Person:Thomas Tow (2)

Thomas Tow was baptised on 22nd April 1781 at Ancaster in Lincolnshire, son of farmer named Thomas Tow and his wife Elizabeth Wickham. Thomas (junior) also became a farmer.

Thomas married in 1804 at Scredington, a few miles south of Ancaster, to Ann Casswell. They had several children at Scredington, before briefly returning to Ancaster, then moving again to Rauceby, the adjoining parish to the east of Ancaster. Some time in the 1820s or early 1830s the family moved again to the nearby town of Grantham, where they lived at Spittlegate on the southern edge of the town. Ann died there in 1834.

After Ann's death, Thomas and his younger children left Lincolnshire altogether, moving to Battersea in Surrey, which was gradually being absorbed into the urban area of London. Thomas's brother James was the master of the Althorpe House Lunatic Asylum there, and Thomas lived with him. After moving to Battersea, Thomas worked as a road surveyor. In 1842 Thomas married again, with his second wife being Elizabeth Tindall from Hammersmith in Middlesex.

Thomas spent the rest of his life living in Battersea, and was buried there on 6th November 1862, aged 81.

1. ↑ Church of England. Ancaster Parish Registers. (Lincoln: Lincolnshire Record Office).

   1781 Baptisms
   April 22d Thos. Son of Thos. & Elizth. Tow

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 1046, Book 5, Folio 27, Page 2, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address	Althorpe House, Battersea, Surrey (District Lunatic Asylum)
   Name	Sex	Age*	Implied birth year	Occupation	Whether Born in same County
   James Tow	male	59	1781/2	Resident Master	No
   Elizabeth Tow	female	49	1791/2	Matron	No
   Thomas Tow	male	58	1782/3	Gent	No
   Plus three servants and 14 patients
   *Age was supposed to be rounded down to next multiple of 5.

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 1577, Folio 267, Page 27, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address	Battersea Feilds [sic], Battersea, Surrey
   Name	Relation	Condition	Sex	Age	Implied birth year	Occupation	Birthplace
   Thomas Tow	head	married	male	69	1781/2	Gardener	Grantham, Lincolnshire
   Elizth Tow	wife		female	64	1786/7		Hammersmith, Middlesex

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 370, Folio 49, Page 9, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address	Park Road, Battersea, Surrey
   Name	Relation	Condition	Sex	Age	Implied birth year	Occupation	Birthplace
   Thomas Tow	head	married	male	79	1781/2	Retired Landholder	Ancaster, Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth Tow	wife	married	female	75	1785/6		Hammersmith, Middlesex

5. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Battersea Parish Registers. (London: London Metropolitan Archives).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Battersea in the County of Surrey in the Year 1862
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   1090	Thomas Tow	Battersea	Nov[embe]r 6th	81 years [1780/1]	J.S. Jenkinson, Vicar