Hello Wayne and Webstar,
My name is Alison and I live near where Thomas and Magdalene Cutting settled at New Tiers in 1852. Brian Seward of Playford, Suffolk, has written the early history of the life of Thomas Augustus Cutting and his family. I have collected a briefcase full of documents about Thomas Augustus Cutting’s life in South Australia (with a few details about his time in Harpstedt). He wrote many letters – to the Colonial Secretary, the newpaper, the East Torrens Council. He also had some complicated land transactions. He arranged public meetings about his pet topic – roads – and chaired these meetings and wrote petitions to the government, which were signed by those who attended these meetings. Thomas A Cutting’s life could be divided into three parts: Playford Hall, Suffolk and his military career, which has been written about in depth by Brian Seward; Life in Harpstedt where he married and had three children (his son was Thomas John George William – born 1834) and he married again after he was widowed – 1st January 1849. His second daughter married mid 1851 – perhaps his retirement from the KGL coincided with the need to supply a dowry? By this daughter’s marriage TAC was the great-grandfather of Lieutenant General Hermann Floerke who served Germany in both world wars. (Emil Hermann Floerke was born in 1893, well after the death of T A Cutting in 1876.)
Thomas Cutting and Magdalene (nee Aufderheide) had three children born in South Australia. I am descended from their eldest daughter. I have her photograph (on glass) and a memento from her father’s military uniform which he wore during the Napoleonic Wars.
Thomas Cutting’s first marriage was to a well connected family. Some of his first wife’s ancestors and family connections had lived in Hannover and they included courtiers, including the Hannover Court Preacher, Levin Burchard Langschmidt, who probably conducted royal weddings and baptisms. Thomas Cutting’s second marriage was possibly considered a mésalliance because Magdalene wasn’t of the same social class. Her parents lived in rented accommodation. Actually Thomas Cutting’s father also “rented” but it was a different type of situation. He had the lease on a prosperous property called Playford Hall, which included a large house which even had a moat. Thomas Cutting was always mindful of his birthplace and in South Australian records, now in the Lutheran Archives, his birthplace is written as Playford Hall, Suffolk. This is my first time using a forum – I am not sure if I am permitted to write my private e-mail address to exchange privately further information or whether it has to stay open. The parish books kept at Harpstedt which are now on-line are a wonderful source of information, as mentioned by webstar. It was very interesting reading about the Hasse family. I wonder what relationship you have with Thomas Augustus Cutting. Perhaps we are cousins. Alison
