Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Thomas Thomas the younger (119)

1834 –06/02/1856

Journalist, son of Thomas Thomas the elder

Relatives

Thomas Thomas the elder — father

David Charles Thomas (17) — brother

John Richard Thomas — brother

• Jackie Jones

Thomas Thomas was born in 1834, the eldest son of Harriet and Thomas Thomas the elder. He was christened in St John the Evangelist Lambeth on 27th March that same year.

Thomas’s father was a Welshman, from Llangeitho Cardiganshire. Thomas was a very common name in Wales, especially Cardigan, and it was also common practice to give sons the same forename as the surname.

In the 1851 Thomas and his father were both working as reporters for several newspapers.

1856 was a tragic year for the family, when young Thomas died aged 21 on 6th February 1856. Thomas’s younger brother John Richard also died on 6th October aged 17.

John Richard Thomas

10/02/1839 –06/10/1856

Son of Thomas Thomas; died age 17 years old within a year of death of his older brother

Relatives

Thomas Thomas the elder — father

Thomas Thomas the younger (119) — brother

• David Squire

John Richard Thomas

John Richard Thomas was born 10^th February 1839 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. His parents were Thomas Thomas and his wife Harriet (Chipper). His father, Thomas, was originally brought up in rural Llangeitho, Cardiganshire, Wales, before moving to London, where he met John’s mother, Harriet, who was originally from Sussex.

The family moved to Berkhamsted in the late 1830’s, with the third child, John Thomas, being the first member of the family born in Hertfordshire. The two eldest, Thomas junior and Mary Harriet were born in London. Thomas senior started out in Berkhamsted as a Grocer, before moving up through the ranks as he took on many jobs including Registrar of Birth, Deaths and Marriages, Secretary of the Gas Works, Postmaster, newspaper reporter and agent for the local Liberal MP.

Whilst growing up in Berkhamsted John Thomas was joined in the family by 3 brothers, Lewis, Edward and David and a sister, Fanny.

The family suffered a double tragedy in 1856, with the death of the eldest son, Thomas junior (age 21), in February and later, John Richard himself on 6^th October at the young age of 17, joining his elder brother in a family plot at Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted. It may have been coincidence that the family lost 2 adult sons in the same year, with the cause of death for each not known. However, what can be stated is that Berkhamsted had poor water and sewage sanitation throughout the 19^th century, with many of the towns wells being polluted by sewage. This would have been the causes of such deadly diseases as TB, Cholera and Typhoid that may have accounted for both brothers.

Hariett Thomas

d.13/06/1837

Wife of Thomas Thomas the elder

Relatives

Thomas Thomas the elder — husband

• Jackie Jones

Harriet Chipper came from Sussex.

In 1834 she married Welshman Thomas Thomas (the elder) at St George the Martyr church in Southwark.

Thomas and Harriet had at least 8 children:

1. Thomas (b 1835) and described as a ‘Reporter’ in 1851
2. Mary Harriet (b 1837)
3. John Richard, (b. 1839)
4. Lewis E. (b. 1842)
5. Edward Ebenezer, (b.1845)
6. David, (b. 1848), became assistant postmaster to his father, died in the same year as his father aged 33
7. Fanny Augusta  (b.1854)
8. Florence Elizabeth (b.1858 – Harriet was 45 by this time), trained as a ‘telegraphist’; died in 1888, aged 29)

They also had 3 grandchildren.

After 39 years of marriage, Harriet died aged 61 on the 18th June 1873.

Ethel Thomas

21/04/1880 –10/05/1881

Granddaughter of Thomas Thomas the elder, died in infancy

Relatives

Thomas Thomas the elder — other

Ethel Thomas was the granddaughter of Thomas Thomas the elder. She died on 10th May 1881 aged only 11 months.

