Thomas Richardson was the second child of William Richardson & Hannah Coar (nee Beaney) born 1856 at Seaton Colliery & christened June 24th, 1856 at St Mary the Virgin, Seaham, Co Durham.
In 1861 Thomas was with his mother, brother John & sister Ellen visiting his grandmother Jane Beaney in Newbottle, Co Durham.
By 1871 Thomas had become a miner & was living at home with his parents at William St, Dawdon, Co Durham. There were 4 brothers & 1 sister at home.
Thomas' father was tragically killed in the Seaham Colliery disaster of 1880.
In 1881 Thomas had become a ‘Coats engineer driver' & he & his mother & 2 brothers & 2 sisters were still living at William St. Perhaps the fatal accident which befell his father was an incentive for Thomas to leave the coal mine!
Thomas married Rebecca Smith on June 16th, 1885 at St Paul's, Hendon, Sunderland. Rebecca was born Jan-march 1860 in Sunderland, the daughter of Annie & James Smith, an engine driver. In 1881 Rebecca was living with her parents at Dawdon where she was a dressmaker.
In 1891 Thomas & Rebecca were living at 8 Earl St, Sunderland & Thomas was now described as a marine engineer. They had 4 children – Rebecca (5), Thomas (3), Rosamund (2) & Beatrice (6 months). A daughter Hannah was born in November 1891 who sadly only lived for 10 minutes. Another daughter, also named Hannah, was born in 1894 but again she only lived for 15 minutes.
Rebecca gave birth to another daughter, Dorothy, who sadly only lived for 2 hrs and was buried on July 19th, 1895. Rebecca died on August 4th, 1895, aged just 35, at 8 Earl St & was buried August 7th in Sunderland.
The children of Thomas Richardson & Rebecca Smith were:
r.2.2.8.2.1 Rebecca Richardson born April 3rd 1886 at Sunderland; died Jan-March 1973 at Sunderland
r.2.2.8.2.2 Thomas Richardson born April-June 1888 at Sunderland
r.2.2.8.2.3 Rosemond Richardson born April 19th, 1889 at Sunderland; died August 18th, 1934 at Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
r.2.2.8.2.4 Beatrice Richardson born October 6th, 1890 at Sunderland
r.2.2.8.2.5 Hannah Richardson born November 19th, 1891 at 8 Earl St, Sunderland; buried November 20th, 1891 at Bishop Wearmouth
r.2.2.8.2.6 Hannah Richardson born January 7th, 1894 at 8 Earl St, Sunderland; died January 7th, 1894 at 8 Earl St, Sunderland
2.2.8.2.7 Dorothy Richardson born July 1895 at 8 Earl St, Sunderland; buried July 19th, 1895 at 8 Earl St, Sunderland
Thomas remarried in Oct-December 1898 at Sunderland. His second wife was Mary Lamb, christened September 24th, 1865 at Pickering, N. Yorks, the daughter of Ann & Edward Lamb. Mary was born & brought up at Marishes, near Pickering, where her father was a farmer at Costa Farm.
In 1901 Thomas & Mary were living at 8 Earl St, Sunderland where Thomas had lived with his previous wife. Thomas was now a ship's engine driver (seas). At home were the 4 living children of his first marriage & Thomas & Mary's daughter Mary L (1). Sadly daughter Mary died soon after the census. Thomas' younger brother Henry, a stoker on a steam ship, was living next door with his wife & newly born daughter. Thomas' sister Eleanor, now married to John Baty, a bricklayer, was living at #6 Earl St.
In 1911 the family were still at 8 Earl St, Millfield, Sunderland where Mary was listed as head of the household. Thomas was away at sea on the ship ‘Devonshire' which was at Gorleston, St Andrews, Yarmouth, Norfolk on the night of the census. Thomas was chief engineer on the ship with a crew of 16 men. With Mary was step-son Thomas, a marine engineer, & step-daughter Beatrice, a dressmaker, son William (9) & daughter Eleanor Lamb Richardson (5). It was noted on the census that Mary had had 4 children, only 2 of whom were still living.
Thomas & Rebecca's daughter Rebecca was living with her aunts – Isabella & Jane Smith in 1911 at Holme Lea, New Seaham. Rebecca was an assistant teacher at an elementary county council school & her aunt Isabella was head teacher at the school. Rebecca married William Drew on July 18th, 1918 in New Seaham. The 1939 shows widowed Rebecca working as an elementary school teacher living in Stratford Avenue, Sunderland. With her was another school teacher Tamar Budge. William Drew had died in 1935 at Stratford Avenue, Sunderland & named as executors in his will Isabella Susannah Smith & Jane Annie Smith – Rebecca’s aunts. He was born c1866 and had been employed as chief clerk in the general office of Sunderland Education Committee, having retired 4 years before his death.
Daughter Rosamond was living with her grandmother, Hannah Richardson, at 3 Howarth St South, Sunderland in 1911 & was described as an engine works clerk. There is a marriage for Rosamond Richardson to George David Hunt, a ship fitter, in Sunderland in 1913. Rosamond & George emigrated to Canada where Rosamond died at Collingwood, Ontario in 1934. A report in the Sunderland Daily Echo & Shipping Gazette of September 6th, 1934 stated that Rosamund had been an enthusiastic worker for St Mark’s church in the West end of Sunderland and that she & her husband had continued their church work in Canada. A Collingwood newspaper said that Rosamund, who left 7 children, was a devout Christian woman & was deeply mourned. It was stated that her father Thomas & 2 of her brothers were presently living at Howarth St. and her mother, 2 brothers & 3 sisters were living at Croft Avenue, Sunderland. After Rosemond’s death in 1934 David married again. He married Louise May Griesbach in 1936 in Collingwood, Ontario.
Mary, aged 55, died on August 2nd, 1920 at 7 Howarth St, Sunderland & probate was granted to husband Thomas, marine engineer.
Daughter Eleanor married Norman Leslie Smith, a motor mechanic, in 1927 at Sunderland.
Thomas, a widower, of 7 Howarth St South, Millfield, Sunderland died on December 1st, 1937 at the Municipal Hospital, Sunderland. Thomas was presumably living with son William & his family as Howarth St was William’s address at the time of the birth of a daughter in 1834. Probate was granted on January 25th, 1938 to daughter Eleanor Lamb Smith (wife of Norman Leslie Smith). Thomas’ effects amounted to £637.9s.9d.
The 1939 register shows son William living at 7 Ormesby Rd, Sunderland & described as chief engineer first class. With him was William Manning, a marine fitter, aged 25. William had married Charlotte (Lottie) Manning in 1927 & they had 3 daughters Eleanor Maureen, Norma & Enid.
The children of Thomas Richardson & Mary Lamb were:
r.2.2.8.2.8 Mary Lamb Richardson born Jan-March 1900 at Sunderland; died at 8 Earl St & buried April 3rd, 1901 at Bishop Wearmouth
r.2.2.8.2.9 William Richardson born April 28th, 1901 at Sunderland; died December 26th, 1989 at Sunderland
r.2.2.8.2.10 Edward Richardson born July-September, 1902 8 Earl St, Sunderland; died May 21st, 1903 at 8 Earl St, Sunderland
r.2.2.8.2.11 Eleanor Lamb Richardson born August 21st, 1905 at Sunderland; died Jan-March 2002 at Sunderland