heatherbee
heatherbee
Thomas Lee was born in 1786 and was married to Beatrice. Beatrice was born in 1796 but I do not have any other informtion about her. Thomas and Beatrice had five children, Alfred b.1814, Harriett b.1821 Thomas b.1825, Abraham b.1831 and Ellen b.1839.
In 1841 Thomas and Beatrice were living with their four younger children at Eldon Street, Eccleshall Bierlow, Sheffield. Thomas was 55 but it is not clear what his job description was, Beatrice was 45 and a housewife, Harriett was not working. Thomas (16) and Abraham (11) were Apprentice Tool Makers and Ellen was two years old.
Alfred Lee married Mary Cartledge b.1818 in the summer of 1840. Mary Cartledge was born in 1818 at Duffield in Derbyshire. There is s record of her Baptism on 15th January 1818. Her father, James, was a Farm Worker and her mother Anne was a Knitter.
Alfred and Mary had five children. Thomas b.1840. Elizabeth b.1842. Harriett b.1846. Anna b.1850. Tamar Ellen b.1856.
In 1861 they were living in Hockenthorpe, Beighton, Derbyshire. Alfred and his son Thomas were Patent Scythe Makers and Elizabeth was a Knife Maker. Harriett, Anna and Tamar Ellen were all Scholars. In 1871 Alfred was living alone in Oak Street, Heeley, Sheffield. aged 57 but at the same time his wife Mary and Tamar Ellen (or Helen) were living at Cobden Terrace, Chesterfield and Mary was described as Mother in Law to the head of the household, Edward Hobson. There was no record of Edward’s wife but in a later census his wife was described as Elizabeth(b.1842) who would be the daughter of Alfred and Mary. It is possible that Elizabeth had been taken ill and Mary and Tamar Ellen has gone to Chesterfield to help.
In 1901 Mary, now aged 83, was living with her daughter Harriett(1846) and son in law Isaac Fairburn at Mill Farm Eckington, Derbyshire. I believe Mary died in 1903 aged 85. Harriett and Isaac had two children, Frederick 32 years and Amy 22 years.
Thomas Lee married Sarah Ann Lambert on 15th November 1864. Sarah was a Dress Maker. Her father was George Lambert and her mother Sarah. George was an Auger Maker. Thomas and Sarah had eleven children.
Frederick Wilmur (1865) Lizzie (1867) Alice Ada Ann (1870) Lillie (1872) Bertha (1877) George A (1879) Mary Tamar (1882) Dermot (1885) Nora (1885) Elizabeth (1887) Gladys (1888)
In 1871 Thomas and Sarah were living at 101 New Thomas Street, Eccleshall Sheffield with their daughters Lizzie (Elizabeth) aged 3 years and Alice 8 months
In 1881 Thomas and Sarah were living at High Street, Eckington, Derbyshire, with Lizzie, Alice, Lillie, Bertha and George. By 1901 Thomas and Sarah were living at Ivy Cottage, no 7, Ferns, Lower Wexford Ireland with their children George age 22, Mary age 18, Dermot and Nora (twins) aged 16, and Gladys age 13. Dermot, Nora and Gladys were born in Ireland so the family must have moved about 1883/4 leaving their older children in England.
Ivy cottage, which has changed over the years, is still occupied by descendants of Thomas Lee.
Thomas was a scythe maker and I am led to believe that having made scythes, knives and scissors in Sheffield he would travel to Ireland to sell them, particularly at harvest time.
In a booklet written about the Bolger family of Ferns, who were great entrepreneurs, it relates to Tom Lee being brought from Sheffield for his skills in tempering steel so that the Bolger family could process their own tools and have no need to import.
“The long handled scythe increased in popularity with a growth in the importance of haymaking to farm economy. It was only however when it began to replace the sickle for cutting corn, that it became apparent that quantity production would soon be required to augment the necessarily slow output of the forges. Characteristically, the Bolgers were first in the field, and for many years they could claim to be the only manufacturers of patent scythes in Ireland. New expertise was now required mainly for tempering hardening and ‘straightening’ the new scythe blades. Thomas Lee, a specialist in this craft was brought from Sheffield to join the firm. Tom Lee’s secret process became somewhat of a legend, but it is obvious that he soon passed on his skills to a number of others”
From Milltown Mills by J J Maguire B.D.S
Nora married George Goodman at Enniscorthy, Southern Ireland in 1907. I presume she must have met George when she was visiting her family still living in Beighton. They then lived in Kiveton Park, near Sheffield and had three children
Cyril (1908) Amy Lillie (1909) Doris