I have been trying to establish the origins of an ancestor, Thomas Jones, for quite a while without success.
The 1851 Census states birthplace as Broad Heath, Worcestershire and age 49. The 1841 Census says that his age was 39. As the date of the 1851 census was 30th March his birth must be after 30th March 1801 but before 30th March 1802. As the date of the 1841 census was 6th June he must have been born after 6th June 1801.His death certificate (died Lechlade, Gloucestershire 16th Oct 1854) gives age at date of death as 53; this means that he must have been born before 16th Oct 1801. Taking all into account he was therefore born in the period 6th June to 16th Oct 1801. If the 1841 census is ignored he was born in the period 30th March 1801 to 16th Oct 1801. It is unhelpful that there is both a Broadheath and a Broad Heath in Worcestershire. There is a baptism of a Thomas Jones in the Hanley Child, (within 1 mile of Broad Heath) parish register 18th Oct 1801 but I have no way of knowing if this is my Thomas Jones and there is only one brother baptised to the same parents, John and Mary Jones, which is at variance with the story below.
A family story has it that on the death of his father he handed over his interests in the family farm to his two brothers and became a revenue officer, but I have been unable to trace any letter of appointment to this service in the Public Records Office which would have given confirmatory information about his origins; it could be, however, that he joined before 1820, the date from which records are indexed. He apparently met his future wife Mary Giles during the course of his duties in Lechlade Gloucestershire when arbitrating in a dispute between her father John Giles and a neighbouring miller. His marriage licence application of 30 May 1830 confirms that he was an ‘officer of excise’. There is also a family story that he had some connection to Brecknock, Wales; the story has it that he was Welsh himself which conflicts with his birthplace (unless his mother was only visiting in Worcestershire) but this could have been his parents or grandparents.
