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Section 45.D
Thomas Charles BRUSH 1838-1925
and his children

Thomas Charles BRUSH was the second son, and fourth child, of Thomas Brush and Eliza, nee Grubb, who are considered here.  He was born, according to his birth certificate on 21 May 1838 at the Saw Mills, Crayford (registered in the Bexley RD) .  The register of St Paulinus Church, Crayford, shows him to have been baptised on Sunday 20 May 1838 - the day before his birth!  One is clearly wrong.  The baptism record is one of a sequence in a register.  The birth certificate is created on 28 May when the birth is registered with the informant shown as Jane Skinner, midwife present at the birth, rather than one of his parents.  I am more inclined to think that she got the date wrong rather than the church got a whole sequence of dates wrong.

Three of his siblings died as infants.  His two surviving sisters, Sarah and Eliza, married and had children, also discussed in the 'Dartford Brickmakers chapter.  His younger brother, Charles Isaac George Keys Brush, also had a large family and emigrated to Australia.

During Thomas's childhood, the period 1838 to 1855, the family moves around a lot (as shown by baptisms and burials of his siblings).  In 1844 to 1846 they are at Dowlas Street in Camberwell but by 1849 appear to be back in Kent as Charles's mother Eliza is imprisoned there for four months for larceny as a servant.  At the 1851 census Thomas & Eliza and three children - Eliza, Thomas and ten year old Charles - are at White Hall, Crayford (near Dartford).  Father Thomas is a Brickmaker.  His sister Sarah had been recorded at White Hall in December 1949. Later in 1851 Charles's sister Eliza marries in Crayford.  At 1855, when his father dies, the address for his father and daughter Eliza is 2 John Street, Commercial Road, Peckham - an address which seems to have disappeared but was probably no more than a mile from the previous address of Dowlas Street.  Later in 1855 banns are called for Eliza, Thomas's widow, at St Mary Magdalene, Peckham to widower John Clarke.

On 8 November 1857 Thomas Charles marries Emma Prior at St Mary the Virgin, Bexley. The address for each of them is given as Bexley Heath and both ages as 21. Which, for both, is overstated. The witnessess are H.R.J. Grubb and Sarah Grubb - relatives of his mother. Bt the time of his marriage his father had died and his mother had remarried. Sarah Grubb could be his grandmother.  Emma signs the register but Thomas simply makes his mark.  His occupation is given as Labourer.

Emma's father is identified at her marriage as Joseph Prior, Labourer.  At the 1861 census her birthplace is given as Kingsland in Middlesex - an area now known as Dalston in Hackney.  At 1871 it is said to be Shoreditch.

Their first child, Thomas [B26], is born in 1858, registered in Q3 at Dartford and baptised at Crayford on 28 November 1858.  His story continues below.

Emma Hannah [B27] is born on 18 February 1860 at 19 Masboro Road North, Blythe Lane in Hammersmith and was baptised on 3 June 1860 at St Paul's Hammersmith. The families abode is recorded as Fulham and Thomas Charles' occuatin as a labourer.  At 1881 she is living at Rectory Road, Beckenham as a cook in the household of Elizabeth Lingeman, a widow who had been born in Holland.  She married Charles Joseph Clifford in 1884 in Godstone RD. [Several children, died 1940 in Essex? low res photo https://www.ancestry.ca/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/25410196/person/1915724945/media/b56a5577-85ab-4ad2-a6db-295200defd7f?galleryindex=1&sort=-created- unverified]

Charles Joseph Clifford's mother Rachel Clifford had been had been Rachel Prior before her marriage - a relation of Emma's mother Emma Prior? - though not apperently her sister

By the 1861 census they have two children Thomas, age 2, and Emma,age 1.  The family is are living at Masboro Road North, in Hammersmith.   Thomas Charles is still recorded as a labourer.  As considered in the chapter on his brother Charles, Hmammersmith was also, like Crayford, a brickmaking area at this time.  Their ages are both given as 24, which as at their marriage, is a little higher than their birth records indicate.  Son Thomas's birthplace is shown as Dartford while Emma's is confirned as Hammersmith which places the move as in or around 1859.

During the next ten years five further children are born:

Hannah [B28] born on 30 August 1861 at 27 Masbor Road ( same street, different number ?! ). At the 1881 census, age 19 she is listed as a domestic servant.  At the 1891 census she was initially listed as "at house" in the occupation column but this was later crossed out.  At 1891, still with her parents, no occupation is listed.  She is listed in the 1939 Register, still at 21 Chaldon Road, performing 'unpaid domestic duties. along with Alfred E Brush and Marjorie E Brush, her nephew and niece.  She died on 6 May 1946 at The Myrtles, 21 Chaldon Road, Caterham and was buried at St Mary's, Caterham.

