Thomas Albert BLACKMORE

  General Notes:

Births Jun 1862 Kensington 1a 141 Thomas Albert Blackmore

16 March 1862 at The Meadows, Sands End, Fulham. Thomas Albert, Boy, William Blackmore, Ann Blackmore formerly Muxworthy, Railway Labourer. Registered by Ann Blackmore, mther of same address on 23 April 1862.

1st Marriage Jun 1886 Barnstaple 5b 808
Blackmore Thomas Albert
HEDDEN Matilda Gertrude
NEWCOMBE William
Webb Ellen Emma

Marriage Certificate
June 12 1886 at Holy Trinity parish church, Barnstaple
Thomas Albert Blackmore, 24, Bachelor, Joiner, Dymond Street. father William Blackmore, Gentleman
Matilda Gertrude Hedden, 25, Spinster, - , Dymond Street. father - none
Witnesses were William Henry Pooley and Lucy Grace Blackmore (sister)

2nd Marriage Mar 1896 Barnstaple 5b 718
Blackmore Thomas Albert
Britton William Henry
GARNISH Martha
West Mabel Rose

Marriage Certificate
17 March 1896 at The Methodist Chapel, Barnstaple
Thomas Albert Blackmore, 32, Widower, Carpenter, 10 Gloucester Road Newport Barnstaple. Father William Blackmore, retired Engineer
Martha Garnish, 34, Spinster, - , Sherwill. Father George Garnish, Tailor.
Witnesses were William Lavercombe (husband of Mary Ann Garnish, sister) and Emily Huxtable (Martha's sister)

North Devon Journal 12 Mar 1896
Blackmore-Garnish. - March 7, at the Wesleyan Chapel, Barnstaple, by tbe Rev. J. G. Warrington Thomas A. Blackmore, of Barnstaple, to Martha (Mattie), youngest daughter of George Garnish of Shirwell

Death Mar 1929 Barnstaple 5b 721 Blackmore Thomas A age 67
Died 3 January 1929 at 96 Pilton Street, Pilton East, Barnstaple, Devon
Thomas Albert Blackmore, Male, 67, Carpenter and Undertaker (Master). Informant was the Coroner on 7 January following an inquest on 4 January. Verdict was that he Hanged himself.
An article in the North Devon Journal 10 Jan 1929 gives a report of the inquest. It states that he was a well known and respected master carpenter and undertaker. In it his wife, Martha, said that her husband had been worrying himself considerably about his business falling off. There was a lot made about an empty whisky bottle found in the workshop and whether he had been drinking heavily.

Exeter & Plymouth Gazette 4 January 1929
Barnstaple Tragedy
A tragic discovery was made yesterday afternoon by the wife of Mr Thomas Blackmore, of Pilton Street Barnstaple, who found her husband hanging from a rafter in his carpenter's workshop. She sent for assistance and Mr F Mitchell, who lives at Pilton Post-Office, was quickly on the scene and cut the body down. Dr G K W Sanders was also summoned, and arrived promptly, but could only pronounce life extinct. An inquest is to be held.

Probate 1929
Blackmore Thomas Albert of 96 Pilton Street Barnstaple Devonshire died 4 January 1929. Administration (limited) Exeter 8 June to Edith Jane Smith (wife of William Burgess Smith). Effects £462 6s
Edith Jane Smith is Eliza Jane (nee Garnish) - his wife's sister

Details of Administration
Admon
Be it known that Thomas Albert Blackmore of 96 Pilton Street Barnstaple in the County of Devon … died there on the 4^th day of January 1929 intestate…
That Martha Blackmore the lawful Widow and Relict and the only person entitled to his estate is now a person of unsound mind…..
Letters of Administration were granted at the District Probate Registry at Exeter to
Eliza Jane Smith (wife of William Burgess Smith) of 11 St Brannocks Road Ilfracombe in the said County the lawful sister and one of the nearest of kin of the said Martha Blackmore for the use and benefit of the said Martha Blackmore during her Lunacy
Dated the 8^th day of June 1929
Gross value of Estate £462:6:0
Net value of Personal Estate £ nil
Extracted by Harding Son and Rootham Solicitors, Barnstaple

It appears from this that both of Thomas Albert's children were dead. Else it is likely that Administration would have been applied for by his daughter. Instead it was his wife's sister. When his wife died 6 months later, she only left £192, so where did £300 disappear in such a small amount of time?

