Thomas Pallister [p.1.6.5.3.7]

Thomas Pallister was the seventh child of John Pallister & Sarah Thompson born at Greencroft, Lanchester & christened August 10th, 1829 at Lanchester.

Thomas’ father, John, was a lifelong employee of Sir Thomas John Clavering of Greencroft Hall. In common with other employees on the Greencroft Estate, Thomas was educated at the village school at the expense of the Squire of Greencroft.

In 1841 Thomas was living at Hornsby Hill, Lanchester with his parents & 8 brothers & sisters.

Thomas did not follow his father’s trade as a joiner but instead became apprenticed to his brother-in-law Robert Siddle of Try-em-all, Lanchester as a butcher.

Thomas was still living at home at Hornsby Hill in 1851 & was a master butcher.

Thomas married Isabella Naisbett on July 11th, 1853 at Gateshead, Co Durham. Isabella (Naisbett) was christened February 22nd, 1831 at Lanchester, the daughter of Elizabeth & John Naisbett, a farming man & gamekeeper of Bargate, Lanchester. Isabella had given birth to a daughter Elizabeth Naisbett in 1852 who was christened on October 13th, 1852 at Lanchester. Elizabeth appears to have been raised as Elizabeth Pallister.

In 1861 Thomas & Isabella were living at Hornsby Hill, Lanchester where Thomas was a butcher. They had 5 children by this time – Elizabeth (8), Sarah (7), Emma (5), John (3) & James (1). They had a house servant Jane Wilkinson.

The family were still at (H)Ornsby Hill in 1871 & Thomas was described as a butcher & farmer of 16 acres. At home were children Elizabeth, Sarah Jane, Emma, John, James, Margaret (9), Thomas (7), Ann (5), Isabella (3) & twins Frances & Mary (11 months).

Isabella died on December 3rd, 1880 & was buried at All Saints, Lanchester.

Daughter Margaret who had married Christopher Raine on December 10th, 1884 at Lanchester, died on January 3rd, 1888 & was buried in the family grave at All Saints, Lanchester. Margaret & Christopher had a daughter Minnie Raine born in Oct-December 1887 & Minnie was found with her grandparents in the 1891 census (see below) & later in 1901 with her aunt Isabella & uncle Thomas Holt.

The children of Thomas Pallister & Isabella Naisbett were:

p.1.6.5.3.7.1 Sarah Jane Pallister born Jan-March 1854 at Lanchester & christened May 14th, 1854 at All Saints, Lanchester, Co Durham; died Jan-March 1921 at Tynemouth, Northumberland
p.1.6.5.3.7.2 Emma Pallister born Jan-March 1856 at Lanchester & christened June 15th, 1856 at All Saints, Lanchester, Co Durham, died July 12th, 1876 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.7.3 John George Pallister born at Hornsby Hill, Lanchester, christened June 27th, 1858 at All Saints, Lanchester, Co Durham, died February 23rd, 1876 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.7.4 James Pallister born at Hornsby Hill, Lanchester, christened June 24th, 1860 at All Saints, Lanchester, Co Durham, died July 26th, 1900
p.1.6.5.3.7.5 Margaret Pallister born Oct-December1861 at Ornsby Hill, Lanchester, christened June 8th, 1862 at All Saints, Lanchester, Co Durham, died January 3rd, 1888
p.1.6.5.3.7.6 Thomas Pallister born Oct-December 1863 at Ornsby Hill, Lanchester, christened July 3rd, 1864 at All Saints, Lanchester, Co Durham, died October 9th, 1911
p.1.6.5.3.7.7 Ann Pallister born Oct-December 1865 at Lanchester, Co Durham; died August 7th, 1890 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.7.8 Isabella Pallister born March 3rd, 1868 at Lanchester, Co Durham; died November 12th, 1945 at 8 Lumley Terrace, Chester-le-Street
p.1.6.5.3.7.9 Frances Pallister born May 3rd, 1870 at Lanchester, Co Durham; died April-June 1953 in Durham
p.1.6.5.3.7.10 Mary Pallister born May 3rd, 1870 at Lanchester, Co Durham; died July-September 1954 in Durham
p.1.6.5.3.7.11 Ada Adele Pallister born December 29th, 1874 at Lanchester, Co Durham; died July-September 1954 in south east Durham

At the age of 52 Thomas remarried on September 4 th , 1882 at St Mary's, Gateshead, his second wife being a 37 year old spinster, Dorothy Davison. At the time of the wedding Thomas was a butcher of the parish of Lanchester & Dorothy was of High St, Gateshead. Witnesses at the wedding were James Turner & Charles E Keay. Dorothy was born c1846 at Lanchester, the daughter of Dorothy & Matthew Davison, a wood merchant who kept a sawmill at Woodlands, Lanchester. Dorothy was in domestic service at the time of the 1871 & 1881 censuses at Burnhopeside Hall, Burnhope & Hamsteels, Lanchester.

It appears that Dorothy died on December 22nd, 1882, aged 36, soon after giving birth to a daughter, Clara. Dorothy was buried at All Saints, Lanchester. Daughter Clara died 2 years later & was buried alongside her mother.

