John THOMAS born Tavistock

[Kerbent]

There is an unusual headstone for one of my ancestors, John Thomas, in Eaglehawk Cemetery, Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia.

It is unusual because it has ceramic tiles inlaid into the headstone that are quite ornate.

The headstone has three sections

The top section reads
In / loving memory / of / John Thomas / aged 70 years, / born in Devonshire, / Died at Sandhurst / May 22nd 1879 / The faith the conquers all, / And doth the mountains move, / And saves who'er on Jesus call, / And perfects them in love.

The section carved into the granite below the tiled section
Also / Margaret Thomas / unable to read next four lines that are engraved into the granite under the tiled decorative section of the headstone

Bottom section an atached cement plaque
Greatly beloved / by their children

According to his death certificate, the informant was his son Michael Thomas he was born in Tavistock, Cornwall.(source John Thomas Death Certificate Year 1879 registration #4501)

I would like to know if it was common for people born in this region to have their headstones decorated with ceramic tiles?
I feel there must be some significance with the tiles but am not sure what it could be and would interested in other peoples thoughts or ideas on the subject?
I would also be interested in making contact with anyone connected to John Thomas and his family. I would be very interested to learn about John’s family back in England and where he came from.

Sandra

[ChristineR]

I would be very interested to learn about John’s family back in England and where he came from.

The death index says that his parents are William THOMAS and Grace COLMER - do you know if these parents are correctly named?

This will help others to know if he belongs to their lines as I would imagine that the name is a common one.

Christine :)

[DOB7]

William THOMAS married Grace COLMER in St. Austell, Cornwall 8 March 1806. This looks like the family in the 1841 census:
Piece: HO107/146/4 Place: Powder -Cornwall Enumeration District: 14
Civil Parish: St. Austell Ecclesiastical Parish: -
Folio: 13 Page: 19
Address: Burlawn
Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born
THOMAS William M 55 Iron Miner Cornwall
THOMAS Grace F 60 Cornwall
THOMAS Nicholas M 12 Cornwall

[Kerbent]

The death index says that his parents are William THOMAS and Grace COLMER - do you know if these parents are correctly named?

This will help others to know if he belongs to their lines as I would imagine that the name is a common one.

Christine :)


Hello Christine,

Thank you for your advice, I have tried to summarize the information that I have on John Thomas and his family, and how I reached my conclusions which may help reveal where I may have made any errors of logic. It would appear that the names of the parents that I have for John Thomas are correct, see what you think. Hopefully it will help people see if there are any connections to their lines.

Cheers

Sandra

Working backwards from what I have –
I start my summary with the death Australian (Victoria) certificate for John Thomas which provides the following information:-
Died 21 May, California Gully, Borough of Eaglehawk, County of Bendigo
Name:- John Thomas Mining Manager
Age:- Male 69 years
Cause of death:- Disease of Brain, 2 years, last seen by a Dr on 20May 1879
Father William Thomas, Mining Agent
Mother Grace Thomas formerly Colmer
Informant:- Michael Thomas, son, California Gully
Burial 22 May 1879, Eaglehawk Cemetery
Weslyean minister, witness Thomas Hall
Born Tavistock, Cornwall, England; 16 years in Victoria
Married St. Austell, Cornwall, England, at 21 years of age to Margaret Smith
Children of this marriage
Mary - 49 years
Elizabeth - 47 years
Grace - 46 years
William - dead
Michael - 41 years
John - dead
Robert - 35 years
Jane - dead
Margaret - 32 years
Nicholas –dead

John Thomas’s family of origin
Based on the information given in John’s death certificate I searched for evidence of his marriage and found the following in the St Austell parish register:- John Thomas & Margaret Smith 1 May 1830 in Holy Trinity Church.

As Margaret appears to have come from Temby, in South Wales, I have assumed that the church they were married in was John’s family church. With this in mind I searched for and found the following information which is consistent with William Thomas and Grace Colmer being his parents St Austell Register Marriage: William Thomas botp & Grace Colmer spotp: Witness- John Thomas 8 Mar 1806
(I am assuming that botp = born of this parish; spotp = spouse of this parish).

Children from the marriage of William Thomas & Grace Colmer were:
i. Thomas Colmer THOMAS, I have found no reference to his birth or christening but was given the following information by another researcher - died on 30 Oct 1866 in St. Blazey, Cornwall, England. Thomas married Jane PENROSE on 16 Feb 1832 in St. Austell, Cornwall, England (source:- An Alphabetical Index of Marriages up to Civil Registration for the parish of St Austell,(Published 2001) Husband Index p.89)

ii. John THOMAS was born about 1808 in Tavistock, Cornwall, England (source: Death Certificate John Thomas, I have found no reference to his birth or christening), died on 21 May 1879 in California Gully, Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia, (source:- John’s Australian Death Certificate) John married Margaret SMITH, daughter of Thomas SMITH and Sarah EDWARDS, on 1 May 1830 in St. Austell, Cornwall, England, UK (An Alphabetical Index of Marriages up to Civil Registration for the parish of St Austell, Husband Index p.88.). Margaret was born on 23 Mar 1807 in Temby, South Wales, England, died on 4 Oct 1897 in Mt. Korang Rd, California Gully, Victoria, Australia, (Death Certificate Margaret Thomas, 1897)

iii. Betsy THOMAS was christened on 22 Jan 1815 in St. Austell, Cornwall, England (source Source: St Austell Register Baptism 22 Jan 1815 Betsy Thomas Wm/Grace Miner, Penhedra)

iv. Mary THOMAS was christened on 17 Aug 1817 in St. Austell, Cornwall, England (Source: St. Austell Register Baptism 17 Aug 1817: Michell & Mary Thomas Wm/Grace Miner, Penhedra)
v. Michell THOMAS was born on 17 Aug 1817 in St. Austell, Cornwall, England (Source: St. Austell Register Baptism 17 Aug 1817: Michell & Mary Thomas Wm/Grace Miner, Penhedra)

vi. Nicholas THOMAS was born on 21 May 1820 in Luxulyan, England (source unknown)

In the 1841 Census (source: HO107/146/4 thanks to DOB7)
1. William Thomas, aged 55, Iron Miner
2. Grace Thomas, aged 60
3. Nicholas Thomas, aged 12