Thomas Boulter, my great-great-grandfather, was born in 1802 in Titchfield, a small market town in Hampshire. His father, Joshua, was 27, and his mother, Mary, was 32. He married Rebecca Boulter (Bushell) on 31 August 1845 in St Pancras, Middlesex. They had four children in 13 years. He died in 1881 in Southampton, Hampshire, at the age of 79.
Little is known about his early life before he married my great-great-grandmother, Rebecca Bushell. Some sources suggest he may have been married before to Elizabeth Bird, but this does not affect my family research.
Census data from 1841 shows he was a fruiterer on Albany Street, St Pancras. I found this surprising since the street is next to Regent’s Park. Research shows that between 1840 and 1860, it had many shops at street level, with owners living above, including grocers, butchers, confectioners, and fruit shops. These were the same years my 2nd great-grandfather lived there.
During his time in St Pancras, he and Rebecca had three children. The 1851 census lists these children as: Hannah (4), William (3), my great-grandfather, and Frederick (1). Two other children are also listed, George (15) and John (13). At the time, Rebecca was 28, so it is unlikely they were her children, which suggests they were from a previous marriage to Elizabeth Bird. Further research shows that they were married in St Pancras on 28 September 1829.
In December of 1851, Thomas made a court appearance and was found guilty of “Wilful, Corrupt Perjury” — intentionally and dishonestly lying under oath. He was charged but released.
By 1861, the family moved from London to Southampton, where they lived at numbers 2 and 3 Canute Road: Thomas (Head, 59), Rebecca (38), Hannah (14), William (13), Frederick (12), Maria (10), Elizabeth (6), Jane (4), and Arthur (2). In 1861, when Thomas was 60 and Rebecca was 38, they had another child, Alfred.
I cannot find any reference to Rebecca’s death, but by 1871 Thomas is a widower, living at 65 Anderson Terrace in Southampton with his daughter, Elizabeth, and sons, Arthur and Alfred.
At the age of 81, Thomas is living on his own as a lodger at 13 Dock Street, which is on the left, past the fountain in the photograph above.
Thomas died in Southampton between October and December 1881.
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