Research on the Blake family line, ancestors of Michael Gregory 1 discovered that there was a Victorian architect in the family; Ralph Abraham Blake married Mary Thomas whose father was an architect, Thomas Glegge Thomas. This man is the third great grandfather of Michael Gregory, as research outlined below has proven.
Thomas Glegge Thomas 2 was described as an Architect in 1878 on the marriage certificate of his daughter Mary
Catherine Thomas, who was then aged 25 and a spinster of Tranmere in Cheshire. The 1881 census shows him practicing in Tranmere where he was living with his wife and other children. This can be examined on the LDS 3
Church Family Search website) which indicates he was born ca 1830 in Tranmere. There is a member-submitted entry on the LDS database (ie would need verification in actual records) which indicates he was born 1829 in Tranmere, son of Humphrey and Mary Glegge Thomas and that he died in November 1881.
Tranmere is in the Parish of Bebington (not included on the IGI for this period) and so the next step in tracing his ancestry would be to look at records there for his baptism. For details of his career, research at the Royal Institute of
British Architects ( RIBA) library could be carried out, together with the standard sources - further census returns, wills, directories etc.
Following this information, a search was done of the International Genealogical Index (IGI) for the name of Humphrey
Glegge Thomas, and the following entries were discovered. These are the wills and last testaments of Humphrey
Glegge Thomas and his wife Mary. There are references in Mary’s will (see page 3 below) to her daughter Mary
Catherine and the latter’s husband Ralph Blake, the ancestor of Michael Gregory.
[Last Will and Testament of Humphrey Thomas dated 10th December 1853, proved at
Chester 6th June 1877]
This is the last Will and Testament of me Humphrey Thomas of Tranmere in the
County of Chester Joiner I direct that all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses and the charges of proving this my Will shall be paid by my Executrix as soon as conveniently may be after my decease I give and devise all that my messuages or dwelling house in which I now reside situate at Tranmere aforesaid together with the garden, offices and appurtenances thereunto belonging unto my
Wife Mary Thomas and her assigns for the term of her natural life and after her decease in case my Son Thomas Glegge Thomas shall survive her I give and devise the same unto my said Son Thomas Glegge Thomas his heirs and assigns forever But in case my said Son shall die in his Mothers lifetime then in lieu of the life
Estate hereinbefore given to my said Wife I give and devise my said messuage or dwellinghouse with the offices, garden and appurtenances thereunto belonging unto her my said Wife her heirs and assigns forever absolutely and I give devise and bequeath all other my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever and whether in possessiion, reversion, remainder or expectancy unto my said Wife Mary Thomas, her heirs, executors, administrators and assigns according to the nature and quality thereof respectively and I appoint my said Wife sole Executrix of this my Will. In Witness whereof I the said Humphrey
Thomas the Testaor have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand this Tenth day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty three.
Signed and acknowledged by the said Testator Humphrey Thomas as and for his last
Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses
Humphrey Thomas
John Hignett Solr Chester
Wm Garner his Clerk
Proved at Chester the 11th day of June 1877 by the Oath of Mary Thomas Widow the
Relict the sole Executrix to whom administration was granted.
The Testator Humphrey Thomas was late of Tranmere in the County of Chester J_____ and died on the 13th day of January 1877 at Tranmere aforesaid.
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Under £100 No Leaseholds Charles T. W. Parry
Me(srs Simpson & North District Registrar
Solicitors
Liverpool
I hereby Certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Original Will the same having been carefully examined therewith.
Thomas Glegge Thomas was referred to in his father, Humphrey Thomas’ will dated 10 December 1853 and proved at
Chester on 6 June 1877. Thomas was born on 11 June 1829 in Tranmere, Cheshire. He married Elisa Catherine
George (born 9 September 1828) in Walton on the Hill, West Derby on 25 September 1851. Thomas died on 18
November 1881 at his home, 1 Dial Road, Tranmere, Cheshire. He and Elisa had a number of children:
Mary Catherine Thomas
Glegge Thomas
Alfred Thomas
Tysilio Thomas
William Arthur Thomas
Henry Thomas
Eliza Thomas
Martha Emily Thomas
Henry Thomas
Walter Aubrey Thomas
William Arthur Thomas
30 October 1853
1 November 1855 ca 1856 ca 1857/60 ca 1858
28 June 1858
14 April 1865 ca 1862 ca 1863
14 December 1863
20 January 1871
Tranmere, Cheshire
Tranmere
Tranmere, Cheshire
Tranmere, Cheshire
Tranmere, Cheshire
Tranmere, Cheshire
Tranmere, Cheshire
Tranmere, Cheshire
The Walter Aubrey Thomas referred to above was the Liverpool architect of some of Liverpool’s landmark buildings, although in his life he did not receive the recognition he deserved. He was Michael Gregory’s 2 nd great grand-uncle.
He was born in 1869 (although he may have been born in 1864 according to census records providing his age). He was the architect of the Liver Building, one of the most outstanding buildings in the north west of England. He was born in
Tranmere, the son of an architect. He married Maud Paris in 1885 and they had seven children. Records seem to indicate he had nine children, so there is some anomaly here. Also, the year of his birth
The Liverpool skyline showing the prominent Liver Building is recorded as variously 1864 or 1869. There is no doubt, however, that it is the same individual. His children were born in
Neston and Oxton. He was a keen reader of Dickens and his children had Dickensian names. Even his grand-daughter, who continued to live in Parkgate, was called Dorrit.
After living in Oxton, the family moved to Springfield in Church
Lane, Neston in the 1890’s. Thomas then built his own house in
Parkgate in 1902, called by him ‘Bleak House’ but which became known as Brooke House. This house, which has fine plaster ceilings, is now listed as a Grade II building. He raised the sandstone wall in front of the house so that passers-by could not ogle at his three lovely daughters, when they sat in the garden. In 1926 he built himself a new house at
Dunstan Wood, Burton. This was built completely of concrete, including the roof as apparently, he was afraid of fire.
