50-Day Family History Blogging Challenge - Day 12

Fragments of Family History – Thomas Rose – the Cad

Jennifer Jones from TRACKING DOWN THE FAMILY has initiated a 50-Day Family History Blogging Challenge. This is a big writing commitment, but I have decided to participate. I have decided my topic will be “Fragments of Family History”. I will write short posts of newspaper items or single stories connected to my family history. This may expand over the 50 days.

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Thomas Rose – Cad, Rogue, Philanderer, Adulterer, Womaniser

Any number of words could describe my 3x Great grandfather, Thomas Rose. DNA evidence has proved what many researchers have long believed. Thomas Rose had multiple relationships and children during his marriage to Elizabeth Bartlett.

Sarah Burgess married Richard Perkins on 24 December 1812.¹ She was 15. Richard Perkins was a convict. He was sentenced to 7 years in January 1798. He arrived on the Hillsborough on 26 July 1799 aged 11 [yes, 11 years old!].² Thomas Rose knew Richard Perkins. They had been involved in the attempt to steal a boat in 1801 and were sentenced to death but pardoned.³ Sarah and Richard’s first child, Joseph Perkins, was born on 11 May 1813.⁴ DNA evidence proves that Joseph was the son of Thomas Rose. Sarah’s parents were John Burgess and Ann Daniels.⁵ Their other daughter, Mary, worked for Thomas Rose in his household in 1822.⁶

John Burgess, Sarah' s father and Richard Perkins both sold land grants they received to Thomas Rose. John Burgess' was granted 80 acres on the Nepean River on 1^st November, 1809. He sold this land to Thomas Rose on 21 February 1815.⁷ Richard Perkins was granted 50 acres of land on the Nepean River next to John Burgess' grant on 8 October 1816. He had been promised the land for some time as he sold it to Thomas Rose on 13 July 1816, prior to Governor Lachlan Macquarie signing the grant.⁸

Sarah and Richard Perkins had two daughters, Nancy, known as Ann in 1815 and Jane in 1818.⁹ Richard Perkins was a sailor. He sailed in and around Sydney, to Hobart, Port Dalrymple in Tasmania and even to Fiji.¹⁰ During his busiest sailing periods, he used to be home for a few weeks and then be away for a month or more.

Sarah left Richard sometime in early 1818 as on 23 May 1818 Richard advertised in the Sydney Gazette that

'The Public are hereby cautioned against giving trust or credit to my wife, Sarah Perkins, otherwise Burgess, as I am determined against being responsible for any debts by her contracted; as she absented herself from her home without any provocation.' Signed Richard Perkins.¹¹

Richard had returned home from a trip to Hobart on 12 May and left again on 25 May but we don't know when Sarah left him.¹² Her daughter Jane Elizabeth was born on 24 July 1818.¹³ Sarah registered Jane as Richard' s child, however, there is speculation that Jane was Thomas Rose' daughter. There is no DNA evidence to confirm this.

Meanwhile, Sarah got on with her life. She gave birth to her daughter Mary on 30 November 1820 and claimed her father was William Blake.¹⁴ Mary was always known as Mary Perkins. Recent DNA evidence suggests that Mary may be the daughter of Thomas Rose.

Sarah then met Thomas Colls. He was a convict, sentenced to 7 years and arrived on the Ocean in 1816.¹⁵ In 1822, Sarah had a child with him named Thomas Colls.¹⁶ This child died by 1826. She had two more children with him, another Thomas born in 1826 and John born in 1827.¹⁷ In 1828, Sarah was living with Thomas Colls and their two sons.

In 1828, Sarah’s four older children were living with Thomas Rose!¹⁸ Thomas Rose had purchased a farm, Mt Gilead, from Reuben Uther at Appin, south of Sydney in 1818.¹⁹ His wife Elizabeth died in 1826 in Sydney.²⁰ Thomas moved to Mt Gilead and in 1828 he is listed with his two children from his first marriage, James aged 19 and Kezia aged 20, and the Perkins children; Ann aged 13, Joseph aged 16, Jane aged 10 and Mary aged 7.²¹

Thomas had a relationship with his neighbour, Elizabeth (nee Aiken) Woodhouse who was separated from her husband. They had two children; Ellen born December 1828 and Cyprian born December 1829.²² Both children lived with their mother and were baptised as Rose but were known as Woodhouse.

