Help with tracing Thomas, Please.

[Kelly]

Hi,

I am currently trying to trace my 4x Great Grandfather, to find his parents but unfortunately I am not having much luck.

Thomas Ward was born c1821 in Lincolnshire, his year of birth and place of birth changes on each census.

1861, born 1821 Stockworth Lincs (Could this be Stockwith?)
1871 born 1821 Gainsborough
1881 born 1824 Gainsborough
1891 born 1826 Gainsborough.

Thomas's occupation is a tinman.

Thomas Wards wife was Sarah Hough born 1829 North Scarle Lincolnshire. I haven't actually been able to find a marriage for them.

I can't find Thomas on the 1851 census, I did find a William Ward born 1819 Gainsborough, occupation a tinman, on the 1851 and he is a prisoner. I was wondering if William may have been a relative.

It looks like Thomas Ward died in 1894 Grantham Lincs aged 70, and Sarah died 1893 Grantham Lincs.

I was hoping to find a marriage for Thomas and Sarah so that I could confirm Thomas's fathers name, but unfortunately it looks like they didn't actually get married.

I have found 2 baptisms in Gainsborough, Thomas 1818 parents John and Rebecca and Thomas 1828 parents Thomas and Jane. But I can't find any connection between them and my Thomas. But my Thomas had a daughter named Rebecca (my 3x Grt Grandmother), so he may have named her after his mother.

Any help or advice on how I can trace Thomas further back would be truly appreciated.

Kelly

[margaretmarch]

I know you are looking for Thomas but have you seen this for Sarah https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/9WSP-HY2/p1
When do you think they will have married?
Margaret

[Kelly]

Hi Margaret,

Yes, I have seen that baptism for Sarah I found it on the Lincs to the past website.

The first child I have found for Thomas and Sarah is Betsy who was born in Grantham 1857. There isn't any marriages for a Thomas Ward to Sarah Hough/Hoff in Grantham Lincs, and I can't find a marriage in lincolnshire at all for them. :(

[Kelly]

Hi,

Has anyone got any ideas of how I can trace Thomas further back. I still can't seem to find him on the 1851 census.

Thomas and Sarah lived in the Grantham Lincs district from 1861-1894.

They had the following children:

Betsy 1857 (Baptised and buried Jan 1857) Grantham
Emma 1860 Grantham (Baptised 1863)
Mary Ann 1862 Grantham (Baptised 1862)
Sarah 1865 Grantham (Baptised 1865, I think she died 1865)
Rebecca 1866 Grantham
Thomas 1872 Grantham

[margaretmarch]

I suppose the William you found in prison in 1851 could very well be Thomas using a different name to hide his past? Have you tried to trace that William forward to see what happened to him?

If Thomas and Sarah didn't marry I can't really think of any way to trace him backwards.

Margaret

[Kelly]

Hi Margaret,

I have tried to trace William through the census records but I can't seem to find anything obvious.

I will go and have another look.

[margaretmarch]

There's a Thomas Ward b1821 in the criminal records dataset on ancestry ref HO 26; Piece: 53; Page: 308
The entry is for 1847 and he was sentenced to 10 years transportation.

I know some men did not actually get transported as it was stopped and those on hulks were let go or put in prison - might be him?
Margaret

[Kelly]

Hi Margaret,

I will go and have a look, do you know if I would be able to find any more information to see if this Thomas was transported?

[margaretmarch]

Not sure how that's done but there are members on here who can access the list of people who landed in Australia and what happened to them.

Margaret

[Kelly]

Hi Margaret,

Thank you for your help.