Thomas Toms (1) and his growing family moved from their sod house (dwelling #231) to a newer, bigger pug house (dwelling #449) which Mr Toms had built lower down Tineys Gully. Most of the iron roofing for the new house was to come from the old house. When the roof was removed from the old house the family had to spend the night in the open. Unfortunately that night it rained and everybody got very wet.

Thomas Toms (1) and his wife brought up their large family in dwelling #449. Mr Toms was illiterate and his wife Laticia did all his writing and kept all of his records.

Thomas Toms (1) opened up his own coal pit at the corner of Gully Road and the Bannockburn-Nevis Road (see location #469)

From the pocket ledger kept by Mrs Toms, it appears that the coal mine was producing an average of 7 ton of coal per month.

Along with the coal mine, Mr Toms may have worked at sluice mining for gold with James Menzies and Adam Aitken. He worked for Charles Wilson and Edward Tupker ( the New Try Again Company ) in the Caledonian area of the Quartzville goldfield. After this company ceased operations Mr Toms worked for Max behrens who was pegging out a new claim in the same area. In addition to mining, Thomas worked on Hawkesburn Station where he helped out John Robertson who was a station hand.

Thomas Toms (1) farmed a number of cows and Mrs Toms sold the milk at 4d per pint to at least 12 local households including those of : Tippet, Paterson, Fleming, Ferguson, Barnes, Hitchen, Halliday, Horn, A Horn, J Horn, J Horn (store) plus Miss Truman the school mistress. It appears that Mrs Toms also baked and sold loaves of bread.

It appears from the pocket ledger of Mrs Toms that Thomas was still operating his coal mine in 1888.

The ledger records that on 4 Jan, Mr Toms sold 75 bags of coal to Mr J Pryde. He was the chief coal miner in Bannockburn at this stage and he had Mr McNulty in Cromwell as his agent.

The last coal entry in the ledger appears to be for Feb 1888, which shows a total of 263 bags (2.9 tons) of coal won from the mine. The coal mining indistry was beginning to slow down at this time and Mr Toms (1) may have closed his mine down at this time. he may have returned to work as a reefer on the Carrick range, and for a time at the Bendigo field.

On 23 Jun 1922, Thomas Toms died at the age of 83 years. he was buried in the Cromwell cemetery. Mr Toms was survived by his wife Laticia and a family of 6 sons, 5 daughtes, 33 grand children and 2 great grand children. Mrs Toms continued to live in the house after her husbands death.

Mrs Toms continued to live in the dwelling after her husbands death. She regularly walked to visit her children's homes and family's who lived in the gully, as well as friends further away. One of her regular walks was to dwelling #244 on the Bannockbutn-Nevis road, at the mouth of Pigroot Gully to visit her daughter Emma (Mrs P M Parcell)

Mrs Parcell spent some time at dwelling #449 caring for her mother.

Edward Lawrence boarded in dwelling #449 for a period of time.

Due to her failing health, Mrs Toms moved to dwelling #237 and was cared for by her son Robert and his second wife Maggie.

John Henry (Jack) - went to the Boar War in 1899 and may have been wounded. He stayed in South Africa after the war and was in the Natal police. Thomas (2) - moved to the McKenzie Valley and did not return to Bannockburn. William - Married Jean Hancock. Moved to Cromwell to work on a gold dredge, then to the Nevis. he returned to Bannockburn in 1918, see dwelling #230. Grace - Married Herbert Grocott, an accountant from Omarama and did not return to Bannockburn Elizabeth Jane - Married Thomas Lawrence in 1895. Went to Australia, returned to NZ and settled in Waihi. Returned to Bannockburn in 1912. See dwelling #126. Mary Anne - Married George Grey Lawrence - see dwelling #98 Lucy - Married Frank Jeffrey, moved away from Bannockburn and did not return. Richard - Married Hannah Grocott, moved to Nevis, worked as a carter and ganger. Returned to Bannockburn - see dwelling #118 Robert - First marriage to Mary Lavinia (Polly_ Hancock. Second marriage to Margaret (Maggie) Breen. Mail contractor on the Cromwell - Bannockburn - Nevis route. See dwelling #241. Ema - Married Philip May Parcell, Daughter Beatrice Toms, Daughter Latitia Mary Anne Parcell - see dwelling #244 Albert Edward - Married Helen (Nellie) Scott. Had one son Edward Milburn (Bertie) Toms - see dwelling #278