Thomas K. Skinner, Obituary

THE LATE THOMAS K. SKINNER 

Mr Thomas Kelly Skinner; who died at Wombah on Saturday at the age of 76 years, was born at Botany, New South Wales. 

He came to the Clarence in 1860 with his parents, who took up their residence at Wilson's Hill, South Grafton, where they resided for a few years. Later they moved, to Glenugie station, which, at that time, was owned by a Mr. Devlin, father of the late William Devlin, where the family were employed for about five years. 

On Mr. Devlin removing to Ryde, deceased accompanied him, later going to Wagga, where Mr Devlin had purchased a station property. The deceased remained in the employ of Mr. Devlin for about seven years. His duties included the droving of cattle and horses throughout the State and into Victoria. 

Mr. Skinner came back to the Clarence in 1873, taking up his residence for a few years at Palmer's Island, afterwards going to Ballina, where he entered the service of the late Thomas Fenwick, as an employee on the steamer Alcamus, which was engaged freighting timber from the Richmond River to the factory sawmills at Grafton. The Alcamus, loaded with log timber was making one of her trips from the Richmond to the Clarence, when she struck a heavy south-east gale off Woody Head, some miles north of Iluka, and foundered. 

Mr. Skinner, who was fireman on the boat, with other members of the crew, was able to reach shore safely. The spot was known, as Ross' wreck beach (near Woody Head), owing to the log timber that came ashore being purchased by the late Alexander Ross, of Palmer's Island, who had it sawn into timber at his mill on Palmer's Island. 

About 1885 Mr. Skinner went to Wombah and purchased a property on the Freshwater, where he resided for a number of years, and later entered the employ of the late Mr. George Morrison, father of Messrs. B., G. and D. Morrison, and worked in the sugar mill and on the farming properties, owned by them. 

Disposing of his Freshwater property, he went to, live at Wombah, where he resided until the time of his death. 

Deceased married a daughter of the late Mr. H. S. Searle, who with three daughters, survives him. 

The daughters are:— Mesdames Anton Kempnieh (Tweed River), Walter Causley (Chatsworth) and Miss Lydia Skinner (Wombah) and six sons, who all live in the Lower Clarence district, Messrs. Henry, John, William, Clarence, Benjamin and Alfred. 

He is also survived by 18 grandchildren. 

The funeral took place on Sunday and was largely attended. The remains were interred in the Church of England portion of the Maclean cemetery, Rev. Rowe officiating at the graveside.


From: "MACLEAN." Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW: 1915 - 1954) 18 Nov 1932 [2] 
MACLEAN.