Thomas Stephenson was the third child of John Stephenson & Sarah Robinson born c1821 at Whitby.
Thomas married Elizabeth Lawson on May 1st, 1850 at Whitby. Witnesses at the wedding were Thomas Frankland & Ann Lawson. Elizabeth was born at the tiny farming community of Hutton Mulgrave & christened September 12th, 1828 at Lythe, N. Yorks, the daughter of Elizabeth Pierson & William Lawson, a farmer. Elizabeth's father had died & her mother remarried in 1832 to Robert Robinson.
In 1851 Thomas & Elizabeth were living at Newholm cum Dunsley, Yorks. Thomas was an agricultural labourer & they had a 3 month old daughter Ann Elizabeth. With them at the time of the census was Elizabeth’s half sister, Elizabeth Ann Robinson, aged 8.
By 1861 Thomas & Elizabeth had moved to Stump How farm at Mickleby, Yorks, which had been the home of his parents at the time of the 1851 census. They had 5 children at home – Ann E, William (8), Hannah (6), Mary (4) & Sarah (1).
Thomas died in July-September 1870 aged 49, the death being registered at Whitby.
Widow Elizabeth was living in Runswick Village, Hinderwell at the time of the 1871 census with children William, an ironstone miner, Sarah, Eliza (6) & Adah (2).
Daughter Hannah married Robert Young, a 37 year old farmer, in 1874 in Whitby.
Elizabeth, aged 53, was visiting her daughter Annie E in 1881 at Skinningrove, Yorks in 1881. Annie had married William Edmond, an ironstone miner & they had 3 daughters – Mary (6), Gertrude (2) & Lily (3 weeks old). Elizabeth’s other children - William, an engineman, Sarah, a dressmaker, Eliza & Ada - were living together at Lofthouse, Yorks.
Daughter Sarah married Joseph Hogarth, a railway engine driver, in 1881 & daughter Eliza married John Thomas Scott, an engineer, in 1886, the marriages being registered at Guisborough.
In 1891 Elizabeth was working as a nurse in the household of Walter & Elizabeth Bull at 8 Stone Row, Skinningrove, York. Walter, a school teacher, & his wife had just had a baby son Frederick.
Daughter Ada married John Dowson, a joiner, in April-June 1897, the marriage being registered at Guisborough. In 1911 they were living at Rosedale Abbey, Pickering with their 2 daughters Edna & Winifred.
Elizabeth was visiting her twin sister Ann Lawson at the time of the 1901 census at Cuthbert's Yard, Haggersgate, Whitby. Her sister was a dressmaker with her own account & no occupation was given for Elizabeth.
Daughter Ann Elizabeth & her husband William Edmond had moved to 1 Marine Terrrace, Saltburn by the Sea, Yorks by 1911 where they were boarding house proprietors. Their daughter Lilly was still with them & assisting in the boarding house, the head of which was Mary Harker.
The children of Thomas Stephenson & Elizabeth Lawson were:
s.7.3.1 Ann Elizabeth Stephenson born Jan-March 1851 at Newholm, N. Yorks; died October 6th, 1927 at Marine Terr, Saltburn, Yorks
s.7.3.2 William Stephenson born Oct-December 1852 at Newholm, N. Yorks
s.7.3.3 Hannah Stephenson born at Egton & christened July 22nd, 1854 at Grosmont, N. Yorks
s.7.3.4 Mary Stephenson christened June 30th, 1856 at Whitby
s.7.3.5 Sarah Stephenson born July-September 1859 at Mickleby, N. Yorks; buried June 3rd, 1935 at Linthorpe Cemetery, Middlesbrough
s.7.3.6 Eliza Stephenson born July-September 1864 at Runswick, N. Yorks; buried August 29th, 1929 in Loftus Cemetery, Yorks
s.7.3.7 Ada Stephenson born July-September 1868 at Runswick, N. Yorks; died September 12th, 1937 at Girsby Grange, Yarm, Yorks