Chapter 16.1 - The Background to the Thodays from England - Fay Berry

1906 The Thoday family

From England came the Thoday’s, Henry and Maria, my great-great grandparents. Henry Thoday (b. 1831) was from Cambridge and Maria Thoday (Cooke b. 1839) was a Cockney, being born within the sound of the Bow Bells. They left Plymouth on the ship ‘Reliance’ on 16th June 1851 and arrived at Port Adelaide on 14th Sept 1851.Henry became a farmer at White Hut Rochester near present day Kadina and also had a fruit orchard at Penwortham. Henry and Maria’s daughter Margaret married Joseph and Sarah Dangerfield (Elliott)’s son Joseph, thus uniting the two families. Margaret and Joseph Dangerfield became my great-grandparents.

Wallaroo Mines Nov 3. Dearest Maud. We have not finished the photos as yet Will send some to Joe and Alice> Perhaps yours would be best sent to Pinnaroo. Much love from Emma. to Maud c/ Mr J Thoday South Bundaburg WA

This photo is a bit of a mystery to me. The following was written on the back of the photo – “Wallaroo Mines Nov 3. Dearest Maud. We have not finished the photos as yet Will send some to Joe and Alice> Perhaps yours would be best sent to Pinnaroo. Much love from Emma. to Maud c/ Mr J Thoday South Bundaburg WA” Emma would be Emma Dangerfield (Laube) and Maud would be my grandmother Maud Williams (Dangerfield) and she must have been staying at the Thodays in WA. But who the woman and baby are in the photo I don’t know. Anybody?

Thoday, Henry and Maria Thoday 1906

Henry and Maria Thoday had a large family of nine sons and five daughters, thirteen of whom lived to adulthood. The men followed mining, farming and assorted pursuits. Several of the girls did tailoring and dressmaking and the young ones helped their mother with the necessary work in the running of the farm and home. All were very musical,

In memory of our dear mother Agnes Tonkin who died August 13 1903 agued 77 years. Erected by her three sons Absalom, Joseph and William. By grave Henry & Aunty Maria Thoday Esther Dring Sept 14'08. Margaret Dang. prob. wrote this.

I have found this photo in my archives. It had the following written on the back of the photo, “In memory of our dear mother Agnes Tonkin who died August 13 1903 aged 77 years. Erected by her three sons Absalom, Joseph and William. By the grave are Henry & Aunty Maria Thoday,and Esther Dring (Thoday) Sept 14’08. Margaret Dang. prob. wrote this.” These are all names that are in the Thoday family photograph.

1894ish Joseph and Margaret Dangerfield (Thoday), Harry, Charles, and my grandmother Alice Maud Dangerfield (Williams) born 1879, Lije, Bessie and Howard

Margaret, my great-grandmother, taught music, Emma was an accomplished singer, George was the bandmaster of the Kadina Salvation Army band and Sarah was an artist of no mean talent.

Margaret Dangerfield (Thoday) was born 11th Feb 1856 and was baptized as a Christadelphian in 1903 at Broken Hill).

Her brothers were named Sam, Nat, Henry, William, Alf, John, Joe and George (George’s wife was Edith Elsie Thoday (Williams).

Margaret’s sisters were Sarah Cooper (Thoday), Elizabeth (Lizie – married Frederick John George Williams in 1879), Alice and Emma, and Sarah Cooper (Thoday, b. 1858 married Shadrach Cooper in 1882). They all had families of their own.

In 1898, Howard Dangerfield lived with George Thoday and his wife Edith Elsie Thoday (Williams) for a while until the Dangerfields moved to Broken Hill.

Henry and Lilian Dangerfield and their family with Olive Evelyn Dangerfield in the middle front.

Henry Dangerfield, Joseph and Sarah Dangerfield (Elliott)’s son married Lilian Sarah Dangerfield (Thoday, Evans). They had 12 children, and the youngest daughter was Olive Evelyn Dangerfield, born 20th July 1899 in the days when NSW was still a colony and Queen Victoria was on the throne of England. Olive was the child of her mother Lilian’s second marriage (Lilian’s first marriage was to a Thoday) but when her first husband died she married Henry Dangerfield.

The Thoday family photo in my files was taken at Kadina on Sept 1906 by Lee Chamberlain.