Thomas CHANT born 15/09/1833. baptised 11/11/1833 and died 1907, second son of William and Elizabeth (Male) Chant, married 14th January 1855 Lucy RUSS. Thomas and Lucy had: 3 children...

    06/08/1855 – 27/06/1917 Henry. (Locomotive engineer). Henry married Mary Jane Addicoat on
    18/04/1881. Mary Jane Addicoat born 11th April, 1856 in Burra to William Addicoat and Jane Ellis.
    Henry and Mary had 5 or 6 children.

24/01/1882 – 17/11/1966 William Henry
05/01/1884 – 24/04/1884 Ethel Jane Mary
20/03/1886 – 22/04/1970 Myrtle Ann
12/09/1890 – 23/03/1978 Ruby Chloride. Married twice.
1. Harold Sydney Bromley Hill b:02/03/1890 d: 07/03/1919
2. John Francis Leslie Martin b: 23/03/1894 d: 19/10/1954

16/07/1893 – 05/08/1951 Joseph Victor Roy married Lillian Ellen Davis
29/05/1898 – 04/05/1902 Frank Ellis Gladstone.

    04/02/1859 – 01/03/1859 Albert.
    10/10/1860 – 17/12/1860 Elizabeth.

In about July 1860 Thomas leaves Lucy and she is reported deserted in the South Australian Advertiser in 1860 and the SA Gazette 1861:. CHANT Lucy, of Kooringa. Arrived of 'Octavia'. Husband absent 8 months. 2 children. Source: GG 14.2.1861, p 137.

Lucy has two young children still living at this time and endures the death of Elizabeth prior to the notice appearing in the S.A. Gazette. Henry C Chant is the only survivor of the children in this marriage.

Lucy (Russ) Chant died 30/05/1924 (Daughter of Charles Russ & Elizabeth White) aged 88 years. CHANT, LUCY, Surname CHANT, Given Names LUCY, Cemetery Burra Cemetery, Grave 3188, Last Residence ABERDEEN. Date of Death 30/5/1924, Age at Death 88, Date of Burial 31/05/1924, Minister Officiating C.J. PEARCE.

*Obituary. Lucy Chant, aged 88, on 30 May, at Redruth. She was born at Stokes, Somerset shire, England on 13 March 1836 and came to Australia in April 1955 [sic] [presume 1855?]. On her marriage to Thomas Chant they lived in Salisbury and then Auburn, before moving to Redruth.

A member of Redruth Methodist Church for 63 years and one of the first Sunday-School teachers, she attended the recent stone laying for the new Sunday-School. She has of late lived with Mrs S.J. Tralaggan and was ill only a few days.*

(Source: The Burra Record Summaries of the Burra Record by Eric Fuss, February 2007.) This information kindly given by G. Martin.

It is said that Lucy is buried in a paupers grave but someone prepared a small headstone for her grave and it could be speculated that someone in the church may have provided funds for her small headstone.

The whereabouts of Thomas is unknown until a search of the BMD of Victoria is done. It appears that Thomas marries an Ann (Annie) Rosamund CLARKE 1851 – 1889 on 06.03.1872. (Daughter of John William Clarke, Cabinet Maker and Mary Walford.) Thomas names his parents as William and Elizabeth Chant. Thomas has signed this certificate but when he married Lucy Russ he only put an x. This provides a highly likely connection that this Thomas Chant is the Thomas that married Lucy Russ based on the naming of his parents on the second marriage certificate and Thomas and Lucy are recorded on the immigrant record.

Thomas' brother Jabez settles in the north of South Australia and is listed as a farmer in the Upper Wakefield District in 1872. (South Australian Directory of 1872, p19) Jabez dies in the local town of Watervale.

Thomas' mother remarries in 1858 to William Cocking in the town of Burra.

Alexander, the youngest brother, marries in the local town of Watervale and his death is recorded in the NSW town of Young, 80km north of the town of Temora where Thomas dies in 1907.

Thomas does not have recorded on his death certificate the names of his parents and one can only wonder why this was not written down at the time of registering his death.

Thomas' age on the second marriage certificate is 3 years difference to his possible actual age but this consistency continues to his death.

"The full transcription of Annie Rosamund Chant's death certificate is that she died at 38 years of "liver abscess" in Hoskins Street, Temora NSW. Her husband was Thomas Chant. Her children were Thomas Wm. 16, Emily 13, Elizabeth Jane 11, Frederick John 8. Her parents were John William Clarke (Cabinet Maker) and Mary Walford." This information was provided by R. Ware.

Some information on this page was kindly given by G. Martin and R. Ware.

Chant
Mary Ann Chant ¦ William Cocking
Alice Lillian Naylor. ¦ Arthur James Naylor. ¦ Doris Emaline Naylor. ¦ Eileen Bessie Naylor.
Ethel Catherine Naylor. ¦ John Henry Naylor. ¦ Louisa Evelyn Naylor. ¦ Alfred George Naylor.
David Bentley. ¦ Alma Bentley. ¦ Alfred Bentley. ¦ Doreen Bentley.
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