The Croft, Pardshaw, with inscription dating the porch.
Thomas Edward (1874-1950) and Sarah (1875-1935) WILLIAMSON of Pardshaw
Page completed 15 March 2017
Links:
Immediate ancestors: Joseph Robinson and Sarah Jane WILLIAMSON and John and Janet PATTINSON
Descendants not published to protect the privacy of living people
The Williamson story - WILLIAMSON 1 research notes
index of surnames
Thomas Edward was alive at the same time as several close living relatives who lived at the Croft his farm and have given me his and Sarah Jane's details. We have belongings of theirs, including a plan of the farm with Thomas Edward's name and address on it in my possession, and a family bible with his birth date written into it which I have seen. They are both named on the birth certificate (and Thomas Edward on the marriage) of their immediate descendant.
Thomas Edward was born at Pardshaw, presumably at his parents' farm, the Croft. His parents were Joseph Robinson and Sarah Jane WILLIAMSON. This is attested by multiple solid sources including a civil birth certificate, a family bible, and his appearing as a child with his mother in the 1881 census. His date of birth was given me by relatives who knew him, and his age is correctly recorded in records during his life such as census and his marriage. [research note - compile census appearances into personal/family notes, check ages]
Sarah was born at Blennerhasset, presumably at her parents' farm, a few miles west of Pardshaw in the parish of Torpenhow. Her parents were John and Janet PATTINSON, both named on her birth certificate (and John on her marriage) and appearing with her in the 1881 census at Blennerhasset when she was 6.
Thomas Edward's earlier childhood is covered on his parents' page.
According to living relatives, Thomas Edward lived with his uncle William WILLIAMSON in Allonby, from when his mother died (1888, when TE was 13) until he was old enough to take over the farm (by 1898, when he was 23 or so). William's family would also have included his wife Rebecca and their seven daughters, Thomas Edward's cousins. [research note - look up that family in the 1891 census and perhaps others; also go through family memoir of Annie Deborah, one of the daughters] For some of this time he attended the Friends' (Quaker) boarding school at Wigton (in Cumberland, not that far from his home) and he appears there in the 1891 census, aged 17. [research note - get information on that school, and if possible individual records for ancestors and other family members who attended - perhaps quite a few - I found uncle William there in 1851 - for this page can look again at 1891 census and note number and mix of pupils by age, birthplace, etc.]
In 1898 he must have been living at the Croft, or just about to move in; he had a porch added to it with the date on a carved stone in it (the house was there in the 1870s at least). He initially looked after the house and farm with help from his extended family and from hired workers. In 1901, he's living there, aged 26 with his cousin of the same age, Beeby WILLIAMSON (son of another uncle, Jonathan) a housekeeper (Jessie DEMPSTER, a single Scottish woman of 31) and a maid (Elizabeth HOGG, 14), and two farm hands (Robert and Thomas MOORE, 22 and 16).
The Croft, Pardshaw, with inscription dating the porch.
Sarah was the second of ten children, and nine of them were still living at home, aged from 4 up to 27, in 1901 (she was 26). They don't generally have occupations listed but they are clearly replacing hired farm workers in the successive census households as they grow up, and I imagine the girls were expected to do their share of house work. If Sarah had any period of independence between this and marriage in 1904 I don't have evidence of it.
They married in 1904, both aged 29, in Sarah's parish church of Torpenhow. This would have resulted in Thomas Edward's being 'disowned' (suspended from membership) by the Quakers as they did not hold with participation in priest-led church services such as those of the Church of England. They were re-admitted, though perhaps this non-Quaker marriage marks a loosening of the Society's prevailing influence on the Williamson family life, as is shown by later generations.
Thomas Edward and Sarah lived and farmed at the Croft, and had four children in their first three years of marriage (two in the same year must have been twins). I'm not posting any personal details of this generation to protect the privacy of living people. I don't have any early death dates for any of the four and at least two outlived both their parents.
Sarah died of a heart attack on Christmas Day 1935 aged 60, at the Croft. After this Thomas Edward retired to a nearby cottage known as the Borrans or Borrans Villa, while his son took over the farm. He later moved to a cottage called Roseacre, in Allonby, where he lived with his unmarried grown-up daughter. There he died in 1957 of a gastric ulcer. Thomas and Sarah are both buried in the ground of the Quaker meeting house at Pardshaw Hall.
Roseacre, Allonby
In loving memory of
Sarah wife of Thomas E Williamson who died Dec 25th 1935 Aged 60 years
T. E. Williamson died Jan. 13th 1957 aged 82 years
I don't yet have their wills.
THe next generation is not detailed here to protect the privacy of living people.
If you are interested in this family I'll be pleased to hear from you. Click this link to email me at deletethis.ianwilliamson161@gmail.com but delete everything up to and including the first dot, leaving just my name and number @ service provider.
Links:
Immediate ancestors: Joseph Robinson and Sarah Jane WILLIAMSON and John and Jane PATTINSON
Descendants not published to protect the privacy of living people
The Williamson story - WILLIAMSON 1 research notes
index of surnames