John THOMSON
| First name | John |
|---|---|
| Last name | THOMSON |
| Country of Origin | Ireland |
| Date of Birth | 1810 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1852 |
| Submitted by | Jill SMITH |
Story
John Thom(p)son, was the son of John Thomson and his wife, Nancy, who had eloped from Glasgow, Scotland, about 1809, taking up a small plot of land in the townland of Liswatty. The family belonged to the Presbyterian congregation in Ballyrashane, with son, John, becoming superintendent of the Ballyvelton Upper sunday school in 1833 and then schoolmaster at the National School in Ballyrashane in 1837. His career and income fluctuated over the years as the school grew, becoming a District Agricultural School after the donation of land by a local landowner, Hugh Lyle.
About 1832 John married Anna Bella McGrath, daughter of farmer William McGrath of Ballyvelton and his wife Anne Bella Liton (or Leighton). Twins, Elizabeth & John, were born in 1834, followed by Nancy 1836, William 1838, Matilda 1841, Annabella 1843, Hugh Bellas 1846, Ellen Mary 1848 and James 1850. The school farmland was unsatisfactory bogland one mile from the school, so unsuited for growing crops successfully. After several critical reports, eventually the Agricultural Inspector in 1850 recommended the loss of the school’s agricultural status, and with it John’s extra allowances. Now with a large family, John was in financial difficulties, and resorted to misappropriation of funds of £3 from sale of school books. In danger of dismissal in Jan 1852, and probable prosecution, John was saved by the repayment of the money, probably through a farmer friend, Hugh Bellas, and he resigned his post in Dec 1851.
About this time, a representative of the Victorian Government was holding public meetings in the area to encourage migration to Australia of suitable labourers “of the class of Mechanics and Handicraftsmen, Agricultural Labourers, or Domestic Servants.” John Thomson applied for assisted passage as an agricultural labourer, and by lowering the ages of himself and wife, was accepted.
John, his wife and nine children were assisted financially by friend, Hugh Bellas, to travel to England from Belfast, where they embarked on the ship “Wanata” at Liverpool on 10 Jun 1852 with 1841 other passengers. Shortly after leaving a typhoid-like fever broke out and quickly spread throughout the ship. Between Jun 13 and Sep 739 persons had died, both adults and children, including 2 year old James Thomson. The ship was quarantined after arrival in Hobson’s Bay, Victoria on Sep 17, a further 13 persons dying while in quarantine. As this was the fourth large emigrant ship to arrive from Liverpool under the Victorian Government Scheme with a high death toll, an official enquiry followed which blamed the emigration authorities in England for allowing such overcrowding on the ships and the poor health conditions overall. Although “Wanata” was a new ship, it was overcrowded with insufficient space for provisions and fresh water. It was found that the water supplies were contaminated, toilet facilities were inadequate for the large number on board, ventilation was poor and the hospital accommodation on board was inadequate to cope with the large numbers of patients.
All surviving passengers were allowed on shore on Oct 4. The three eldest Thomson children, John, Elizabeth and Nancy, soon found employment with local families around Melbourne. As accommodation in the town was scarce and expensive, the rest of the family, like so many others, camped south of the river Yarra in “Canvas Town”, tents rented from the Government for a few shillings per week. John obtained work as a labourer at an exciting time in Melbourne’s history, with the population increasing rapidly. The first railway in Australia was built from Melbourne to Sandridge, and new suburbs were established at Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond. The family moved to Fitzroy, all the children found work, and most married and settled in Fitzroy and Richmond, areas close to the city.