Thomas Kent (c1791-1877)

Thomas Kent was born in approximately 1791. The majority of census records lists Wivenhoe as his place of birth, but he was not baptised in the town. A search by the local online parish clerk has not located a baptism in Wivenhoe for him. The closest entry was for a ‘Thomas Kemp” in 1790, the son of John and Mary “Kemp”. If further research fails to locate a baptism for Thomas, this baptism entry (as a mis-transciption) may need to be considered.

A referral to Borden, Suffolk as place of birth in the 1861 census will also need to be considered.

=Marriage==

Thomas married on the 14th May 1813 at Wivenhoe to Sarah Ruffell, the daughter of Jeffrey and Jane Ruffell (nee Strand). Sarah had been born in Little Horkesley in Essex.

The couple settled in Wivenhoe and had seven known children – a son William who was born in 1820 had died by the year 1836 when another son of the same name was born. It is also likely that the couple had a few more children die in infancy early in the marriage, as eldest recorded daughter Sally was not born until 1818.

1841 census
In the 1841 census, Thomas and family are living at East Street in Wivenhoe. Thomas is recorded as a 50 years old mariner, wife Sarah is aged 52, daughter Sally aged 23, daughter Jane aged 18, daughter Mary Ann aged 14, son Thomas aged 11, daughter Mahala aged 7, and son William aged 5.

1851 census
In the 1851 census, Thomas and family are again recorded at East Street in Wivenhoe. Thomas is recorded as a mariner, aged 60, while wife Sarah is recorded as aged 62. Only 3 of their children remain living with them at this time – son Thomas, who is now a 20 year old mariner, daughter Mahala aged 18 and son William aged 14. All the children are recorded as being born in Wivenhoe.

1861 census
The 1861 census is the only census in which Thomas is not located with his family in Wivenhoe. Being a mariner, it is likely that he was at sea at the time.

The most likely candidate I have found for him is a Thomas Kent, mate aboard the ship Sophia at the town of Lowestoft Roads. Marshall Twaddell is the captain of the ship, and the crew include two men by the name of Henry Chapman and William Andrews. He gives his year of birth as 1790.

Everything matches our Thomas with the exception of his place of birth. This is recorded as Borden, Suffolk. On all other census documents, it is recorded as Wivenhoe. Further evidence is required to determine if this entry does belong to the Thomas Kent of this family.

Wife Sarah is recorded at East Street, Wivenhoe with daughter Mary (a charwoman – aged 33), son Thomas (a fisherman – aged 31) and grandchildren Emma E H Kent (aged 9) and Mary Ann M Kent (aged 1). It is not known who are the parents of these children are at this stage, but the likelihood is Thomas or Mary Ann, who were at the house at the time.

1871 census
In the 1871 census, Thomas is recorded with the family again at Wivenhoe. He is listed as an 81 year old mariner and wife Sarah is listed as 82 years of age. Son Thomas is living with them, recorded as a 40 year old unmarried mariner. Grandchildren Mary A Kent (aged 11) and Mahala A Gardener (aged 18 – a child of eldest daughter Sally – and a tailoress) were also at the house at the time of the census.

Death
Thomas died in Wivenhoe on the 6th May 1877, aged 87 years. His cause of death was recorded as senectus (which means old age) and paralysis. Witness to his death was a Tammy ‘Sansom’ or possibly ‘Nason’ mistranscribed (youngest son William had married a Lucy Rebecca Nason).

Thomas was buried at Wivenhoe.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Thomas and Sarah Kent
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Thomas and Sarah Kent