Person:Thomas Lewis (127)

Thomas Lewis was baptised on 1st August 1813 at Husborne Crawley in Bedfordshire, son of Martha Lewis, formerly Drinkwater, and her husband Thomas Lewis, a carpenter. He is referred to in his mother Martha's administration records of 1831. He was described by his brother John as his "brother Thomas Lewis" but no further details.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish register of Husborne Crawley, 1557-1812. (Bedford: Bedfordshire County Record Office, 1989).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Husborne Crawley in the County of Bedford in the Year 1813
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   11	Aug[u]st 1st	Thomas Son of	George & Mary	Lewis	in this Parish	Carp[ente]r	T.T. Aveling, Off[iciatin]g Min[iste]r

   Although this baptism gives his parents' names as George and Mary, it is considered this is likely to be a mistake in the parish register. There were two Lewis families having children in Husborne Crawley at this time: George & Mary and Thomas & Martha. George & Mary already had a son called Thomas (baptised in 1806) and there is no sign of a burial for that Thomas Lewis, plus he can be traced through the censuses as an adult. We know from Martha's administration records that she did have a son named Thomas, and from the 1851 census that he was born around 1814 in Husborne Crawley. Also, the gaps between the baptisms assigned to children of George and Mary at Husborne Crawley seem too small - there is only eight months between this baptism and the next George and Mary baptism. It therefore seems reasonable to conclude that the clerk wrote down the wrong parents' names against this baptism.

2. ↑ 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 1570; Folio 271; Page 16, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: 10 Upper Ann Street, Lambeth, Surrey
   Thomas Lewis, head, married, male, 36 [1814/5], Lab[ourer], b. Husband Crawly, Bedfordshire
   Sarah A. Lewis, wife, married, female, 32 [1818/9], Languard Fort, Suffolk