Thomas Crosby was the fourth child of Thomas Crosby & Mary Elsbury born 1849 at Kelloe, Co. Durham.
Sadly Thomas’s father, a shoemaker, died around the time of his birth in 1849.
In 1851 Thomas & his widowed mother Mary & 2 older sisters were living in Thornley, Co Durham & were in receipt of parish relief.
Thomas’s mother married again later in 1851, his step-father being John Mallams.
In 1853 Thomas, his mother, sisters, step-father & half brother emigrated to the US.
In 1860 the family were living in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. At home were Thomas’s sisters Alice (17) & Mary A (15) & his half brothers & sisters George (8) Jane (5) John (3) & Elizabeth (0). Step-father John was a coal miner.
In 1870 Thomas, an apprentice carpenter, was living with his sister Alice, now married to Samuel Slocum, a mine worker, in Butler, Schuylkill.
Thomas married Mary Ann York in Pennsylvania. Mary was born May 26th, 1852 & christened Oct 17th 1852 at Bedworth, Warks, daughter of Elizabeth Kelly & Joseph York.
In 1880 Thomas Crossby with wife Mary & son Joseph were living in Girardville, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania where Thomas was a carpenter. With them was Thomas’s half sister Lizzie Mallams, a servant.
In 1900 the family, listed as Croosbey, were living in Mahanoy City, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania & Thomas was now a school janitor. With them were children Lizzie A (18) Robert T (15), a day labourer, George E (9) & Sarah A (6). It was noted that Mary had had 12 children, only 7 of whom were still living. Son Joseph, a butcher, & daughter Viola were living in East Norwegian Town, Clair, Schuylkill with their grandfather Joseph York, a meat merchant, & aunt Emily York.
Thomas died on March 7th, 1905 in Girardville, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania & was buried March 10th at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Girardville.
In 1908 daughter Lizzie married Frederick Kline, a miner, in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania.
In 1910 widowed Mary was still living in Mahanoy, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania & with her were daughters Viola (22) & Sarah, a cuff maker in a shirt factory, & son George, a coal miner. Son Joseph was living with his aunt, Emily York, in St Clair, Schuylkill & working as a butcher.
A draft registration card in June 1917 shows son George Edward living in Mahanoy, Schuylkill, & working for the Lehigh Valley Coal Company. Son Joseph’s draft registration card shows he was a butcher working for Swain & Crosby in Schuylkill.
In 1920 widowed Mary was still living in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, now in Tamaqua. With her were daughters Viola & Sarah A, a hemmer in a shirt factory, & son George, now working in an anthracite mine, & his wife Alma & their 2 year old daughter Eileen. George had married Alma Gould in 1917. At the time of the census daughter Elizabeth & her husband Frederick Kline, an anthracite miner, were also living in Tamaqua.
In 1930 widowed Mary was living with daughter Sarah A who had married widower Oscar Oliver Welsh in 1922, a labourer in a car shop, & their son in Tamaqua, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. Also living with them were niece Eleanor (Eileen?) Crosby (12) & nephew Russell G Crosby (8), children of Sarah's brother George. Both Eileen & Russell continued to live with their aunt & uncle until at least 1940.
At the time of the 1930 census son George, a labourer at the cemetery, was widowed and living in Tamaqua with daughter Irene W & son George Russell - this was son Russell G also listed with his aunt & uncle as above in 1930.
Mary died February 10th, 1931 & was buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Girardville.
The children of Thomas Crosby & Mary Ann York were:
c.4.6.4.1 Joseph Crosby born December 13th, 1875 in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania; died at Rush Township, Schuylkill October 15th, 1921 & buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery,Tamaqua, Schuylkill
c.4.6.4.2 Elizabeth (Lizzie) A Crosby born May 25th, 1882 in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania; died December 2nd, 1929 & buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery,Tamaqua, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania
c.4.6.4.3 Robert Thomas Crosby born May 25th, 1884 in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania; buried July 19th, 1907 at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Girardville
c.4.6.4.4 Viola Crosby born November 30th, 1886 in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania; died April 2nd, 1935 & buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery,Tamaqua, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania
c.4.6.4.5 George Edward Crosby born January 27th, 1891 in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania; died November 3rd, 1945 at 502 S. Main St, Los Angeles, USA
c.4.6.4.6 Susan Crosby born November 6th, 1893 at Schuylkill, Pennsylvania
c.4.6.4.7 Sarah Ann Crosby born 1894 in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania; buried 1973 at Odd Fellows Cemetery,Tamaqua, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania