Thomas Joseph Mosen (1870 - 1949)

Born 25 Dec 1870 in Bourton on the Water, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Edith May (Pope) Mosen — married 1940 in New Zealand

Descendants

Died 1 Mar 1949 at age 78 in Wanganui, New Zealand

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Biography

Thomas was born in 1870 in Gloucestershire, England. He was the son of Joseph and Emma Maria.

Family history passed down by word of mouth:

“Thomas Joseph Mosen was the oldest child of Joseph and Emma. Joseph and Emma arrived in New Zealand in 1872 with Joseph’s brother Mark Oliver and his wife also called Emma.

The Mosens were from Bourton On The Water in Gloucester and had been there for quite a few generations although the name seems to have disappeared from that area now. It is thought that they might have originally been from Germany but there is no evidence to back that up. They were a pretty poor family and were mostly agricultural workers so there is a very little of them mentioned anywhere.

Apparently Thomas Joseph was a pretty grumpy old man and was firstly married to Janette Johansen from Norsewood on 1891, he appears to have to have had no children with her and by 1896 had met Edith May Pope and although they were not married until many years later in 1940, they lived in a de facto relationship and had five children together.

Their eldest child Jessie May was registered as illegitimate on her birth certificate and from what we can ascertain the other female siblings - Edith Alice, Lillian Rose (who had a son Kenneth Bennseman married Joan), and Caroline Constance - were never registered at birth.

The only son, William Charles - who was the second to youngest child - was registered at birth but Thomas Joseph registered him as being the son of his first wife Janette Johansen (this was not possible as she died in 1898, and William Charles was born in 1903 so he was definitely Edith Mays so). It was thought that he did this on purpose as it was probably to prevent the word illegitimate being put on his birth certificate. (Maybe it was more of a shame in those days for a male to be illegitimate than for a female - who knows!)

Edith May passed away in 1943 only three years after they were legally married and Thomas Joseph passed away in 1949.”

Sources

• Family history passed down by word of mouth and then transcribed.
• Birth Registration: "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008", citing Birth Registration, Stow On The Wold, Gloucestershire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England, FamilySearch Record: 2XWR-LG7 (accessed 28 May 2023), Thomas Joseph Mosen birth registered Jul-Aug-Sep 1870 in Stow On The Wold.
• 1871 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1871", citing The National Archives of the UK, FamilySearch Record: V5TJ-MV5 (accessed 28 May 2023) FindMyPast Image, Thomas J Mossen (0) son in household of Joseph Mossen (23) in Bourton on the Water, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom. Born in Bourton On The Water, Gloucestershire.
• Marriage Registration: "New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", (digital index), New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs.; Reg No. 1891/1411 Janette Johansen & Thomas Joseph Mosen
• Marriage Registration: "New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", (digital index), New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs.; Reg No. 1940/13096 Edith May Pope & Thomas Joseph Mosen
• Death Registration: "New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", (digital index), New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs.; Reg No. 1949/19489 Mosen Thomas Joseph 78Y
• Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 18, 19 December 1884, Page 2, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MS18841219.2.3?query=%22thomas+joseph+mosen%22&snippet=true
• Deaths, Wanganui Chronicle, 2 March 1949, Page 1, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19490302.2.2.2
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240901980/thomas-joseph-mosen: accessed 28 May 2023), memorial page for Thomas Joseph Mosen (25 Dec 1870–1 Mar 1949), Find a Grave Memorial ID 240901980, citing Aramoho Cemetery, Whanganui, Whanganui District, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand; Maintained by Ngaire Wright (contributor 50044358).