Husband
of W.P. 'Bill' Richardson's Great Great Aunt, Jane Howey
Thomas was born
c1840, though I have not been able to find a birth
registration for him. He was the son of Thomas Rochester
and his wife Grace. On the census of
1841, Thomas was recorded as being 1 year old. The
family lived at Edlingham, Northumberland and his father
was an agricultural labourer. Thomas had three brothers:
Robert (8), WIlliam (6) and George (4).
When the 1851 census was taken the family were living at
Lantern Buildings, Bolton, Northumberland. Thomas was
11. His Dad, Thomas (42) worked as a shepherd, Mam,
Grace was 45. The family had grown, there were now eight
children listed in the house. In 1861 the
family were recorded at South Charlton, Northumberland.
Thomas was 22 and working as a railway labourer. His Dad
still worked as a shepherd, brothers William (26),
George (24), Jacob (19) and John (16) were all
agricultural workers. Sisters Mary Ann (13) and
Elizabeth (11) were scholars. The census
of 1871 recorded Thomas at Abberwick, Northumberland ,
he was 32 and worked as an agricultural labourer. His
Dad and brother John were recorded in Calally and
Yetlington, perhaps they had gone there for work and
Thomas's mother, Grace (66), was listed as the head of
the family - shepherd's wife. The other member of the
family listed were William (37), George (35), Jacob (29)
who all worked as agricultural labourers, Mary Ann (23)
and Elizabeth (21) were general servants. Two of Grace's
grandchildren James Smith (7) and George Rochester (7
months) were also in the house. In the
second quarter of 1877 Thomas married Jane Howey. Thomas
was 37 and Jane was 30, their marriage was registered in
the Alnwick Registration District. Thomas
and Jane were living in Refuge Cottage, Titlington when
the 1881 census was taken. He was 41 and worked as an
agricultural labourer. Jane was 36 and they had
two children: Robert (2) and Esther (11 months). Jane's
father, Adam Howey (78) also lived with them.
The 1891 census showed they were still at Refuge
Cottage. Thomas was 51 and Jane was 45. They now had six
children, Robert (12), Esther (10), Grace (8), Jane Ann
(5), Elizabeth (3) and Thomas (2 months).
The census return for Refuge Cottage in 1901 showed
Thomas (61) as an estate worker, Jane was 55 and four of
their children lived with them. Grace (18) was a
dressmaker, Jane Ann (15) was a genral domestic servant,
Elizabeth (13) and Thomas (12). In 1911,
the censu stated that Thomas was 71 and still working as
an estate labourer, his wife, Jane, was 65 and the form
says they had been married for 33 years and had six
children, all of whom were living. Two of their
daughters lived with them, Grace (28) was a dressmaker
and ELizabeth (23) had no occupation listed. Thomas'
brother Jacob Rochester (69) was listed as a boarder in
the house., he too was an estate worker.
Thomas died in the second quarter of 1918, he was 78
years old and his death was registered in the Alnwick
Registration District. |
