THURLOW, Robert & Mary Ann Woods

Robert Thurley, Mary Ann (Woods) and Their Family

At least eight children were born to Robert and Mary, four of whom emigrated from England—Sarah married and resided in Victoria, Australia, and William, John and Jane lived in New Zealand's south island. The female members of the family retained the spelling Thurley prior to marriage whereas William and John chose Thurlow and it is by this name that their Australian and New Zealand descendants are known. Census records show Fen Lane or Fen End (now Fen Road) in Milton, Cambridgeshire as the family's place of residence and these photos which we took during a visit to Milton village will give descendants a contemporary look at their family "home" in England.

Robert and Mary's Family 

Sarah (first child) was born in September 1831, baptised on 25 December and was buried from the All Saints church, Milton, CAM on 10 June 1832. 

Anne, baptised at Milton, CAM on 26 October 1832 was employed as a servant before her marriage to Philip Butler on 23 June 1862 at Milton, CAM. Their known children are Elizabeth Ann (1862- ); William (1864- ); Sarah (1865- ); Philip (1867- ), Annie (1870- ), Robert (1875- ) and George (1878- ). 

Sarah, baptised at Milton, CAM on 8 February 1835 was employed as a house servant, aged 15 and unmarried when found to be residing at 51 High Street, Milton, CAM, the home of William Adams and family. The Victorian Goldfield listings disclose that within a few years she joined the gold rush to Australia, later marrying Wolton Wigg at the age of 29 at Fitzroy, Victoria. Sarah and Wolton's known family include Richard Wolton (1858-1859); Elizabeth Annie (1890- ); Frederick William (1862- ); Wolton Horace (1864- ); Edgar (1867- ) and Margaretta Sarah (1870- ). 

William, the fourth child and eldest male, was baptised at Milton, CAM on 2 July 1837. At age 13 he was employed as an errand boy, residing at 11 High Street, Milton with Charles Woods, an agricultural labourer. William did not marry and we learn a little more about him when reading the following extract from the history of St Bathans. According to shipping records, William arrived from England surnamed Thurley but later sailed from Australia to New Zealand surnamed Thurlow.

John, the fifth child, whose occupation was listed as agricultural labourer from the early age of 10 was baptised at Milton, CAM on 2 August 1840. He and Susan Jane Froment, a Milton, CAM lass were married on 16 April 1861 and one can confidently assume they were childhood sweethearts. Attracted by the prospects of Australia's gold rushes in Victoria they sailed on the Atalanta from Southampton on 9 June 1861, arriving in Melbourne on 30 August and settled temporarily with his brother, William at East Collingwood, an inner suburb. (See 2007 streetscape, Rupert Street, East Collingwood). Susan was already pregnant before leaving England as she gave birth to her first son, John William less than a month after arrival in the Colony. He was to be their only Australian-born child. Not long afterwards the family crossed the Tasman Sea to join William who was drawn to New Zealand's gold discoveries at Welshman's Gully and Vinegar Hill. While not conclusive, evidence suggests that William may have left aboard the City of Hobart and John aboard the Oscar I in 1861 ahead of Susan and family who sailed for New Zealand on board the Gottenburg a year later. In Australia and New Zealand John and Susan were known under the surname of Thurlow.

Jane, the next youngest child, was baptised on 3 April 1843 at Milton, CAM, and married Thomas Cole in 1863 in London and arrived in Port Chalmers aboard the Zealandia on 29 December 1873 from Gravesend. They were accompanied by Mary Elizabeth aged 3, and Thomas (jnr) aged 14 months. She married Thomas, a carpenter before emigrating to New Zealand. He took a keen interest in local politics and, in 1910 after an interesting contest, was elected Mayor of Dunedin. Jane died on 6 April 1909 and was buried at Dunedin's Southern Cemetery. Thomas who was born in Cheltenham, GLS, died on 12 October 1915 and was buried with his wife, Jane.

Robert was born in 1846 and baptised on 31 May that year. According to the 1881 census, his occupation was cellarman, living at 17 Eden Street, and working in Cambridge. He and his wife, Harriett then aged 30, married in Milton, CAM in 1872. They had two daughters, Edith (1873- ) and Eleanor k/a "Ellen" (1875 - ). Robert's mother, Mary, by this time was a widow and residing with Robert and his family.

James was baptised at Milton, CAM on 7 January 1849. According to the 1881 census, he was living in Butt Lane, Milton, CAM and working as an agricultural labourer. His wife was Sarah Ann, then aged 32 from Waterbeach, CAM. Their children were William James aged 9, and Bertha, aged 3, both born in Milton, CAM. Sarah Ann died aged 35 and was buried at Milton, CAM on 24 December 1883. Five years afterwards, James married Eliza Smith (1860- ) who bore two more children—James Robert (1889- ) and Percy John (c1896- ). The 1871 census suggests James and Sarah had a son then aged 3—William Wilson, born c1868—but his name does not appear on the census ten years later so it must be concluded that he died in infancy and their next born son was named William James.