25 May 1855 204 Brisbane Street Launceston Tasmania Australia Ellen Elizabeth Robinson Linda May, Iles Dore, Jean & Thomas John

Thomas Carr was born on 25 May 1855 at Deloraine to Joseph Carr, a tanner, and his wife Mary Ann Dorr or Dore. Thomas married Ellen Elizabeth Robinson on 27 April 1887 in Launceston. They had four children: Linda, born 1889; Iles, 1891; Jean, 1894 and Thomas, 1898. Thomas senior served his apprenticeship to the chemists' business of Hatton and Laws at Deloraine. He moved to Launceston where he worked at the Brisbane Street headquarters of the firm for 19 years. In 1887 he became a partner with his brother-in-law Frederic Holmes. Thomas won first prize of five shillings for his English Setter dog in the Agricultural and Horticultual Show held in the Exhibition building in Apr 1892.

Thomas became addicted to alcohol, including spirits from the pharmacy, and the partnership with Holmes was dissolved on 27 May 1896. He took up a mail run and farming at Parkham, near Deloraine, eleven years before his death. Thomas Carr gave ornithological donations to the Queen Victoria Museum and was a board member of the Mechanics' Institute from 1892 to 1896. He was delivering the mail from Parkam to Elizabeth Town when he was thrown from his trap and killed. The accident occurred near the Rubicon School on 5 Mar 1907 when Thomas was 51 years old. His funeral left the residence of John Piper, Elizabeth Town, and he was buried at St Mark's Church, Deloraine. He left a widow and four children, ranging in age from eight to eighteen.

Barbara Valentine Dec 2008