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THOMAS ROBERTS
Thomas
Roberts and his wife Hannah and five children arrived in SA on
the `Sir Charles Forties' in June 1839. Thomas was from
Perran-ar-Worthal in Cornwall. Hannah nee Webb his wife, was
from Penzance. It is believed that Thomas at the age of 16 years
went to Penzance to work as a miner. The Roberts travelled to SA
with Thomas's brother Jonathon and his family.
In July 1839
Thomas purchased Lot 45 Section 1 of the Hundred of Adelaide
from Colonel Light.
The block in Thebarton was sold in 1854.
In 1845
he began working as a miner for the newly formed South
Australian Mining Association. Thomas was engaged to open a
copper lode on Section 5536, the work on the lode only
lasted a month. A year later he was appointed as first
mining Captain of the Burra Burra Copper Mine.. The
Directors Minutes of the SA Mining Association of August
1845 record the following: - "Thomas Roberts to take charge
of the miners for one month and to be paid the usual
Captain's wage of, �3.0.0 per week". Nine miners accompanied
Thomas to Burra, among them his brother Jonathon and son
William. These were the men who mined the first load of
copper ore in the district. Also employed was John Barton
Hack who had taken up the first Special Survey at Hermitage
to cart the first load of tools and stores to the mine and
to return to Adelaide with the first loads of ore.
Roberts was an
experienced miner, his promotion from miner to Captain
filled Cornish custom. With the title came authority,
respect, and a substantial increase in wages. Roberts had
worked underground in the Greenwich mine, a few miles south
of Truro in Cornwall
Thomas was
provided with a cart and two horses to make the 100 mile
journey to the Burra Creek. It is thought that Wesleyan
Methodism arrived in Burra with Captain Roberts and Captain
Deeble.
He remained at
the Burra Burra Mine as Mine Captain for the one month he
was engaged. In November .1846 with the help of his wages he
purchased land at Dry Creek Section 2147 naming his property
Greenwith Farm later changed to Koonowla by his descendants.
He continued to add to the property over the years.
The Greenwith
Primitive Methodist church tools its name from Greenwith
Farm. The church had its origins in a meeting in the home of
the Roberts family. An offer by Thomas son Paul of half an
acre of land was put forward at the meeting. Hannah was
asked to lay the foundation stone of the Primitive
Methodists Church on 9th June 1863.
He was
interested in local affairs and was councillor in 1 856
-1857.
Thomas and
Hannah had twelve children the first 5 were born before
coming to South Australia.
William b.1828
2.1904 married Sarah Smith. Had twelve children.
John
b.1830 d.1917. Married Jane Gilmour had 9 children.
James
b.1832 d.1899 Married Agnes Smart of Craiglea
Golden Grove. 8 children.
Elizabeth Ann b.1834 d.1917 Married Robert
Smart, l l children.
Hannah
b.1837 d.1875 married George Fidock, 6children.
Paul
b.1841 d 1903 married Mary Ann Watson, had 7 children.
Jane
b.1843 d.1923 married Charles Fleeting Smart lived at
Ardtornish Farm, Modbury. 11 children.
Emmanuel
b.1845
married Elizabeth Foulis of Daisy Banks, Modbury, had 8
children.
Rosinna
b.1847 d.1919 married Edward Stevens in Greenwith Primitive
Methodist Church in 1886.The first wedding
officiated in the Church, they had 14 children.
Thomas
b.1848 killed 1869. He was engaged to Elizabeth Jane Gilmour
of TTG. Thomas was killed after being thrown from his horse
whilst returning home from visiting his sweetheart. Buried
at GG Cemetery. Elizabeth Gilmour the following year married
John Roberts, second son of Thomas and Hannah.
Henry
b.1851 d.1919. Married Rebecca Carter, 7
children. Charles b.1854 4.1881. Buried at GG Cemetery..
Thomas died on 22nd March 1857 of Asthma. The
whereabouts of his grave is unknown, (believed to be in
Golden Grove cemetery) Hannah
continued to live at Greenwith Farm with her young children
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