Perversely, he then put thatch on the roof, but a housemaid’s cigarette set fire to the roof and it was replaced by tiles.
He did not stay at Dunstan Wood for long, and about 1930 he moved back to Neston, at a house called Lymington,
Moorside. He died in 1934. Aubrey Thomas was a pupil of the Liverpool architect Francis Doyle, who designed both the rebuilt parish church at Neston and the Presbyterian Chapel there. Thomas’ main claim to fame was his design for the Liver Building, a revolutionary design in ferro-concrete, started in 1908. He also designed many other buildings in
Liverpool, including Tower Buildings, the State Assurance Building, the African Old Mill, additions to the Liverpool
Post and Echo offices, Crane Buildings, the stores of Blacklers and Owen and Owen, African Oil Mills and the Lord
Street Arcade. He also designed many domestic buildings including Mickwell Brow at Ness, the home of Arthur
Bulley, now more readily known as Ness Gardens.
He developed his own architectural practice whilst still young and went onto become one of the City’s leading architects, retiring in 1933. He died around 13 September 1934, and his obituary can be found in the Post and Mercury newspaper of that date. His wife died 11 years later on 30 November 1945, suddenly, at Lymington Moorside,
Parkgate.
It was Mary Catherine Thomas, the sister of Aubrey, who married Michael Gregory’s ancestor, Ralph Blake (on 11
May 1878 in St Paul’s, Rockferry, Cheshire). Mary was baptised on 13 July 1854 at St Nicholas’ Church, Liverpool.
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Thomas and Elisa George were married at the Parish Church in the Parish of Walton on the Hill, West Derby, Borough of Liverpool in the County of Lancashire. The witnesses at the wedding were Eliza Fird (? Ford) and William Pulling
George, the latter presumably a relation of Elisa.
At the time of the census in 1861, Thomas was living with his family at 35, Church Street, Tranmere. On his death certificate ( in 1881) he is described as aged 52. His son Alfred was apparently living at home and witnessed the death.
The administration of his estate was given to his eldest son Glegge who, according to the 1851 census, lived at
Stoneycroft, West Derby, near Liverpool. Thomas Glegge Thomas’ occupation was architect, surveyor and civil engineer. Thomas Glegge Thomas was also referred to in his great aunt Emily’s will (1843) and was left a bequest of
£400 4 .
Humphrey Glegge Thomas was born on 1 January 1807 in Tranmere and married Mary Glegge on 3 January 1828. His father was John Thomas, and his mother was called Margaret. He died on 13 January 1877, only four years before his son. According to the 1841 census (microfilmed by LDS) he was living at Back Lane, Elm Cottage, Tranmere. In the
1851 census (30 March 1851) he was residing at Holm Cottage, St Catherine’s, Tranmere. By 1861, the family had returned to Elm Cottage, Back Lane, Tranmere (1861 Census, microfilmed by LDS). It was noted that his wife, Mary
Glegge, was born on 22 May 1806 according to the Woodchurch Parish Church Registers (microfilmed by LDS), at that time living in Tranmere, Cheshire. She died on 12 January 1885, outliving both her husband and her son Thomas, in Tranmere and left a will dated 21 September 1880, with a codicil dated 24 October 1883. The will was proved at
Chester on 22 January 1885:
Will of Mary Glegge Thomas, dated 21 September 1880, with a codicil dated 24th
October 1883, proved at Chester 22nd January 1885
This is the last Will of me Mary Thomas of Elm Cottage Tranmere in the County of
Chester Widow. I appoint my Son Thomas Glegge Thomas and my Grandsons Henry Thomas and Walter Aubrey Thomas (hereinafter called "my Trustees") to be the Executors and Trustees of this my Will and I declare that all trusts and powers hereinafter reposed and vested in my Trustees may be exercised by the survivors or survivor of them or the heirs executors or administrators of such survivor or other the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my Will I give all my plate linen china glass books pictures prints wines liquors furniture and other household effects equally between my three Granddaughters Mary Catherine the Wife of Ralph
Blake and Eliza Thomas and Martha Emily Thomas for their sole and separate use I devise and bequeath my two houses and gardens attached thereto known as "The
Priory" and "Dial House" to my trustees Upon trust to permit my said Son Thomas
Glegge Thomas to receive the rents and profits thereof during his life he paying the Insurance and all rates taxes and outgoings payable in respect thereof And after his decease I devise "the Priory" to my said Grandson Henry Thomas absolutely and "Dial House" to my said Grandson Walter Aubrey Thomas absolutely. I bequeath any money that may be in my house or at the Bank at my decease after payment thereout of all my debts funeral and testamentary expenses equally to and between my eight Grand children namely Mary Catherine Blake, Henry Thomas, Tosello
[sic; Tysilio], Alfred Thomas, Walter Aubrey Thomas, Eliza Thomas, Martha Emily
Thomas and William Arthur Thomas and (as regards my Granddaughters shares) for their sole and separate use I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate not hereby otherwise disposed of unto my trustees Upon trust that they shall at their discretion and when and in such manner as they may deem expedient sell call in and convert into money the same and shall with and out of the proceeds of such sale and conversion pay my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts in case my ready money shall be insufficient for such purpose and shall stand possessed of the said residuary trust funds and the investments for the time being representing the same (hereinafter called "the residuary trust funds") Upon trust to pay the income thereof to my Son Thomas Glegge Thomas during his life or until he shall be
Bankrupt or Insolvent or make any composition with his creditors or until any proceedings be taken for the liquidation of his affairs, And from and after his decease or the happening of any of the events aforesaid In trust for my said eight
Grandchildren hereinbefore named to be divided between them in equal shares
Provided always and I declare that my trustees shall retain the share of each of my Granddaughters of and in the residuary trust funds Upon trust to pay the income thereof to my same Granddaughter during her life and so that if and while she shall be under coverture the same shall be for her sole and separate use and she shall not have powe to dispose of the same in the way of anticipation. And from and after the decease of such Granddaughter In trust for such child, childre or remoter issue of my same Grand daughter in such shares (if more than one) and in such manner as she shall by any deed or deeds or by her Will and whether under coverture or not appoint And in default of such appointment and so far as any such appointment shall not extend In trust for the children of my same Granddaughter who being male shall attain the age of twenty one years or being female shall attain that age or marry in equal shares and if there be one only such child the
