Person:Thomas Palmer (49)

Thomas Palmer was born in about 1796 at Glapthorn in Northamptonshire. His first confirmed sighting is on 13th October 1819, aged about 23, when he married Elizabeth Brown who was about three years older than him and also from Glapthorn. She already had a daughter who was nearly two years old at the time, to whom Thomas became stepfather.

Thomas and Elizabeth settled in Glapthorn after their marriage, having another six children there between 1823 and 1835.

The 1841 census finds Thomas and Elizabeth and some of their children living in Glapthorn, along with a fourteen year old boy who was working as a servant. Thomas was described as a farmer and beer seller.

The 1851 census gives a slightly more specific address for the family, recording them as living at the Dun Cow beer house. At this time Thomas was described as a beer seller, farmer and dealer in pigs. Thomas and Elizabeth by this time were also raising their granddaughter Elizabeth Warren, daughter of their daughter Charlotte. As in 1841, the family had a young man as a servant living with them.

A similar situation is recorded in the 1861 census; the family was still at the Dun Cow and Thomas was described as a farmer of 15 acres, pig dealer and beer seller. They still had a young man described as a servant living with them, although this time the man is described as an ‘agricultural servant’, suggesting that he (and his predecessors) were probably working for Thomas on the farm rather than being domestic servants. Thomas and Elizabeth no longer had any of their children living with them by 1861, but did have two granddaughters living with them.

Thomas died on 7th December 1867, aged about 71, and was buried at Glapthorn four days later. He left a will, written in 1862, in which he described himself as a ‘victualler and pig jobber’. He left his estate to his wife for her lifetime, after which it was to be sold and the proceeds split equally between his children. The estate was valued at under £450. Thomas had lived in Glapthorn his whole life, and he and Elizabeth had been married for 48 years. Elizabeth outlived him by just over four years.

1.   Church of England. Glapthorn Parish Registers, 1538-1957. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office).

   1796 / Tho[ma]s Son of Tho[ma]s & Jane Palmer – May 1

   This baptism appears most likely on the basis of the censuses, in which Thomas gave an age and birthplace suggesting he was born around 1796 in Glapthorn. However, evidence has yet to be found proving that the adult Thomas who married Elizabeth Brown was definitely the son of Thomas and Jane. In particular, there was another Thomas Palmer married to a Jane who appears in the censuses also claiming to have been born at Glapthorn in the mid to late 1790s. Whilst there is another baptism which could be his (Thomas the illegitimate son of Mary Palmer, baptised 27 Jan 1798), further proof will be needed to ensure these two similarly aged Thomas Palmers are connected to the right spouses.

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 812; Book 7; Folio 10; Page 15, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Palmer, male, 40 [1796-1801], Farmer & Beerseller, born in county
   Eliz[abeth] Palmer, female, 45 [1791-6], born in county
   Charlotte Palmer, female, 18 [1822/3], born in county
   Mary Palmer, female, 13 [1827/8], born in county
   Emma Palmer, female, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Tho[ma]s Palmer, male, 8 [1832/3], born in county
   Caroline Palmer, female, 5 [1835/6], born in county
   William Mitchel, male, 14 [1826/7], M[ale] S[ervant], born in county

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 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 1746; Folio 483; Page 13, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Dun Cow Beer House, Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Palmer, head, married, male, 55 [1795/6], Beer seller & Farmer & Dealer in pigs, b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Palmer, wife, married, female, 57 [1793/4], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Palmer, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1833/4], Blacksmiths Appr[entice], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Caroline Palmer, daughter, unmarried, female, 15 [1835/6], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Warren, granddaughter, female, 7 [1843/4], Scholar, b. Cotterstock, Northamptonshire
   Jackson Sweeby, unmarried, male, 18 [1832/3], Servant, b. Stanground, Huntingdonshire

