Thomas ABBOT (1810?-1874)
Burial notice
| RiD No.: | 260 |
Personal Details
| Birth | 1810 (approx.) | |
| Thomas's birth date has not yet been confirmed so is estimated from census returns.and the age stated on his death registration | ||
| Death | 19 October 1874 (age 63-64) | Ipswich, Suffolk |
| Thomas Cook Abbott's death was registered in Ipswich in December quarter 1874
and states that he was aged 64 (i.e. born c1810). Thomas wrote his will on Saturday 17th October, probably aware that his time was drawing near as he died two days later on Monday 19th. It is a simple will, leaving all of his assets to his wife Sarah, but expressing the desire that if she has not "required and exhausted the said estate" by the time of her death, then the remainder of the estate shall be divided equally among all of their children. This is a very worthy intention, but perhaps not very practical. as at the time of probate Thomas's estate is valued at "under £20" - probably worth something in the order of £1.500 - £2,300 in today's money (2020)? Sarah acted as his executor and the will was witnessed by J Mills of Ipswich (Solicitor) and Hannah Blyth Bullard of St Helen's Street, Ipswich (probably a neighbour?). Probate was granted in Ipswich on the 16th August 1875. Thomas's occupation is stated as a Brass Founder and perhaps the most poignant detail to arise out of the will is the fact that during his 64 years he had never learned to read or write. At the foot of the will, where you would normally find the statement "signed by ...... and in the presence of...." the following is written.... 'This Will was read over and fully explained to the said Thomas Abbott and he seemed perfectly to understand the same and made his mark thereto in the presence of us both present at the same time who in his presence and in the presence of each other have set our names as witnesses' |
||
Marriage and Family Details
| Spouse | Sarah Cook GLANFIELD (1811?-1884) | |
| Children | Thomas ABBOT (1831-1831) | Thomas Cook ABBOT (1832-1877) |
| Edmund Cook ABBOT (1835-1929) | ||
| William Cook ABBOT (bef1836-1836) | ||
| Sarah Ann Cook ABBOT (1837?- ) | ||
| Susanna Cook ABBOTT (1841-1846) | ||
| Walter Cook ABBOT (1844-1880) | ||
| Harriet Cook ABBOTT (1846-1846) | ||
| Abraham Cook ABBOTT (1848-1931) | ||
| Susannah Cook ABBOT (1850-1852) | ||
| Marriage | 24 April 1831 (age 20-21) | St Clements, Ipswich, Suffolk |
| A copy of Thomas and Sarah's Marriage Parish Register entry is on the home page of this site. | ||
| Census (family) | 6 June 1841 (age 30-31) | Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, Suffolk |
| Thomas, Sarah and their 3 living children, Thomas, Edmund and Sarah, (note
William died in 1836), were living in Woodbridge Road, St Helen's Parish, Ipswich at the time of the 1841
census, but the family appear under the surname COOK not ABBOTT. Note also the spelling of Edmund
(as opposed to Edmond on his birth registration) Thomas and Sarah's ages are given as 30, but as the census required adult ages to be rounded down to the nearest 5 years, they could be anywhere between 30 and 34 making their birth dates between 1807 and 1811. There was no requirement to state place of birth. The handwriting on the census form is that of a transcriber, not the householder, (which perhaps explains the use of Cook rather than Abbott?) and is difficult to decypher. Thomas's occupation appears to be Iron Founder but I cannot make out Sarah's occupation. |
||
| Census | 1851 | St Helens Street, Ipswich |
| Thomas and Sarah appear in the 1851 census living with their children.
The original has been examined and reads:- Thomas Cook Head Married 40 occ. Iron Moulder (Journeyman?) b Suffolk, Thorndon, Sarah Cook Wife Married 39 occ Wife b Suffolk, Ipswich Thomas Cook Son Unmarried 19 occ Journeyman Iron moulder b Suffolk, Ipswich Edmund Cook Son Unmarried 17 occ Journeyman Iron moulder b Suffolk, Ipswich Sarah Ann Cook Daughter Unmarried 13 occ Scholar b Suffolk, Ipswich Walter Cook Son Unmarried 6 b Suffolk, Ipswich Abram Cook Son Unmarried 3 b Suffolk, Ipswich Susannah Cook Daughter 11 months b Suffolk, Ipswich Note that the family surname is shown as "Cook". Abraham's first name has been transcribed exactly as written (it is not a typo!) This census is a bit of an enigma, partially because of the use of the surname "Cook", but also because of the birth place for Thomas (Head). See Thomas' notes below. |
||
| Occupation | 18 July 1852 (age 41-42) | Brass Caster |
| Information taken from Marriage certificate of son Thomas | ||
| Address | 7 March 1861 (age 50-51) | 24 St Helens Street |
| This address has been taken from the 1861 census. Note that the census shows the family name as Cook not Abbott | ||
| Census (family) | 1871 (age 60-61) | |
| 24, St Helens Street, Ipswich, Suffolk The family name used on this census is COOK ABBOTT |
||
Other Details
We don't know much about Thomas before his marriage to Sarah, but it is interesting to note that on the Parish Register entry of their marriage, Thomas "made his mark" which indicated that he could not write but Sarah on the other hand seems to have been able to sign her own name. Thomas's occupation given in censuses from 1841 show him as an Iron Founder or Brass Caster, which seems to make sense as Ipswich had several foundaries in the 19th century.
The first census I ever found for Thomas and Sarah was 1851 which still leaves me
scratching my head. Firstly because this census, like those of 1841 and 1861, the family name is shown as "Cook" not Abbott or Cook Abbott.
We know the Cook element was brought into the family by Sarah COOK Glanfield, but it seems strange that the Cook element
should become the family name. Sarah must have felt very strongly about it?
Secondly the 1851 census states that Thomas was born in Thorndon, a village about 14 miles north of Ipswich (see Maps page).
This set me to examining the Thorndon parish registers, but I was never able to find a Thomas Abbot born about
the right time (1810/1812). All other censuses show him born in Ipswich, so I now believe this may be where
he was actually born, but whilst I have carried out some research, I have not yet had the opportunty to
check all of the Ipswich PR's to see if he is there.
Wherever he was born, we know from census records that he lived in Ipswich all of his life and that he and Sarah had eight children. Interestingly, their first child, Thomas, was baptised in March 1831, three weeks before Thomas and Sarah were married, so make of that what you will...
Thomas's death is registered in Ipswich 1874 aged 64 (i.e. born c1810) .