Thomas Abraham Townsend Life Story
Born 10th February 1885, at New House, Rowlestone, Herefordshire the only son of George Townsend (b.1861) and Elizabeth Hughes (b.1858). At his first census, in 1891, age 6 Thomas lived at Lower Moccas with his parents and within a couple of houses of his maternal grandparents Thomas Hughes (b.1815) and Lydia Jones (b.1825?). 10 year later (in 1901) the family remained at Lower Moccas and Thomas and his dad are both “ordinary agricultural labourers”.
Thomas married Emily "Jane" Keys (b. 26th Sep 1885) on 24th May 1909 in Hereford and their first child Charles George Townsend was born the same year, he died on the 23rd October 1909, age 5 months, of "tuberculur meningitis exhaustion". Thomas gave his occupation as a carter In 1911 Thomas and Jane were living at 53 Widemarsh Street, Hereford with 7-month-old Elizabeth "Grace" Townsend (b. 15 Feb 1910,Thomas is a brewer's carter on her birth certifcate).
On 24th April 1912 they had a son, Albert George Townsend. He was baptised on 26th May 1912 in Preston-on-Wye, suggesting the family had moved, and certainly by the end of the war they were at Well Cottage, Preston-on-Wye where they remained until at least May 1959 (where Jane is mentioned there as a beneficiary of the will of Miss Ellen Hannah Davis).
At some point Thomas joined the Army Service Corps (which became the RASC in 1918), his regimental number was T4/ 174215 and his rank was Driver. It is likely that the T4 prefix is pre November 1916 and indicated he was part of the horse transport division. He was discharged on 4th August 1919 and under disabilities it says “Myalgia Neurasthenia” (shell shock).
In 1918 Eric VICTOR Townsend was born and Ruby Joyce Townsend was born on 7th May 1920.
Thomas completed the 1921 census and diligently recorded not just the village of birth for himself and his children but the actual location (he places New House in Walterstone but his birth certificate says Rowlestone, which I think is the correct parish. On the 1939 register Thomas is listed as a "Production Hand Munition Factory", I wonder if this was at nearby Rotherwas ROF but this needs more research.
On 3rd December 1962 his way Jane died at 32 Archenfield Madley, Thomas is listed as a retired builder’s labourer. Thomas died 3 months later (4th March 1963) in Abbots Langley hospital, Hertfordshire after moving to live with his daughter Ruby.
