Thomas Henry Brough

Great Granddad Brough

Born  25 February 1877, Barry’s Bay, NZ, d 2 September 1934, Aria, NZ. (57 yrs)

Father = THOMAS BROUGH

1^ST Married: AMELIA ISABELLA GRACE WINTER 1 May 1906, Registrar’s Office, Hawera, NZ.

ISABELLA
b 23 July 1885, Hokitika, NZ,
 d 4 November 1963, Auckland, NZ (78 yrs) 

2nd wife: SARAH CAMPBELL MCPHERSON RIDDLE

Thomas did most of his schooling in Inglewood. He was an excellent woodchopper, very athletic, especially fine at the High Jump (could jump 5’8”).  He was an excellent rugby player.  Had a good memory and ability to understand any subject.  He played several musical instruments including the accordian, mouth organ, flute concertina and the jaws harp.  

He had the strong, broad nose of his father, but long mouth of the Le Comte’s. Honest and upright, intelligent, powerful worker, optimistic, fine sense of humour, in some ways too easy going. (Les Brough)  

Thomas married Isabella Winter in Hawera.  They settled on land in the Aria District that bordered the Piarere and Arawhauwhi Streams.  The hills were of sandstone and papa shell rock was found under the papa stone.  The quality of the land varied considerably.  Every little gully had its spring.  At first they lived in a tent, but the mosquitos were so bad, they slept in the fern every night, and even then found it impossible to sleep.  Isabella was often nervous when the dogs snarled at wild pigs, and wild cattle roared on the hill above.  They first built a small cottage and later a homestead was built.

 In those days travel to Rira was on horseback over narrow trails.  Bella was never a good horse rider. 

Thomas was very easy going by nature.  Leslie (His son) never saw him lose his temper.  He was a good father, a gentleman among his brothers, but he did not always help his wife around the home.  He preferred to play with the children on the floor.  He did not install important things such as taps and other essentials.   Bella would scream and rant at him, Thomas would just laugh at her which made her worse. Frustrated, Isabella finally walked out on them taking her daughter with her, and the marriage broke up.  She walked out when Leslie's next brother Shirley was sick with rheumatic fever.  He was eight years old.  As a result, he died. 

One of his brothers, Aubrey never forgave his mother. 

She kept coming back once a year to prevent a divorce, but finally Thomas' relatives got him to see a lawyer and an ultimation was made that she failed to keep, and they were finally divorced.  Both were probably just as guilty for the breakup as Bella had always had a violent temper and a jealous streak, often showing it by taking it out on the property of others, especially her daughter Doris, by breaking up her treasured things later in life.

Thomas remarried later to Ella Riddle.  He had a son Trevor by that marriage.  

Thomas never made a will so the Public Trust took the lot.  Aubrey quickly took the horses down to his place.  Word went around the district that if anyone had any old or worthless cattle or sheep, to bring them down to Brough's farm and exchange them for a good one.  The Public Trust held an Auction.  The community stood together and nobody would bid, causing them to have their Auction elsewhere.