JONES Thomas
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In 1755 the 51st Regiment of Foot was renumbered (from the 53rd). It received a county designation in 1782, as the 51st (2nd Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment of Foot. In 1821 the regiment received royal status, becoming the 51st (2nd Yorkshire, West Riding, The King’s Own Light Infantry) Regiment.During the early 19th century the regiment served in the Napoleonic and Peninsular campaigns and served at Waterloo in 1815.
Between August and December 1837, six convict ships left Britain with 51st Regiment guards on board bound for New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land. The regiment continued to arrive in Australia as convict guards, and in larger numbers on troopships, during the decade that followed. Some of these ships are profiled on the Ships page. Arguably the most famous of the journeys made by 30 officers and men was on the ship Buffalo. That story can be read on the Anecdotes page.
In June 1840, a detachment of 145 officers and men arrived in Western Australia on Runnymede from Hobart; a further 46 men arrived on Eudora and Champion between 1841 and 1844. Thirty three 51st men took their discharge and settled in Western Australia; one of them was this man featured on the right.
The 51st in Australia left Hobart for India on Java in 1847. Its last port of call was on 15th March 1847 when the balance of the detachment in WA boarded Java on her way to Calcutta.

NAME Thomas JONES | Name variations: None encountered. |
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Birth Date and Place | Ballo, Dolgellon, Merionethshire – not verified [WO12-6200-14] . Possibly ‘Bala, Dolgelley/Dolgellau, Merionethshire, Wales’. See Additional Details below. |
Baptism Date and Place | 16 Feb 1812 Dolgellau Salem, Merionethshire, Wales [TNA-RG4-3473]. See Additional Details below. |
Marriage Date and Place | |
Spouse | |
Children | |
Occupations | |
Land Acquisition in WA | |
Death Date and Place | |
Burial Date and Place | |
Death, Funeral, Obituary Notices | |
Will and Probate |
BRITISH ARMY | |
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Regiment | 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding, The Kings Own Light Infantry) Regiment. |
Soldier No. and Rank | #798 Private. |
Medals, Clasps and Badges | Good Conduct Badge and payment at 1d. per diem. Suspended 8 Jan 1841 owing to entry in Defaulter’s Book. Badge restored Jul 1842 (no pay) [WO12-6204-204]. Payment restored Oct 1846 1d. per diem [WO12-6298-167]. |
Arrival Australia State: Ship and Date | Middlesex. Departed Chatham, Kent 4 Jun 1839 for Dublin & New South Wales [WO12-6201-205]. Departed Dublin 6 Jul 1839; arrived Sydney, NSW 25 Jan 1840 [DPS]. Re-joined 51st Regiment in Hobart February 1840. |
Arrival Western Australia: Ship and Date | Runnymede 25 Jun 1840 from Hobart [TROVE]. |
Military Postings within Western Australia | Perth HQ Jun 1840 to Jan 1841. Pinjarrah Feb 1841 to Feb 1843. Perth HQ & On Command Mar to Sep 1843. Bunbury Oct 1843 to Jul 1844. Perth HQ, On Command & Garrison Duty Aug 1844 to Mar 1845. York Apr 1845 to Oct 1846. Perth HQ, Garrison Duty, On Command Nov 1846 to 31 Mar 1847 when discharged. [All sourcing from WO12-6202 TO 6208]. |
Courts Martial in Western Australia | None. |
Discharge Date and Place | 31 Mar 1847 Perth, Western Australia [WO12-6208-190]. |
Age at Discharge | |
Length of Service |
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
The name Thomas Jones is extremely difficult to research, both inside and outside of Wales. When other personal information such as birthdate and enlistment is missing, any other data become indistinguishable. The Army records Private Jones’s birthplace as ‘Ballo Dolgellon, Merionethshire’; the closest I could find to such a place is ‘Bala, Dolgellau, Merionethshire’ (although there is almost 20 miles between the two towns). The 1812 baptism in the Salem Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel in Dolgallau indicates a possible birthplace for Private Jones – but unfortunately not verifiable.
The details here are therefore sourced entirely from the 51st Regiment Musters and Pay Lists.