He was baptised on December 2nd 1840 in the Prebyterian Church at Longframlington. The entry showed that he was the second son of Adam Howey and his wife Sara Watson and that he was born at Espley in the parish of Midford.

The 1841 census records him  aged 7 months living with his family at Clennel in Northumberland. According to the 1868 National Gazetteer, Clennel was ' A township in the parish of Alwinton in the western division of the ward of Coquetdale, in the county of Northumberland, 9 miles NW of Rothbury and 1 mile north of Alwinton, its post town. It is situated on the river Alwine.'

Ten years later, in the 1851 census, the family were living at Snitter in Northumberland 3 miles NW of Rothbury on the river Coquet. Thomas was recorded as a ten year old scholar.

The census of 1861 recorded that Thomas, like his father, was an agricultural worker. He was listed as a 20 year old 'Farm Servant'. Their address was Shawdon Wood House, a farm about 3 miles NE of Whittingham, in Northumberland. The family lived in one of the farm cottages and the Turnbull family lived in the cottage next door.

On the 7th of November 1861, aged 21, Thomas married the 'girl next door' at the Registry Office in Alnwick. His bride was Georgiana Turnbull who was also 21 and their witnesses were Jacob Turnbull (Georgiana's brother) and Esther Howey (Thomas's sister).

Sometime between 1861 and 1871, Thomas decided to leave both agriculture and Northumberland and the 1871 census showed him, his wife (who was recorded as Ann) and two children,  Sarah Isabella aged 8 and John Thomas aged 3 in Great Usworth Village in Co. Durham. He was 31 years old and his occupation was listed as Labourer. He must have been in Durham at least since 1863 as Sarah Isabella was shown as being born in Chester le Street and John Thomas was born in Great Usworth.

By the time of the 1881 census, Thomas and his family were living in High Usworth and he had again changed his occupation. The census return says he was 40 and working as a Colliery Weighman,  Georgiana was 39. The family had grown, though Sarah Isabella was no longer at home,  John Thomas, aged 13, was still there. They had three more children, George aged 9, Esther aged 5 and James aged 3.

The 1891 census was the last one that Thomas appeared on.  He was 50 and still working as a Colliery Weighman. The family had moved house again and were living at 38, Railway Terrace in Little Usworth. Georgiana was 49 and only three of their children, George, Esther and James, still lived with them.

Thomas died on 30th November 1893 at Railway Terrace in Great Usworth. He was 53 and his death was registered by his son James. He was buried on 3rd December 1893 at Holy Trinity Church, Usworth.