Thomas Arnold MA (1823 - 1900)

Born 30 Nov 1823 in Laleham, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Julia (Sorrell) Arnold — married about 13 Jun 1850 in Tasmania, Australia

Husband of Josephine Maria (Benison) Arnold — married 9 Jan 1890 in Ireland

Descendants

Died 12 Nov 1900 at age 76 in Dublin, Ireland

Tom Arnold MA migrated from England to New Zealand.

Biography

Thomas Arnold was born in 1823. He was the son of Dr. Thomas Arnold and Mary Penrose. He was also known as Thomas Arnold the Younger.

Baptism Date: 13 October 1833

Event Place: Bilston, Staffordshire, England^[1]

Thomas lived with her parents and siblings in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. His father was the headmaster of Rugby School from 1828 to 1841.

He was an English literary scholar.

After gaining a first class degree at University College, Oxford, he emigrated from England to New Zealand, probably travelling on the ship John Wickliffe in 1847, arriving into Wellington . He was recorded as 24 years of age, not married.^[2]

Tom attempted to take up farming. Unfortunately he was not very successful, and in 1850 he moved to Tasmania, Australia having been invited to take the job of Inspector of Schools by Governor William Denison.

Soon after arriving in Hobart, he fell in love with and married Julia Sorell (granddaughter of former Governor William Sorell) on 13 June 1850. They had nine children (four of whom died young).

While in Tasmania he converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism, and as a result his marriage was to be plagued by domestic strife over religious loyalty, until his wife's death. At the time Tasmania would not employ Catholics in senior civil service positions, and so in 1857 the family moved back to England.

Tom took a job teaching English literature at the Catholic University in Dublin, and wrote A Manual of English Literature (1862), which became a standard textbook. He resigned from the university in 1862 to become head of classics at The Oratory School in Birmingham. He left in 1865, when a letter he had written insisting that he would need a higher salary to continue at the school was interpreted by Cardinal Newman as a tendering of resignation.

UK Census Date 1871: Living with his wife Julia, three daughters, three boarders and five servants in St Giles, Oxfordshire, England. Aged 47.

Occupation: M. A. Teacher And Author

UK Census Date 1881: Living in Church Walk Winchester Rd, Oxford St Giles, Oxfordshire, England with his wife Julia, daughter Ethel, two visitors, seven boarders and three other individuals. Aged 57.

Occupation: M.A. Oxon Examination Tutor (Schoolmaster)

He edited a number of important literary works, including Beowulf.

After being widowed in 1888, he married secondly, Josephine Maria Benison (daughter of James Benison, Ballyconnell, County Cavan, Ireland) on 9 January 1890.

Tom passed away in 1900 at the age of about 76.^[3]

Probate:

Event Date: 12 November 1900

Event Place: Dublin

Beneficiary's Name: Josephine M Arnold^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ "England, Staffordshire, Church Records, 1538-1944", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL3V-SKD2 : 16 March 2018), Thomas Arnold, 1833.
2. ↑ "New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDV-J5VM : 9 August 2017), Thomas Arnold, 1847; citing ship , Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm .
3. ↑ "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FT62-H2F : 10 March 2018), DEATHS entry for Thomas Arnold; citing Dublin South, Oct - Dec 1900, vol. 2, p. 533, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,601.
4. ↑ "Ireland Calendar of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ5D-HFN : 13 March 2018), Thomas Arnold, 12 Nov 1900; citing 00284, 005014911, Principal Probate Registry, Dublin; 100,997.

• The Peerage

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LWJB-PS7

• Wikipedia entry for Tom Arnold

• "British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q26M-QK25 : 18 March 2018), Thomas Arnold, 13 Nov 1900; citing Obituary, Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, page 0008, Records extracted by FindMyPast and images digitized by FamilySearch. The British Library, London; FHL microfilm 102,001,129.

Census Records

• "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD86-DYR : 10 December 2017), Thomas Arnold, 1871.

• "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27H-TQLF : 11 December 2017), Thomas Arnold, Oxford St Giles, Oxfordshire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census,"

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Theodorus Peeters for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Theodorus and others.