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whole to be in trust for that one child. And in case there shall be no child of my same Granddaughter who being male shall attain the age of twenty one years or being female shall attain that age or marry then Upon such trusts and in such manner as my same Granddaughter shall by deed or Will appoint And in default of such appointment and so far as any such appointment shall not extend In trust for the others or other of my said eight Grandchildren who being male shall attain the age of twenty one years or being female shall attain that age or marry in equal shares and so that the share or shares accruing to each or any Granddaughter of mine under this trust shall be subject to the trust hereby declared concerning the original share of the same Granddaughter under this my Will Provided always and I hereby declare that if any Grandchild of mine shall die in my lifetime leaving a child or children who being male shall attain the age of twenty one years or being female shall attain that age or marry then and in every such case the last mentioned child or children shall take (and if more than one equally between them) the share to which his her or their parent would have been entitled of and in the residuary trust funds if such parent had survived me and attained the age of twenty one years including any share or shares which would have accrued to such parent under the trust and provision in that behalf hereinbefore contained. I declare that my trustees may at any time or times raise any part or parts not exceeding together one moiety of the vested or expectant shares of any Grandchild or Great-grandchild of mine under the trusts of this my Will and apply the same for his or her advancement preferment or benefit as my trustees shall think fit but so that no such moneys shall be raised and applied as aforesaid during the existence of any prior interest or interests therein under this my Will without the consent in writing of the person or persons having such prior interest or interests which consent in the case of a feme covert [married woman] shall be effectual notwithstanding her coverture And I also declare that all moneys liable to be invested under this my Will may be invested in or upon any stocks funds or securities of the Government of the United Kingdom or of any British Colony or
Dependency or in the bonds or debentures or debenture stock or shares of any
Railway or other Company in Great Britain or India incorporated by Act of
Parliament or Royal Charter that shall have paid a dividend on its ordinary stock or shares for the past three years or upon Bonds of the Mersey Docks and Harbour
Board or upon real or leasehold securities in England or Wales and inasmuch as my residuary real estate consists principally of building land I authorise my trustees to sell such land upon contract and to give time to the purchasers to take up their title thereto and if need be to make advances to the purchasers of such land upon the security thereof and of buildings erected or to be erected thereon and upon materials upon the said land Provided always and I hereby expressly declare that my said houses "The Priory" and "Dial House" shall be valued as soon as conveniently can be after my death by a competent Valuer to be agreed upon by my trustees and in case of difference to be referred to arbitration in the usual way And I direct that the value of such properties respectively shall be taken into account in the division of my residuary estate and shall be deducted from the shares of my said two Grandsons Henry Thomas and Walter Aubrey Thomas in my residuary estate it being my wish to equalize as far as possible the shares of my said Grandchildren But if the shares of my other Grandchildren in my residuary estate shall not equal the value put upon the said properties or either of them then it is my wish that my said two Grandsons Henry Thomas and Walter Aubrey
Thomas shall take the said properties in discharge of their shares respectively and shall not contribute towards or participate in my residuary estate . I devise all estates vested in me as a trustee or mortgagee unto my trustess subject to the trusts and equities affecting the same respectively but so that the money secured by any mortgage shall form part of my personal estate
In Witness whereof I the said Testatrix Ann [sic] Thomas have to this my last Will contained on this and the three preceeding sheets of paper set my hand this twenty first day of September One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Signed by the said Testatrix Mary Thomas as and for her last Will in the presence of us & both present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses the name "Aubrey" being first struck out and "Aubrey" inserted in the fourth line of the first page the word "grand" being first inserted in the fifteenth line of the second page and the word "she" being first struck out and the word "such" inserted in the seventh line and the word "any" being first struck out in the 21st line of the third page and the name "Arthur" being first interlined in the twenty sixth line of the first page and the name "Ann" being first struck out and the name
"Mary" inserted in the first line of the first page and the name "Ann" being first struck out out and the name "Mary" inserted in the first line of this attestation
Clause.
Mary Thomas
Fredrick North Solicitor Liverpool
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Allan Sandys Clerk to Messrs Simpson & North Solrs Liverpool
This is a Codicil to the Will of me Mary Thoms which Will bears date the twentyfirst day of September One thousand eight hundred and eighty
Whereas since the date of my said Will my Son Thomas Glegge Thomas one of the
Trustees therein named has died. Now I devise my dwelling house and premises known as "Elm Cottage" wherein I now reside and derived by me under the Will of my late husband to my Grandsons Henry Thomas and Walter Aubrey Thomas the other Trustees named in my said Will Upon trust to permit my Granddaughter Mary Catherine the
Wife of Ralph Blake to occupy the same or to receive the rents and profits thereof during her life without power of anticipation and upon trust during the life of my said Granddaughter with her consent in writing and after her death at the discretion of my Trustees to sell the said dwelling house and premises and hold the proceeds upon such trusts and with and subject to such powers of appointment and provisoes as are declared and contained by and in my said Will with respect to the share thereby given to my said Granddaughter of and in the residuary trust funds Provided always and I declare that the said dwelling house and premises shall be valued as soon as conveniently can be after my death by a competent valuer to be agreed upon by my Trustees And I direct that the value of such property shall be taken into account in the division of my residuary estate and shall be deducted from the share of my said Granddaughter Mary Catherine Blake in my residuary estate it being my wish to equalise as far as possible the shares of my Grandchildren named in my Will. But if the shares of my other Grandchildren in my residuary estate shall not equal the value put upon the said property it is my wish that my said Granddaughter Mary Catherine Blake shall take the said property in discharge of her share and shall not contribute towards or participate in my residuary estate And in all other respects I confirm my said Will In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this twenty fourth day of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty three
Signed by the said Mary Thomas as and for a Codicil to her Will in the joint presence of us both present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses
Mary Thomas
Frederic North Solicitor Liverpool
H. Longuet Higgins, Solicitor, Clerk to Me(srs Simpson & North Solicitors
Liverpool
Proved at Chester with a Codicil the 22nd day of January 1885 by the Oath of
Walter Aubrey Thomas the Grandson one of the surviving Executors named in the Will to whom Administratin was granted Power reserved of making th like Grant to Henry
Thomas the Grandson the other surviving Executor named in the Will
The Testatrix Mary Thomas was late of Elm Cottage Tranmere in the County of
Chester Widow and died on the 7th day of January 1885 at Elm Cottage aforesaid.
