Thomas Fullelove 1823 - 1891

Thomas Fullelove (1823 - 1891)

Thomas Fullelove was born in 1823 at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire. He was the sixth child and fourth son Abraham Fullelove and Mary Eltinton (he was the second son to make it to adult hood)

The 1841 census has Thomas living with his family in Ratcliff Village where he is working as a Farm Servant

On Sept 28 1846 Thomas married Sarah Starkey Mansfield in Kegworth, Leicester (about 3 miles from Ratcliffe). Sarah was the eldest child of William Mansfield and Ann Starkey of Kegworth.

Thomas and Sarah had six children (four daughters and two sons) between 1844 and 1858.

• Sarah Ann Starkey Fullelove  Born 1844; Married George William Bashford 1866;  Died 1935
• Mary Fullelove Born 1848; Married Richard Fox 1868 ; Died 1925
• Thomas Fullelove Born 1850 ; Married Margaret Wallace 1872 ; Died 1912
• Emma Fullelove Born 1853 ; Married Henry Gardiner ; Died 
• Ann Fullelove Born 1855 ; Married John Wallace ; Died 1927
• George Fullelove Born 1858 ; Married Emma Mitchell ; Died 1928

Despite the fact that Sarah Ann Starkey Fullelove is recorded with the Fullelove name was on a number of records (including the 1851 census and immigration records) it does appear that she was not Thomas's daughter (1861 census has her recorded as Starkey). 

Between 1846 and 1863, being noted as

• 1846 to 1850 - it appears the family was living in the Ratcliffe / Kegworth area as the childrens birth are recorded there
• 1851 Census - the family is living in Cradden Brook, Tintwistle, Mottram, Cheshire - Thomas is working as a farm labourere and they now have 3 children - Sarah, Mary and Thomas
• 1853 - 1855 - it appears the family was living in Sheffield, Yorkshire as the final two childrens births are recorded there.
• 1861 Census they are living at Dowry St, Accrington, Lancashire - Thomas i working as a labourer and they have 6 children 

From a Story on Sarah Ann in the Ipswich paper in 1927 the following insight is offered "In England Mr Fullelove was employed making reservoirs, and it was while he was engaged on a contract of this description at Acerington, in Lancashire, that the family decided to come to Queensland. In 1848 the Public Health Bill was passed with empowered the establishment of local boards whose duty it was to see that local water supplies were dependable and that wastes were disposed of appropriately. This saw the creation of a number of water corporations and an large investment in the construction of water and sewerage infrastructure.

In April 1863 Thomas boarded the Queen of the Colonies and travelled to Australia by himself under a sponsored immigration scheme. It appears - based on Sarah Anns story - that upon his arrival he made his way to Ipswich where he worked as a road contractor - "Mr Fullelove had made the journey to the new land some 18 months previously ... and had started work as a road contractor in the Ipswich district."

His wife and 6 children followed him in February 1864 aboard the Warren Hastings which departed from Southhampton on 27 February 1864 and arrived in Brisbane on 20 June 1864.

Thomas died on 30 December 1891. At the time of his death he was living in Basin Pocket Ipswich. He was buried at the Ipswich Cemetary under a primitive methodist service presided over by Joseph A Taylor. The witnesses were W Smith and R Watson.