Anna Elizabeth [B29] baptised in Caterham on 8 June 1862.  This appears to place a move in the preceding year.  But this appears to have been only temporary.  Some of the family later return to Caterham. This is the only known entry for Anna Elizabeth - there is no birth registration, no death and no marriage.  This is discussed further below in connection with the 1871 census.

Alfred [B30] born 1864 in Dartford RD.  On 31 December 1894 he married Mary CLIFFORD at Plaistow in Essex.  A relative of his brother in law Charles Joseph Clifford?  Sometime between 1904 and 1909 he emigrated to Australia - according to a phone call to FWB from "Trevor Charles Brush" - who I have been unable to identify.

Mary [B31] born 1867 Dartford RD. At the 1881 census she is listed as a scholar and at 1891 as a machinist.  She died in 1894 in Godstone RD.

Charles [B32] born 1869 Dartford RD and married 19 October 1892 to Ada Bridgeland at Caterham. According to the same phone call he also emigrated to Australia in 1917.

At the 1871 census the family is living in Camberwell, at 17 Caroline Street,Peckham.  Thomas is now a labourer at Gas Works, which is a shift away from brickmaking.  Quite possibly at the substantial South Metropolitan Gas works, Old Kent Road.  There is also a boarder living with them - James [Maclain?].

One child from those listed above is missing - either Emma Hannah or Elizabeth Anna. The entry for a daughter age 11 born Hammersmith, ( which we would expect to be Emma Hannah) is hard to read but seems to be 'Eliz. Ana'.

Were Emma Hannah and Elizabeth Anna one and the same? It is tempting to assume this but Emma Hannah had already been baptised in Hammersmith in 1860 so is unlikely to have been baptised again in 1862 at Caterham.  Many Ancestry trees assert that the 1862 baptism at Caterham was of Hannah born in 1861.  This is possible as there is no other record of a baptism for Hannah. But the difference in names is a strange one and all the other entries for Hannah make no mention of any other names.  It does seem clear that Anna Elizabeth was was or the other, and that there was not a third daughter at this time.

Three more children were born in the next six years:

John [B33] born 7 September 1871 at 3 Meeting House Lane, Peckham.  His story continues below.

Henry [B34] born 1874 Camberwell RD.  At the 1891 census age 17 he is listed as a groom.  He married Emma Chiverell in 1918 in Edmonton RD and died 1962 in Colchester RD.  Emma died 17 April 1964 at Rayleigh in Essex. Nothing more is known.
Edward Joseph [B35] born 1877 Camberwell RD.   His story continues below.

At the 1881 census the family was living at 212 Albert Road,Peckham.  Thomas Charles is now listed as a Carman, employing five men.  Which is a step up the economic ladder.   According to a Google AI search "In the 19th century, a Carman was a common occupation, typically a driver of a horse-drawn cart or wagon, transporting goods for businesses (like railways or mines) or individuals, functioning much like a modern delivery driver." Sons Thomas and Alfred are both listed as Carmen as is 19 year old boarder George Laundy.All the children are still at home except Emma Hannah/Elizabeth Anna.  The five youngest are listed as scholars - including 14 year old Mary, even though education was only complusory until age 10.

At 1891 they are living at High Street, Caterham and Thomas Charles is a Brickmaker. All the children are still at home, other than Thomas, who had married in 1886 and Emma Hannah/Elizabeth Anna. Emma's daughter Emma Clifford, age 5, was with them as a visitor on the census night.

At the 1901 census they are living in Chaldon Road, Caterham at a house called 'The [Furzes?].  He is a brickmaker on his own account. Only Edward and Hannah are still at home though grandaughter Emma C Clifford, 15, is again with them.

Thomas Charles's wife Emma (nee Prior) died on 4 February 1904 at Godstone in Surrey and was buried at St Mary's, Caterham.  According to the mystery phone calls from 'Trevor Charles', Emma died from septicaemia after being pricked by a rose thorn.

At 1911, as a 73 year old widower of 'private means' he is living at 21 Chaldon Road, Caterham with unmarried daughter Hannah and three grandchildren - Emma Clifford, a dressmaker age 25, Mabel Brush,14 scholar and Marjorie Brush, 9 scholar.  At 1921 he and Hannah are still at 21 Chaldon Road, with grandson Albert Edward Brush, a gardener age 18 working in Caterham.

21 Chaldon Road as it was in 2025 (assuming the numbering remained unchanged)

Thomas Charles dies in late December 1925.  His death is registered in Q4.  He is buried at St Mary's, Caterham on 3 January 1925 with his address given as 21 Chaldon Road, Caterham.  His age is given in the burials register as 87 rather than the 86 we would expect to see.

Hannah remained at 21 Chaldon Road until her death in 1946.

Alfred, Charles & John 1891 General Labourer, Henry age 17 groom, edward age 13 Scolar. 1891 Edward, bricklayer