Thomas Rowley's ancestry is veiled in
mystery. Elizabeth Selwyn came
from Cherrington, Gloucestershire, and her parents were Thomas Selwyn
of the Parish of Minchin Hampton and Mary King, of the Parish of
Avening, who were married on 31st January, 1766.
Early researchers placed Rowley's birthplace, or at
least the place
where he spent his childhood, as at a "Burwood Farm", said to be in
Cornwall.
These, or other, researchers, also suggested a
connection with one
of the prominent Naval Rowley families of Cornwall. (This was perhaps
because of confusion of his final Army rank of Captain with the Naval
rank of Captain.)
Many people over the years have spent much time and
energy in trying
to locate a Burwood Farm in Cornwall, or verify the suggested
connection with the prominent Rowley Naval families, both without
success.
In recent years my research suggests that he may
have been born at
Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey.
Thomas Rowley's first consolidated grant, of 240
acres between
Camperdown, Newtown, Annandale and Petersham, he named Kingston Farm.
This is where he spent most of his years in New South Wales before his
death in 1806. His second consolidated grant of 750 acres, taking in a
major portion of the suburbs of Burwood and Strathfield, he named
Burwood Farm.
By coincidence there is an old established property,
Burwood Park,
only a few miles from Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey. There appears to
be some connection with a Thomas Rowley, of Bath, and his nephew Joshua
Rowley, and the sale of a portion of land, adjoining Burwood Park in
1769 to a Mr. Frederick (whose fatuity held Burwood Park for several
generations).
Thomas Rowley's first appointment, to the New South
Wales Corps, was
as Adjutant in 1789. This rank is a Regimental appointment, rather than
an Army appointment, and was most probably made by the first
Commandment, Major Grose. Thomas Rowley was shown as "gentleman" on his
appointment, indicating that he had not been in the Armed Services
before.
Major Grose was born at Petersham, Surrey and lived
in Croydon,
Surrey, both not far from Kingston-upon-Thames. His grants in New South
Wales he called Petersham and Croydon. It is quite likely that Major
Grose and Thomas Rowley were close friends, because they appear to have
lived fairly close together in Surrey, and because it appears that
Major Grose secured for him his appointment as Adjutant, an act which
appears to have been within his power to implement.
This close friendship could account for his
appointment as Adjutant
at 42 years of age when, I understand, nobody over 39 years was to be
appointed to the Corps for service in New South Wales.
This Thomas Rowley was christened at
Kingston-upon-Thames on 24th
January, 1747, son of George Rowley and Elizabeth Friend. George Rowley
and Elizabeth Friend were married at Godalming, Surrey on 27th
December, 1739.
George Rowley was christened at Kingston-upon-Thames
on 24th July,
1717, son of Anthony Rowley and Mary Dennis. Anthony Rowley and Mary
Dennis were married at Kingston-upon-Thames on 22nd December, 1706.
Thomas Rowley's Army Service in the New South Wales
Corps, formed at
Chatham Barracks and a part of His Majesty's 102nd Regiment of Foot,
was as follows:
Adjutant to the newly formed New
South Wales Corps:
5th June 1789 Thomas Rowley
(Gentleman) and adjutant
5th January 1791 Thomas Rowley
Ensign and adjutant
6th April 1791 Thomas Rowley
Lieutenant and adjutant
21st June 1796 Thomas Rowley
Captain
He resigned his commission as
Captain in the Army, due to ill
health, during 1802.
He became Captain of the Sydney Company of the Loyal
Association (a
civilian Militia) on 22nd October, 1802. He was given responsibility
for the management of the civil and military barracks on 24th October,
1802.
He became Captain Commander of the Loyal Sydney
Association on 22nd
April, 1804, a position he retained until his death from a consumptive
complaint on Tuesday, 27th May, 1806. He was buried in a burial plot on
Kingston Farm. Many years later, as this farm was broken up for
suburban development, his remains were transferred to the Briggs Family
Vault at Waverley Cemetery, where many of his descendants are buried.
