When doing research for my illusive Crump Ancestors, I thought I had finally located my mysterious x3gr Grandfather alas after considerable delving I discovered that he couldn't have be mine. Close but not close enough.

Both Thomas Crumps came to Australia around the early 1840s,
Thomas Crump(1) my ancestor
Thomas Crump(2) the guy who I originally thought might have been my ancestor -Thomas Crump(1)
Both Thomas' were born in in the early between 1800s, within 3 years of each other.
Thomas Crump(1) c1815
Thomas Crump(2) 1818

Both Thomas' were out of general English population by early 1840s:-
Thomas Crump(1) according to his death certificate he had been in Victoria Australia for 32 years before he died, making his arrival date to Victoria in 1842
*the first positive record of Thomas in the Port Phillip District and was found in the 1845/46, in the LaTrobe Ward of the Melbourne Rate Books. He was the owner of a 4 roomed house with a Kitchen, Stable and Yard.
*There has been some speculation that may have immigrated on the Marquis of Hasting on 11 Oct 1840. arrived Sydney 4 February 1841 under Captain T.A Carr left Plymouth 11/10/1840, however nothing has been confirmed yet)
Thomas Crump(2) was convicted at the Central Criminal Court on 19/10/1840 of Larceny: Stealing a roll of flannel at the age of 22 and was sentenced to 7 years. He spent 1 year, 5 months on a Hulk. Before he was transported to Tasmania in Australia on the ?Candahar? left Portsmouth on the on the 17/3/1842 and arrived in Van Demons Land on 21 July 1842

My original thought was that it could be possible that possible that Thomas Crump(1) & (2) were the same person and that Thomas had been convicted in England and transported to Van Demon's Land and then somehow traveled to Victoria were he married my 3x great grandmother Selina Wheeler.

Thomas Crump(2) married Lydia Johnson and they were married on the 6 April 1846 (Yr 1846, Reg#2321) in Hobart. This is still consistent with the possibility that Thomas (1) & (2) were the same person as on Thomas Crump(1)'s death certificate it stated that details of his first wife were unknown, therefore when Thomas (1) remarried in 30 Dec 1850 in Melbourne, I initially thought that Lydia Johnson may have died between 1847 and 1850, making Selina Wheeler his second wife.

It wasn't until I found that Thomas Crump(2) died in 1866 according to an inquest held in Hobart on 7 Nov 1866, was accidentally killed, that I knew he could not be my Thomas(1) who did died until 1874 in Victoria, Australia.

In Summary

Thomas Crump(2)
Birth c 1818, his native place of origin was listed as Bethnal Green, London
Thomas was convicted at the Central Criminal Court on 19/10/1840 of Larceny: Stealing a roll of flannel at the age of 22 and was sentenced to 7 years.
He spent 1 year, 5 months on a Hulk. In the records only one family was mentioned an uncle whose name was John.
He was transport to Tasmania on the ?Candahar? left Portsmouth on the on the 17/3/1842 and arrived in Van Demons Land on 21 July 1842

August 1842 he spent his probation in a Station gang for seven months at Lovely Banks, which is north of Hobart on what is now known as the Midlands Highway.
He then moved to the Prisoner's Barracks where on the 19/5/1843 he was found to be neglecting his work and as punishment he was given 6 days solitary & then on the 17/6/1843 in the Probation Prisoners' Barracks where once again he neglected his work as punishment he was given two months hard labor on the roads presumably near Browns River.
He returned to the Prisoner's Barracks on and onto various work assignments in Sandy Bay, Hobart, & Bridgewater and then back to Hobart where on 4/11/1844 in Abbott, Hobart he was charged with misconduct in resisting a constable in the execution of his duty he was put in solitary for 14 days.

He was granted permission to marry Lydia Johnson and they were married on the 6 April 1846 (Yr 1846, Reg#2321) in Hobart.
Together they had 6 children
Thomas Henry Crump born 12 Dec 1846 (Yr1846, reg#2857)
John Walter Crump Born9 Oct 1848 (Yr1848, reg#3285) (died 22/11/1897)
1. Lucy Lydia Crump born 14 Apr 1851 (Yr1851, reg#3842)
2. Eliza Crump born 4 May 1853 (Yr 1853, reg#1853) (died 4/5/1853)
3. Eliza Crump born 3 May 1853 (Yr 1853, Reg#2249)
4. William Crump born 6 Apr 1854 (Yr1854, reg#4340)

He received his first ticket of freedom on the 7/7/1846 and his Free Certificate on the 19/10/1847
Inquest held on body in Hobart on 7 Nov 1866, verdict accidentally killed. Crime report 11 January 1867

Thomas Crump(1)
In contrast my ancestor Thomas Crump was born in 1815 - , Kent, England and died in 13 Apr 1874 Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. Immigrated: arriving in Victoria in, 1842. according to his death certificate. He married twice, details of his first wife are unknown.
His second wife however was Selina Wheeler (Abt 1834 - 24 Jul 1899) married on 30 Dec 1850 in Melbourne, , Victoria, Australia
their children were:
1. William Crump (1851-1866)
2. Theophilus Crump (1853-1930)
3. Albert Crump (Abt 1855- )
4. Walter Crump (Abt 1862-1923)
5. Christina Crump (Abt 1864-1882)
6. Thomas Crump (1866-1948)

I have not yet been able to find any reference to any of Thomas' family of origin making it very hard to go back any further.

Still looking for the puzzle pieces

Sandra