Thomas Stainsby was the first child of Thomas Stainsby & Mary Ann Henderson (nee Corner) born Oct-December 1870 at Bishop Auckland.
In 1871 six month old Thomas was living with his parents & his mother’s children – Mary (8) & John (4) Henderson at Surtees St, Bishop Auckland.
In 1881 Thomas was living with his mother who was now listed as wife of John Carter at Lumley St, Middlesbrough. With them were his brother Stephen & sisters Mary & Annie Stainsby. Also there was half-brother John Henderson & half-sister Hannah Carter. Marriage records indicate that mother Mary Ann did not marry John Carter until 1883.
An article in the Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough of June 4th, 1884 shows that Thomas was destined to follow in his father’s criminal footsteps. He appeared before the Middlesbrough police court charged with stealing a silver pencil case, a musical box, a pair of compasses, a pair of scissors, 2 candlesticks, 5 mugs & other articles from the shop of Mr Smithers, a glass & hardware merchant of Linthorpe Rd. It appears that Thomas had for some time been employed to run errands for Mr Smithers & recently a number of things had gone missing. The police on investigation found that the things had been taken home to Thomas’ step-father John Carter. Carter confessed that he had hidden the pair of compasses in a flower bed in Albert Park. Thomas was sent to an Industrial School until he reached the age of 16 & John Carter was sentenced to 2 months imprisonment with hard labour.
In 1891 Thomas was living at home with his mother & step-father John, & Thomas was a general labourer. His 2 sisters & brother were also still at home, as was John Henderson. Another 4 Carter children had arrived – Joseph (9), Robert (6), Alice M (5) & Violet (3). They were all living at 22 Albert Mews, Middlesbrough.
Thomas married Sarah Thompson in April-June 1892 at Middlesbrough. Sarah was born October 31st 1874 at Middlesbrough.
In 1901 Thomas (known as Tom) & Sarah were living at 16 Brunswick St, Middlesbrough & Thomas was a general labourer. They had 4 children – Tom (7), Albert Edward (4), Sarah (2) & Arthur Lawrence (6 months). Tom gave various occupation descriptions at the christenings of his children. He was initially described as labourer for the first 4 children, in 1900 he was a carman & in 1904/06 he was a craneman.
Son Tom was admitted to Victoria Rd Boys Infant's school in March 1903, son Albert in August 1903, son Arthur in October 1904 & their address was given as 22 Wilton St., Middlesbrough. In 1914 son Harold also started at the same Infants school. Daughter Beatrice began at Victoria Rd Girls Infant school in May 1905 as did her sister Maud in August 1910.
Thomas’ criminal career appears to have continued as the records of habitual criminals of 1907 show. He was charged with having stolen a number of items including jewellery & watches to the value of £50 in 1904. Thomas, described as a driller, was charged with 3 further break-ins that he pleaded guilty to in 1907. During these he stole among other things bicycles, gramophone & records, food & money. On his house being searched after his arrest (during which Thomas put up a struggle!) it was found to be full of stolen goods of all kinds worth about £200. (Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencer of June 11th, 1907) This time he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.
By 1911 Thomas had become a window cleaner & he & Sarah were living at 22 Wilton St, Middlesbrough. With them were sons Thomas, Albert & Arthur & 5 new additions – Beatrice (8), John (7), Maud (6), Harrold (4) & baby Mary (6 months). It was noted on the census that Sarah & Thomas had had 10 children, 2 of whom had died.
Sadly Thomas had another brush with the law in 1914 as reported in the Whitby Gazette of March 6th. Thomas, a window cleaner of 22 Wilton St, Middlesbrough, was arrested for stealing cigars & cigarettes from the shop of the Misses Finch in Linthorpe Rd. The thefts always occurred between Wednesday might & Friday mornings & detectives were set to watch. Thomas was seen to ask Miss Finch for a clean bucket of water while cleaning the windows & while she was out of the shop he was seen to take something from the shelf. On being searched he was found to be in possession of cigars & cigarettes & further quantities of tobacco were found at his home as well as 6 skeleton keys, one of which opened the Linthorpe Rd shop. On arrest Thomas declared ‘I am done for life now’. He was committed for trial at York & sentenced to 6 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Son Tom became a window cleaner like his father & a report in the Newcastle Daily Chronicle of July 9th, 1917 told of Tom, aged 22, of Milton St, Middlesbrough having a fall while working. He was admitted to the North Riding Infirmary & died the next day.
The 1939 register shows Sarah living with son Arthur & noted as divorced. They were living at 116 Park Lane, Middlesbrough & Arthur was a general labourer. (Arthur's birth date was given a November 1st 1900 in contrast to his christening record!)
Sarah died in Oct-December 1944 at Middlesbrough.
The children of Thomas Stainsby & Sarah Thompson were:
sb. 6.3.1.1 Harry Stainsby born June 3rd, 1893 & christened June 23rd, 1893 at St John’s, Middlesbrough; buried January 8th, 1895 at New Linthorpe Cemetery, Middlesbrough
sb.6.3.1.2 Tom Stainsby born March 2nd, 1895 at 32 Mount St & christened April 9th, 1895 at St John’s, Middlesbrough; buried July 12th, 1917 at Linthorpe Cemetery, Middlesbrough
sb.6.3.1.3 Albert Edward Stainsby born May 12th,1897 at Middlesbrough
sb.6.3.1.4 Sarah Stainsby born Jan-March 1899 at Middlesbrough; buried April 14th, 1901 at Linthorpe Cemetery, Middlesbrough
sb.6.3.1.5 Arthur Lawrence Stainsby born August 12th,1900 at 16 Brunswick St & christened September 20th, 1900 at Middlesbrough; died July-September 1979 at Cleveland, Co Durham
sb.6.3.1.6 Beatrice May Stainsby born December 31st, 1901 at Middlesbrough; died July 5th, 1950 at North Ormesby Hospital, Middlesbrough
sb.6.3.1.7 John William Stainsby born June 5th, 1904 at 22 Wilton St, Middlesbrough & christened June 20th, 1904 at All Saints, Middlesbrough; died Jan-March 1995 in Cleveland, N. Yorks
sb.6.3.1.8 Maud Miriam Stainsby born March 19th, 1906 at 22 Wilton St & christened April 4th, 1906 at Middlesbrough; died Jan-March 1995 in Cleveland, N. Yorks (m. Charles Gysin)
sb.6.3.1.9 Harold Stainsby born September 12th, 1907 at at 22 Wilton St, Middlesbrough
sb.6.3.1.10 Mary Stainsby born September 12th, 1910 at Middlesbrough; died Oct-December 1992 in Central Cleveland
sb.6.3.1.11 Grace Stainsby born July-September 1912 at Middlesbrough; died April-June 1915 at Middlesbrough
sb.6.3.1.12 Edward Stainsby born Jan-March 1914 at Middlesbrough; buried August 15th, 1917 at Linthorpe Cemetery, Middlesbrough