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From: "Max Bancroft" <>
Subject: Re: [ANCC] Gosford in 1900-1903 - Occupations by Surname - F-G
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:59:31 +1000 (AUS Eastern Standard Time)
References: <000501c8f054$2ca7e960$1512a4cb@owner><F0AA026D62CF4BC2A6B63921AA1E0BED@giffofc8ffcfcb><ED825D059C884884807D2F2FF9DA9D77@OfficePC><488D553E.000003.02128@MAX-PC><72B3F748DC3B477BA5595E5F957FB949@OfficePC>


Hello again Ted, yes I have recorded my grandfathers stories for my own
family's benifit particularly the one where his father was killed by a
dynamite detonator exploding in his mouth and his shocked mother ran off
into the scrub never to be seen again leaving Tom aged nine to give his
eight siblings away to total strangers. The young folk think they have it
tough these days.Unfortunately I don't know of anywhere that would be
interested in conserving his stories for posterity. Any suggestions?
Max
-------Original Message-------

From: Ted Bryant
Date: 28/07/2008 3:37:23 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [ANCC] Gosford in 1900-1903 - Occupations by Surname - F-G

Hi,

Very interesting, sound like part of the script for a "Rocky" movie!! I
trust you have written his story so many get lost in time.

Ted

----- Original Message -----
From: "Max Bancroft" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 3:12 PM
Subject: Re: [ANCC] Gosford in 1900-1903 - Occupations by Surname - F-G


G'day Ted my grandfatherTom Bancroft was the second man in Australia to pass

the exam that quallified him to operate the new fangled steam engines that
powered the shearing shed machinery and cutting combs when steam power came
to Australia.

He rode his horse from Moree to Brisbane in driving rain a journey that took

six weeks and sat the exam only to get one question wrong because in
Queensland they called a brass shim a packing piece. No quarter was given.
He had to go back to Brisbane the following year and re sit the exam. Not
bad for a block who couldn't read or write how he studied for the exam is a
mystery.

In the off season when Tom was not shearing he was employed all over NSW
repairing windmills or was in his blacksmith shop in King St. Newtown a
Sydney suburb. In a nearby lane was a boxing Gymnasium where some of
Australia's best pugilists were trained.

Tom and the trainer had a mutual agreement. When one of the boxers had a big

fight coming up he was sent around to the blacksmith shop where he was put
to work wielding a 12 pound hammer in each hand.

Tom would move a piece of red hot metal around on the anvil which was to
perhaps eventually become a horse shoe by holding it with two long handled
tongs while the boxer would commence "Going on Strike "swinging each hammer
in turn banging the metal repeatedly.

This process went on for fourteen hours a day for several weeks which meant
the boxer's mussels soon became hardened to hard physical labour. No wonder
Australia had so many world class boxers back in those days.




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