See also
Name:
Thomas Thornton
Sex:
Male
Father:
Mother:
Birth:
Nov 1830
Address: Crown Court, Little Pearl Street
The 1861, 1871 & 1881 Censuses all give his birthplace as Spitalfields. This, together with his parents' Christian names from the 1841 Census, allowed his baptismal record to be traced. As it was normal for children to be baptised a few weeks after their birth it is assumed that he was born in late November.
Baptism:
20 Dec 1830 (age 0)
Christ Church4
Address: Spitalfields, Middlesex
His parents would have been present and probably his older siblings Abraham, George and Clement.
Census (living with parents):
6 Jun 1841 (age 10)
1841 Census - living with parents
Occupation:
frm 1845 to 1900 (age 14-70)
In every census and on official documents such as his Marriage Certificate, the Birth Certificates of his children and his Death Certificate Thomas' trade is given as a chair maker so it is almost certain that he was apprenticed at the age of 14. Furniture making was one of the industries which was replacing silk weaving in the Spitalfields and Bethnal Green area (Thomas father, Abraham, had been a weaver) and the area where he lived abounded with small workshops specialising in one type of furniture. The Birth Certificate of his daughter Rebecca describes him as a Master Chairmaker which presumable means that he had risen to the top of his trade and could supervise apprentices although there is no evidence that he had his own business. The only document which bears his signature is his Marriage Certificate which he signed with his mark indicating that he could not write but presumably he could understand a drawing and use the marking out tools which were necessary to make a chair.
Residence:
frm 1850 to 1900 (age 19-70)
During this time the area was undergoing considerable change with old buildings being demolished and new houses being built. It is assumed that they set up home together as soon as they were married. Where this was is not known as the only evidence of where they lived comes from 1861, '71, '81 and '91 censuses, the birth certificates of their children and Thomas' death certificate. They do not appear in the 1851 and 1891 censuses.
They certainly moved around.
By the time of 1861 census on 7 April they had 4 children and were living at 37 Barnsley Road which they shared with another family. However, by June they had moved to 1 Octagon Place where their daughter Rebecca was born. The 1861 census shows 1 Octagon Place being occupied by a widow and two other families - a total of 7 people. Given the size of Thomas' and Caroline's family they probably needed the house to themselves so the other families must have moved out although it is possible that the widow who was a dressmaker stayed. The longest they appear to have been in one place was 2 New Street where they are shown as occupying the whole house in the 1871 and 1881 censuses. By the time of the 1871 census they had 8 children and 2 lodgers. The census shows that there were 29 houses in New Street but they may not have all been identical. Whilst most accommodated one to two families with an average occupancy of approximately 7 people, No.1 accommodated six families with a total of 36 people and No. 14 had four families with a total of 20 people. By the 1881 census the only 4 children were living at home and they no longer had any lodgers. However they still had the house to themselves. By the 1891census New Street has only 6 houses so it may have been in the process of being re-developed and the family had moved to 16 Wolverly Street which they shared with another family. Whether it was because of the re-development is not known but by this time the family had reduced in size to Thomas, Caroline and their youngest daughter Alice. The family's total income has obviously been reduced and they no longer required a large house.
Parent:
25 Jul 1861 (age 30)
Baptism of daughter Rebecca
Parent:
25 Jul 1861 (age 30)
Baptism of daughter Caroline Ann
Parent:
25 Jul 1861 (age 30)
Baptism of daughter Mary Ann
Parent:
25 Jul 1861 (age 30)
Baptism of daughter Martha
Parent:
25 Jul 1861 (age 30)
Baptism of daughter Elizabeth
Parent:
17 Mar 1867 (age 36)
Baptism of daughter Louisa
Parent:
18 Jul 1869 (age 38)
Baptism of daughter Emma
Daughter's marriage:
15 Apr 1872 (age 41)
Marriage of daughter Mary to George Thurston
Daughter's marriage:
12 May 1872 (age 41)
Marriage of daughter Caroline to George Gregory
Daughter's marriage:
18 May 1874 (age 43)
Marriage of daughter Martha to John Salmon
Son's marriage:
23 Dec 1883 (age 53)
Marriage of son Thomas to Elizabeth Ann Darby
Rebecca was their daughter and Thomas was Rebecca's husband.
Daughter's marriage:
18 Sep 1887 (age 56)
Marriage of daughter Emma to William Henry Dulieu
Daughter's marriage:
17 Jul 1888 (age 57)
Marriage of daughter Louisa to William John Tomlinson
Death:
8 Feb 1900 (age 69)
Bethnal Green Workhouse15
Cause: Bronchitis
Address: Waterloo Road, Bethnal Green, London
His age given on his Death Certificate was 67. Thomas' occupation is given as 'Chairmaker of 57 Gossett Street'. It would appear that when someone died in the workhouse their address immediately prior to entering the workhouse is recorded in the Occupation box of the Death Certificate. However, when Thomas' wife Caroline died 5 years later this address is given as the address of the informant who was their daughter Louise. The probable explanation is that Thomas and his wife were living with their daughter and Thomas became too ill to nurse at home and was transferred to Bethnal Green Workhouse which also acted as the local infirmary. This can only be clarified by examination of the Workhouse records.
