dewsbury in those days. I have to think that reduces the odds of my Thomas Gledhill having gone to Oz to one in six and that perhaps more likely is that he died down a Dewsbury coal pit. Also the Bendigo Thomas Gledhill was a farmer and indeed someone above has also indicated that he was in the wool trade before he left Dewsbury. In light of this I prefer not to pay for his marriage certificate to Sarah Walker for the time being as someone has suggested. However, I remain intrigued to learn more of the Australian Thomas Gledhill and very much welcome any further insight. ...Would certainly have been interesting to know what it said in his will and unfortunate that unlike his wife Sarah's will it has not been digitised.
Thanks, Pete
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