Gross amount £862.7.3 No Leaseholds Charles T. W. Parry
Me(srs Simpson & North } District Registrar
Solicitors, Liverpool }
I hereby Certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the Original Will with a
Codicil thereto the same having been carefully examined therewith 5 .
Humphrey’s marriage license describes him as of the Parish of Liverpool. On his death certificate, he is described as a builder or joiner; house proprietor. From the Guildhall Directories, 1851 he is described as a joiner or builder, Back
Lane, Higher Tranmere. In 1845, in the Birkenhead Trade Directory, he was described as Joiner, Higher Tranmere.
Humphrey’s father was John Thomas, born around 13 August 1780 according to the Woodchurch Parish Church
Register (microfilmed by LDS). His father was Humphrey Thomas and his mother was Alice Spark 6 . Humphrey married Margaret (surname unknown at this time, although discovered later, born in Moreton, Cheshire) around 1806.
John Thomas was buried in the Woodchurch Parish Church on 14 October 1834. In addition to Humphrey, John and
Margaret had at least one other child: Joseph Thomas, born in 1821 in Tranmere.
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Another Humphrey, grandfather of John’s son, Humphrey, was born on 10 September 1745 in Flint Parish, Flint,
Wales. He was the son of William Thomas and Elizabeth (surname unknown). Humphrey married Alice Spark on 7
January 1770 in the Woodchurch Parish Church. In addition to John, Humphrey and Alice had a number of other children:
William Thomas 20 February 1771
Elisabeth Thomas 9 May 1773
Frances Thomas 17 April 1775
Sparks Thomas 25 August 1776
Margaret Thomas 5 July 1778
Flint, (Coleshill), Flint, Wales
Flint, (Coleshill), Flint, Wales
Flint, (Coleshill), Flint, Wales
Flint, (Coleshill), Flint, Wales
Flint, (Coleshill), Flint, Wales
Humphrey Thomas also left a will:
Will of Humphrey Thomas dated 16 September 1818
In the name of God Amen. I Humphrey Thomas of Oxton in the County of Chester
Joiner, being weak in Body but of sound And disposing Mind, Memory and understanding do make this my last Will and Testament in manner following, first of all I Will and direct that all my Just Debts, Funeral expenses and the charges attending the probate of this my last Will and Testament be paid and discharged, and whereas I am possessed of Leasehold Lands and Premises in the township of
Oxton aforesaid for the Term of my own life and the life of my wife Alice Thomas and the survivor of us, now I give and bequeath unto my Wife Alice Thomas thethe sum of twenty-six pounds a year arising and issuing out of the yearly rents of my said Leasehold Premises, to be paid to my said wife by weekly payments of 10 shillings each for and during her natural life by the person or Tenant who shall from time to time rent and occupy my said Leasehold Lands situate in Oxton aforesaid, I also Give and Bequeath to my said Wife, the Dwelling House I now live in with the Garden thereunto belouning together with theuse of all my Household
Goods and Furniture of all kinds which shall be in my aforesaid Dwelling House and every appartment thereof at the time of my death for and during her natural life, and immediately from and after the death of my said wife, I give and Bequeath unto my son Spark Thomas my House grate and Iron Oven with the fixtures thereunto adjoining and belonging and my Clock for his own use for ever. I also Give and
Bequeath unto my grandson Edward Newby, son of John Newby, my oak desk to be his immediately after the Death of my wife, all the rest, residue and remainder of my
House Goods and Furniture which my wife has had the use of for and during her lifetime I give and Bequeath to be sold immediately after the death of my wife and the Monet therefrom arising I Give and Bequeath to be equally divided amonst my three sons, William, john and Spark, and my daughter Elizabeth, wife of John Newby but provided any of my sons should happen to die before my Goods be sold and his respective share therof shall not be paid to him, then in such case of him so dying, I Give and Bequeath the share he should have received if he had been living to be equally divided among his surviving children share and share alike, and provided my daughter Elizabeth Newby should happen to die before her respective share arising from the sale of my household goods and furniture as aforesaid shall be paid to her, then in such case of her death I Give and Bequeath the share she should have received if living unto my two grandaughters, Ellen and Margaret
Newby, daughters of john and Elizabth Newby. I give and bequeath unto my son
William Thomas the sum of Five pounds a year arising out of the yearly Rents of my
Leasehold Premises in Oxton aforesaid, I give and Bequeath unto my son John thomas the sum of Five pounds a year also out of the yearly Rents of my said Leasehold
Premises, I also give and Bequeath unto my son Spark Thomas, the sum of Eight
Pounds, ten shillings a year arising out of the yearly Rents of my said Leasehold
Premises, I also give and Bequeath unto my said son Spark Thomas, the Cottage which he now lives in and occupies for and during my own life and the life of my wife and the life of the Survivor of us, in consideration that he agrees to keep all the Buildings with everything thereunto belonging being part or parcel of my
Leasehold Premises situate in Oxton aforesaid in Good, Lawful abd sufficient repair during the life of my said wife Alice Thomas, but provided any of my sons should happen to die befor my Term, title and Interest in my Lease expires, then it is my will and desire and I give and Bequeath the yearly sum hein beforementioned and bequeathed to him so dying as aforesaid to his Surviving children to be equally divided among them share and share alike, and provided that my daughter Elizabeth Newby should happen to die before my term title and Interest in my lease expires, then it is my Will and Desire and I give and Bequeath the yearly sum hereinbeforementioned and Bequested to my daughter Elizabeth Newby if living, to be equally divided between my two Granddaughters Ellen and Margaret
Newby towards their education and bringing up, share and share alike, I alsoGive and Bequeath unto my daughter elizabeth Newby wife of John Newby, the yearly sum of twelve pounds a year arising out of the yearly rents of my Leasehold premises in Oxton aforesaid, Payable to her so long as my Term, Title and Interest shall continue therein, and lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my three surviving sons, viz William Thomas, Spark Thomas and John Thomas, Executors of
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this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all former or other will or wills by me heretofore made and do declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. In winess whereof I the said Humphrey Thomas have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and eighteen.
