Malcolm Smith's Family History Archive

Biography of

Thomas  SMITH

[Ref. Q.41]

Profile Dwellings St.Leonard's Army Keepsakes Photographs Index for SMITH

 
Thomas Smith was born at High Street, Eynsford in Kent on 10 November 1878, the third child of eleven in the family of Thomas and Mary Smith. His birth was registered at Farningham on 14 January 1879 and his name and date of birth are recorded on the Family Register that his parents kept. Being named Thomas after his father, he was known as Tom junior by way of distinction.

The census of 1881 shows Thomas and his two elder brothers living with their parents living at 3 New Row, High Street in Eynsford. The family had increased by the time the 1891 census was taken and were then living at 7 High Street in Eynsford.

Thomas' career was decided as being that of a teacher which bucked the trend of the rest of his siblings and ancestors, all of whom worked on the land, and most of whom could not write. He was indentured as a pupil teacher at St.Paul's Dock Street Church of England school in Wellclose Square, Whitechapel, for a four year period with effect from 1 May 1894 when he was 16 years old. His salary started at £15, increasing to £25 in his final year. During that period under the terms of the indenture, his father was responsible for making provision for his food, clothing and lodging and also watching that he conducted himself in a proper manner. His father being unable to write, signed the agreement by marking it with a cross. It seems that Thomas also served part of his training at St.Thomas Charterhouse school in Finsbury. Having completed his apprenticeship, Thomas went to St.Leonard's school in Streatham where he remained until retirement.

It was whilst Tom was teaching at Streatham that he took lodgings with the Harding family at 38 Eardley Road along with a fellow teacher, Walter Welch as recorded in the census of 1901. The two teachers were attracted to the daughters of the family and subsequently Tom married Agnes Harding and Walter married Jessie. Tom and Agnes Sophia Harding were married at St.Alban's church in Streatham on 30 December 1905 then continued to live with Agnes's parents at Eardley Road.

Tom and Aggie's first child, Harvey Thomas, was born in 1906 at 73 Radbourne Road, Clapham, Surrey. Their son Archbald William was born in 1909 at 26 Eardley Road in Streatam. This was the extent of the family when the 1911 was taken and they were now living at 11 Corshill Street in Streatham and that is where daughter Agnes Marie was born in 1912. All three children attended St.Leonard's school where Thomas was a master but it is not known if he actually taught either of the boys (Marie would have been in the girls school) but they all achieved a high academic standard.

The family had a cat and a dog, both named Bob, so the cat became known as Wobbo by way of distinction.

At the coronation of George V in 1911, there was a fête at Crystal Palace on 30 June to which Thomas received an invitation to attend and assist. Eight boys from St.Leonard's school were chosen by ballot to represent the school and they each received a special coronation medal from the Mayor of Wandsworth. Thomas helped with the arrangements at the fête and received a colourful certificate of thanks from Wandsworth Council.

Around 1914, Thomas and family moved to 189 Mitcham Lane in Streatham. Thomas' teaching was interrupted by the Great War. He was on the reserve list initially during which time he served as a Special Constable. He joined the army in 1915, serving with the RAMC (TF) in the 1st London Sanitary Company. Having been invalided out of the army in 1917, a letter from his employer, the London County Council, gave him leave of absence until 11 November 1917 on which date he was issued with a Registration Card.. However, he was unable to return to work until May 1919, and a sick note dated 18 March 1918 stated that he was suffering from ague which prevented him following his occupation.

Thomas resumed duties as a Special Constable during the general strike of 1928. He retired from teaching at the end of 1938, but when war broke out again in 1939, Tom felt obliged to return to teaching and joined the staff at Swanley Central School. He remained there until his health failed in 1943.

It is said by the family that Tom was jealous of Aggie and used to believe she was flaunting herself at the man next door. In fact she was only cleaning the front step, but Tom would peep round the net curtains to see what she was up to. He smoked a pipe and was also fond of a pint of beer and the latter could make him quite errascible. After his drink of beer at night he would go to bed early, putting out the gaslights as he went, in the opinion that everyone else should go to bed as well. The family would wait until he was asleep then put the lights back on and continue as normal.

Tom always dressed in sober fashion and usually wore a bowler hat. He observed the protocol of Sundays, but one Sunday the vicar told him off for letting his children play with a ball. This was taken by Tom at face value until some time later he came across a tennis party being held at the vicarage on a Sunday. He never spoke to the vicar again. He was interested in the English language and always completed the Daily Mail crossword each morning before setting off to teach.

Around the time Tom retired, he and Aggie bought a bungalow at 26 Beechylees Road in Otford, Kent. The purchase price was £500 and they started with a deposit of £50. Tom called the bungalow "Ermine", probably after the college where he once taught. The postmas remarked to him one day that he liked the name believing it to be a corruption of "Hers and Mine". Tom being a purist of the English language was disgusted at this. Tom contracted cancer in his throat and was taken to Nuffield Hospital, from where he wrote to his wife Aggie. Despite an operation he died on 19 November 1943. His death was registered at Sevenoaks by his son Archie and there is a Funeral Card that has been kept by his daughter Marie. Tom was buried at Otford church and obituaries in the local newspapers marked the occasion and recalled the principal events in his life.

 

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