Some pictures of him:

A word or two:

Here's some background info on Tom. He was twenty years old and full of life when he married Ms. Hannah Herbert on the 25th April 1911 in the St. Georges sub-district of Manchester.

They obviously believed in large families, because over the course of a thirty odd year period, they proceeded to have seven children. There were five boys and two girls, so we can imagine what that was like.

Although he was under age when World War One broke out, he signed up and fought for his country. He survived the trench warfare, artillery shelling, and poison gas attacks with only the loss of part of one hand. It must have bothered him some, but he never mentioned it. He had special cutlery made to eat with, but otherwise lived a very normal life.

Securing the position of Lift Operator at the Daily Mirror building in London, he caused a strike one day when the management wanted to terminate his employment because they didn't want a disabled person to operate their elevators. He was subsequently reinstated.

Years later, when all their children had all grown up and had children of their own, he and Hannah moved to South Ockendon in Essex, and he seemed to enjoy it there. They had a little garden for the first time, there was a working man's drinking club nearby, and he seemed happy.

They lived very close to my old school, and right next to our local park, so I would always be popping in out of the blue for lunch with them. I remember one of his favorite dinners was Windsor stew which Hannah made from the parts of chickens we throw away today.

Unfortunately, his end came from a sudden fatal heart attack just as the flowers in his garden were beginning to bloom in the early spring sun. Although he is no longer around, he will never be forgotten. He is my earliest memory of an 'old person' and was like a Grandad and a Great-Grandad all in one.