1871 census
RG10/057 F13 P18 (cont'd on F14 P19)
St Peters Wharf Cottage, Hammersmith
Ann Blackmore, Head, Wife, 39, Labourer Wife, Devonshire Barnstaple
William do, Son, , 16, Errand Boy, Devonshire Barnstaple
Samuel Blackmore, Son, , 11, Scholar, Norfolk Wortwell
Thomas do, Son, , 9, Scholar, Middx Fulham
Lucy do, Daur, , 6, Scholar, Devonshire Barnstaple
Ellen do, Daur, , 3, , Middx Hammersmith

1881 census
Dwelling:Bickington Rd
Census Place:Fremington, Devon, England
Source:FHL Film 1341542 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 2251 Folio 79 Page 5
MarrAgeSexBirthplace
Frank CODDM62 MPlymouth, Devon, England
Rel:Head
Occ:Tanner
Grace E. CODDM51 FBps Tawton, Devon, England
Rel:Wife
Occ:Shop Keeper Grocer
Thos. BLACKMOREU19 MLondon, Middlesex, England
Rel:Boarder
Occ:Joiner

1891 census
18 Victoria Street, Barnstaple
RG12/1774 F107 P6
Thomas Blackmore, Head, M, 28, Carpenter & Joiner, London Fulham
Matilda do, Wife, M, 29, , Devon Barnstaple
Thomas do, Son, , 4, , Devon Barnstaple
Bessie do, Daur, , 8mo, , Devon Barnstaple
Hannah Hedden, Boarder, Wid, 58, Laundress, Devon Bishops Tawton (actually mother in law)

1901 census
RG13/2150 F45 P5
96 Pilton Street, Pilton East, Devon
Thomas A Blackmore, Head, M, 38, Carpenter & Undertaker, London Fulham
Martha do, Wife, M, 40, , Devon Sherwill
Thomas A do, Son, S, 14, , Devon Barnstaple
daughter Bessie is with Grandmother (Hannah Hedden) and aunt (Bessie Hodgson)
---------
95 Pilton Street
Philip Aze, Head, M, 28, Glover, Devon Pilton
Beatrice M Aze, Wife, M, 26, , Devon Barnstaple
Alfred Facy, Boarder, S, 31, Labourer (floor factory), Devon Sherwill
---------
same page
Ann Blackmore, Head, Wid, 42, Grocer Shop Keeper, Berks Reading
Ethel do, Daur, S, 18, Dressmaker, Devon Barnstaple
Leo do, Son, S, 6, , Devon Barnstaple
Robert do, Son, , 4, , Devon Barnstaple

1911 census
RG14PN13375 RG78PN775 RD284 SD4 ED25 SN97
96 Pilton Street, Barnstaple, Devon
Thomas Blackmore, Head, Married, 47, Carpenter and Undertaker, London Fulham
Martha Blackmore, Wife, Married 15 years, , Devon Shirwell

1920 - living in Barnstaple according to newspaper report of his father's funeral. See the will of William Blackmore as to why Thomas got nothing from his father.

Kelly's Directory 1914
P851 Devonshire Private Residents (P54 in bottom right hand corner)
Blackmore William, 15 Westbourne grove, Ilfracombe
Blackmore William Henry, 79 St Brannock's Road, Ilfracombe
P975 Devonshire Traces - Carpenters & Joiners
Blackmore Thomas A. 96 Pilton st Pilton Barnstaple

  Noted events in his life were:

• Probate, 8 Jun 1929, Exeter, Devon, England.

Thomas married Matilda Gertrude HEDDEN, daughter of Unknown and Hannah HEDDEN, on 12 Jun 1886 in Barnstaple, Devon, England.¹ (Matilda Gertrude HEDDEN was born on 28 Nov 1860 in Pilton, Barnstaple, Devon, England ⁵, baptised on 31 Mar 1861 in Pilton, Barnstaple, Devon, England, died on 21 Apr 1894 in Barnstaple, Devon, England ⁶ and was buried on 26 Apr 1894 in Barnstaple, Devon, England.)

Thomas next married Martha "Mattie" GARNISH, daughter of George GARNISH and Eliza KIDWELL, on 7 Mar 1896 in Barnstaple, Devon, England.² (Martha "Mattie" GARNISH was born on 3 Dec 1860 in Shirwell, Devon, England ⁷ and died on 4 Jul 1929 in Exminster, Devon, England ^{8 9}.)