Noel E Thomas (previousy thought to be called Nigel)

[Jacquie in Canada]

Ok, so Noel E Thomas is a railway clerk at Hampstead London in 1891.
His father is John Thomas and Mother Mary Ann Stonguard. both born Oswestry, Salop in England.

The parish records for Noel's marriage indicate his father was John Thomas with the occupation listed as "clerk of the holy orders" which matches the 1881 census entry. However, on the census image it is Mary Ann Stronguard, not Stonguard. There is a marriage in Oswestry for John Thomas  in the 3rd quarter of 1854 that has a Mary Ann Stronguard Rogers (Stronguard is mistranscribed in the FreeBMD). John and Mary Ann are on the England census together in 1861, 1871 and 1881. She is listed as a widow in 1891.

I'm having my doubts that Noel Thomas is the same person as Nigel. So far there seems to be no proof that he was ever in Wales. He was in Nottinghamshire on the 1891 and 1901 England census. His daughter Dorothy was born 11 Sep 1898 and baptized 3 Oct 1898 according to the Hampstead Emmanuel parish records (same church where Noel was married). Other than Noel being a railway clerk and about the right age, there is nothing about him that matches up with the initial information you posted (where he was born, emigrating to Canada, etc).

Jacquie

[maryjolam]

This the correct spelling and full name of Noel's Mother taken from her Baptism and Marriage documents.
First Name   Mary Ann Strangward
Last Name   Rogers

When I posted the first request for some help, I knew very little. That he was in Canada and travelled to Pennsylvania is correct and direct from the person he met with there.

The information Ruth posted helped a lot as did Sandra's. Your information also adds new facts to the file, - for which I thank you Jackie.
I am researching all the new information and believe that the name Nigel was a mistake on the part of the person who looked up a record for me. I am following a line from my great grandmother back which is leading in the right direction. I have more research to do before I can say for sure where these two lines may connect up.
In the meantime I had a look at documents relating to Noel's line and family tree which do place him in Swansea, South Wales around the turn of the century.
There are documents relating to emigration to Canada in at least two different periods and further documents for an Annie Thomas and a Dorothy Thomas, of the right age and birth place travelling to Canada and from Canada to Pennsylvania and Michigan. It may take some time to verify if these belong to us.

By posting under Canada I hoped someone might recognize some of the names and /or the image in the photo and be able to shed some light on Noel's family history.
The information received has been most hopeful and may well have opened up a brick wall in the line of my great grandmother. Thank you everyone for helping.
Have a lovely day.

[Jacquie in Canada]

Are the documents that put him in Wales in the name Noel or Nigel or give initials? Do you have any details for when Annie and Dorothy emigrated (Canadian passenger list, ship name, etc).

There are UK railway records showing Noel's pay and the date he received raises. As was said, he entered service on 2 May 1882. He received a raise in salary on 1 Jan 1914, again on 1 Jan 1917, then on 1 Aug 1919 and finally on 1 Jul 1921. He was supposed to receive another raise on 1 Jun 1926 but it wasn't carried off because he was off sick. There are other notations that say "Sick 10/7/1926", "Half pay from 8/2/1927" and "Retired 7/6/1927". There is no indication of a break in service.

Jacquie

[maryjolam]

Hi Jackie, Thank you for your interest.
He visited the Morgan family in Pennsylvania between 1927 (when the husband went over) and 1933 (when the family returned to Wales.) and I am not able to know more than that.
You have seen more records about Noel than I have due to the fact that the subscription I have doesn't run rail records.
Below are details of records. NOTE: Swansea is in South Wales not far from Cardiff and places mentioned previously, especially with rail connections.

further record from employment records

entered into service 2 May 1887 at Broad Street Station (Canvassers and Collectors office) in London?  Age 17
moved on November 1 1887 age 18 from becoming a canvasser to a collector.

moved from Broad Street Collector on 1 November 1898  age 28  to
   Nottingham Goods 9 October 1899 age 29 and then
   onto Chesterfield Goods in 1902 age 32
   then to Swansea Goods on 1 March 1908 age 38
   
NOTE: I have seen a photo of him in his work overalls taken at Chesterfield and can confirm this is the same person as in my photo (posted)

[Jacquie in Canada]

It is possible there is no relation between the two families and referring to Nigel/Noel as a step-brother was just a joke that took on a life of its own since his father had the same name as Thomas' wife's father.

