Thomas Crewe (1835 - 1874)

Born 20 Aug 1835 in Oldham, Lancashire, England

Husband of Sarah Ann (Taylor) Crewe — married 26 Nov 1860 (to 20 Jun 1874) in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Coldhurst, Oldham, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died 20 Jun 1874 at age 38 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia

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Biography

Thomas Crewe has Welsh ancestors.

Thomas Crewe was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England.

Thomas was born on the 20th August 1835, in Oldham, Lancashire, England, the eldest surviving son of Welsh born John Crewe (a shoemaker), and Yorkshire born Elizabeth Preston (who married in Lancashire), and christened on the 25th March 1842 in St. Peters, Oldham, Lancashire, England, along with older sister Sarah Ann, younger sister Mary, and younger brother, Joseph.^[1][2][3]     Their abode is listed as Prioryground, father John is still a shoemaker, and William Lees officiated.
Thomas was one of several children, his (currently known) siblings being older sisters, Mary (1829-1835), Ann (1831-1832), and Sarah Ann (1832), an older brother, Thomas (1833-1834), two younger brothers, Joseph (1842), and John (1848), and five younger sisters, Mary (1837), Elizabeth (1839-1841), Eliza (1843), Nancy (1846), John (1848), and the youngest of them all: Harriet (1851),.

In 1841 the family was living in Oldham Cum Prestwich, Lancashire. Thomas was aged six, and the youngest of the family was one-year-old Elizabeth.^[4]

Thomas was a Cotton Mill worker.

On the 30th March 1851 the Crewe family was living at 7 Priory Street, Oldham Below Town. Home at the time were John (45), a shoemaker, his wife: Elizabeth (42), and their children: 18-year-old Sarah Ann, a throstle piecer in the cotton mill; 15-year-old Thomas, employed as a piecer in the cotton mill; 13-year-old Mary, also a piecer in the cotton mill; 7-year-old Eliza, a scholar; 2-year-old John, and the baby: 2-month old Harriet. (The enumerator has reversed the ages for John and Harriet.)^[5]

Thomas married Sarah Ann Taylor on the 26th November 1860, in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Coldhurst, Oldham, Lancashire, England.^[6] His last name is misspelt as Crew.
Thomas's father's occupation is listed as "shoemaker", and Sarah's father's occupation is listed as "weaver".

On the 7th April 1861, the not-long married couple were living on Priory Street, Oldham Below Town. Both John (25) and Sarah Ann (23) were employed in the position of cotton mill hand: spinner.^[7]
Next door (or same house, different household) was John's mother, Betty (53), and his siblings: John (12), a cotton mill hand piecer, Eliza (17), also a cotton mill hand piecer, Harriet (10), a scholar, and Sarah Ann (28), also a cotton mill hand piecer, her husband Thomas Bardsley (36), a slater, and their daughter: Emma (1).

Thomas Crewe migrated from Lancashire, England to Queensland, Australia.

Thomas and Sarah Ann, his wife of only three years, departed for Australia on the ship "Rockhampton" (Thomas aged 27 and Sarah aged 25) bound for Keppel Bay in Queensland, 18th June 1863. The ship's Master was one Joseph Brough; and the ship was provisioned for a journey of 140 days. The port of embarkation was Liverpool. ^[8] The "Rockhampton" arrived in Queensland on the 18th October 1863.^[9]

Thomas Crewe was an Assisted Immigrant to Queensland.

According to reports of the day (The Courier (Brisbane, Qld) Fri 23 Oct 1863 Page 2), the conditions aboard the "Rockhampton" were compared to the "Black hole of Calcutta".^[10]
Thomas was listed as "labourer" on the ship's passenger list; and it seems he was one of many workers in Lancashire who had been affected by the American Civil War causing a cessation of cotton shipments from the southern states.

Among the passengers brought to Queensland in 1863 were a large number of distressed cotton workers and their families from Lancashire. As the result of the outbreak of the American Civil War on 12 April 1861 the shipment of cotton from the southern States to the mills of England ceased. Lancashire was striken with mass unemployment, abject povety and sickness. More than 2000 cotton mills closed down and thousands of operatives were thrown out of work. Near starvation was rampant. To help relieve the misery, the Queensland Government, through Mr. Jordan, offered free and assisted passages to distressed mill workers. More than 1700 of these emaciated, poverty-striken people (representing 1300 statute adults) were brought to Queensland on Black Ball ships such as the Beejapore, Hannah More, Light Brigade, Cairngorm, Rockhampton, Young Australia, Fiery Star, Wansfell and Golden Dream. The death-rate among these wretched people, many of whom were unable to withstand the rigours of the long voyage, was of course quite high.[11]

One has to wonder, however, just what conditions were like "back home" that these people were not overly distressed at the conditions on the ship.

Thomas and Sarah Ann had four children, three daughters (one of whom died the day she was born) and a son. Their eldest child, a daughter, Bessie, does not appear on the ship's passenger list, nor does she appear under the name "Bessie" in the BDM register.

