Thomas was born in 1839 South Thoresby in Lincolnshire, son of a farm labourer. He was baptised only in 1863, probably at the time of marriage (DM)

Mary Ann was the daughter of a farmer in Mumby, Lincolnshire (to the SE of South Thoresby), and his wife Catherine Wright, who was (see DM) dumb and deaf.

The census of 1861 has Thomas Martin as servant (groom) with Charles North, aged 59, a farmer of 1400 acres employing 45 men and 15 boys, in South Thoresby, Louth, Lincolnshire (about 15 km SE of Louth).
They must have married around 1863.
Children:  1864 Thomas W.;  1869 Walter.

DM: Thomas worked for Sir John Vesey, landowner at Welton le Wold. Their address (census) in 1871 is School House, Welton Le Wold, Louth (image in Historic England), Lincolnshire, some 6 km west of Louth.

Mary died in 1873 (DM), when the second son Walter was only 4 years old.
Thomas remarried, before 1881 (census), his second wife was Mary Ann Hubbard (DM), born in 1848.

In 1881 his occupation is given as coachman and they live at "Nr Manor House", Welton-Le-Wold, Louth.
In that census, the elder son Thomas, aged 17, is living somewhere else, while Walter, scholar, aged 12, is still at home.

In 1901 there is no trace of Thomas in the Lincolnshire census data. But . . .
EM:  [My grandfather] Martin I know little of (and nothing of the grandmother who must have died long before he did), but he did visit us at Kettering once or twice. Lived a long life, latter part of which was head gardener to owner of mansion in Lancashire (whether this was a retirement job or not I don't know  − I visited the place once, when I was very young, with my father).
The EM information allowed to find Thomas in the Lancashire census of 1901 as "groom & gardener domestic", living in Lodge House, Kylnclough, Withnell, Chorley, Lancashire. In that year, his wife Mary Ann is with him.
DM: He here worked for Edward Parke, papermanufacturer in Withall, Lancashire.

It is not known when Thomas and his 2nd wife Mary died. They still were alive in 1901 (census) and son Walter visited him from Kettering, accompanied by grandson Eric, in approximately 1905.

Sources
DM: Information from family chart provided Aug. 2021 by Diana Martin, granddaughter of Eric Martin (EM).
A large portion of the data is from census records (1861, 1871, 1881, Lincolnshire).
EM: Memories and life story of Eric Martin, grandson of Thomas.

Back to the family tree page of Thomas Martin and Mary Ablewhite.