Thomas Farr Higgs (1848 – 1919)

                                    Mary Titcombe Higgs (1850 – 1898)

                                    Sarah Higgs (1856 – 1922)

Thomas Higgs was born in 1848 in Newbury the eldest child of Thomas and Mary, nee Garlick, Higgs. In the 1851 census he was living with his parents, brother John aged one and Mary’s parents in Northbrook Street in Newbury. Thomas was a stationer.

Ten years later in the 1861 census Thomas was recorded with his parents and six siblings in Cheap Street in Newbury, his father Thomas was a general dealer.

Subsequently in the 1871 census Thomas’s parents Thomas senior and Mary were living with seven children at 3 Cheap Street. The oldest child was recorded as William James aged 22 which was probably Thomas as another son William Henry aged 18 appeared in the census return. Thomas junior, John and William Henry were all working as a shopman to a stationer, while their father was a stationer. Thomas’s sister Elizabeth Ann was a dressmaker.

Thomas married Mary Titcombe Pullen on 18 August 1877 at the Wesleyan Chapel, East Street in Southampton. Mary was born in 1856 in Lambourn, the daughter of John and Caroline, nee Titcomb, Pullen. In the 1861 and 1871 censuses Mary was recorded in Newbury with her parents and siblings. John was an iron founder’s labourer in 1861 and a machinist in 1871. The family were living at 6 Trafalgar Place in 1861 and 30 West Fields in 1871.

In the 1881 census Thomas and Mary were recorded with their daughter Edith aged one and a general servant at 151 Bartholomew Street in Newbury. Thomas was a general shopkeeper. Ten years later in the 1891 census Thomas and Mary were recorded with five children (Edith aged 11, Catherine 9, Archibald 7, Eleanor 3 and Florence 2) and a general servant at 24 Craven Street in Newbury, Thomas was a general warehouseman.

Mary died on 7 June 1898 aged 47 still living at Craven Street and she was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 10 June. An announcement appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 9 June as below.

HIGGS – June 7, at 21 Craven Street, Newbury, Mary Titcombe, wife of Thomas Farr Higgs, aged 47 years. No flowers by request.

In the Newbury Weekly News dated 9 August 1900 there was an announcement that the partnership of William Henry Higgs, Thomas Farr Higgs and John Higgs who had been running the stationers and general dealer’s business at 33 Cheap Street was being dissolved. The business was going to be carried on by a new partnership of William Henry Higgs and John Higgs.

The following year in the 1901 census Thomas was recorded living at 24 Craven Street in Newbury along with his wife Sarah and with four children (Catherine Maud aged 19, Archibald 17, Eleanor 13 and Florence 12) and a general servant at 24 Craven Street in Newbury, Thomas was living on his own means, Maud was a bookseller’s assistant and Archibald a hosier’s assistant. Sarah was Sarah Pullen, younger sister of Thomas’s first wife Mary. At the time it was not legal in England for a widower to marry the sister of his first wife (an Act was introduced in 1907 to allow such marriages), so Sarah was Thomas’s common law wife.

Sarah was born in 1853 in Newbury. She was record with her parents and sister Mary in the 1861 and 1871 censuses as detailed above. In the 1881 census she was recorded with her parents and siblings Alfred, George and Caroline living in Westfields in Newbury and was a dressmaker. Ten years later in the 1891 census she was recorded with her parents and sister Caroline at 6 Burton Terrace, Russell Road in Newbury and was still working as a dressmaker.

In the 1911 census Thomas and Sarah and were living in Bridge Street in Hungerford, Thomas was as assistant to a grocer.

Thomas died on 7 July 1919 aged 70 living at Church Street in Hungerford and he was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 10 July.  

Sarah was living by herself in Park Street in Hungerford in the 1921 census and her occupation was recorded as retired.

Sarah died on 26 December 1922 aged 70 living at Church Street in Hungerford and she was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 29 December. 

Thomas’s parents Thomas and Mary Higgs were buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 23 June 1887 and 7 December 1887 respectively. In addition, his brothers Frederick, John, Walter, Brice Edward, William Henry, Herbert, Arthur and sister Elizabeth Ann were buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 10 January 1893, 23 December 1902, 29 November 1904, 15 April 1913, 25 June 1913, 8 January 1915, 1 April 1924 and 1 February 1936 respectively.

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