Thomas was born in Hanbury, Staffordshire, 1872 to William JOHNSON and Rachel HUDSON. He later uses both surnames but the birth/baptism is yet to be found so it is unclear which name he was registered with. This is not unusual with traveller families.
At the time of the 1881 census, Thomas is living in Oakamoor near Cheadle with his parents and older brother, William. In 1891 they are in a lodging house in Yoxall, Staffordshire along with the youngest member of the family, Nathan (possibly Nathaniel). On both of the census records for these years, Thomas is recorded as Thomas JOHNSON.
On 19 July 1897, Thomas marries Mary Matilda LEWIS in the parish church at Cheadle. At this point he is using the surname HUDSON and appears to continue to do so for the remainder of his life. He appears in the 1901 census in Tape Street, Cheadle along with Mary. He is working as a Joiner's Labourer and it is noted that he is blind in one eye. At the time of the 1911 census, Thomas and Mary are living in Sturston near Ashbourne. They have four children at that point, William, Kathleen, John Thomas (known as Tom) and Frederick. It is recorded that they have had thirteen children born alive with only four surviving and so it is almost certain that some of these were born before the eldest living child (William born 1901). Frederick dies shortly after the 1911 census but at least two more children are born after this, George in 1913 and Albert in 1917. The family were in the Uttoxetor area at both of these times.
After Mary's death in 1933, Thomas went to live with one of his sons.
Finding Thomas Hudson