By the way, there is a death listed in the FreeBMD for Dorothy Muriel Jefferis whose birth date was 11 Sep 1898. She died in Oxford in Sep 1975. There is a marriage in the FreeBMD for Dorothy M Thomas and Victor J Jefferis in Reading, Berkshire in the 1st quarter of 1932. Noel's daughter was named Dorothy Muriel and that birth date matches the one listed in the parish records.

If this family came to North America after Noel retired then at least Dorothy would have had to have returned by 1932 which narrows the dates of travel even more. And having looking at the passenger lists at Ancestry I still can't find any matches between 1927 and 1932 for any of the three.

Jacquie

[maryjolam]

Thank you Jackie for the information. Appreciated, as is the time you have kindly given.

I think we need to move on from Nigel. This was obviously a mistake on the part of the person who looked up original information for me some time ago.
This mistake is confirmed because I have the photo of Noel with my T.H. Lambert  and have seen the photo of Noel when he was at Chesterfield in 1908.
This is the same person.
This person is now known to be Noel Ernest Thomas.

It is also sure that Noel was in Canada and travelled to Pennsylvania between 1927 and 1933 due to the personal contact of family members (now deceased) with him.

That his relationship was a joke is always a possibility but my experience tells me that somewhere in all this is the grain of truth that will reveal the connection between families which is closer than just friends.

Many thanks.
 

[carol8353]

If that Dec 1870 date of birth is correct,then this is probably his birth reg.

Births Mar 1871   

Thomas    Noel Ernest        Nuneaton    6d   425

[carol8353]

Here's the family in 1871 living at The Vicarage in Nuneaton.

John Thomas    48 vicar of Attleborough b Oswestry
Mary A S Thomas    36 wife b "
Pendon C H Thomas    9 son b Nuneaton
Cecil Thomas    6  "             "
Benton B Thomas 4 dau b "
Noel E Thomas    3 Months son b "
Gorgina Cooke    19 all servants.
Mary Daner    18
Anne Gilliver    20

[maryjolam]

Thank you Carol. yes, this is the family of Noel with some mis-transcriptions in the census records.
This is his baptism and I've corrected the spelling in the census below.
Note: I have followed his life through all records, and recorded them . I just wanted to discover more about his time in Canada, whether he worked for Canadian Pacific as the family say and what happened to him and whether there is family in Canada. perhaps someone might recognize him from the posts.

Noël Ernest Thomas, "England, Warwickshire Parish Registers, 1538-1900"
Name:   Noël Ernest Thomas
Date of birth: 25th December 1870
Event Type:   Christening
Event Date:   24 Jan 1871
Event Place:   Attleborough, Warwickshire, England
Gender:   
Age:   
Marital Status:   
Father's Name:   John Thomas

Mother's Name:   Mary Anne Strangward Thomas

GS Film number:   1067538

Digital Folder Number:   4292064

Image Number:   00717
--------------------------------

Name:   Noel Ernest Thomas
Event Type:   Birth Registration
Registration Quarter:   Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration Year:   1871
Registration District:   Nuneaton
County:   Warwickshire
Event Place:   Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
Mother's Maiden Name (not available before 1911 Q3):   
Volume:   6D
Page:   425
Line Number:   70
---------------------------------

Head John Thomas    Oswestry, Shropshire
Wife    Mary A S Thomas    Oswestry, Shropshire
daughter:   Melicent Richardson Thomas Christening Date:   04 Jul 1855
daughter Gertrude Marian 1859 28/6  bap 21/8/1859 Stockingford = Nuneaton /spinster
Son    Penson Charles Thomas 1862   Nuneaton, Warwickshire /vicar Clent
Son    Cecil Strangward 1864 Nuneaton Warwickshire /Navy/Vicar -last placement Bradford
Daughter    Bertha Beatrice 1867 Nuneaton Warwickshire /spinster
Son    Noel Ernest 1870Nuneaton, Warwickshire Railways/married

with thanks