Thomas Mosley (1802 - 1876)

Born 1802 in Warrington, Lancashire, England

Husband of Eliza (Shea) Mosley — married 1846 in Gibraltar

Descendants

Died 31 Mar 1876 at about age 74 in Gibraltar

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Edward Scott [send private message]

Biography

Thomas Mosley was born in Warrington, Lancashire, England, in 1802. We believe he was a son of John Moseley and Catharine Stodhartt Moseley and he became the only surviving sibling of his older brother William Mosley.

Thomas was baptized on August 29, 1802, at St. Elphin's, Warrington, Lancashire, and was described, at his baptism, as "Thomas Mozeley son of John Mozeley fustian cutter and Catharine his wife".

Note: There was no standardized spelling of anything in the late 1700s and early 1800s. A surname like Mosley might be spelled as Mosley, Moseley, Mozley or Mozeley unless the person owning the name made an effort to have it spelled in one consistent manner. Thomas did indeed do that later in his life. He spelt it as "Mosley". However, his father John was not literate.

By 1824 a Thomas Mosley is listed in Baines' Directory as a cotton merchant specializing in muslin and fancy muslin and working from offices at 12 Cannon Street Buildings, Manchester, Lancashire. We cannot prove that this is "our" Thomas Mosley, but there is a high probability. His own father had been a cotton manufacturer.

By 1845 to 1847 Thomas was certainly living and working in Gibraltar, when he married Eliza and their first child, Alexander, was born. He seems to have married Eliza Shea in 1846, based on the date of birth of their eldest child.

At the time of the 1851 census in the UK, and after the death of his brother William, Thomas is living at Bury New Road, Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England, with his wife Eliza and three children. Note the important fact that he states that he was born in Warrington. He lists his age as 45 years, but he was actually 47 or 48 (depending on the exact date of his birth), and he lists his occupation as "Merchant, cotton fabric".

In 1855 Thomas is listed in Slater's Directory of Manchester as a proprietor of Mosley (Thomas) Hurst & Co. (formerly Prescott Bros. & Co.) -- a merchant and commission agency with offices at 9 St Peter's Square, Manchester.

On January 2, 1860, Mosley (Thomas) Hurst & Co, opens an office in Calcutta, India, which Thomas's nephew, Thomas Henry Mosley, will soon be sent to manage.

In 1865 Thomas returned to Gibraltar after the dissolution of Mosley (Thomas) Hurst & Co. in Manchester and Liverpool and a division of its business between the two managing partners.

Census data from Gibraltar in 1871 show Thomas (aged 68) living with his wife and two children.

Thomas Mosley passed away at Irish Town, Gibraltar, on March 31, 1876, at 73 years of age (although his death certificate says he was only 72 years of age). His wife Eliza would survive him by another 39 years.

Sources

• Mosley family history and genealogy, as compiled by the profile manager and Peter Scott Mosley
• Detailed information about this individual is accessible on Ancestry (see https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/19962126/person/28032955419/facts)
• "Lancashire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812" (see https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/58538629:2478)
• "UK, City and County Directories, 1766 - 1946" (see https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/8309625:3145)
• UK census date for 1851
• "UK, City and County Directories, 1766 - 1946" (see https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6212602:3145)
• UK census data for 1861
• Death certificate issued on Gibraltar on April 7, 1976
• "England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995" (see https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2467591:1904)

Research notes

Both William Mosley and his younger brother Thomas Mosley started out life as "fustian" cutters. "Fustian" originally encompassed several type of heavy cotton fabric commonly used to make male clothing. As the British empire expanded in the 1800s, the need for "fustian" to make everything from suits and trousers and uniforms also grew with it. The Mosley brothers seem to have started out by meeting this need and then, after William's death in 1843, Thomas gradually expanded the business into other areas such as commission agency and banking, often employing his brother's children (and his own) to work in the business.