Son
of W.P. 'Bill' Richardson's Great Great Aunt, Jane Howey
Thomas was the
sixth child of Thomas Rochester and his wife Jane (nee
Howey). He was born in the first quarter of 1891 and his
birth was registered in the Alnwick Registration
District. Thomas was two months old when
the 1891 census was taken and he was counted at Refuge
Cottage, Titlington, Northumberland with his family.
Dad, Thomas (51) was an agricultural labourer,
Mam, Jane was 45. His brother and sisters were : Robert
(12), Esther (10), Grace (8), Jane Ann (5) and Elizabeth
(3). By the time of the census of 1901,
Thomas was 10. They family had remained at Refuge
Cottage and the census form showed his parents and three
of his sisters still at home. In 1911
Thomas was 20 and the census showed him living and
working as a groom at Titlington Hall.
War came and Thomas joined the army. His service record
shows that he enlisted on 27th November 1915 at Alnwick.
The enlistment form stated that he was 23 years and 9
months old, 5 feet four and a half inches tall, chest 38
and a half inches when expanded and his physical
development was 'excellent'. He did have flat feet, but
no pain and was declared fit for general service. He was
posted to the Worcestershire Regiment and his service
number was T4/160107. He served for three years in
France, Belgium and Germany in the Horse Transport and
Infantry divisions. Thomas had pleurisy and bronchial
pneumonia while he served in Germany with the army of
occupation on the Rhine and was transferred back to
England and discharged in 1919. His service record says
he was fined one day's pay for being ten minutes late on
parade in the field in 1916. He was awarded the British
and Victory medals. I do not yet know if
Thomas married, or when he died. |