Thomas Crewe passed away on the 20th June 1874, in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, aged 38 years.^[12]
Thomas's death, only two years after the birth and death of their youngest, and unnamed, daughter, left Sarah Ann a widow with three small children, aged eight, seven, and four.
Thomas was buried in the West End Cemetery, Townsville.^[13]

Research Notes

England and Wales Census, 1841^[14]

Name: Thomas Crewe

Event Type: Census

Event Date: 1841

Event Place: Oldham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Gender: Male

Age: 6

Age: 6

Birth Year (Estimated): 1835

Birthplace: Lancashire

Registration District: Ashton & Oldham

Parish: Oldham Cum Prestwich

County: Lancashire

Page Number: 35

Registration Number: HO107

Piece/Folio: 547/21

Affiliate Record Type: Household

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

John Crewe Male 38

Elizabeth Crewe Female 33

Sarah Ann Crewe Female 8 Lancashire

Thomas Crewe Male 6 Lancashire

Mary Crewe Female 4 Lancashire

Elizabeth Crewe Female 1 Lancashire

Marriage: 26 Nov 1860 Holy Trinity, Oldham, Lancs.^[15]

Thomas Crew - 25, Piecer, Bachelor, Royton Road

Sarah Ann Taylor - (X), 22, Piecer, Spinster, Royton Road

Groom's Father: John Crew, Shoemaker

Bride's Father: John Taylor, Weaver

Witness: Jonas Binns; Sarah Ann Harrop; Joshua Binns

Married by Banns by: John Godson, Incumbent

Register: Marriages 1849 - 1861, Page 228, Entry 455

Source: LDS Family Search

Thomas Crewe
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Thomas Crewe
Gender: Male
Birthplace: MANCHESTER STREET PARTICULAR BAPTIST,OLDHAM,LANCASHIRE,ENGLAND
Birth Date: 20 Aug 1835
Father's Name: Jno. Crewe
Mother's Name: Elizh.

Thomas Crew
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Thomas Crew
Residence Place: Oldham, Lancashire, England
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 25 Mar 1842
Christening Date (Original): 25Mar1842
Christening Place: St. Peters, Oldham, Lancashire, England
Birth Date: 20 Aug 1835
Father's Name: John Crew
Mother's Name: Elizabeth

Thomas Crew
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Thomas Crew
Residence Place: Oldham, Lancashire, England
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 25 Mar 1842
Christening Date (Original): 25 Mar 1842
Christening Place: St. Peters, Oldham, Lancashire, England
Father's Name: John Crew
Mother's Name: Elizabeth

Sources

1. ↑ Citing this record "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5JT-MM3 : 11 February 2018, Thomas Crewe, 20 Aug 1835); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0560891 (RG4 981).
2. ↑ Citing this Record "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N1Q2-L8X : 10 February 2018, Thomas Crew, ); citing item 7 p 236, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,545,716.
3. ↑ Citing this Record "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JSSW-LZ4 : 10 February 2018, Thomas Crew, 20 Aug 1835); citing item 2 p 236, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,656,069
4. ↑ familysearch.org search 1841 census: Crewe, Oldham: Thomas Crewe in household of John Crewe
5. ↑ 1851 England Census — The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1851. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851. Kew, Surrey, England: Class: HO107; Piece: 2240; Folio: 651; Page: 4
6. ↑ Lancashire BMD Marriage indexes online search: Surname: CREW; Forename(s): Thomas; Spouse's Surname: Taylor; Spouse's Forename(s): Sarah A; Year: 1860; Church / Register Office: Coldhurst; Region: Lancashire; Registers At: Oldham; Reference: CE209/1/455
7. ↑ 1861 England Census — The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861. Data imaged from The National Archives, London, England. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: Class: RG 9; Piece: 3010; Folio: 82; Page: 13; GSU roll: 543064
8. ↑ Source: a photocopy of the relevant page of the ship's ledger, purchased from the Queensland State Archives 29th May 1992. Reference # Z31 p.426
9. ↑ Passengers "Rockhampton" 1863
10. ↑ THE IMMIGRANT SHIP ROCKHAMPTON The Courier (Brisbane, Qld) Fri 23 Oct 1863 Page 2
11. ↑ Queensland Immigration And The Black Ball Line By Warwick Foote
12. ↑ QLD BDM Death Registration details: Thomas Crewe, Event date: 20/06/1874, Event type: Death registration, Registration details: 1874/C/1857, Mother: -, Father/parent: John Crewe
13. ↑ Townsville Queensland Government: West End Cemetery Records (opens a pdf)
14. ↑ Citing this Record "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQGN-G2T : 22 May 2019), Thomas Crewe in household of John Crewe, Oldham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey
15. ↑ Lancashire Online Parish Clerks: Holy Trinity; Marriages

• Family records and birth, marriage, death certificates or certified copies held by family members.