Family story from cousins in America (Sparks Thomas emigrated to the USA) says Humphrey swam the River Dee to
Cheshire with either a table or a rocking chair. This seems unlikely as he had already been in Cheshire when he married
Alice Spark and was left a fairly substantial inheritance in 1776 from his father-in-law, Thomas Spark (it is possible that he forded the river at some point carrying over his furniture). The ‘swimming the river Dee’ story comes down in most lines of the family in the USA - what he was swimming with varies from a three legged table to a Bible or candlestick and the rocking chair. Kitty McDonack (wife of grandson Sparks) supposedly burned the fabled rocking chair one night for kindling when Spark failed to show up from the local pub. Humphrey supposedly had a "horn" in the middle of his head.
It is fairly certain that Humphrey and Alice returned to Flint shortly after their marriage as most of the children were born there. It can only be assumed he returned to care for his parents and returned to Cheshire with his family sometime after their deaths. Several references have been found to the Thomas family at Coleshill in the old Flint parish records but it is not possible with certainty to attach any of them. It is known from Thomas Sparks’ will that Humphrey and
Alice lived for a time at Coleshill (also spelt Counsell).
William Thomas was born around 1720 in Coleshill, Flint and died 18 July 1773 according to the Church Register,
Flint Parish Registers (microfilmed by LDS). It is believed that his wife was Elizabeth, but more detail is not known at this time.
Much of the above data had been provided by an amateur family history researcher. It was therefore decided to commission Geoff Swinfield Genealogical Services to verify the accuracy of the data and to research further connections. The results of this research are outlined below.
Humphrey Thomas was the 6 th great-grandfather of Michael Peter Gregory. He had married in the parish church of
Woodchurch, Cheshire, on 7 January 1770 to Alice Spark. Humphrey died in 1818 and left a will which was dated 16
September in that year. His son, John Thomas, was stated to have been born on 13 August 1780 at Woodchurch and to have married a woman called Margaret. Her surname had not been established. Two children of this union were known. Their son, Humphrey Thomas, was born or baptised on 1 January 1807 at Tranmere and he married Mary
Glegge on 3 January 1828. By the date of the 1851 census, Humphrey and Mary were living at Elm Cottage, Tranmere
(HO 107 2175, fol 822, page 27 and folio 823, page 28). Humphrey was then a joiner and gave his place of birth as
Oxton, Cheshire. This was part of the Parish of Woodchurch. Humphrey had a brother called Joseph Thomas, who was born at Tranmere in about 1821.
The IGI includes a marriage of John Thomas and Margaret Davies, which took place at St Nicholas’s Church in the
City of Liverpool on 12 February 1806. The full entry for this union was copied from the register of that church. It shows that John was then a joiner of
Liverpool. His wife was a spinster of the same place. The witnesses to the marriage, which took place after the calling of Banns, were Edward Coventry and Edward Smith.
Both bride and groom were able to sign their names.
St Nicholas church was gutted by fire on the
21 December 1940 following a wartime air raid during the Blitz of Liverpool. Only the tower, adjoining vestries, and the offices survived. The building of the new church began in March 1949. It was consecrated on the Feast of St Luke 18 October 1952. The picture left shows the church in the early 19 th century, with the harbour in the foreground.
The IGI shows no baptisms for Humphrey Thomas in 1807 or for Joseph in 1821. It does include another possible brother, Richard, who was baptised at Holy Trinity, Liverpool, on 25 November 1827.
The baptismal registers of Woodchurch were now searched in detail using a “modern” transcription of the parish registers available for research in the Library of The Society of Genealogists in London.
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Baptisms
CH/R32 1795-1834
20 Jan 1796
10 Jan 1798
24 Feb 1800
4 Nov 1801
18 Oct 1803
13 Nov 1805
1 Jan 1807
18 Jul 1813
21 Nov 1819
28 Sep 1823
30 Sep 1827
1 Feb 1829
26 Jan 1834
Burials
21 Mar 1783
11 May 1787
13 Aug 1812
Eliz dau of Wm & My Thomas
My dau of Wm & My Thomas
Wm son of Wm & My Thomas
Alice dau of Wm & My Thomas
Mgy dau of Wm & My Thomas
Jn son of Wm & My Thomas
Jn son of Wm & Eliz Thomas
Wm son of Wm & Eliz Thomas
My dau of Wm & Eliz Thomas
Oxton
Oxton
Oxton
Oxton
Oxton
Oxton
Humphrey son of Jn & Mgt Thomas Oxton
Alice dau of Spark and Han Thomas Oxton Carpenter
Spark son of Spark and Han Thomas Oxton Carpenter
Han dau of Spark and Han Thomas Oxton Carpenter
Prenton Labourer
Prenton Labourer
Prenton Labourer
Fanny dau of Humphrey Thomas
Mgt dau of Humphrey Thomas Carpenter and Alice of Oxon (sic)
Ric Thomas son of Spark & Han of Oxton
Humphrey Thomas was the only child of John and Margaret Thomas to be baptised at Woodchurch. He was not christened at Tranmere, and, indeed, he has recorded his place of origin as Oxton in the 1851 census. William and
Spark Thomas, who also had children baptised at Woodchurch, were presumably the brothers of Humphrey. Spark was a carpenter by trade, just like Humphrey. Significantly, a child of Spark Thomas, Richard, was buried there in 1812.
