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Thomas COWLEY (1822–1901)
His wife Mrs Ann COWLEY, née Marsh (1821–1903)
Their daughters Kate Florence COWLEY (1858–1866),
Miss Esther Susannah COWLEY (1861–1903), and Phoebe Judith COWLEY (1863–1866)
St Paul's section: Row 4, Grave A8 [St Paul ref. F1]

Thomas Cowley was born at Horton-cum-Studley, Oxfordshire in 1822 and baptised at Beckley on 23 June. He was the son of the builder Henry Cowley and Susannah Hodgkins, were were married at Priors Marston, Warwickshire on 16 August 1789. By 1830 the family had moved to Oxford, and at the time of the 1841 census Thomas (18) was a carpenter, living at Union Street in Jericho with his parents and four of his siblings. He was still a bachelor in 1851, living at home with his parents.
For more on his parents and his siblings, see their separate grave.

Ann Marsh was born in Oxford in 1821 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 4 November. She was the daughter of the butcher Thomas Marsh and Hester Grubb (often recorded as Esther), who were married at St Mary Magdalen Church on 3 August 1813. At the time of the 1841 census Ann (9) was living over the family butcher's shop in George Street with her parents and her siblings Thomas (c.25) and George (c.20), who were butchers like their father, and Eliza (24), Thirza (21), Mark (16), Elizabeth (13), and Clara (10). Ann's father Thomas Marsh died at George Street at the age of 60 and was buried on 25 January 1850, probably in St Sepulchre's Cemetery. At the time of the 1851 census Ann (29) was living at 16 Worcester Place and acting as housekeeper to her brother Thomas (35), who was a coal merchant employing two men; in a separate household at that address were Ann's widowed mother Esther (59), described as a landed proprietor, and her sisters Thirza (31) and Clara (20).

On 5 April 1853 at Holy Trinity Church, Clapham, London, Thomas Cowley married Ann Marsh. They had eight children:

• Henry Thomas Cowley (born in Oxford in late 1853 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 6 January 1854)
• George Frederick Cowley (born in Oxford in 1854/5)
• Mark James Cowley (born at New Osney, Oxford in 1856 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 13 July)
• Kate Florence Cowley (born at New Osney, Oxford in 1858 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 14 November)
• Thirza Ann Cowley (born at New Osney, Oxford in 1859 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 27 November)
• Esther Susannah Cowley (born at New Osney, Oxford in 1861 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 14 July)
• Phoebe Judith Cowley (born at New Osney, Oxford in 1863 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 10 May);
  died in 1866 aged 2½
• Charles William Cowley (born in St Mary Magdalen parish in 1865 and baptised at St Thomas's Church on 12 November).

At the time of the 1861 census Thomas (38), who described himself as a carpenter, and his wife Ann were living at 21 East Street, Osney in 1861 with their children George (6), Mark (4), Kate (3), and Thirza (1). Their eldest son Henry (7) was staying with his paternal grandparents in Walton Street.

Their daughter Phoebe was born in Oxford in 1863, but died in 1866:

† Phoebe Judith Cowley died at Walton Street at the age of 2 years and 7 months on 17 January 1866 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 23 January (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).

The St Paul's reference, F1, suggests that she was the first buried in this grave (rather than in the infants' section of the cemetery).

Their daughter Kate died in the same year:

† Kate Florence Cowley died at Walton Street at the age of 8 years on 2 December1866 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 9 December (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).

In 1871 Thomas (48), who now described himself as a master builder, was living in Walton Street, Oxford with his wife Ann (49) and their children George (16), who was a butcher; Mark (15), who was a railway clerk; and Thirza (11), Esther (9), and Charles (5). Their eldest son Henry (17) was a carpenter and living with his uncle William at the Rose & Crown in Park End Street, Oxford.

In 1875 their son Henry (21), who was a clerk, took out the first lease on 3 Leckford Road in north Oxford, and the family went to live there.

Their eldest son Henry was married in 1878:

• On 30 July 1878 at St Aldate's Church, Oxford, Henry Thomas Cowley (24), described as a clerk of Ss Philip & James's parish, married Rhoda Harvey (21) of St Aldate's parish, the daughter of the University Water Bailiff William Harvey.

Their marriage was announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal, but although Rhoda's father was named, Henry's was not, and this implies that Thomas may have left his family.

Their son George was married in 1879:

• On 4 April 1879 at Teddington Church, George Frederick Cowley (24) of Hammersmith married Lucy Bull (24) of Teddington.

In 1881 Thomas (58), described as a builder's manager, was lodging on his own in Swindon with the family of a shoemaker, Stephen Lawrence. His wife Ann (58) was living at 3 Leckford Road with her son Mark (24), who was a clerk and recorded by his middle name James, and Charles (16), who was a printer's apprentice. Her daughter Esther (20) was a lady's maid, living in the household of the underwriter Walter Tidd at 16 Cleveland Place, Paddington, and Thirza (21), who was a milliner, was paying a visit to the Oxford-born widow Clara Watts (50) and her family in Salford.

Two more of their children were married in the 1880s:

• On 24 April 1883 at Ss Philip & James's Church, Oxford, Mark James Cowley (27), described as a clerk of Leckford Road, married Sarah Mary Ann Maltby of Southmoor Road, the daughter of the bookbinder Alfred Maltby;
• On 11 October 1887 at Ss Philip & James's Church, Oxford, Thirza Ann Cowley (28) of Leckford Road married Thomas William Jeffreys (27), a clerk of Leckford Road, the son of the taxidermist Thomas Richard Jeffreys.