The children of Thomas Pallister & Dorothy Davison were:

p.1.6.5.3.7.12 Clara Pallister born Oct-December 1882 at Lanchester, died December 21st, 1884 at Lanchester

Headstone of Thomas Pallister, 2 of his wives & several children at All Saints, Lanchester

Thomas married for the third time on October 11th 1886 at St Peter's, Redcar, N. Yorkshire. His new wife was Anne Walton Featherstonhaugh (known as Annie) who was born 1850 at Witton Gilbert, Co Durham, & christened at Chester-le-Street, the daughter of Mary Sissons & William Featherstonhaugh of Blackhill & formerly of Findon Hill, near Sacriston, a farmer (formerly an agent at the iron works). (Interestingly Thomas gave his age on his marriage certificate as 47 instead of 57!)

[ At the time of the 1871 census Annie was working as a domestic servant in the household of Ann & Benjamin O(a)rd, a solicitor, & their son Benjamin, at Strawberry Terrace, Carlisle. Annie had had an illegitimate child, Mary Maria Featherstonhaugh, christened October 19th, 1873 at St Cuthbert, Carlisle, Cumberland. In 1881 daughter Mary Maria was living with 75 year old widow Ann Ord, described as ‘a lady’ & her son, Benjamin, a cab proprietor in Tynemouth, Northumberland. At the time of the 1881 census Annie was living at home with her parents at 14 Avenue Terrace, Crossgate, Durham City & was a dressmaker. ]

In 1891 Thomas & Annie were living at Front St, Lanchester & Thomas was a master butcher. At home were James & Thomas, both butchers, Isabella, Mary, a mantle maker, Frances, a dressmaker, Ada A (18), all children of Thomas’ first marriage. Thomas & Annie had a child Dorothy (4) by this time. Annie’s daughter Mary Maria Featherstonhaugh, aged 18, was also living with them. There was also a granddaughter listed, Minnie Raine, aged 4, the daughter of Margaret, Thomas & Isabella’s sixth child.

Thomas Pallister

Photo courtesy of great granddaughter Jean Jackson

Son James died tragically in 1900. An article in the Sunderland Daily Echo & Shipping Gazette of July 27th, 1900 reported that James was found dead in a loft at Lanchester mill. He was discovered by Henry Bell, the tenant of the mill, with a cord around his neck & his feet lying over an opening in the floor. James had been staying at the mill with Mr Bell & helping with the hay. He had been alright when he went to bed at 10 o’clock the previous night. It was noted that James was unmarried & the son of Thomas Pallister, butcher.

By 1901 Thomas & Annie had moved to Victoria St, Lanchester & Thomas was still working as a butcher at the age of 71. His son Thomas was still at home & was also a butcher. Thomas & Annie’s 2 children Dorothy & Lydia (6) were also with them. There was also an 18 year old servant listed with them.

Thomas died February 25th, 1907, aged 77 & was buried at All Saints, Lanchester alongside his first 2 wives & several children. Probate was granted on March 28th, 1907 to son Thomas, a butcher. His effects were £847.11s.3d & resworn as £972.15s. An obituary for Thomas mentions that he was a church warden & a member of the important church ‘four and twenty’. He was ‘industrious, quiet & steady going who never sought for the honours of public life’. Owing to a severe illness he retired & his son Thomas took over the butchery business. On January 12th, 1907 Thomas was talking about accidents having occurred due to the icy conditions, & subsequently, despite his wife’s protestations, he went out to scatter ashes on the footpath in front of his house. Unfortunately he fell on the ice & broke his thigh. He got over the shock, but 7 weeks later he deteriorated & died, a post mortem showing that he had suffered from heart failure & general debility caused by the long confinement following his fall.

Widowed Annie was living with daughter Dorothy at 6 West View, Durham Rd, Lanchester in 1911, both described as doing domestic duties. Son Thomas was still working as a butcher & boarding with Dorothy Alice Humble & family at Lanchester at the time of the 1911 census. Thomas died later that year at Front St, Lanchester. Probate of his estate was granted to James Walton, retired grocer & George Robson Parker, grocer. His effects were £313.4s.10d.

Annie Pallister (nee Featherstonhaugh) with grandson Richard Thompson

Photo courtesy of great granddaughter Jean Jackson

By 1911 Thomas’ twin daughters Frances & Mary had not married & at the time of the census they were living with their sister Ada Adele & her husband Edward Ridley in Low Fell, Gateshead.

The 1939 register shows Frances living with her sister Isabella & her husband Thomas Holt at 8 Lumley Terrace, Chester-le-Street. Twin sister Mary was still living with her sister Ada, now widowed, at 13 Jameson Rd, Stockton, Co Durham.

Annie died, aged 81, in Jan-March 1932 at Lanchester.

The children of Thomas Pallister & Anne Walton Featherstonhaugh were:

p.1.6.5.3.7.13 Dorothy Pallister born July 19th, 1887 at Lanchester
p.1.6.5.3.7.14 Lydia Pallister born July 30th, 1894 at Lanchester; died November 7th, 1982 in North Durham