His baptism was not recorded in the parish records of Woodchurch.
Significantly, the burials of two daughters of Humphrey and Alice Thomas took place at Woodchurch in 1783 and
1787.
When the earlier baptismal records of Woodchurch were searched from 1770 to 1790 (CH/R32), only one entry for the surname of Thomas was found. It was the christening of Michael Gregory’s ancestor:
Baptism
Woodchurch Parish Church
15 Aug 1780
Jn Thomas son of Humphrey, Joiner, & Alice, of Oxon
The marriage of the parents, Humphrey Thomas, joiner and carpenter and bachelor, and Alice Sparks, “both of this parish” took place after the production of a licence on 7 January 1770. The witnesses to the ceremony were John and
Charles Worrall.
The burial entries for Michael Gregory’s ancestors were extracted as follows:
25 Sep 1818
22 Mar 1823
14 Oct 1834
Humphrey Thomas
Alice Thomas
Jn Thomas
Oxton
Oxton
Tranmere
73
82
54
Significantly, John Thomas was living at Tranmere when he died. He was brought to Woodchurch for burial.
A transcription of the parish registers of Flint was also searched in the Library of the Society of Genealogists
(WS/R134). This includes baptisms from 1598-1724 and 1727-1812.
The Index to the baptismal registers was examined from 1707 to 1764 looking for all relevant entries for people with the surname of Thomas and which were relevant. This produced:
24 Feb 1732/33 John Thomas son of William and Eliz Colehill
24 Mar 1733/34 Margaret Thomas son of Wm & Eliz Colehill
8 Oct 1739
10 Sep 1745
Wm Thomas son of Wm and Eliz
Humphrey Thomas son of Wm & Eliz
Colehill
Humphrey Thomas was baptised here on 10 September 1745. He was the son of William and Elizabeth. It appears that three older siblings, also offspring of William and Elizabeth Thomas of Colehill, were christened from 1733 to 1739.
8

The burial records were also searched for entries which included those called William or Elizabeth Thomas. From
1727 to 1812, this showed:
20 Sep 1717
25 May 1745
12 Feb 1754
7 Jan 1756
24 Sep 1771
18 Jul 1773
27 Sep 1774
18 May 1780
12 Oct 1812
Benjamin Thomas son of Wm & Eliz
Elizabeth Thomas
Eliz Thomas
Elizabeth Thomas
Elizabeth Thomas
William Thomas
William Thomas
William Thomas
Elisabeth Thomas
Flint Wood
Colehill
Colehill
Colehill
Colehill
Colehill Fawr
There were many candidates for the parents of the children who were baptised in Flint from 1733 to 1745. Elizabeth may have been buried in 1745, 1754, 1771 or 1812. There are two possible entries for William, Michael Gregory’s forebear, in 1773 and 1774 and a later entry in 1780. Interestingly, a Benjamin, son of a couple with these Christian names was buried there in 1717. Surely this could not be an even earlier child of the same couple! Of course, this research is centered on one of the commonest Welsh surnames. It would not be surprising if two William and
Elizabeth Thomases were having children in the parish of Flint in the first half of the 18 th century.
The index to the baptismal records of the parish from 1685 to 1709 shows no William Thomas who could have been the father of Humphrey, who was recorded in 1745.
It was believed that William Thomas, the father of Humphrey, was the man who was buried in 1774. There seemed to be no evidence or proof that this was so. Was there any probate material which would shed light on the connections between the people called Thomas who lived in Flint, especially in Coleshill? This area of north Wales fell under the jurisdiction of the Episcopal Court of St Asaph. The probate indexes from 1700 to 1858 contain a number of people who lived in Flint or Holywell:
Mary Vch Thomas
John Thomas
Mary Thomas
John Thomas
Mary Thomas
Edward Thomas
Griffiths Thomas
William Thomas
Gwenllian Thomas
William Thomas
Anne Thomas
John Thomas
Hugh Thomas
Elizabeth Thomas
John Thomas
Margaret Thomas
William Thomas
Joseph Thomas
Holywell
Holywell Greenfield
Holywell
Holywell Brynford
Holywell
Holywell Grange
Holywell
Holywell widow gent/yeoman widow yeoman husbandman
/yeoman carpenter grocer
W
B widow/spinster WI farmer W
B
WB
BX
BI
B
WI
Holywell
Holywell, Coleshill
Holywell
Holywell Greenfield
Holywell Gadlas Lane
Holywell (Mold) widow yeoman lead smelter spinster
Holywell
Holywell maltster spinster
Holywell Coleshill Fecham bachelor
Holywell Greenfield furnaceman
W = will, B=Bond, I=inventory, X=another probate document
B
W
B
B
B
W
B
B
SA 1728/71
SA 1730/65
SA 1738/131
SA 1740/36
SA 1742/55
SA 1749/42
SA 1751/27
SA 1752/48
SA 1755/42
SA 1774/38
SA 1787/39
SA 1795/50
SA 1802/63
SA 1807/46
SA 1846/60
SA 1850/64
SA 1854/59
SA 1857/73
None of the testators lived in Flint. Several lived in Coleshill. One of the references was to the will of William
Thomas, a farmer, whose will was proved in 1774. This will, and a number of others from the 18 th century, were copied and read for their genealogical content.
William Thomas of Coleshill, Flintshire, a farmer, made his will on 23 September
1774 and it was proved on 11 November in the same year. He left a wife called
Mary. She was bequeathed his cottage at Pentre Bagilt. William also had children called John, who appears to have had children of his own, and Elizabeth who was married to Mr Pierce. He also had a grand-daughter called Elizabeth Hughes, a brother John and a sister Catherine Evans who was named in the codicil to the will.
