Person:Thomas Linney (1)

Thomas Linney was baptised on 16th September 1787 at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, son of Elizabeth Linney, formerly Franklin, and her husband Thomas Linney. He appears to have been the third of five children. In 1803, when he was 15 years old, his mother Elizabeth died.

In 1810, aged 23, Thomas married a Mary Tring. They had a number of children at Leighton Buzzard, although baptisms for all of them have yet to be found, and sometimes Mary's name appears to have been given as Elizabeth. Thomas's father died in 1825.

The 1841 census finds Thomas and Mary living at America Place in Leighton Buzzard with Thomas working as a rail road labourer - presumably in connection with the London and Birmingham Railway, which had opened less than three years earlier and which passed just west of Leighton Buzzard (Leighton station was actually in the neighbouring parish of Linslade). America Place was on the north-eastern side of the town, presumably in the same location as "America Row" which appears on the 1880 Ordnance Survey map. The area has since been redeveloped, and the street renamed "Garden Hedge".

By 1851, Thomas and Mary were still at America, but Thomas was now described as an agricultural labourer.

Thomas died in 1854, aged 66, and was buried at Leighton Buzzard's parish church of All Saints on 30th April 1866. Mary outlived him by just under seven years.

1. ↑ England. Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. (FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast).

   ch. 16 Sep 1787, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire: Thomas son of Thomas & Elizabeth Linny

   Needs to be confirmed at Bedfordshire Archives.

   Whilst no named connection linking the adult Thomas who married Mary Tring to the child baptised in 1787 has been found, the link has been made on the basis of the 1851 census which tells us he was born in Leighton Buzzard, and the age is within the (wide) range of ages implied by his appearances in the 1841 and 1851 censuses, which suggest he was born somewhere between 1778 and 1796. This 1787 baptism appears to be the only baptism of a Thomas Linney at Leighton Buzzard in that period, and no evidence has been found suggesting that the Thomas baptised in 1787 was a different person - there is no other burial suggesting that the 1787 Thomas died young, nor marriage record suggesting he may have married someone else.

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 1756; Folio 127; Page 13, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: America, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Linney, head, male, 72 [1778/9], Ag Lab, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Mary Linney, wife, female, 64 [1786/7], Washerwoman, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

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

   d. Thomas LINNEY, June Quarter 1854, Leighton Buzzard Registration District, Volume 3b, page 242, aged 75 [1778/9]

5. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Leighton Buzzard (All Saints) Parish Registers, 1562-1981. (Bedford: Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Record Serrvice).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Leighton Buzzard in the County of Bedford in the Year 1854
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   1184	Thomas Linney	Leighton	April 30	64 [1789/90]	E.C. Bond