Thomas Playford I

Thomas Playford (11 August 1795 – 18 September 1873) was a non-conformist minister of religion, teacher and farmer in the early days of the British colony of South Australia. The first-born son of the next three generations were also named Thomas; the second and fourth became premiers of South Australia. His time in South Australia was closely linked with that of his brother, John Playford (born 1810), sister Hannah Welbourn née Playford (1813–1865), and Hannah's husband Thomas Welbourn (1812–1879).

The brothers were ordained ministers, followers of Robert Aitken, with heretical views on the nature of eternal punishment that attracted charges of Socinianism.

Early life and military career

Thomas Playford was born in Barnby Dun, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the eldest son of farmer Thomas Playford (born 1759), and had a happy, carefree childhood. The tall (), thoughtful youth was hardly fitted for farm life, and was persuaded to join the army, and in September 1810 enrolled with the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards. He served with in the Battle of Vittoria, the Peninsular Wars and at Waterloo, though he was providentially spared direct combat. According to Stewart Cockburn, Playford was dragooned into the army to avoid a scandal involving an older girl. He returned to England with his regiment in February 1816 and, finding himself with time on his hands, volunteered for teaching and clerical duties. In 1819 he married Mary Anne Corsane; they had two children who died in infancy. He also became interested in religion, and though by birth an Anglican, was for a time influenced by Wesleyan teachings, though seeing some flaws in their arguments. He next was influenced by Rev. Edward Irving, though again confused by the arguments among his followers. His last years with the regiment were spent researching and writing up its history, a task for which he was commended but saw little reward for his efforts.
He reached the rank of Lieutenant before being honorably discharged.

Canada and London

On his discharge from the army he attempted to take up a land grant in Canada, but failed. According to one account his wife and one child died in 1835 and he returned with his remaining daughter Eliza to London. Hussey's account, based on Playford's recollections, had the son dying on their return trip, to be buried at sea, and his wife dying of consumption shortly after their return to London.
There he helped the Adjutant-General's department prepare a book on regimental colours.
He married again in 1837 to Mary Ann Perry and had a further three children in England, the eldest following the family tradition in being named Thomas.
A turning point in his religious life came in 1837 when he heard the Rev. Robert Aitken preach, and joined his "The Christian Society". He was soon appointed an Elder and an approved preacher, but refused to abandon his work on military history.
In 1841 a rupture occurred in "The Christian Society" and Playford became leader of one of the few remaining branches.

Sibling migration to Australia

Playford's sister Hannah Playford was also born in Barnby Dun. She married Thomas Welbourn prior to December 1836, when she and her husband migrated to South Australia aboard ''John Renwick'', arriving in February 1837.
Playford's brother John Playford, who has been reported as dying aboard that vessel, was preaching in Adelaide in January 1844.

Playford himself would not arrive for another seven years, but on 27 August 1837 Town Acre No. 50, as surveyed by Colonel Light on Hindley Street, Adelaide, was purchased in his name, at a land auction held by the South Australian Company. The grant to Playford would be made out on 27 December 1844. It is assumed that the bidding and payment was made by an agent such as Welbourn or John Playford.

In 1893 that property was still in the family, owned by Thomas Playford IIDelineating the various Thomas Playfords with a generation number is solely for ease of reference in this and related articles; in Australia there is no tradition of referring to "Thomas Playford II" et al. in speech or in writing. and his brother Edward. A cottage was erected there for Tom and Hannah Welbourn. The Welbourns' first child Thomas Playford Welbourn was born on 12 July 1838, possibly the first white male born on mainland South Australia. A daughter, Catherine Hannah Welbourn was born on 20 June 1840.

Life in Australia

Playford, his wife Mary Anne Playford (née Perry) and their little family emigrated in 1843 or 1844. Their travel details are unknown.

Playford joined the Adelaide branch of an energetic sect of baptists self-identified as simply "Christians" or "Christian Brethren" and whose first chapel was opened on Bentham Street in 1848. A second was founded in Hindmarsh and a third at Grassy Flat, on the eastern side of present-day Norton Summit. That tiny church, which later became attached to the Baptist denomination, was replaced in 1886 by the 150-seat Norton Summit Baptist Church across the road.

Playford was mainly associated with the Bentham Street chapel, and preached there regularly from 1850 to shortly before he died.
A recurring topic of his sermons was the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

By September 1846, Playford had erected a two-storey premises on his property in Hindley Street, where Thomas and Hannah Welbourn established an eating-house. However Welbourn had become abusive towards his wife, took to drink and went prospecting, and Mrs Welbourn turned the eating-house into a boarding-house.

Hannah Welbourn took her two children to Hobart for a year circa 1855; then to Hatfield, England, near her birthplace, where they stayed with relatives. The Welbourns returned to Adelaide two years later aboard a migrant ship.

Hannah Welbourn's son Thomas Playford Welbourn married Ann Richardson on 12 July 1859. That same year he was operating a cooperage in Flinders Street in partnership with one William Wilkins, then from August 1865 on his own account. In 1869 he advertised to hire six or eight coopers. In 1873 the business became known as Welbourne, Davids, & Co. Welbourn retired in 1886 and died on the anniversary of both his birth and wedding. Welbourne Street, Mitcham, where he lived for fifty years, was named for him.

In 1849 Thomas Welbourn had leased and later purchased Section No. 1079 of 118 acres, near Norton's Summit. Playford took over the Norton's Summit property in 1860. By 1864, part of the property had been sold to H. Norton, who paid £9 10s per acre. Playford also farmed at Mitcham, where he ran a small school, and, on occasion, preached at Bentham Street and Grassy Flat without payment.

Playford donated land on Albert Street, Mitcham for a Christian chapel, which was opened in September 1860.
He conducted services there without payment until his death, when the Rev. Tom Capel Davis (died 15 October 1875) became its first stipendiary minister, and the church was admitted to the Baptist Association.

Playford died at his Mitcham home and his remains were buried in the Mitcham Baptist church cemetery, the service conducted by Henry Hussey.

Publications

* Price 3s. 6d.
*Playford, Thomas (1872) ''Sermons by Rev. Thomas Playford, preached at Bentham St. Chapel, Adelaide'' publ. W. C. Rigby, 53 Hindley Street. Price 3s. 6d.

Family and descendants

Notes

Further reading

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Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Playford, Thomas 1
1795 births
1873 deaths
19th-century Australian Baptist ministers
People from the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
British Life Guards officers
British emigrants to Australia