John Thomas of Greenfield, Holywell, Flintshire, was a yeoman. His will was dated
27 February 1795 and it was proved on 7 May 1796. He had children called Barbara, who was married to William Cooper of Llanerchy Mor in the parish of Whitford, and
Mary who was the wife of Edward Evan, a smith of Holloway in Holywell. The latter had four children called John, Edward, William and Thomas.
9

Gwenllian Thomas of the County of Flint made her will on 7 February 1755 and it was proved on 10 February in the same year. She was described as a spinster in the will but as a widow in the probate clause. Since she left bequests to her children William Jones and Margaret Jones, it is not clear which is correct. She also named her grand-daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Morris.
Griffith Thomas of Holywell, carpenter, had a wife called Gwen and children named as Thomas, Griffith, Roger, Margaret and Catherine. The will was made on 30 June
1751 and proved on 11 July in that year.
Edward Thomas of Grange, Holywell, Flintshire, stated that he was a husbandman when his will was written on 17 April 1749. It was proved on 28 April following.
He named his sister as Anne, the wife of Thomas Peirse of Bagillt. He also left bequests to his nephew and niece, Thomas Jones and Dorothy Jones, the son and daughter of his late sister, Dorothy deceased, his niece Elizabeth, the wife of
John Denman, and his sister-in-law, Margaret Thomas of Grange, a widow. Margaret
Thomas was made the Executrix of the estate.
John Thomas of Greenfield in Holywell wrote his will on 4 April 1730. He left a wife called Margaret Williams and children called John and Elizabeth. The son was under 21 in 1730. Probate on this estate was granted on 19 May 1730.
Unfortunately, the testator called William Thomas of 1774 proved not to have a wife called Elizabeth. He appears to be the man who was buried on 27 September 1774 since his will was dated just four days earlier and was proved in
November of that year. If so, this could not be the ancestor of Michael Gregory as he had a wife called Mary and did not have a son named Humphrey. Consequently, the forebear, William must have been one of the other men who were buried at Flint in 1773 or 1780.
In case William Thomas left a will which was proved by the senior probate court for England and Wales, the
Prerogative Court of Canterbury, the index to the wills of that Court were searched. No-one with the surname of
Thomas, who lived in Coleshill, Flint or Holywell was proved in this court from 1730 to 1800. Furthermore, this court did not prove a will for John Thomas of Woodcock or Tranmere, who died in 1834, or for Alice who died in 1823.
The marriage of William Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth, of Flintshire or Cheshire is not to be found in either The
International Genealogical Index or its supplement the British Vital Records Index.
In the absence of a marriage at Flint (although it should be noted that there is a gap in the records of that parish from
1721 to 1726) their union could have taken place in one of the neighbouring parishes, such as Holywell.
An indexed transcription of the parish registers of Holywell (WS/R 134) was searched in the Library of the Society of
Genealogists. In the marriages from 1714 to 1754, there were seven marriages for men called William Thomas. Of these, only one man married a woman called Elizabeth:
13 Nov 1731 William Thomas and Elizabeth Llewelin
This marriage took place about 15 months before the baptism of the first child of William and Elizabeth Thomas who was named in Flint Church in February 1733. Was this the marriage of the four children who were christened there from that date to 1745 when Humphrey, Michael Gregory’s ancestor, was baptised? Is this marriage coincidental to this research or was it the union of the ancestors being searched for?
In 2006, contact was received from David Gordon. He was a direct descendant from Humphrey Thomas (b.1745) and
Alice Spark (b.1740). David Gordon (b.1971) is the sixth cousin once removed from Michael Gregory 7 .
Contact was also received from another distant cousin called Patricia (Pat) Hassall (nee Thomas). She was Michael
Gregory’s 5 th cousin twice removed, sharing common ancestry with Humphrey Thomas (b.1745) and Alice Spark
(b.1740). The third great grandson of Humphrey Thomas was her father, Albert Edward Thomas. He was born in 1904 and died in 1971. During WWII, he worked at Camell Laird shipyards in Merseyside and was in the Home Guard.
Patricia was born in 1940 and had brothers Albert Edward Thomas who died in Clatterbridge hospital in 1947 of leukemia. He had served in the Second World War; her second brother was William (Billy) Thomas, who was killed by terrorists in Jerusalem on 16 October 1947. Apparently, a wire had been stretched across the road and Billy was decapitated whilst driving his motorcycle. (Pictures of Billy, Albert Edward and Pat with her husband Laurance
Hassall have been reproduced below.
7
10

Report dated: 31 December 2006
In June 2008, contact was made with Robert (Bob Puw) who is a descendant of Henry Thomas. He was in possession of some of the family documents, including photos. These are reproduced below:
11

The above photograph is of Henry (Harry) Thomas and his wife Katie. The photograph below is of Harry Thomas alone.
12

The group photograph below may possibly be of Walter Aubrey Thomas and family members. The fourth photo is from the estate of harry Thomas, but the man and two women are not identified.