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 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 963; Folio 94; Page 6 , 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Dun Cow Beer House, Lower Street, Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Palmer, head, married, male, 65 [1795/6], Farmer of 15 acres Pig Dealer and Beer seller; b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Palmer, wife, married, female, 67 [1793/4], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Warren, granddaughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1843/4], Servant, b. Cotterstock, Northamptonshire
   Emma Palmer, granddaughter, female, 7 [1853/4], Scholar, b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Barrett, servant, unmarried, male, 18 [1832/3], Agr[icultural] Serv[ant], b. Bulwick Lodge, Northamptonshire

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

   d. Thomas Palmer, December Quarter 1867, Oundle Registration District, Volume 3b, page 126, aged 71 [1796/7]

6. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Glapthorn Parish Registers, 1538-1957. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Glapthorne in the County of Northampton in the Year 1867
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   385	Thomas Palmer	Glapthorne	Dec 11	71 [1795/6]	William Watson, Vicar

7. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

   Grant
   ON the Twenty eighth day of April 1868 the Will of Thomas Palmer late of Glapthorn in the County of Northampton, Victualler and Pig Jobber deceased, who died on the seventh day of December 1867 at Glapthorn aforesaid was proved in the District Registry attached to Her Majesty's Court of Probate at Peterborough by the Oath of Francis Allen of Wadenhoe in the said County of Northampton Miller the sole Executor therein named he having been first sworn duly to administer.
   Effects under £450. - No Leaseholds.
   Extracted by Mr. Richardson
   Sol[icito]r, Oundle
   
   Will
   This is the last Will and Testament of me Thomas Palmer of Glapthorn in the County of Northampton Victualler and Pig Jobber I give and devise unto my Wife Elizabeth Palmer All and singular my messuages or tenements lands hereditaments and real estate whatsoever and wheresoever to hold to her and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life I also give and bequeath unto my said Wife all and every my household furniture goods chattels monies debts stock-in-trade and all other my personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever or of whatever nature or kind the same may be or consist at the time of my decease for her use and benefit during her natural life if she shall so long continue my Widow without Impeachment of waste but subject to the payment of any just debts funeral and testamentary expences and the expence of proving this my Will and from and immediately after her decease or second marriage I give devise and bequeath my said real and personal estates unto Francis Allen of Wadenhoe in the said county of Northampton Miller To hold to him his heirs executors and administrators Upon trust to sell and convert into money the whole of my said real and personal estate either by public auction or private contract with liberty to buy in and resell the same or any part thereof and with such conditions or stipulations of sale as her or they may think proper and after payment of all costs charges and expences in any matter relating to such sale or sales or in anywise relating to the trusts of this my Will to pay distribute and divide the proceeds thereof unto and equally between all my children and in case any of my said children shall die in my lifetime or in the lifetime of my said Wife leaving lawful issue her or them surviving then that the issue of such deceased child or children shall be entitled amongst them to the shares or share which their his or her parent or parents would have been entitled to if living And I hereby declare that no purchaser of my said real estate shall be obliged to see to the application of his or her purchase money or be answerable for the mis-application or non-application thereof and that the Trustee or Trustees of this my Will shall not be answerable for any loss which may happen to the trust funds unless the same happen through his or their own wilful neglect or default And I hereby nominate constitute and appoint the said Francis Allen Sole Executor of this my Will In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this Eighteenth day of July one thousand eight hundred and sixty two - The Mark of X Thomas Palmer - Signed by the said Testator in the joint presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses the same having been read over and explained to him - Rob[er]t Richardson, Sol[icito]r, Oundle
   W[illia]m Richardson, his Clerk.
   
   Proved at Peterborough the 28th day of April 1868 by the oath of Francis Allen the Sole Executor to whom Administration was granted.
   The Testator Thomas Palmer was late of Glapthorn in the County of Northampton Victualler and Pig Jobber and died on the 7th day of December 1867 at Glapthorn aforesaid.
   Under £450.
   Mr Richardson, Solicitor
   Oundle