Grid Reference: L 16c

Thomas Smith

Personal Life

Thomas Smith was born in 1778 into a very different era than the one in which he died. Eighteenth century Wednesfield underwent many changes over the following 80 years. Industry developed and population grew.  Housing was very much restricted to the main streets and so became very crowded.

With such a popular name, it is difficult to trace his specific origins and family. However, his tombstone tells us that he was married to Ann and we can place Thomas and Ann in Rookery Street on the 1851 census, with the appropriate ages, where Thomas was a Locksmith. Rookery Street, often referred to by older residents as The Rookery, is believed to be so named because its cramped and over-crowded housing was similar to a colony of rooks nesting in a tree.

Ann passed away in 1857 and Thomas followed her 2 years later in 1859.