[Gordon Pratt > Kenneth H Pratt > Ella Frances Edwards > couple 18]
Thomas John Edwards
BIRTH: July 1853, England
DEATH: 16 September 1919, Gardner, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Margaret O'Brien
BIRTH: September 1854, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
DEATH: 9 July 1919, Leominster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Thomas J Edwards
Thomas John Edwards was born to a William and Maria/Mary Edwards in England. It is almost impossible to tell which William and Mary this is, as there are dozens in the 1871 Census of England and Wales.
He immigrated to the United States in 1871 and works in the trouser laundry business.
Margaret O'Brien
Margaret was born to William O'Brien(1820-??) and Ellen Hennecy (1827-??) in Plymouth. They are of Irish descent, and perhaps immigrated to the US between 1851 and 1854 when Margaret was born. Patrick has a birth record that says he was born in Massachusetts, though. They lived in Kingston, which is just north of Plymouth.
1. Mary (1850-??)
2. Patrick (1851-??)
3. Margaret (1854-??)
4. Ellen Henesey (1856-??)
5. Thomas (1858-??)
6. Elizabeth (1860-??)
7. Catherine (1862-??)
Life Together
Later, Thomas was listed as a reed worker (weaving), born in England, and Margaret was from Plymouth, MA. Thomas works in a straw hat shop in 1880. It is likely that Margaret's parents are William and Ellen O'Brien of Ireland (1880 Census), who seem to have immigrated from around 1852 or so, when they settled in Kingston, Plymouth, MA. The 1900 Census says they were from MA, which may have been a Census error, as these discrepancies are for the same Margaret, wife of Thomas Edwards.
Together they had five children:
1. Ella Frances (1874-1957) b. Foxborough, m. 1891 Herbert A Pratt (1867-1956)
2. Cecilia Rebecca (1875- bef. 1942) b. Ashburnham, m. 1893 to Charles E Baldwin (1865-1894), m. 1899 to Franklin C Royea (1879-??)
3. William Andrew (1878-Mar. 17, 1940)
4. May Edna (1886-??) b. Ashburnham
5. Ralph Leo (1895-1942) b. Leominster
1900, Thomas J and Margaret live in Leominster on 33 Richardson Street with William A (22), May E (13), Ralph L (5)
1910 Thomas J (57) is an "inmate" at the Gardner State Colony (an asylum). He had been a shoe maker.
The rest of the family (Margaret (51) and three children William (31), May (20), and Ralph (15)) live at 239 Water Street, Leominster. At the time of Census, Margaret declares that she had 5 children, all of whom are living. William works as an ironer at the shirt factory, and May works stitching at the shirt factory.
Margaret died on July 9, 1919, and Thomas J died in September 16 1919 that same year. They were both buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Leominster.
Three of their children, William (stock clerk, then yardman at the papermill), May (cutter at box shop), and Ralph (stitcher at shirt shop, then insurance agent), continued to live together as they remained single as of the 1920 (44 Pleasant Street, Leominster, MA) and 1930 Census (288 Main Street, Leominster), living together in an apartment.
By 1940, only May (52) and Ralph (45) lived together, as William had passed away. (62 Church St, Leominster) Ralph had done 4 years of high school, May had dropped out after 8th grade. Ralph is selling accident and health insurance, May is not employed.
Interesting article on the Ashburnham School Boy of 1850.
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