Thomas's wife, Caroline, also died of chronic bronchitis almost exactly five years later which is probably indicative of the damp conditions and the industrial fogs which occurred in winter.
Death Registration:
10 Feb 1900
Address: Bethnal Green, London
Daughter: Martha Thornton
Daughter: Louisa Thornton
1871, 1871 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton
1881, 1881 Census Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green
Spouse:
Children:
Marriage:
13 Mar 1850 (age 19)
Address: Bethnal Green, Middlesex
The witnesses were almost certainly related to the bride but the relationship has not been established. The groom's father may have been present but his mother had died some three years before. It is thought that both the bride's parents may have been dead. Who else may have been present is not known.
The Church was comparatively new when they married having been formed out of the parish of St Mathew, Bethnal Green in 1842/3 which itself had been split out of Stephney in 1746. This reflected the rapid expansion of the area with people flooding in to work in the new factories (see notes on Thomas' and Caroline's residence and Thomas' occupation). The parish was reunited with St Mathew in 1951 and the church closed in 1952. It became a furniture store and now no longer exists.
Thomas' address is given as 1 Collingwood Place. Collingwood Place no longer exists. There is a Collingwood Street but this is nearly a mile east south east of the church and in the parish of St Mathew. It is conceivable that Thomas lived in the vicinity and walked to the church.
Caroline's address is given as 15 West Street where she probably lived with her parents. The only West Street shown on modern maps lies about a mile east north east of the church connecting Clare Street and Cambridge Heath Street and is little more than a bridge spanning a railway line and is in the parish of St Mathew. The street did not exist in 1893 and so was not there in 1850. It is therefore probable that Caroline and possibly Thomas lived in the area known as the 'Nicholl' which lay immediately to the west of St Philip's Church and which was demolished by the London County Council in the early 1890s.
Census for household:
7 Apr 1861 (age 30)
Bethnal Green, Middlesex20
Address: 37 Barnsley Road
The household consisted of Thomas who is working as a chairmaker, his wife Caroline, and their children Caroline (age 9), Mary Ann (age 7), Martha (age 4) & Elizabeth (age 2). They also had two lodgers, William Bosby, an apprentice chairmaker, and James Robinson, a jouneyman (i.e. employed) chairmaker. The family and their lodgers occupied the whole house. Although both Thomas and James were chairmakers Thomas is not described as a jouneyman. However, judging from the address and the other censuses in which he appeared it is unlikely that Thomas had his own business. The area abounded with small furniture workshops and many of their neighbours were also employed in the furniture trade.
Census for household:
2 Apr 1871 (age 40)
Bethnal Green, London21
Address: 2 New Street
The household consisted of Thomas, his wife Caroline, their 8 children Caroline, Mary, Martha, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Thomas, Louise, and Emma. The family occupied the whole house albeit at a different address from the previous census. They also had two lodgers James Robinson and William Perrin. James had also lodged with them at their previous address (see 1861 Census for Thomas Thornton). Both of them worked in the furniture making trade as did Thomas and his two oldest children Caroline and Mary. The area abounded with small furniture workshops and many of their neighbours were also employed in the furniture trade. Perhaps they all walked to work together. Thomas' wife Caroline is shown as a house domestic but does not indicate whether this just meant that she stayed at home looking after the family or went out to work cleaning. In the census return the wife of the next door family is not shown as having an occupation so perhaps she went out to work but then who looked after the children? Apart from the two who went out to work, three were at school leaving three at home. Perhaps the eldest of these, Thomas, looked after the other two but a more likely explanation is that a neighbour minded them.
Census for household:
3 Apr 1881 (age 50)
Bethnal Green, Middlesex22
Address: 2 New Street
The family consisted of Thomas, his wife Caroline and their children Thomas, Louisa, Emma and Alice. Although the family had reduced in size as the older children moved out it still occupied the whole house. Thomas continues to be employed in the furniture trade as was his only son Thomas, and many of their neighbours. Louisa is working as a cigar box paperer (probably at home) and the two youngest children are attending school.
Census for household:
5 Apr 1891 (age 60)
Bethnal Green, London23
Address: 16 Wolverley Street
All the children except Alice have now left home and the family have moved to two rooms in a small house which was was shared with another family, a widower and his daughter, who occupied one room. Thomas now gives his birthplace as Whitechapel as opposed to Spitalfields given in the previous censuses. Alice's occupation (Sog Maker) is not understood.
