Great Uncle of
W.P. 'Bill' Richardson
Thomas was born on 6th June 1868, the first child of Robert Richardson, a
coal miner, and his wife Margaret (nee Pallister). He
was named for his paternal Grandfather who had died six
months before Thomas was born.
He was baptised on 22nd June 1868 and the baptism was
entered in the register for the South Shields Primitive
Methodist Circuit. The record shows that the family
lived at Usworth Colliery and Thomas' Dad was a miner.
At the time of the 1871 census the family were living at
Middle Row in Usworth and Thomas was recorded as aged 2
along with his father Robert (24), mother Margaret (22)
and his little sister Isabella who was 1.
By the time of the 1881 census they had moved to number
51 Railway Terrace in Usworth and Thomas was 12. He was
now working for his living down the pit as a 'Trapper',
which meant he worked below ground and opened the traps
or doors to let the coal waggons pass, then closed them
to maintain the ventilation in the mine. Apart from when
a waggon passed, he would have been alone and in total
darkness all the time he was at work.
In 1885 Thomas's father Robert was killed in the
explosion in the Usworth Pit.
In 1888, when Thomas was 20, he married Mary Ellinor
Purvis who also was 20. In the 1891 census they were
recorded as living at number 43 Jubilee Terrace,
Holywell in Northumberland. Thomas was 22 and his
occupation was listed as 'Coal Miner'.
By the time of the 1901 census they were living in
Usworth at number 6 Cooperative Terrace. Thomas was now
32 and he was a 'Coal-Checkweighman'. They had four
children, Annie aged 9, Margaret aged 8, Florence Maud
aged 3 and John Morley aged just 4 months.
Thomas, along with his brother William P. Richardson,
was very involved in politics and fighting for improved
conditions for miners. He stood for election as a Labour
Party candidate and was M.P. for Whitehaven in Cumbria
from 1911 till 1918.
In the census of 1911, Thomas was not
in the family home with his wife and six children. He
was in Barrow in Furness and was listed as a Member of
Parliament (previously Coal Miners' Agent). He was
listed as a visitor in the house of Alice Shaw a 69 year
old widow and her 3 grown up children.
The 1914 Kellys Directory of Durham
listed Thomas as living at 38 Co-Operative Terrace
Washington. He was still an M.P. and was also listed as
a County Councillor representing Washington Ward.
In 1919, he and the family went to Canada. he was the
Labour Party candidate for a Federal by Election in
Vancouver, British Columbia in 1920.
Thomas returned to England and lived in London, he died
on 22nd Oct 1928 at St Thomas's Hospital in London. His
son, Robert McDonald Richardson registered the death and
the address at the time of his death was given as 10,
Denny Crescent, Kennington Cross and Thomas's occupation
was given as Political Agent. Probates was granted
to his widow, Mary Ellener, on 15th November 1928, his
effects amounted to £30:8s:7d.
His cremation took place at Golders
Green Crematorium and his ashes were interred at
Streatham Cemetery, grave 8347, square 6 where his
daughter Margaret had been buried. |