The Life of Thomas Waters 1829–1913
My 2x Great Grandfather
From Dunton, Bedfordshire to Victoria, Australia
The Waters family lived on the family farm, Newton Bury, just outside the village of Dunton, Bedfordshire, England. Raised on the family farm, Thomas WATERS was the son of Thomas WATERS Snr and Ann IZZARD. At the age of 11, the 1841 census records him living with his parents and siblings at Newton Bury Farm.1
In his early twenties, after years of working on the family farm, Thomas went into the hotel industry, taking over the license of 'The Castle' public house, on Kent Street, London, in January 1851. The 1851 census lists him as the licensee, residing there with his brother William, a visitor, and two servants.2
On 1 March 1852, Thomas married Ruth WINDUST at St. Giles Parish Church in Camberwell, Surrey.3
Shortly after his marriage, Thomas relinquished his public house license in July 1852. By mid-1852, news of the Victorian gold rush was spreading like wildfire, across Britain. The discovery of gold in Australia, in 1851 had sparked a mass migration to Australia. Dreams of possible wealth lured thousands to the southern colonies.
In October 1852, Thomas embarked alone on a journey to Australia aboard the SS Coldstream, arriving in Port Phillip, Melbourne.4 Ruth never travelled to Australia, but in the years after Thomas left England, she was living with her parents. Ruth never remarried, and sadly, later in her life, Ruth was in the poorhouse.
By 1856, Thomas had settled in Strathalbyn, South Australia, working as a bailiff. While living at Strathalbyn, he married Elizabeth Ann COCK on 12 January 1857 at the home of John Wood in Mount Barker, South Australia.5 Elizabeth, born in 1839 in Luxulyan, Cornwall, had emigrated to Australia with her parents,between 1851 and 1856.
The couple welcomed their first son, Thomas William, on 24 September 18576 in Strathalbyn, South Australia.
Death of Second Son7
During the 1850s, at the time of the goldrush, Australia was looked on as a place of promise. For Thomas, as he was trying to start a new life, in a what was a very harsh land at the time, the reality would prove crueler than he ever could have imagined.
After settling for a time in South Australia, Thomas found work as a bailiff and built a modest life with his second wife, Elizabeth Ann Cock. Their first child, Thomas William, was born in 1857. Their second son, George Burton Waters, arrived in June 1859. By 1860, the family made the decision to move to Melbourne, probably to seek better opportunities, and fresh prospects near the Victorian goldfields. But tragedy was soon to follow him.
In a heart wrenching letter, written to his family in Bedfordshire, Thomas told of events that led to the death of his baby son at just nine months old. His words, capture the despair he must have been feeling:
“When I had made up my mind to go to Melbourne, I was going with another married couple, that were fellow servants of mine on a station. It was settled they should sail from Adelaide a week before me, as I could not leave the Court business for a few days...”
The plan was simple. Elizabeth would travel ahead to Melbourne with their friends, while Thomas would follow shortly after. But their plans didn’t work out as they intended. Thomas was delayed due to work, and the boat he intended to catch had already departed by the time he reached Adelaide. This delayed him by a week, as he waited for the next boat to arrive.
“...the family that went to Melbourne with my wife proceeded to Inglewood diggings, and left my wife in Melbourne, for us to follow after them when I arrived.”
By the time Thomas arrived in Melbourne, his world was already collapsing. He found Elizabeth waiting for him, at the railway station, with their youngest son, seriously ill in her arms.
“She had that day paid the last of her money to the Doctor for advice... The Doctor took every farthing from me trying to save the child but all to no avail. The child died...”
Alone in a strange city, surrounded by strangers and swallowed by grief, Thomas was left not only with no connections or support, but also without money to bury his son.
“I was left... Got the child buried without money or friend... obliged to give the Doctor a promissory note for £2 for a certificate of his death before I could get it buried... I managed at last, in a government grave at the Melbourne Cemetery in a pauper’s grave.
Not to be deterred. Thomas continued on.
“In a strange country, strange people, and no money and no work to be got of any kind... with hard struggling, I managed to get as far as Kyneton.….. I walked that in one day, and a person paid my wife’s fare to go by coach. I have remained in Kyneton ever since.”
The 60-mile walk from Melbourne to Kyneton, by horse and cart, through bushland, would have been long and difficult. I can only imagine the heartache and sadness Thomas must have been feeling, alone and grieving, during that journey. He also would have been very worried about his wife.
A New Life in Kyneton
Thomas began to rebuild. He found work, and despite the challenges, started a new life, in Kyneton where he brought up his large family. Elizabeth and Thomas had 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. All children except for one boy, lived to adult hood, which is quite unusual for the times. After all the challenges he faced while seeking a fresh start in a new country, I would say he succeeded in giving his children a good life.
