Thomas Ayres

  Birth Notes:

His parents were married in April 1828 so unless there was a technical error he was born in 1829.

And

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1936383
Died aged 85
Cal 31 Jul 1828

And

http://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Ayres/6000000027775394489

And

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDCK-C14
1829

And

http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/people/ayres-t.html
July 1828

And

Copy of his son, Thomas Lambert Ayre's, Death Notice dated 22 Jun 1922 in RAB's possession. His birth place is recorded as Potchefstroom, Transvaal.

And

July 1828.
GISA SAF Kombo CD page 485.

And

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4V-BS8V-W

  Christening Notes:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&gss=angs-c&gsfn=thomas&gsfn_x=NN_NIC&gsln=Ayres&gsln_x=NS_NP&msbdy=1828&msbdy_x=1&msfng0=John&msfng0_x=1&msmng0=Martha&msmng0_x=1&uidh=iof&msbdp=2&pcat=BMD_BIRTH&h=53399188&db=FS1EnglandBirthsandChristenings&indiv=1&ml_rpos=3

  Death Notes:

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1936383

And

National Archives of South Africa

DEPOT TAB
SOURCE MHG
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 0
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 42702
PART 1
DESCRIPTION AYRES, THOMAS.
STARTING 19130000
ENDING 19130000

And

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4V-BS8V-W

  Burial Notes:

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1936383

  Sources of information or noted events in his life were:

• General Comment. Naturalist.
http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1936383

Ornithologist.
National Archives of South Africa

DEPOT Wits University Library
TYPE Manuscript
REFERENCE A210f
DESCRIPTION T Ayres
STARTING 1869
ENDING 1869
REMARKS 7pp; Hg.
SUMMARY Thomas Ayres, ornithologist.
+ Fragment of diary 1869 May 7-27. See Journal of the S
African ornithological union v. 9, p. 113, 1913.

And

Ayres, Thomas (1828-1913)

Trader, gold digger and naturalist; lived mainly in Potchefstroom.


Date Age Events
July 1828 0 Born in Hereford, England. Eldest son of John Ayres and his wife, Heléne Duschesne. Father was mayor of Hereford.
1850 22 Family emigrated to Natal as part of first major influx of British settlers to that region.
1852 24 Together with other settlers tried his luck in the Australian goldfields for a few years. He was unsuccessful and returned to Natal where he settled near Pinetown as a planter. However, his main interest was in natural history, particularly birds. Through an introduction by H.E. Colenso, he developed a lifelong friendship with the ornithologist J.H. Gurney who lived in Norwich, England. Collected birds widely in Natal.
1865 37 Moved to Potchefstroom where his brother Walter was already living. They were involved in itinerant trading and followed the trek boers to the Crocodile and Marico Rivers. His home was known as 'The Ark' or 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'; Austin Roberts was one of the many visitors.
early 1870's Tried his luck unsuccessfully on the Lydenburg gold fields.
1880 52 Travelled as naturalist on an expedition to Matebeleland.
31 July 1913 85 Died in Potchefstroom.

Ayres was married and had one son, Thomas Lambert. Uncle of Alfred D. Millar.

He published on birds, mainly in Ibis.


Specimens collected

Most of bird skins were sent to Gurney and are now in the Natural History Museum, London, and the Liverpool Museum. Figures prominently in Roland Trimen's volumes of 'SA Butterflies' 1887 as a collector and contributor of butterflies (C. Quickelberg, pers. comm.). Also referred to in L.A. Péringuey's publications on beetles.


References

•FitzSimons, V.F.M. 1977. Ayres, Thomas. In Dictionary of South African Biography Volume III (ed. C.J. Beyers). Tafelberg-Uitgewers, Cape Town, pp. 36-37.


•Gunn & Codd (1981), p. 83.

http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/people/ayres-t.html

And

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ayres
He produced a beer calles Ayres XX Pale Ale.

And

Born Hereford, England Jul 1828 a, SA c. 1850 after which he went to the Australian Goldfields and came back to Natal in 1852. Ornitholigist and naturalist he spent a lot of time identifying birds and painting bird pictures and escribing their habits and habitat. His study and bird collection covered a large part of Natal right up to the borders of the ZAR. The publication "List of a collection of birds of Natal in South Eastern Africa was releases shortly thereafter. In 1865 he mover to Potchefstroom in the ZAR and extended his studies on birds. This was done on several jouneys as a travelling salesman. During 1880 he was appointed as biologist for an expidition to Matabeleland. During this trip he made many general wildlife and landscape sketches. In honour of his important contributions to ornitholigy he was made an honourary member of the British Ornithological Union in 1888. He contributed valuable research and knowledge on butterflies and beetles. He died in Potchefstroom 31.1.1913. Son of John Ayers and Heléne Duchesne. Married unknown.
1 son Thomas Lambert.
Ref: SA Biographical Dictionary, Vol III
GISA SAF Kombo CD page 485/486.

• Occupation. Farmer.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11048-183910-82?cc=2063749

And

Farmer and naturalist.
GISA SAF Kombo CD page 485.

• General Comment. Copy of his son, Thomas Lambert Ayre's, Death Notice dated 22 Jun 1922 in RAB's possession.

Thomas married Sarah Willes on 26 Apr 1855 in Pinetown, Natal, South Africa. (Sarah Willes was born about 1824 in Pinetown, Natal, South Africa, died on 23 Jun 1886 and was buried in Pinetown, Natal, South Africa.)

  Sources of information or noted events in their marriage were:

• Web Based Info. They were married in Mr. Ayres' House???.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11048-183910-82?cc=2063749
Witnesses:-
Mrs. Millar or M.Millar
Aug. R. Gillespie or Hugh Gillespie