Thomas Thomas the elder

1809 –22/10/1881

Journalist from Llangeitho, father of Thomas Thomas the younger

Relatives

Hariett Thomas — wife

David Charles Thomas (17) — son

Thomas Thomas the younger (119) — son

John Richard Thomas — son

Ethel Thomas — other

'Little Willie' Thomas — other

• Jackie Jones

Thomas Thomas was born in Llangeitho Cardiganshire in Wales in 1809. Thomas was a very common name in Wales, especially Cardigan, and it was also common practice to give sons the same forename as the surname – indeed when his first son was born he did the same. Llangeitho (meaning area of St Ceitho) was very rural and the chances are that Thomas came from a farming area. It would have been and still is predominantly Welsh-speaking and locals would have struggled with English, although children in school were required to speak English.  Parents went along with it at the time as they felt it would improve their future prospects, although it caused some resentment even up to present day – the only place they could speak Welsh was in the chapel. Thomas was a Calvinist. He was a grocer and had gone to London possibly to seek his fortune.

In 1834, at the age of 25, he married Harriet Chipper (from Sussex) at St George the Martyr church in Southwark and his son Thomas was christened in St John the Evangelist Lambeth on 27th March that same year.

Thomas and Harriet had at least 8 children:

1. Thomas (b 1835) and described as a ‘Reporter’ in 1851
2. Mary Harriet (b 1837)
3. John Richard, (b. 1839)
4. Lewis E. (b. 1842)
5. Edward Ebenezer, (b.1845)
6. David, (b. 1848), became assistant postmaster to his father, died in the same year as his father aged 33
7. Fanny Augusta  (b.1854)
8. Florence Elizabeth (b.1858), trained as a ‘telegraphist’; died in 1888, aged 29)

They also had 3 grandchildren.

By 1835 he was living in London, possibly being one of the first passengers on the new city buses which came into being around that time as well as the London to Birmingham railway.

In 1837 their first daughter Mary Harriet was born in Middlesex. By 1838 the family had moved to Berkhamsted and lived at 69, High St where his son John Richard was born. Thomas’ profession was as a grocer’s assistant.

On 1st April 1841 their son Lewis Ebenezer was born. Thomas was now a grocer. He had two more sons – Edward, born 16th March 1845 and David Charles in 1848.

In the 1851 census he was described as a Superintendent and the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths.  The family were still living at 69 High St Berkhamsted and now comprised Thomas (17) Mary Harriet (14) John Richard (12) Lewis E (8), Edward Ebenezer (6) and David (3). Thomas was also a reporter for several newspapers, as was his son Thomas.  A daughter Fanny Augusta was born in April 1854.  1856 was a tragic year for the family, with his oldest son Thomas dying on 6th February 1856 aged 21 and his son John Richard on 6th October aged 17. In 1859 Harriet had another daughter Florence Elizabeth.

By the time of the 1861 census they had moved to 51 High St Berkhamsted and were running a newsagents, he is still a reporter and the area manager and secretary of the new gas works.

By 1871 the ever-resourceful Thomas had become Post Master. The family, which now included three grandchildren – David Rowland, James Rowell and Edith) were living ‘over the shop’ at number 91 where they ran the post office. Thomas also acted as the Liberal agent.  Sadly, Harriet, his wife of 39 years died aged 61 on the 18th June 1873. Fanny Hilder, housekeeper, joined the household on Harriet’s death.

Thomas rose to become Postmaster General over the next ten years. By 1881, his son David was working in the shop and several of his grandchildren lived with him. Granddaughter Ethel died on 10th May 1881 aged only 11 months, followed by son David on 13th May aged 33, followed on 22nd October by Thomas himself after four days of erysipelas (a form of sepsis). He was 73. Thomas, Harriet, their sons Thomas and John Richard, granddaughter Ethel and grandson Little Willie are all buried together in Rectory Lane Cemetery.

The Bucks Herald of Saturday 29th October carried an obituary for Thomas, singing his praises as having worked his way up the ladder to becoming an important Berkhampstead figure. He was secretary to the Berkhamsted and Northchurch Cottage Garden Society and also of the Odd Fellows Lodge. He had been the Superintendent Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, as well as a trustee of the Joanna Neal charity. Prior to being the postmaster he had been the Liberal agent for the Liberal government of the day.

(In 1888 his daughter Florence Thomas, who had trained as a ‘telegraphist’ at the Post Office, and lived at Elm Grove died at the age of 29).

'Little Willie' Thomas

d.12/01/1884

Grandson of Thomas Thomas the elder.

Relatives

Thomas Thomas the elder — other

William Reginald Thomas (“Little Willie”) is presumed to be a grandson of Thomas Thomas the elder and Harriet. He died 12th January 1884, aged 7 months.