Person:Thomas Palmer (60)

Thomas William Palmer was born on 2nd September 1883 at Glapthorn in Northamptonshire, England, son of Eliza Palmer, formerly Berridge, and her husband Thomas Palmer, a carpenter and smallholder. Young Thomas was the eldest of the couple's thirteen children. The 1891 census finds Thomas living with his parents and siblings in Glapthorn.

As a young man, Thomas emigrated to America, settling in Manhattan in New York City. The 1910 census finds him working as a waiter for a John and Annie Kane who lived at 1-3 West 49th Street there. One of the other servants was a maid called Gerda Amanda Peterson, from Sweden. Five years later Thomas and Gerda were married, on 3rd July 1915 in Manhattan. They do not appear to have had any children.

The 1920 census finds Thomas and Gerda living at 140 West 57th Street in New York, working as valet and maid respectively for a John and Carroline Wood.

In March 1922 Thomas and Gerda sailed to England, staying with his parents in Glapthorn. They stayed in England for about eleven months, returning to New York in February 1923. Thomas was described as being 5 feet 10 inches tall with dark hair and complexion and brown eyes.

The 1930 census finds Thomas and Gerda staying in a boarding house at 140 East 47th Street in Manhattan. A couple of weeks later they sailed for England again, this time staying for about six months with Thomas's parents, returning to New York in the October.

Back in England, Thomas's father died in 1940.

Gerda died on 15th September 1947, aged 63. Thomas survived her by about ten years, in which time he moved to Staten Island, where he died in 1957.

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

   b. Thomas William PALMER, December Quarter 1883, Oundle Registration District, Volume 3b, page 213

2. ↑ Family Bible of Palmers of Glapthorn, Northamptonshire.
3. ↑ Bishop's Transcript of Baptisms Register, in Church of England. Glapthorn Parish Registers, 1538-1957. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Glapthorn in the County of Northampton in the year One thousand eight hundred and eighty three
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   164	1883 November 11th	Thomas William	Thomas & Eliza	Palmer	Glapthorn	Labourer	H.G. Woodhouse, Vicar

4. ↑ 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 1224; Folio 84; Page 7, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Village Street, Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Thomas Palmer, head, married, male, 31 [1859/60], General Labourer, employed, b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   Eliza Palmer, wife, married, female, 28 [1862/3], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Thomas William Palmer, son, male, 7 [1883/4], Scholar, b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   Annie Eliza Palmer, daughter, female, 6 [1884/5], Scholar, b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   George Palmer, son, male, 5 [1885/6], Scholar, b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   Mary Elizabeth Palmer, daughter, 3 [1887/8], b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   Caroline Emma Palmer, daughter, female, 2 [1888/9], b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   Agnes Palmer, daughter, female, 8mos [1890], b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire

5. ↑ United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T624).

   1-3 West 49th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York
   John I. Kane, head, male, 59 [1850/1], b. Rhode Island, Own income
   Annie C. Kane, wife, female, 53 [1856/7], b. New York
   Eliza Boynton, servant, female, 60 [1849/50], b. England, maid
   Thomas Palmer, servant, male, 28 [1881/2], b. England, waiter, immigration year 1900
   William Grant, servant, male, 27 [1882/3], b. England, waiter
   William A. Bowles, servant, male, 24 [1885/6], b. England, waiter
   Margaret Henry, servant, female, 28 [1881/2], b. Ireland, kitchen maid
   Elizabeth Browne, servant, female, 26 [1883/4], b. Ireland, maid
   Mary O'Grady, servant, female, 22 [1887/8], b. Ireland, maid
   Margaret Collins, servant, female, 23 [1886/7], b. Ireland, maid
   Gorda [sic] Peterson, servant, female, 25 [1884/5], b. Sweden, maid, immigration year 1902

6. ↑ United States. 1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T625).