Date of report: 29 July 2008
13

Sources Consulted
Miscellaneous
International Genealogical Index (online)
Library of the Society of Genealogists, London
Probate Indexes of the Episcopal Court of St Asaph
Index to Wills in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Census
1851 Census Search for Mary and Humphrey Thomas HO 107 2175 folio 822, page 27 and folio 823, page 28
1901 Census, Liverpool Search for Walter Aubrey Thomas, Architect
Parish Registers
St Nicholas Church, Liverpool Marriage of John Thomas and Margaret Davies
14

ELIZABETH
Bp. 20 Jan 1796
MARY
Bp. 10 Jan 1798
WILLIAM THOMAS
Bur. 18 Jul 1773 or 18 May 1780
Flint, Flintshire
JOHN THOMAS bp. 24 Feb 1732/35
Flint
WILLIAM THOMAS = MARY bp. 20 Feb 1771 Flint alive 1818
MARGARET bp. 24 Mar 1733/34
Flint
WILLIAM THOMAS bp. 8 Oct 1739
Flint
HUMPHREY THOMAS = ALICE SPARKS
Farmer and Carpenter bp. 10 Sep 1745
Flint, Flintshire
Bur. 25 Sep 1818
bp. 27 Apr 1740
Woodchurch, Cheshire
bur. 23 Mar 1823
Woodchurch, Cheshire
Woodchurch, Cheshire (age 82)
DAVIES b. 8 Oct 1775 alive 1818 bp. 9 May 1773
Arrow, Cheshire
alive 1818
MARGARET
bp. 5 Jul 1778
FRANCIS
JOHN NEWBY = ELISABETH SPARK THOMAS = HANNAH JOHN THOMAS = MARGARET DAVIES
Carpenter DODD Joiner b. 17 Nov 1777 bp 25 Aug 1776 b. 1 Apr bp. 15 Aug 1780 Moreton, Cheshire alive 1818 1781 Woodchurch
Bridge bur. 14 Oct 1834 St Nicholas’ Church,
Trafford Woodchurch
m. 12 Feb 1806
Liverpool
bp. 17 Apr 1775 Flint d. 12 Jan (age 54)
bur. 21 Mar 1783 1867
Woodchurch bp. 13 Nov 1805
=
MARGERY ELLEN bp. 18 Oct 1803 MARGARET
JOHN THOMAS
ELIZABETH LLEWELIN (?) m. 13 Nov 1731?
Holywell, Flintshire
Bur. 17 Jan 1758 or 24 Sep 1771 or 21 Oct 1812, Flint
RICHARD THOMAS bur. 13 Aug 1812
Woodchurch
ALICE
History Report & Genealogy Chart No 12
JOSEPH THOMAS See Glegg(e) Family b. 1821 Tranmere History Report &
RICHARD THOMAS Genealogy Chart No 13 bp. 25 Nov 1827
ALICE
Bp. 4 Nov 1801
WILLIAM THOMAS = ELIZABETH
Labourer bp. 24 Feb 1800
Woodchurch
Woodchurch
JOHN THOMAS bp. 30 Sep 1827
Woodchurch
WILLIAM THOMAS bp 1 Feb 1829
Woodchurch
Descendants in FTM file bp 18 Jul 1813
Woodchurch
SPARK THOMAS bp. 21 Nov 1819
Woodchurch
HANNAH bp. 28 Sep 1823
MARY THOMAS GLEGGE THOMAS = bp. 26 Jan Architect
1834 b. 11 Jun 1829
W’Church Tranmere d. 18 Nov 1881 Tranmere
RALPH ABRAHAM BLAKE = MARY CATHERINE THOMAS
Shopkeeper b. 1854
b. 30 Oct 1853 Tranmere
bp. 13 Jul 1854
St Nicholas’ Church, Liverpool
m. 11 May 1878
Holy Trinity
Liverpool
HUMPHREY THOMAS = MARY GLEGGE
Joiner & Builder bp. 1 Jan 1807
Woodchurch d. 13 Jan 1877
Tranmere
b. 22 May 1806
bp. 14 Nov 1806
St Peter Liverpool
m. ca 1828
d. 7 Jan 1885
ELISA CATHERINE GEORGE b. 9 Sep 1828 m. 25 Sep 1851
See
George Family
History Report
Walton-on-the-Hill & genealogy chart
Lancashire No 11
GEORGE THOMAS HENRY THOMAS b. 1 Nov 1855 Tranmere GLEGGE THOMAS
ALFRED THOMAS
ELIZA
b. 14 Apr 1865 b. 1 Nov 1855 (Tranmere) MARTHA EMILY b. ca 1856 Tranmere b. ca 1862
TYSILIO THOMAS WILLIAM ARTHUR THOMAS Tranmere
Report and Genealogy Chart
No 8)
(See Blake Family History
FREDERICK JOHN HALL GREGORY = b. 29 Oct 1884
Glen Parva Barracks, Leicester
FREDERICK WILLIAM GREGORY
Colchester b. 25 Dec 1906 Colchester d. 1 March 1975 Blackburn
=
ANNIE BLAKE b. ca 1857-60
WILLIAM ARTHUR
THOMAS b. ca 1858 b. 20 Jan 1871
Architect (1881) d. aged 75 (?) in 1934
Tranmere
WALTER AUBREY THOMAS = MAUD PARIS b. 14 Dec 1863 b. ca 1868 (Chester)
d. 30 Nov 1945 b. 8 Apr 1886 in Mold, Clwyd m. 5 Nov 1906 St James RC
Church, Colchester
DORRIT M b. ca 1890 (Neston)
EDWARD THOMAS b. ca 1892 (Neston)
HUMPHREY THOMAS OLIVER G THOMAS b. ca 1897 (Neston) b. ca 1895 (Neston)
Cheetham Hill, Manchester d. 10 July 1989 in Wigan
MARGARET MARY O’NEILL m. 26 December 1929, St Chad’s Church,
LOUISA E THOMAS b. ca 1888 (Neston)
WINSOME b. ca 1890
AUBREY b. after 1881
See O’Neill Family
History Report & Genealogy chart No 3
WALTER G THOMAS b. ca 1887 (Birkenhead)
WINIFRED C THOMAS b. ca 1894 (Neston)
GLEGGE THOMAS b. after 1881
MALCOLM PETER GREGORY b. 26 February 1935
Hayfield, Manchester
Blackburn d. 2001 Blackburn
MICHAEL PETER GREGORY b. 25 June 1957 in Blackburn
= BERNADETTE CAFFREY b. 13 April 1934, Blackburn m. 21 July 1956, St Peter’s RC Church, d. 2001 Blackburn
See Gregory Family History Report & Genealogy chart No 1
See Caffrey Family History Report & Genealogy chart No 2
15