In 1891 Thomas (68) was a retired builder, living in the home of his married sister Phoebe Cooke in Tiddington, near Stratford-upon-Avon. His wife Ann (69) was now running a lodging house at 3 Leckford Road and living there with her youngest son Charles (25), who was a printer compositor, and just one boarder. Their daughter Esther (29), described as a dressmaker, was calling herself Esther Midway and living at 39 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London with the traveller Richard Midway (38): he was born in Scotland so they may have married there, but it is possible that they were not married, as Esther soon reverted to her maiden name and described herself as single.

Their son Charles was married in 1898:

• On 19 May 1898 at Cowley St John Church, Charles William Cowley (33), a compositor of 10 Paradise Square, married Clara Soanes (40) of 24 Hurst Street, the daughter of the builder George Soanes.

By the time of his death in early 1901, Thomas Cowley was in Oxford Workhouse:

† Thomas Cowley died at Oxford Workhouse at the age of 78 on 13 February 1901 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 16 February (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).

At the time of the 1901 census his wife Ann (79) was living on her own in part of 65 Walton Street . Esther (39) was a dressmaker, living on her own at 367 London Road, Earley, Berkshire.

Ann died in 1901 and was buried with her husband: .

† Mrs Ann Cowley née Marsh died at 210 Mackintosh Place, Cardiff at the age of 81 on 1 April 1901 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 4 April (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).

Within a week her daughter Esther was also dead and buried with them:

† Miss Esther Susannah Cowley died at 367 London Road, Reading at the age of 41 on 8 April 1903 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 11 April (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul's Church).

Esther's effects came to £507 12s. 11d., and her executor was the architect Thomas Cowley, probably her brother Henry Thomas Cowley. She is described in her probate record as “COWLEY Esther Susannah otherwise MIDWAY Maud Esther”.

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Surviving children of Thomas & Ann Cowley

• Henry Thomas Cowley (born 1853) described himself as an architect & builder's clerk in 1881 and was living at 75 Kingston Road with his wife Rhoda and their six-month-old son Henry. In 1891 Henry (36), described as a builder's surveyor, was living at 102 Kingston Road with his wife Rhoda (33) and their children Henry (10), James (8), and Gertrude (3), plus a servant and a lodger. They were still at that address in 1901 with James (18), who was an articled photographer, Gertrude (12), and William (1), plus their servant. By 1911 Henry was a widower of 57, living at 237 Woodstock Road with his daughter Gertrude (22), who was his housekeeper, his son William (11), and their fourteen-year-old servant girl. Henry was still living at that address when he died at the Jericho House pub in Walton Street at the age of about 69 on 24 September 1924. His effects came to £4,953 11s. 111d., and his executors were his son James Garnet Cowley and the builder's clerk Matthew John Sansom.
• George Frederick Cowley (born 1854/5) and his wife Lucy had no children. In 1881 he was living in Hammersmith with Lucy and working as a carpenter. By 1891 they were living at 68 Blenheim Road, Reading. In 1901 George was living on his own there, but described himself as married; his wife Lucy died in Reading at the age of 47 near the beginning of 1902. In 1904 in Reading he married his second wife Edith Esther Cooper. At the time of the 1911 census George (56), who now described himself as a carpenter & general shopkeeper, was living at 103 Cholmeley Road, Reading with Edith (37). George died at 68 Radstock Road, Reading at the age of 74 on 19 January 1929. His effects came to £458 19s. 9d., and his executor was his wife Edith.
• Mark James Cowley (born 1856) was a commercial manager for a furniture remover in 1891, living at 37 Pembroke Street, St Ebbe's with his wife Sarah and their daughter Winifred (2), and his parents-in-law, the bookbinder Alfred Maltby and his wife Rose and two of their daughters were boarding with them. In 1901 Alfred Maltby (66) was the head of the household at 40 Leckford Road, and Mark (45), described as a carrier's clerk, was living with him with his wife and daughter. In 1911 Mark (55) was a general carrier and employer, living at 217 Banbury Road with his wife Sarah (52) and their daughter Winifred (22), plus a servant. Mark died at 12 Wootton Road, Abingdon at the age of 87 on 23 February 1944. His effects came to £2,650, and his executors were his daughter Mrs Winifred Rose Mobbs and his account.
• Thirza Ann Cowley, Mrs Jeffreys (born 1859) and her husband Thomas William Jeffreys had no children. In 1891 Thirza (31) was living at 18 Francis Terrace, Carmarthen with her husband Thomas (30), who was a railway clerk. In 1911 they were living at 12 Shirley Road, Cardiff, and Thomas now described himself as a railway agent. Thirza Ann Jeffreys died at 12 Shirley Road, Cardiff at the age of 90 on 18 March 1950. Her effects came to £10,183 13s.4d., and her executors were Miss Susan Alice Jeffreys and her bank.
• Charles William Cowley (born 1865) and his wife Clara had no children. At the time of the 1901 census Charles (37), still a printer compositor, was living at 2 Castle Terrace, Paradise Street with Clara (41) and his mother-in-law and a boarder. They were still at that address in 1911. Charles was living at 293 Cowley Road when he died at the Cowley Road Hospital on 16 May 1949. His effects came to £7,785 11s. 8d., and his executor was the bank clerk William Herbert Cowley.