Thomas and Lucy Strangward: Their early years

Thomas Strangward and Lucy Campbell married in Huntingdon on February 11th, 1875. They continued to live in Huntingdon and were there at the time of the 1881 census.

The 1881 census return for Huntingdon shows that Thomas and Lucy were living in the High Street, with three children, Charles Frederick, or Fred, aged 5, Albert Thomas, or Tom, aged 2 and Alice Mary, aged 8 months. Charles and Alice were born in Huntingdon but the census shows that Albert Thomas was born in Ipswich, Suffolk. Why the family would have been in Ipswich in 1878 isn't known. Perhaps they were staying with relatives - Hannah Strangward, Thomas' mother, was born in Lidgate in Suffolk and it may be interesting to follow up if any of her family were in Ipswich in the 1881 census.

1881 census: New Town, St Mary's, Huntingdon RG11/1603/119 page 25, schedule 141
Thomas Strangward	26	Married	Head	Fellmonger	Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Lucy Strangward	27	Married	Wife		Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Charles F. Strangward	5	Single	Son		Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Albert T. Strangward	2	Single	Son		Born Ipswich, Suffolk
Alice M. Strangward	8 mo	Single	Dau		Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire

At some point between the 1881 census and the 1891 census, Thomas and Lucy moved to Pontefract. Family folklore says that the employment situation in Huntingdon was bleak and Thomas walked north, looking for work. He went as far as York and, after working for a short time in the skinyards there, was transferred to Pontefract to work at the CWS Cooperative. He soon saved enough money to send for Lucy and she brought the family up to live in Yorkshire. We know that the family moved to York sometime between April 1881 and October 30th 1882, as another child, Lucy Kate was born then and Lucy's birth was registered in York. The family moved again during the next three years and they were in Pontefract by the time Herbert was born on August 12th 1885.

As the family settled down to their new life, more children arrived. Arthur William was born on 12th April 1888 and Harry came along on 25th June 1890. His birth was less than a month after the death of Lucy Kate, whose death certificate showed she died from pulmonary TB on May 30th 1890. TB was common in meat at the time - is it possible that the family ate condemned meat and Lucy Kate became infected? Whatever the cause, this period must have been very difficult for the family, particularly Lucy. Whilst pregnant with Harry she had a sick child of 7 to care for, plus Charles, aged 15, Albert, 12, Alice, 10, Herbert, 5 and Arthur who was only 2 and who was having difficulty walking.

1891 census: 1, South Baileygate, Pontefract, West Yorkshire RG12/3761/54 page 31, schedule 220
Thomas Strangward	35	Married	Head	Fellmonger	Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Lucy Strangward	36	Married	Wife		Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Charles F. Strangward	15	Single	Son	Grocer's porter	Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Albert T. Strangward	12	Single	Son		Born Ipswich, Suffolk
Alice M. Strangward	10	Single	Dau		Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Herbert Strangward	5	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS
Arthur W Strangward	2	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS
Harry Strangward	9 mo	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS

Life in Pontefract

The family first lived in The Round House, a house owned by CWS on the corner of Tanners Row and South Baileygate (photograph below copyright Pontefract Museum; reproduced with kind permission).

This photograph shows the 'round house' as it was at the turn of the century; the photograph above it and on the right is the same view taken in 1999, standing at the gate of All Saint's Church, looking up South Baileygate; the circular edge of the grass verge shows where the house stood.

Later Thomas and Lucy moved across the road and further past All Saints Church and lived at 2, Weeland Terrace on South Baileygate, now known as Bondgate (number 2 is the second house in from the right in the photograph below).

The end of the century

Large families were the norm in the late 19th century and in the next 9 years three more children were born to Thomas and Lucy Strangward.

Annie Elizabeth on August 4th 1892, Oliver, on December 12th 1895 and Earnest, the youngest, on November 7th 1899. And, in between Oliver and Earnest, Lucy may have agreed to bring up another baby, a girl called Ada, who was the daughter of Charles Frederick. So, in the end, Lucy gave birth to 10 children, lost a daughter at the age of 7, but then also brought up an eleventh child, probably her grand-daughter, as her own. Under these circumstances it was hardly surprising that Lucy was a firm and forthright woman who kept her large family under a tight reign. 

1901 census: South Baileygate, Pontefract, West Yorkshire RG13/4300/18 page 27-8, schedule 166
Thomas Strangward	47	Married	Head	Fellmonger, worker	Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Lucy Strangward	46	Married	Wife		Born Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire
Herbert Strangward	15	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS
Arthur W Strangward	12	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS
Harry Strangward	10	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS
Annie Elizabeth Strangward	8	Single	Dau		Born Pontefract, YKS
Oliver Strangward	5	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS
Ernest Strangward	1	Single	Son		Born Pontefract, YKS