Thomas Rose married Sarah Pye (my 3x Great grandmother), daughter of John Pye and Mary Norton on 21 September 1829.²³ They had seven children; Charles Henry Jacob Rose born 1830, Hannah Rebecca Pye Rose born 1831, Alfred Marsen Nash Rose born 1832, twins Thomas and Edward who were born and died in 1833, Reuben Uther Bartlett Rose born in 1834 and Sarah Elizabeth Jane Rose born 1836.²⁴

Thomas Rose died on 3 March 1837 aged 64.²⁵

I have two other groups of DNA matches who match each other and appear to be connected to Thomas Rose as they match the descendants of Thomas’ Perkins, Woodhouse and Rose children. I have not yet ascertained if they descend from another unknown Thomas Rose child, or children, or if there is some other explanation.

Portrait of a couple in a garden (1828), Guillaume Bodinier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

1. NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages, Marriage Certificate of Richard Perkins & Sarah Burgess, Vol. 3A, No. 1435.

2. Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1856 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010. Original data: New South Wales Government. Main series of letters received, 1788-1825. Series 897, Reels 6041-6064, 6071-6072. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.

3. Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

4. NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages , Baptism Certificate of Joseph Perkins, Vol. 1B, No. 3645.

5. NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages, Baptism Certificate of Sarah Burgess, Vol. 4, No. 463.

6. Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Census and Population Books, 1811-1825 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: New South Wales Government. Secretary to the Governor. Population musters, New South Wales mainland [1811–1819]. NRS 1260 [4/1224–25, 4/1227]. State Records Authority of New South Wales, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.

7. Grant Register, Series No. 5, NSW Lands Title Office, p. 136; and Copy of lndenture dated 21 February 1815, in Primary Application No. 33654, NSW Lands Title Office.

8. Grant Register, Series No. 5, NSW Lands Title Office, p. 282; and Copy of lndenture dated 13 July 1816, in Primary Application No. 33654, NSW Lands Title Office.

9. NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages, Baptism Certificate of Nancy Perkins, Vol. 1B, No. 3646. Baptism of Jane Elizabeth Perkins, Vol. IB, No. 4921.

10. J.S. Cumpston, Shipping Arrivals & Departures, Sydney 1788-1825, Roebuck, Canberra, 1977.

11. "Classified Advertising" The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) 23 May 1818: 1. Web. 23 Jun 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2177955>.

12. J.S. Cumpston, Shipping Arrivals & Departures, Sydney 1788-1825, Roebuck, Canberra, 1977.

13. NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages, Baptism of Jane Elizabeth Perkins, Vol. IB, No. 4921.

14. NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages, Baptism of Mary Blake, Vol. 1, No. 5577.

15. Malcolm R. Sainty & Keith A. Johnson (ed.s), Census of New South Wales November 1828, Library of Australian History, Sydney, 1980.

16. Carol J. Baxter (ed.), General Muster and Land and Stock Muster of New South Wales 1822, ABGR in association with Society of Australian Genealogists, Sydney, 1988; Births, Deaths & Marriages, Baptism Certificate of Thomas Colls, Vol. No. V18221603 26a.

17. Births, Deaths & Marriages, Baptism Certificate for Thomas G. Colls Vol No. V1826219 10 and John Colls Vol No. V18278190.

18. Malcolm R. Sainty & Keith A. Johnson (ed.s), Census of New South Wales November 1828, Library of Australian History, Sydney, 1980.

19. "OLD MT. GILEAD." Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938) 5 January 1921: 41. Web. 23 Jun 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159037896>.

20. Births, Deaths & Marriages, Death Certificate for Elizabeth Rose, Vol. No. V18267051 2c.

21. Malcolm R. Sainty & Keith A. Johnson (ed.s), Census of New South Wales November 1828, Library of Australian History, Sydney, 1980.

22. Births, Deaths & Marriages, Baptism Certificate for Ellen Rose, Vol. No. V18281799 125; Baptism Certificate for Cyprian W. Rose, Vol. No. V18291680 127.

23. Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Butts of Marriage Licenses, 1813–1835, 1894 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: New South Wales Government. Licenses for Marriages, 1813–1827. NRS 1037. New South Wales State Records Authority, New South Wales, Australia. Marriage Certificate of Thomas Rose and Sarah Pye.

24. Births, Deaths & Marriages, Baptism Certificate for Charles H J Rose Vol. No. V18309655 1c; Hannah R P Rose Vol. No. V183110326 1c, Alfred M N Rose Vol. No. V1832543 16, Edward and Thomas Rose in Rose Family Bible, Reuben U B Rose Vol. No. V1834691 18, Sarah E J Rose Vol. No. V1836974 20.

25. "Family Notices" The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) 4 March 1837: 3. Web. 23 Jun 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2209743>.