The first portion of the New South Wales Corps
arrived in Sydney
Cove on the ship Neptune, a part of the Second Fleet, on 28th June,
1790. (Macarthur was a member of this contingent of the New South Wales
Corps.)
The balance of the New South Wales Corps sailed on
the ship Pitt,
Indiaman (Captain Edward Manning), which arrived at Port Jackson on
Tuesday, 14th February, 1792. On board was Major Grose, Major
Commandant of the Corps, Lieutenant Governor of the Settlement, and his
Adjutant Thomas Rowley.
Also on board was a convict, Elizabeth Selwyn.
Either on the ship,
or soon after arriving in Sydney, Thomas Rowley formed a lasting de
facto relationship with Elizabeth Selwyn which continued until his
death in 1806. They had five natural children - Isabella, born on
Monday, 19th November, 1792; Thomas, born on 12th August, 1794; John,
born on 28th November, 1797; Mary, born on 18th March, 1800; and Eliza,
born on 25th April, 1804. Baptismal records exist for the first four
children, in the father's name, Rowley. All five children are
mentioned, as well as Elizabeth Selwyn, in Thomas Rowley's Last Will
and Testament.
Thomas Rowley spent some time at the Convict
Settlement of Norfolk
Island, under; Captain Townsen as Lieutenant Governor. When Captain
Townsen left the settlement Thomas Rowley became Acting Commandant,
from November, 1799 until 26th July, 1800, when Major Foveaux arrived
to take command. Thomas Rowley appears to have impressed the settlers
and principal inhabitants, who are said to have written a joint letter
to the Governor expressing their sorrow at his being relieved. The
Governor is said to have included in Thomas Rowley's certificate of
service the following words:
I think it right to add that from every account I
have received from
thence that Captain Rowley's conduct in administering the Government of
that Island (Norfolk Island) was much to his credit and the advantage
of Government.
Thomas Rowley acquired a steady stream of grants of
land over the
years from his first grant on 28th May, 1793 (entered on 13th December,
1792) until these grants and other land purchases were consolidated
into three grants in 1804 under Governor King.
1. Kingston Farm 240 acres - his
principal residence where he died
in 1806.
2. Burwood Farm 750 acres
3. Banks Town property 700 acres
on the southern shore of Georges
River, adjacent to Holsworthy Army Camp, known as Payne's Hill.
Thomas Rowley was assigned a convict, in 1792,
called Simeon Lord.
After Simeon Lord's sentence was completed, and he was emancipated,
Thomas Rowley assisted him to set up in business in 1798 as a baker and
retailer of spirituous liquors, and aided him in learning to read and
write. From this humble beginning Simeon Lord prospered to become one
of the most successful of emancipist businessmen, trading in seal
skins, whale oil and Pacific Island Trade.
Thomas Rowley stocked his farms with sheep and cattle and was one of
the first to acquire Spanish Merino sheep, many from Captain Waterhouse
when he quitted Port Jackson in 1800.
In the August, 1805 returns to the Governor, Thomas
Rowlev's farms
were stocked thus:
30 acres of wheat, 8 acres of orchard, 1,637 acres of pasture, 300
acres of fallow, 1.975 acres all told. 3 horses, 51 cattle, 519 sheep,
21 goats, 32 hogs, 5 children not victualled, 3 convicts victualled
(magistrate), 8 convicts not victualled.
The Children
Isabella Rowley married Lieutenant William Ellison, R.N, on 3rd May, 1807, and died, without issue, on 25th October, 1808.
Thomas Rowley married Catherine Clarkson on 27th February, 1818 and they had eleven children.
John Rowley married Sarah Pear on 4th November, 1819 and they had ten children.
Mary Rowley married John Lucas on 10th March, 1817 and they had ten children.
Eliza Rowley married Henry Sparrow Briggs on 28th August, 1826 and they had ten children.