   140 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York
   John Wood, head, male, 50 [1869/70], b. New York
   Carroline D. Wood, wife, female, 48 [1871/2], b. Ohio
   Thomas Palmer, valet, male, 39 [1880/1], b. England, immigration year 1907
   Gerda Palmer, maid, female, 35 [1884/5], b. Sweden, immigration year 1902

7.   UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960.

   Summary:
   Thomas Palmer, valet, 38, arrived Southampton 7 Mar 1922 on 'Aquitania' (Cunard) from New York with Gerda A. Palmer, housewife, 37: proposed residence Glapthorn.

8.   Ellis Island.

   Summary:
   SS 'Berengaria', sailing from Southampton 10 Feb 1923, arriving at New York 18 Feb 1923
   Palmer, Thomas William / 39 / valet / last residence: Glapthorn, England / Relative in UK - Father: Thomas Palmer, Glapthorn, Oundle, Northants / final destination: New York N.Y. / Relative in U.S.A. - Brother: Charles Palmer, 1420 Third Avenue, New York / 5'10" / dark complexion / dark hair / brown eyes / b. Glapthorn, England
   Palmer, Gerda / 38 / housewife / last residence: Glapthorn, England / Relative in UK - Father-in-law: Thomas Palmer, Glapthorn, Oundle, Northants / final destination: New York N.Y. / 5'8" / fresh complexion / fresh [sic] hair / blue eyes / b. Torsas, Sweden

9. ↑ United States. 1930 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T626).

   140 East 47th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York [appears to be a boarding house - everyone listed as 'boarder', including:]
   Thomas Palmer, married, male, 46 [1883/4], b. England, parents both born England, immigration year 1912, Valet
   Gertrude Palmer, married, female, 45 [1884/5], b. Sweden, parents both born Sweden, immigration year 1902

10.   UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960.

    Summary:
    Thomas Palmer, valet, 46, arrived Southampton 19 Apr 1930 on 'Homeric' (White Star) from New York with Gerda Palmer, housewife, 45: proposed residence Glapthorn.

11.   Ellis Island.

    Summary:
    SS 'Caronia', sailing from Southampton 11 Oct 1930, arriving at New York 20 Oct 1930
    Palmer, Thomas W. / 48 / valet / nationality: British / b. Northampton, England / last permanent residence: New York U.S.A. / relative in UK - Father: Thomas Palmer, Glapthorn, North Hants [sic] / final destination New York, N.Y. / Relative or fried in U.S.A. [no name given] 791 Park Ave, New York Cy / 5'10" / dark complexion / dark hair / brown eyes
    Palmer, Gerda P. / 46 / housewife / nationality: British / b. Kalmar, Sweden / last permanent residence: New York U.S.A. / 5'8" / fair complexion / fair hair / blue eyes

12. ↑ Newspaper cuttings.

    The descendants of Thomas's sister Caroline have two newspaper cuttings in their possession. Unfortunately neither cutting makes clear what date or newspaper they come from, although one has '1957' handwritten on it:
    
    Died in United States
    Fifty-one years ago Mr. Thomas William Palmer left his native Glapthorn for America. He became a butler-valet and, travelling with his employers, visited England fairly frequently.
    Now has come the news that Mr. Palmer has died at his home in Staten Island, New York, in his 73rd year.
    He was the eldest of a family of 13 and four sisters - Mrs. W. Fox, Mrs. Edwards, and the Misses A. and E. Palmer - still reside at Glapthorn.
    Mr. Palmer married a Swedish girl and later his visits to Glapthorn became less frequent, but he never lost interest in his native village. He had been a widower for ten years.
    
    Much sympathy is felt for the relatives of Mr. Thomas William Palmer, whose death has occurred at his home in Staten Island, New York, in his 73rd year. Mr Palmer was the eldest of a family of thirteen, and his still has four sisters (Mrs. W. Fox, Mrs. Edwards, and the Misses A. and E. Palmer) living in Glapthorn. At the age of 21 he went to America and obtained employment as a butler-valet. He travelled a great deal with his employers and visited England fairly frequently, until he married a Swedish girl, after which his visits became less frequent, though he never lost interest in his native Glapthorn. He had been a widower for ten years.