Tom was born in London in 1842 and arrived in New Zealand on the 'Harrier' in 1866, building up his business in Thames and Mercer before coming to Cambridge in 1878 and buying the General Store from James Hally.
He married Jane Astley and they had 3 children.

In 1879 he was a member of the Cambridge Town Board and took part in developing footpaths, grading, draining and tree planting in the principal streets. He helped encourage the railway to Cambridge and to make the Rotorua road available for traffic.
Thos was on the Borough Council from 1901-1907 and Mayor from 1903 to 1905.
He was member of the Waikato Horticultural Society, Cambridge Chrysanthemum Society, Waikato Farmers Club and Waikato Fruit Growers Association. He was also St Andrew's churchwarden and on the committees of local cricket, school, library, water supply, Victoria Bridge and gasworks.
When he retired from public life he was presented with 150 sovereigns at a public reception.
He was chairman of the Cambridge Domain Board for twenty years and the gates were erected as a memorial when he died in 1910.

 

Researched and written by Eris Parker
Ref: Cambridge Museum Archives

 

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