M. 2 Jan 1811 in Bristol, England2
Wife: Hester Keen
D. 15 Jun 1835, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England3
Throughout the life of Thomas Hughes, every record had some indication of his social status: he was born into poverty and he died in it.
Thomas was the fourth son of John Hughes and Betty Morris of Almondsbury, England. The family lived in Almondsbury, England, which was just east of Bristol. Thomas was christened at St. Mary’s Church on November 28, 1790, likely as an infant.2 Since he later signed his name with an X, we can assume he had little or no education.1 Like many in the village, Thomas’ family received handouts from the community. Records show that his mother was sometimes given cloth, which she presumably turned into simple garments for her children.
St. Mary’s Church in Almondsbury.
In early 1800, Thomas’ father received money to put towards the building of a house.4 Likely it was a very modest structure, but the record suggests that John Hughes was constructing it. Thomas, age 9, may have picked up a few carpentry skills because after he came of age, he also received one pound towards the building of his own house. This was noted in the Almondsbury vestry order book on May 31, 1816.4 The meager amount of money donated to them would suggest that the houses built by Thomas and his father were little more than wooden shacks, although this is speculation.
By this time Thomas had gotten married. On January 2, 1811, he wed Hester Keen at St. Stephen Church in Bristol.2 Between 1813 and 1831, they had eight children, of whom at least two died young. The records of St. Mary’s Church in Almondsbury show that there was a gap of over 9 years between Thomas bringing children into the church to be baptized. Although he had a son born in 1819, and another born in 1823, he waited until the last day of 1826 before having them baptized along with their newborn sister.5 Perhaps he didn’t have the money for the service when the boys were born.
Thomas’ adulthood was a time of widespread unemployment in England. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars starting in 1815, ex-soldiers returning from the battlefield created a situation where there were more men looking for work than there were jobs. The Industrial Revolution was also a factor in the evolution of the workforce. These things likely affected Thomas as he struggled to find employment as a laborer.
The hardships of Thomas’ life may have contributed to his early death at age 45. When he died on June 15, 1835,3 he left behind several underaged children, and his widow Hester remarried in 1838.6 Although she was widowed again, none of the surviving children ended up in the poor house (one son migrated to Canada), so the cycle of poverty seems to have died with Thomas.
Children:
1. George Hughes — B. before 31 Oct 1813, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;7 D. 6 Feb 1814, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England8
2. George Hughes — B. before 11 Apr 1815, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;9 D. after 1891, (probably) England;10 M. (1) Mary, before 1861;11 (2) Elizabeth, before 188112
3. James Hughes — B. before 10 Aug 1817, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;13 D. before 4 Jan 1829, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England14
4. Charles Hughes — B. about 1819, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;5 D. before 1864;15 M. Maria Bevan (1820-1888), 15 Jun 1842, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island16
5. Thomas Hughes — B. about 1823, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;5 D. after 1861;11 M. Mary Ann Wither (~1823-?), 7 Sep 1845, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England17
6. Rachel Hughes — B. before 31 Dec 1826, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England5
7. James Hughes — B. before 4 Jan 1829, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England14
8. Selina Hughes — B. before 31 Jan 1831, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;18 M. William Cardin (1831-?)11
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Thomas Hughes, Bristol, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Ancestry.com
2 Marriage record of Thomas Hughes and Hester Keen, England, Marriages, 1538-1973, FamilySearch.org
3 Death record of Thomas Hughes, England, Bristol, Parish Registers, 1538-1900, FamilySearch.org
4 Overseers order books, 1797-1817, England, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, FamilySearch.org
5 Baptismal record of Charles, Thomas and Rachel Hughes, E., B., P. R.
6 Marriage record of Jonathan Horler and Hester Hughes, England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988, Ancestry.com
7 Baptismal record of George Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
8 Death record of George Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
9 Baptismal record of George Hughes (younger), E., B., P. R.
10 1891 U. K. census, Almondsbury, England
11 1861 U. K. census, Almondsbury, England
12 1881 U. K. census, Almondsbury, England
13 Baptismal record of James Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
14 Baptismal record of James Hughes (younger), E., B., P. R.
15 Hutchinson’s Prince Edward Island City Directory, 1864, which shows Maria Hughes as a widow
16 Marriage record of Charles Hughes and Maria Baird, Canada, Prince Edward Island Marriage Registers, 1832-1888, FamilySearch.org
17 Marriage record of Thomas Hughes and Mary Ann Wither, Bristol, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935, Ancestry.com
18 Baptismal record of Selina Hughes, E., B., P. R.