Person:Caroline Linney (1)

Caroline Linney was baptised on 5th August 1821 at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, daughter of a washerwoman named Mary Linney, formerly Tring, and her husband Thomas Linney, an agricultural labourer and later railway labourer. Caroline appears in the 1841 census living with her parents and siblings at America Place in Leighton Buzzard.

On 15th November 1844, aged 23, Caroline married a sand dealer named William Samuel at Leighton Buzzard. They do not appear to have had any children. In 1848 Caroline's sister Hannah Williams (formerly Linney) died, leaving a number of children. Caroline and William took in Hannah's daughter Mary Ann. The 1851 census finds Caroline and William with Caroline's niece Mary Ann Williams all living at Wilstone, a few miles south of Leighton Buzzard. At this time Caroline was working as a straw plaiter. William's job as a sand dealer often involved him driving a horse and cart laden with sand around the area; he apparently frequently travelled between Leighton Buzzard and Luton.

In 1854 Caroline's father Thomas Linney died, aged 66. In January 1858, Caroline's husband William died after an accident whilst driving his cart. As he was heading out of Luton on the way back home to Leighton Buzzard he accidentally pulled the wrong rein and steered into an oncoming carriage. The collison threw him from his cart and landed on his head. He was taken to a nearby inn in Luton, but died there two days later, on 23rd January 1858. The subsequent inquest found that William had been intoxicated and that the accident was therefore his own fault. He was said to be 35 years old.

The following year, on the anniversary of William's death, Caroline married again, aged 37. Her second husband was Thomas Rickard (or Ricketts). He was thirteen years her junior, being only 24 when they married. This marriage also appears to have been childless.

Caroline's mother Mary died in March 1861, at the Three Counties Asylum in Stotfold, over 20 miles from Leighton Buzzard, where she had been for the last six months of her life. The census taken the following month finds Caroline and Thomas living at Lake Street in Leighton Buzzard, with Thomas working at a gas works.

By 1871 Thomas was working for the railways, which he would do for the rest of his life, but in various different roles. In 1871 they were living at Wolvercote, just north of Oxford and Thomas was a railway policeman. By 1881 they had moved into the city of Oxford itself and Thomas was working as a railway signalman, whilst Caroline was a laundress. By 1891 they had moved out to a remote level crossing in the parish of Oddington in Oxfordshire, where Thomas was the railway gate keeper.

Between 1891 and 1901 Thomas retired and he and Caroline returned to Leighton Buzzard, where the 1901 census finds them living at Vandyke, on the eastern edge of the town. Caroline died just after the 1901 census, aged 79. Thomas outlived her by just under ten years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Leighton Buzzard Parish Register Transcripts, 1562-1885. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   ch. 5 Aug 1821, All Saints, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire: Caroline daughter of Thomas & Mary LINNEY, labourer

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 5; Book 21; Folio 12; Page 19, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: America Place, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Linney, male, 45 [1791-6], Rail Rd. Lab, born in county
   Mary Linney, female, 45 [1791-6], born in county
   Saml. Linney, male, 20 [1816-21], Rail Rd. Lab, born in county
   James Linney, male, 15 [1821-26], Rail Rd. Lab, born in county
   Caroline Linney, female, 15 [1821-26], born in county
   Willm. Linney, male, 12 [1828/9], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1716; Folio 296; Page 21, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Wilstone, Tring, Hertfordshire
   James Carr, head, married, male, 27 [1823/4], Boatman on Canal, b. Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire
   Elizabeth Carr, wife, married, female, 28 [1822/3], Straw Plaiter, b. Marsworth, Buckinghamshire
   Mary J. Carr, daughter, female, 5 [1845/6], b. Tring, Hertfordshire
   Martha Carr, daughter, female, 2 [1848/9], b. Tring, Hertfordshire
   William Carr, son, male, 2mo [1850/1], b. Tring, Hertfordshire
   William Samuel, lodger, married, male, 29 [1821/2], Sand Dealer, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Caroline Samuel, wife of lodger, married, female, 29 [1821/2], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Mary A. Williams, niece of lodger, female, 12 [1838/9], Straw Plaiter, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 1006; Folio 54; Page 19, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Rickard, head, married, male, 27 [1833/4], Laborer at Gas Works, b. Wing, Buckinghamshire
   Caroline Rickard, wife, married, female, 39 [1821/2], b. Leighton, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1449; Folio 26; Page 25, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Railway House in Woodstock Road, Woolvercott, Oxfordshire
   Thomas Rickett, head, married, male, 36 [1834/5], Railway Policeman, b. Wing, Buckinghamshire
   Caroline Rickett, wife, married, female, 50 [1820/1], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1499; Folio 48; Page 11, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 104 Walton Street, Oxford (St Giles), Oxfordshire
   Thomas Pricket, head, married, male, 47 [1833/4], Railway Signalman, b. Varney, Buckinghamshire
   Caroline Pricket, wife, married, female, 60 [1820/1], Laundress, b. Leighton Buzzard

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1170; Folio 59; Page 1, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Railway Crossing, Oddington, Oxfordshire
   Five or more rooms occupied
   Thomas Rickett, head, married, male, 56 [1834/5], Railway Gate Keeper, employed, b. Wing, Buckinghamshire
   Caroline Rickett, wife, married, female, 68 [1822/3], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1508; Piece 65; Page 45, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Vandyke, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Thomas Rickett, head, married, male, 67 [1833/4], Railway Pensioner, b. Wing, Buckinghamshire
   Caroline Rickett, wife, married, female, 78 [1822/3], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

9. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Caroline RICKETT, June Quarter 1901, Leighton Buzzard Registration District, Volume 3b, page 219, aged 79 [1821/2]