Rev. William Stone, Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Thornton Christ Church, Spitalfields, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1830, Page 14, No. 111; Date of baptism and abode. Cit. Date: November 1830. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P93/CTC1/206-213.
1861 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG9/256, Folio 89, Page 34, Schedule 217; Name, age and place of birth. Cit. Date: 7 April 1861. National Archives. Call Number: RG10/502.
1881 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/433, Folio 84, Page 16; Name, age and place of birth. Cit. Date: 3 April 1881. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/433.
Rev. William Stone, Register Entry for Baptism of Thomas Thornton Christ Church, Spitalfields, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: Baptisms 1830, Page 14, No. 111; Date of baptism. Cit. Date: 20 December 1830. London Metropolitan Archives. Call Number: P93/CTC1/206-213.
1861 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG9/256, Folio 89, Page 34, Schedule 217; Thomas Thorton. Occupation Chair Maker. Cit. Date: 7 April 1861. National Archives. Call Number: RG10/502.
1881 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/433, Folio 84, Page 16; Thomas Thornton. Occupation Chairmaker. Cit. Date: 3 April 1881. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/433.
Rev. James Proctor M.A., Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Thornton and Caroline Wood, (Issued by General Register Office on 27 Dec 2007 in respose to Application No. COL641194). Custom Id: MXD571025; Groom's profession and signature. Cit. Date: 13 March 1850. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.
Editor: T.F.T. Baker, Victoria County History - County of Middlesex Volume 11. Bethnal Green - Building and Social Conditions from 1837 to 1875, (1998). British History Online.
General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton, (21 December 2007). Custom Id: BXCC903308; Thomas Thornton's Occupation: Chairmaker (Master). Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.
Rev. James Proctor M.A., Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Thornton and Caroline Wood, (Issued by General Register Office on 27 Dec 2007 in respose to Application No. COL641194). Custom Id: MXD571025; Thomas Thornton married Caroline Wood on 12 March 1850. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.
1861 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG9/256, Folio 89, Page 34, Schedule 217; Address: 2 New Street, Bethnal Green. National Archives. Call Number: RG10/502.
1881 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/433, Folio 84, Page 16; Address: 2 New Street, Bethnal Green. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/433.
Census 1891 Bethnal Green, London RG12/263 (Thomas Thornton), Census Type: 1891 England Census, Census Place: Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG12/263, Folio 66, Page 51, Schedule 321; Address: 16 Wolverly Street. National Archives. Call Number: RG12/263.
General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth for Rebecca Thornton, (21 December 2007). Custom Id: BXCC903308; Rebecca Thornton born at 1 Ocatagon Place. Birth Register by mother living at the same address. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.
General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Thornton, (Application 668090-1 dated 31 October 2008). Custom Id: DYC110211; Cit. Date: 8 February 1900. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.
General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Death of Thomas Thornton, (FreeBMD website). Custom Id: Deaths 1900 Q1 Bethnal Green, Vol. 1c, Page 184; Quarter and YearJan-Mar 1900Registration DistrictBethnal GreenVolume1cPage184SurnameThorntonGiven NamesThomasAge67. General Register Office. Call Number: CRI(E&W) Deaths.
General Register Office, Certified Copy of an Entry of Death for Thomas Thornton, (Application 668090-1 dated 31 October 2008). Custom Id: DYC110211; Informant's SignatureR BushellInformant's DescriptionMaster Workhouse Bethnal Green. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.
Rev. James Proctor M.A., Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage for Thomas Thornton and Caroline Wood, (Issued by General Register Office on 27 Dec 2007 in respose to Application No. COL641194). Custom Id: MXD571025; Cit. Date: 13 March 1850. Jack Ward, The Nook, Silver Street
Bampton
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 9NR. Tel: 01398332458, Email: familyhistory@blackwithies.demon.co.uk.
General Register Office, Civil Registration Index (England & Wales) for Marriage of Thomas Thornton and Caroline Wood, (FMP website). Custom Id: Marriages 1850 Q2 Bethnal Green Vol. 2, Page 62; General Register Office.
1861 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG9/256, Folio 89, Page 34, Schedule 217; Cit. Date: 7 April 1861. National Archives. Call Number: RG10/502.
1871 United Kingdom census, 2 New Street, Bethnal Green, London, RG10/502, head of household: Thomas Thornton, National Archives.
1881 Census for Household of Thomas Thornton in Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG11/433, Folio 84, Page 16; Cit. Date: 3 April 1881. National Archives. Call Number: RG11/433.
Census 1891 Bethnal Green, London RG12/263 (Thomas Thornton), Census Type: 1891 England Census, Census Place: Bethnal Green, London, (Ancestry website). Custom Id: RG12/263, Folio 66, Page 51, Schedule 321; Cit. Date: 5 April 1891. National Archives. Call Number: RG12/263.