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On 8 Apr 1912, Thomas married Eleanor Kate Whitfield in
the pretty church at Cockington on the outskirts of Torquay.
It seems possible that Eleanor was in domestic service prior to the
wedding, like her sister Lucy (a witness of the marriage) who worked as
a cook in the Torquay area. There is a small clue as to how she might
have met Thomas in the 1901 Census when she can be found working in
Bexhill where James Holloway Stentiford (Thomas's brother) had his home. |
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Cockington Church
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Thomas was 36 at the time of his marriage and
Eleanor was
34. His father, Richard was deceased ; her father, a Londoner
called Frederick Whitfield, can also be found in the 1901 Census - he
was, at that time, a caretaker/messenger in the City.
Thomas gives his occupation as "soldier in the Royal
Marines" and his address as the Royal Marine Barracks at Walmer,
Kent.
The witnesses are George Henry
Gibbings, Lucy Jane Whitfield and
Thomas's sister Hettie whose name appears more than once in this role at
family weddings. |
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As a Marine, Thomas was based in Deal and that is where the couple
went to live.
They had three sons - Frederick, Philip Samuel and Charles.
Thomas died in 1941 while on a visit to the home of his eldest son,
Frederick.
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Royal Marines Church
- North Barracks, Deal
İBill &
June Beer |
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As a
family member, Ann Ryley was able to obtain Thomas's Record at the
time of his demobilisation in 1919 and from this, we can see evidence
that he was wounded in his left leg.
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İAnn Ryley |
Back to Issue 12
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