Genealogy Chat

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My ggg-grandfather Thomas Glasby is a bit of a mystery. He just disappears after the 1841 census, leaving his family in London. Can anyone help me track him down?... Thomas was born c1796 (from the 1841 census so could be +/-5 years), probably in Hampshire though I haven't located a baptism for him yet. He married Mary Ann Buss on 17-Jun-1821 at St Mary's, Southampton. Thomas and Mary had 7 children between 1822 and 1839 - the first three born in Southampton, the rest born in St Luke, London. At the time of the 1841 census, the Glasby's were living in Great Queen Street, St Giles (HO107/673/6/14/20). Thomas was a cordwainer. By 1851, Mary Ann and some of the kids are still in Gt Queen Street (HO107/1508/488/13). Mary Ann is head but shown as married, not widowed. In fact, in 1861 she is still there and still shown as married not widowed (RG9/169/156/15). No sign of Thomas anywhere - I've even traced all his kids through the censuses to 1901 but no joy. His daughter Elizabeth Sophia (my gg-grandmother) married in 1854 - have her marriage cert and Thomas is not shown as deceased on this. Nor can I find a death for him on BMD. Mary Ann died 4-Mar-1871 - her death cert states ''wife of...'' not ''widow of...'', again suggesting that Thomas may have still been alive at the time. What happened to him? Did he run off overseas somewhere? end up in jail? die without his family knowing the fact? Any ideas welcome!! Richard

1841 for reference Emily Glasby abt 1838 Middlesex, England St Giles in the Fields Middlesex Henry Glasby abt 1831 Middlesex, England St Giles in the Fields Middlesex James Glasby abt 1836 Middlesex, England St Giles in the Fields Middlesex Mary Glasby abt 1801 Middlesex, England St Giles in the Fields Middlesex Sophia Glasby abt 1828 Middlesex, England St Giles in the Fields Middlesex Thos Glasby abt 1796 St Giles in the Fields Middlesex ( a Cordwainer ) George Hayn abt 1801 Middlesex, England St Giles in the Fields Middlesex Clara Haynes abt 1835 Middlesex, England St Giles in the Fields Middlesex Rose Raynes abt 1811 Middlesex, England Like you I cannot find any mention of Thos on census Sue

I've just been having another look on the IGI, and there are these two marriages in Rhode Island, USA that look interesting: THOMAS S GLASBY & ANN E PRESTWICK, 06 JUL 1845 Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, Batch No: M500011 THOMAS S GLASBY & OLIVE J CHAFFEE, 06 DEC 1847 Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, Batch No: M500011 It's a bit of a long shot, but what if Thomas ran off to America and remarried? He wouldn't have been the first of my rellies to have done something like that! Just wondered if someone has access to the USA census (1850/60/70), would they be able to look for any Thomas Glasby's born c1796 in England, maybe working in the boot-making business? Richard

Could he possibly have gone to sea?

You might want someone to look this up for you also: New York, 1820-1850 Passenger and Immigration Lists Record Immigration Name: Thomas Glasby Birth: year Origin: location Departure: city Arrival: date - New York From ancestry, sorry I dont have access. Suzanne

Thanks Suzanne, that does look very interesting! I've amended my thread title in the hope that someone with USA Ancestry sub can help... Angela - it's always a possibility but all evidence I have so far is that he was a cordwainer, so it would have been quite a career change! Richard

Hi Richard, Name: Thomas Glasby Arrival Date: Aug 9, 1849 Age: 45 Gender: M Port of Arrival: New York Port of Departure: Liverpool Place of Origin: England Ship: Wisconsin Family Identification: 2817316 Microfilm Serial Number: M237 Microfilm Roll Number: 82 and Name: Thomas Glasby Arrival Date: May 31, 1832 Age: 37 Gender: M Port of Arrival: New York Port of Departure: Liverpool Place of Origin: France Destination: United States of America Ship: Brig Edward Microfilm Serial Number: M237 Microfilm Roll Number: 16 List Number: 344 Rose

Thanks Rose The first of those is a possibility, albeit that the age is out by a few years. What does the ''family identification'' number mean, by the way? Is it possible to see what other family members, if any, travelled with him? Cheers, Richard

Hi Richard, Not sure what the family identification number is. By looking for other Glasbys arriving on the same date I got this: Name: John Glasby Arrival Date: Aug 9, 1849 Age: 24 Gender: M Port of Arrival: New York Port of Departure: Liverpool Place of Origin: England Ship: Wisconsin Family Identification: 2817316 Microfilm Serial Number: M237 Microfilm Roll Number: 82 Rose

Thanks again Rose. That makes him less likely to be mine, as I haven't found a son called John anywhere. There are 2 Thomas Glasby's coming up on the 1850 & 1860 US census search - would be much appreciated if someone could get the details for me! Richard

1850: Name Home in 1850 (City,County,State) Estimated Birth Year Birth Place Thomas Glasby Kensington Ward 1, Philadelphia, PA abt 1810 Ireland Thomas Glasby St Louis Ward 6, St Louis (Independent City), MO abt 1826 Ireland 1860: Name Home in 1860 (City,County,State) Age in 1860 Birth Year Birthplace Gender Thomas Glasby Palo Alto, Schuylkill, PA 3.12 abt 1860 Pennsylvania Male Thomas Glasby Tamaqua, Schuylkill, PA 45 abt 1815 Ireland Male Rose

Thanks Rose - that rules them out, at least! So my vanishing cordwainer Thomas remains elusive!! Richard

I had a quick look at this earlier, and I saw there was a Thomas Glasby in Yorkshire who was somebody's father-in-law. Have you ruled that one out?

I had relatives in Great Queen Street and found that a group of properties are missing off the 1851 and 1861 censuses. don't know if that's significant.

Thanks Mary - I don't think that's him however, as that one was born in Yorkshire, was an ag lab, and was presumably the father of Matilda (wife of the head). My Thomas married and had kids in Hampshire, was a cordwainer and I haven't found a daughter called Matilda - so doesn't seem to fit! Cheers Richard

No, the odd thing about that one is that he doesn't seem to be the father of Matilda - I checked out her marriage, and she had a different surname. I agree that the different occupation seems to rule him out, though.

Possibly, Paul - but for whatever reason, he wasn't with his wife in 51 or 61, though she is there in Gt Queen St. Can't find a death for him either - I haven't been right through the index from 1841 onwards, but I did check the quarters that are still incomplete on FreeBMD, so barring a mistranscription on FreeBMD, should have covered the lot. I could only find 5 Thomas/Tom Glasby deaths between 1841 and 1865, all of them in the north of England - possible I suppose that he moved up north, but as Mary found above, there are a few Glasby families up that way. After 1865, the age at death is in the index and there are no Thomas Glasby deaths of the right age anywhere, right up to 1910.

You could start looking for mistranscriptions. For example, I found a Thomas Galasby, but he was born in Ireland and didn't sound like your man. Gillespie might be a possible mishearing of the name, depending on the accent.

Richard, 1)were they catholic? 2)what were the occupations of the sons? 3)what sort of area did the family live in wealth wise when the vast majority of the family wre together? 4)did mary work?