Very little is known of Thomas's early life. His date of birth is unsure, some sources report a birth date of 1774, others as 1763-65, whilst an even earlier date of 1746 has been suggested. As no birth or baptismal certificate has yet been found it is assumed that his approx date of birth was 1763-1765 in Gibraltar. This is deduced from several sources; a NSW Corps regimental pay slip, dated 1808 which records his age as 43 years and 6 months, giving a birth date of approx Mar 1765; his Veteran Corps discharge in 1823 which cites his age as 60 implying 1763 as his date of birth as does the British army pension he was receiving in 1832, aged 69. This also lends credence to the likelihood that Thomas' father was a soldier, Private Thomas GOLLEDGE who was stationed in Gibraltar from 1759-1763.
However, in the 1828 census, Thomas' age is given as 48, which infers a birth date circa 1780. This would make him seven years old at the time of his trial for stealing the 'cornelian seal set in gold'. If this was the case, it is hard to imagine why the shop-keeper would give a seven year old the gold seal to inspect in the first place. Is is far more likely that Thomas was at least 18 for this to have occurred, hence the more likely date of birth as 1765.
If 1763-1765 is accepted as the most likely date of birth, then Thomas' gave his correct date of birth when he enlisted in the NSW Corps and which remained on official records throughout his military career. Eighteen years later, at the age of 51 he applied for the position of constable at Windsor and perhaps gave his age as 46 to improve his chances of gaining the position. Perhaps this is why four years later he is recorded in the 1828 census as 48 living in Windsor. It is unknown why his obituary 4 years would give his age at death as 90 instead of 71.
There is also uncertainty about the place of birth. It is usually recorded as Gibraltar, presumably the British territory neighbouring Spain, yet there are several hamlets in England with the same name.
There was a small hamlet outside Folkestone (about 1 hour from Maidstone) in Kent, called Gibraltar. There is also a Gibraltar on the English coast south of Skegness, Lincolnshire, but this was only a lighthouse in 1765 and is now a nature sanctuary. There is also one just north of Ipswich, Suffolk, which had been a staging post. There is a Gibraltar in Buckinghamshire, near Haddenham. Enquiries of their local family history society showed no positive result. There is a Gibralter in Bedfordshire, to the east of Newport Pagnell, also a Gibralter in Oxfordshire near Blenheim Palace. All these are so small that they don't show up on the map.
In "Ancestral Trails" Mark Herber says that there are places by the name of Gibralter in Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Kent & Suffolk. Another correspondent told me that there are 9 locations with the name of Gibralter in the UK. One is also known as Enslow, a loading wharf in the Birmingham & Oxford Canal which is 8 miles North of Oxford. Another is in the district of Aylesbury in Bucks. (which is probably the one mentioned above). There are also three Gibraltar Farms, a Gibraltar Plantation, a Gibraltar Point, Gibraltar Rocks and Gibraltar House Farm.
Sources:
Lyn GOLLEDGE (nee NYMAN), asgard1@austarnet.com.au, lyngoll@hotmail.com.
Martin GOLLEDGE, Martin.Golledge@btinternet.com.
Kay CRISPO (nee GOLLEDGE), colcrispo@idx.com.au.