Thomas Richardson

  General Information:

Thomas inherited the East End Farm in Cranfield when his father died in 1859.

At this time the farm was 143 acres. SInce Thomas was a mere 12 years old when his father died a farm manager named John Sear (hired by Thomas Seniour prior to his death probably) controlled the East End Farm until about 1865. Thomas began working the farm with John around 1861. By 1869 the farm had increased in size to about 160 acres. John Sear still worked as the farm manager until 1869/70 at which point he seems to have moved on. By 1870 Thomas was in full control of the East End Farm - he would have been the third generation Richardson to work that land.

In the July of 1876 a freak hailstorm bombarded Cranfield and especially the East End Farm. This storm literally ruined Thomas and his family. The East End Farm was sold to one Mary Ann Baker. Thomas and his family moved to West Derby (which could be considered Liverpool) but traveled there via Luton where the family seemed to have lived from late 1876 until late 1879. We know this because Thomas and Elizabeth's 5th child, Henry George, was born in Luton in 1879.

In the 1881 Census of West Derby, Lancashire, Thomas' occupation was listed as a "cigar dealer".

In 1881, Thomas's Mother, Ann (Millard) Richardson, was residing at his residence.

  Research Information:

Thomas remarried after the death of his first wife, Elizabeth Yorke Clark. It is apparent that he married his housekeeper, Mary Jane Towart and had three more children with her.

Reginald, Marie and Herbert Towart Richardson were their names.

(above information courtesy of Kim Russell - January 2008)

Thomas' date of death is not yet verified...a record found on the Lancashire Birth, Marriage & Death website at www.lancashirebmd.org.uk has a "T. Richardson" dying at the age of 86 years in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. That would make the birth year of this man to be around 1847/48 and Ormskirk is in the general area where Thomas was last known to be residing. Until further research can be completed it has been assumed that this "T. Richardson" is our Thomas Richardson.

(the above information/link courtesy of Jan Broderick - March, 2008)

Thomas married Elizabeth Mary Yorke Clark, daughter of James Clark and Eliza Yorke Revis, on 3 Jan 1872 in Parish Church, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England. (Elizabeth Mary Yorke Clark was born in 1848 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England and died in 1890 in Edge Hill, Liverpool, England.)

Thomas next married Mary Jane Towart in Feb 1892 in West Derby, Lancashire, England. (Mary Jane Towart was born about 1869 in Bardsey, Essex, England and died about 1929 in Birkenhead, England.)