.
.
Previous Section 23: Title
Previous Chapter 24.B : Isaac of Leavesden
Section 25 : The grand-children of William of Inglesham
Chapter 25.E
George Thomas, 1814 to 1887
a son of Thomas 'the much married',
George was baptised on 18 September 1814 at St George's Southwark, Surrey. The family address is shown as Belvedere Place St George's.
This was just north of Borough Road, opposite the Kings Bench prison. It was used not just for criminals but also for debtors, which may explain the unexpectedly good clothing displayed. Not all debtors lived within the prison itself, some were permitted to live in the surrounding area. Theor comings and goings must have been a familiar part of the family's life.
Ancestry asserts that his birth was on 2 August 1814. This is not immediatly apparent from the baptism register entry but I imagine it is taken from the distorted margial entry at the left hand side. In all the 1851-1871 censuses his birthplace is given as Chelsea, Middlesex but this may be due to the fact that the family had moved to Chelsea by 1817 when George was 3, so that Chelsea would have been the earliest home he remembered.
George Thomas married Sarah Enston on 17 July 1836 at St James Paddington, Middlesex. The marriage was witnessed by Samuel Brush, but we cannot say which one. My guess is that it was his elder brother.
From the later census information we know Sarah's birthplace to be Stoke in Buckinghamshire. Her baptism is recorded as being at Stoke Poges on 14 March 1813 and her parents as William Enstone or Ensten and Frances(nee Parker). Quite an extensive family tree for Sarah can be found in the Reading family tree on Ancestry. This tree looks to be a good one but there are others that make the extraordinary assertion that Sarah Ensten baptised at Stoke Poges in 1813 is the same person as Sarah Brush baptised at St Pancras in London in 1813. It is a good example of the need for care and the danger of copying material from one family tree to another.
George and Sarah have 9 children, who are considered further in chapter 26.E .
At the birth of Alfred Thomas in 1838 they are living, per RE, at "76 Feller Lane in the parish of St Andrews". Fetter Lane, St Andrews, Holborn?
At the 1841 census they are living at [something] Cottages in Battersea. Like so many people, George's occuption is "Ag Lab". The first two children, Alfred and George are with them, plus a Louisa Cook age 4 months. At the 1843 baptisms of Fanny and William Henry the address appears to be Battersea Rise and his occupation is Labourer.
At the 1851 census they have moved to 10 Upper Streatham in Streatham. George is now a Gardener and 13 year old Alfred is a 'Nursery Lad'. Fanny, William, Emma, Daniel and Ellen are also living with them. However 11 year old George is living at number 8 Upper Streatham in the household of Joseph Tritton, a banker. George's occupation is given as 'scholar' but his relationship to the head of the household appears to be 'Gardr Boy'. It seems highly likely that George Thomas was the gardener for the Fritton family and that number 10 was a cottage atached to number 8 - most of the families in Upper Streatham seem to be rather grand. Was George the younger - George Isaac - being educated with his employer's children?
Sidney Samuel is born a month after the census - their address {per RE} is "near the Avenue, Streatham"
This conclusion is firmly, I think we can say conclusivly, reinforced by the 1861 census. George, Sarah and five children - the youngest of whom is listed just as "S S" - are living at Bloomfield [ ] ,Central Hill in Lambeth. The adjoining household is ...Joseph Tritton, his family and 6 servants. One of whom is 14 year old Fanny Brush, nurse. Their address is given simply as Bloomfield - which would appear to be Bloomfield Hall. Joseph was a partner in the Quaker banking firm of Barclays, Tritton and Bevan. Eventually the bank would simply be simply called Barclays. His son Charles Ernest Tritton would later become an MP and then a baronet.
A rather dismal view of Bloomfield Hall from forty years later before it was demolished to make way for a housing estate.
1871 sees a complete change. George Thomas is now a fishmonger and poulterer living at Maple Road in Penge. The 1871 Penge Directory includes an advert for his business. The inclusion of the Royal Arms seems rather presumptious! Why a fishmonger, poulterer and game dealer should focus on pork products is a mystery.
The street by street section of the directory lists both Charles Pratt, dairyman and T Brush fishmonger and poulterer at 14 Heath Terrace. By its location near to Heath Grove it seems to be the same place as the census entry though descrbed differently. This move to fish and poultry is continuing in the family tradition, though his father Thomas had died over twenty years earlier in 1848. Also in the same directory at no.1 Queen Adelaide Road is a George Brush Wheeler. His marriage records suggests it may be George Brash Wheeler. I'm unsure who he is.
They are still at Clifford Terrace at 1881. The census notes he employs 3 boys. As well as son Sidney Samuel the census entry includes grandson Alfred E. Perry. RE says he was still a fishmonger in 1885.
George dies at Maple Road on 5 September 1887, age 73. Ray Ensten has a copy of the certificate.
At the 1891 census Sarah is living with her widowed daughter Emma PERRY at 71 Howson Road, Brockley, Lewisham. She dies there later that year on 23 October, age 78. {RE}
Next :
Section 26: The great-grandchildren of William of Inglesham.
The children of George Thomas are in chapter 26.E