While bringing up the children, Thomas confronted many challenges. On 18 November 1864, he suffered quite a serious accident. While taking a break from work, he was walking past a quarry, where blasting powder was set off. He sustained injuries, that resulted in the loss of sight in his right eye, and an injury to his left hand, that never healed.
This photo was taken after the dynamite accident. Looking carefully, the injury to his left hand can be seen
Thomas was hospitalised until 30 December 1864. Just months later, in June 1865,8 a devastation house fire destroyed the family’s possessions. Up until that time, Thomas had been doing labouring work, but the injuries meant that he returned to book keeping. Once again, Thomas secured employment with a solicitor, George Booker, copying legal documents. He also worked for himself as a Commission Agent.
26 August 1871: Advertisement in 'Kyneton Observer'9
THOMAS WATERS
COMMISSION AGENT
Rent and Debts collected
Distress for Rents and Appraisements Made
Mining Shares bought and Sold
Money Lent on Freehold Security
Office: Opposite Court House
Hutton Street
Kyneton
In December of that year, he received a £100 legacy, from his father’s will. He used this money to purchase land and a small house.
Thomas Waters - The Farmer
Sometime between 1873 and 1876, Thomas and family moved to Rochester. On today’s modern roads, Rochester is about 60km from Kyneton. Thomas leased a section of land which he later purchased.
So, it seems that there was improvement in Thomas’ life circumstances, though I’m sure his life was a life of hard work until the end.
“In his will the land was described as 1 rood 20 perches of freehold land situated at Rochester, County of Rodney, and on which is situated one four roomed weatherboard house.”
Death
Thomas Waters passed away on 28 June 1913, in Rochester, Victoria, at the age of 83. When the family moved to Rochester, he had started farming which he continued until shortly before his death.
His life was very harsh, and at times, he struggled, especially in the early days, to give his family the life he hoped for. However, I’m sure his story mirrors that of many pioneers who came to Australia during the gold rush, hoping to make their fortune and start their lives over.
At the time of his death Thomas’ children had given him 54 grandchildren.
Thomas was buried at Rochester Cemetery, in an unmarked grave.
Obituary10
From: The Rochester Express, Tuesday, July 1, 1913’
On Saturday morning, at his residence, Rochester East, Mr. Thomas Waters died, in the 84th year of his age. Deceased had lived in Rochester for about 40 years, but of late, old age and a break up of his system had confined him to his room. The funeral took place yesterday. The Rev. G.R. Rogers, officiating at the grave. Messrs. Humphries Bros. conducted the funeral.
Links to the transcriptions of letters that Thomas Waters wrote home to his family:
Letter to Bedfordshire #1 May 1862
Letter to Bedfordshire #2 August 1862
Letter to Bedfordshire #3 17 May 1863
Letter to Bedfordshire #4 23 May 1863
Letter to Bedfordshire #5 23 May 1864
Letter to Bedfordshire #6 23 March 1865
Letter to Bedfordshire #7 23 December 1865
Letter to Bedfordshire #8 09 October 1871
CENSUS 1841: Class: HO107; Piece: 2; Book: 14; Civil Parish: Dunton; County: Bedfordshire; Enumeration District: 15b; Folio: 3; Page: 2; Line: 9; GSU roll: 241190 Ancestry.com. 1841 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010.
Newington Court mins PS.NEW/1/7. (Note: Kent Street later became Tabard Street)
MARRIAGE: Thomas WATERS married Ruth WINDUST on 01 March1852 at Camberwell, Surrey, England. Reg No: 226/1852. Accessed GRO, England on 25 October 2004.
PROV, Inward Unassisted Passenger List VPRS 947/P0000, Oct - Nov 1852 Public Records of Victoria
BIRTH: South Australia, Births Deaths & Marriages, Marriage Certificate, Mt. Barker,
Reg No: 4/1857, Births Deaths & Marriages, South Australia
BIRTH: Victorian Births Deaths & Marriages, Birth Certificate Reg. No: 1353/1857, Births Deaths & Marriages, Victoria
DEATH: Victorian Births Deaths & Marriages, Death Certificate Reg. No: 749 Births Deaths & Marriages, Victoria
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT KYNETON. (1865, June 17). Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 – 1918, 1935), p. 5. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197034473
Advertising" The Kyneton Observer (Vic. : 1856 - 1900) 26 August 1871: 1. Web. 12 Apr 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article240910009>.
OBITUARY, The Rochester Express Victoria, 01 July 1913, page 2, State Library of Victoria microfilm. Retrieved March 30, 2021
The image at top of this post is the welcome sign at Dunton, Bedfordshire, England.
An incredible story!
It's difficult to imagine the strength and resiliency our ancestors needed to live in those days. Thank you for sharing another amazing, if sad, story.