Thomas Stanley Herbert **

   Cause of his death was Rheumatic Pains/ 6 yrs.

   Another name for Thomas was Thomas Fell.

  General Notes:

It appears that he was not born with the surname Herbert at all. The Herbert Association claims that Thomas Herbert died at 6 days old, although I can find no death record at the NSW BDM Website. However, on John Herbert's Death Certificate (1873), son Thomas is listed as "dead" which would support this. It is likely he was actually Thomas Fell (per his obituary) born in 1843 (and baptised 1844). This birth date is consistent with Thomas' age of 22 yrs old, and place of birth, on Thomas Jnrs birth certificate . There is recorded in the 1872 Post Office Directory a Thomas Fell, horse trainer (and no Thomas Herbert). One of my correspondents recalls her mother and others referring to this family as Fells, rather than Herberts. There is no record to be found of a death of Thomas Fell.

Around 1841, Charles Fell worked for an Alexander Brodie Spark at his station at Jamberoo near Kiama. Alexander Brodie Spark had a son named Stanley Herbert Spark born in 1846 - around the same time as Thomas Fell was born. They probably knew each other quite well. Thomas Fell may have taken the forenames of Stanley Herbert Spark to change his own name, for whatever reason. Thomas Fell was the son of convicts, Charles Fell & Mary Smith, and possibly he was ashamed of their background. This would be ironic given that the Herberts were convicts too! Interestingly, Thomas was born some 12 years after his parents married (and was christened 6 months after his birth), and Charles had a childless first marriage which lasted about 3 years. Thomas was an only child. It is possible to conclude from all of this that Charles Fell wasn't the father. He was only 12 years old when his mother died. I've concluded that it is highly probable that Thomas Stanley Herbert was actually born Thomas FELL, but whether Charles Fell was his father or not is another matter! Could his father have been Alexander B Spark? Perhaps DNA results will suggest an answer one day.

With thanks to Alice Tinker for much of this information.

Alexander Brodie Spark married Frances M Radford (d 1887, Sydney) in 1840. They had 6 children - Stanley Herbert Spark was born in 1846 and died in 1929 in North Sydney. He married Carrie/Caroline M.E. (surname unknown) and had 4 children. Stanley also had a brother Alexander Brodie, b. 1841, d. 1912 in Hunters Hill. He married Sarah Anne MacPherson in 1871 in Sydney and had 8 children including daughter Madeline Frances b 1886 in Burwood, died 1971 in St Leonards.

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Thomas is recorded in Greville's Post Office Directory 1872 for Tenterfield as "Thomas Fell" a Horse Trainer resident in Tenterfield. He is the only Fell in the directory.

His Obituary appeared in the "Tenterfield Record" 6th Feb 1885:
"After many years of intense suffering from chronic rheumatism, an old resident of Tenterfield has passed away, in the person of Mr Thomas Herbert, but more familiarly known as Tom Fell. The deceased was engaged some years ago as a jockey and trainer of racehorses, in the pursuit of which calling contracted the painful disease from the consequence of which he has been for some years a helpless cripple. He was but a young man, being only 38 at the time of his death; and was very generally respected"

All of his sons were also apparently jockeys and/or horse trainers.

  Medical Notes:

The informant at his death was Thomas Flynn - brother in law.

  Noted events in his life were:

• He resided at the time of his marriage on 2 Apr 1866 in Undercliffe Station nr, Tenterfield, , New South Wales, Australia.

• He worked as a Stockman at the time of his Son, Thomas' birth on 1 May 1866 in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia.

• He worked as a Jockey according to his son Thomas Stanley's Death Certificate.

• He worked as a Mail Contractor at the time of his death on 1 Feb 1885.

• He worked as a Mail Contractor according to daughter Cecilia's marriage certificate.

• He worked as a Mail Contractor according to daughter Cecilia's death certificate.

Thomas married Ellen Mara **, daughter of John Mara ** and Ellen O'Donnell **, on 2 Apr 1866 in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. (Ellen Mara ** was born on 26 Jun 1847 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, christened on 27 Jun 1847 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, died on 19 Jun 1927 in Austral St, Penshurst, , New South Wales, Australia and was buried on 20 Jun 1927 in RC Section, Rookwood Cemetery, New South Wales, Australia.). The cause of her death was Paralysis Right Side 60 hours / Senility, Gastric Influenza 7 days.

  Marriage Notes:

It was a Roman Catholic Ceremony.

Witnesses were Patrick Moylan and (looks like ) Jane Ward. Parents names were not recorded on the Certificate for either Thomas or Ellen.