HAMILTON Thomas (senior)

Name	Thomas (senior) HAMILTON
Country Of Origin	Scotland
Born	1800
Died	1865
Birth/Baptism	Born 9 March 1800, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
Parents	John Hamilton
Apprenticeship	Mr Grierson, Edinburgh, Scotland
Skills	Clockmaker, Watchmaker, Jeweller
Work Locations	Hobart
Street Address	Liverpool Street, Hobart (two doors from Elizabeth Street) 37 Liverpool Street, Hobart (next to Mr James’s Spirit Store)
Marriage/Spouse	m. Ann Howard, St George’s, Bloomsbury, London. (Ann and one child in London at time of trial – Ann died in Hobart in 1850). m. 8 March 1851, 36 Liverpool Street, Hobart, to Ann Giddings of Green Ponds (also known as Gray).
Trial	4 July 1831, High Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Sentence	Fourteen years transportation for three charges of theft
Arrival	22 March 1832 on the convict ship, Gilmore (1)
Police Number	1385
Convict Assignment	David Barclay, watchmaker, Hobart
Ticket of Leave	15 May 1837
Conditional Pardon	1 July 1840
Other	Late 1820s-early 1830s: Thomas conducted a jewellery and lapidary business in London. 14 July 1842: Free Pardon. August 1842: Commenced business, Liverpool Street, Hobart. Employee: James Rait (also assigned to David Barclay). 1842 Census: Residence 27 Liverpool Street, Hobart (owner, David Barclay) 5 September 1843: Absolute pardon. October 1843: Moved business to 37 Liverpool Street, Hobart. 1848: Shop burglary December 1849: Insolvency and sale of all stock. 1850s: Business at Liverpool Street. June 1851: Burglary, business premises, Liverpool Street. Items stolen included a quantity of gold and silver watches, rings, pins, and jewellery items, valued at approximately £400 to £500. The police recovered all of the stolen property. Approx. 1852-1857: Convict assignment, John Porter. Approx. 1860s: Employee, Thomas Lee, clockmaker, watchmaker, jeweller. 1865: Following the death of Thomas, his widow Ann petitioned for probate to settle a dispute between two wills and Thomas Alfred junior. The court ruled in favour of Ann. June 1865: James Rait, who had worked for Thomas Hamilton senior for about 21 years, left his employment and set up his own business at 94 Collins Street, Hobart. 1865- approx. October 1869: Widow Ann continued the business until her retirement. SEE February 2024 blog: Burglaries, Bankruptcy and an Unfortunate Death: The Challenges of the Hamilton Watchmaking Family (Part 1)
Death	17 January 1865, Liverpool Street, Hobart
References
TAHO: CON31/1/20, CON18/1/8, CON13/1/5, CEN1/1/12 1842, RGD37/1/10 no479 Marriage 1851, RGD35/1/7 no4814 Death 1865, AD960/1/6 Will No. 1112 1865. Web: Ancestry: Scotland Births & Baptisms 1800; National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers Births 713/ North Berwick. Caledonian Mercury 7 July 1831 (BNA), The Tasmanian 15 March 1833: Colonial Times 15 October 1839, 2 May 1843, 6 June 1848, 30 January 1850, 17 June 1851; Cornwall Chronicle 25 July 1840, 30 January 1850; The Courier Hobart 8 September 1843, 12 January 1850, 5 August 1842; The Examiner (Launceston) 30 January 1850; The Courier 29 March 1850; Britannia & Trades Advocate 13 March 1851; Hobarton Guardian or True Friend of Tasmania 19 February 1853, 2 March 1853; Tasmanian Daily News 1 August 1855; The Mercury (Hobart) 31 May 1865, 6 June 1865, 27 October 1869, 23 February 1875, 4 November 1875.