Mary Thomas

The direct ancestor of the South African branch of the family is THOMAS HALSE, a gentleman and widower, resident in the town of Penzance, Cornwall, who married Mary Thomas (widow of Joseph Batten of Penzance) at the Parish Church of Madron, Penzance, on the 25 June 1789. They had one son THOMAS HENRY HALSE born Aug. 1794 in Penzance and christened in the parish church of Madron 22 Aug. 1794.

This THOMAS HENRY HALSE married in 1816 Susan Smith, the daughter of a Scotsman James Smith, head of a large drapery establishment in Sussex. Two children were born to this couple in London – Henry James born 1 Dec. 1817 and William born 1819.

In 1820 THOMAS HENRY HALSE, then 26, and his wife Susan and their two children came to South Africa in Morgan's party on S. Ocean. The child William died on the journey out.