THOMAS BARLOW MILLS (1843 - 1902)

ALDAM MILLS was the third son of THOMAS and MARY MILLS and my wife's great grandfather. THOMAS AND MARY MILLS (nee MARSHALL) are therefore my wife's great great grandparents. THOMAS was the eldest son of the Sheffield cutlery manufacturer HENRY MILLS and his wife SARAH.

THOMAS and his wife MARY appear on the 1871 Census living at 56 Orchard Road, Sheffield (GRO Ref RG10/4962 Page 104 - 79 Brightside Bierlow) which I believe was in the Parkwood Springs area of Neepsend, Sheffield

This is two years after their marriage in 1869 at St Philips Church, Shalesmoor, Sheffield. The registers give the following details

MARSHALL, Mary Eliza (Spinster, age Full, ~, residing at Owlerton). Married Thomas Barlow MILLS, on July 5, 1869, by Creswell Roberts (Banns) at St Philips Church, Shalesmoor. Father's name is Robert William Marshall (Manufacturer). Married in the presence of Robert William Marshall, Henry Abdiel Rodgers.

MILLS, Thomas Barlow (Bachelor, age Full, Manufacturer, residing at Pitsmoor). Married Mary Eliza MARSHALL, on July 5, 1869, by Creswell Roberts (Banns) at St Philips Church, Shalesmoor. Father's name is Henry Mills (Manufacturer). Married in the presence of Robert William Marshall, Henry Abdiel Rodgers.

The next record I have of Thomas and Mary is derived from the 1881 Census 

Dwelling: 131 Upperthorpe, Road Census Place: Nether Hallam, York, England Source: FHL Film 13421116 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 4621 Folio 78 Page 420

ALDAM MARSHALL MILLS birth was registered  in the September quarter of 1878 (GRO Ecclesall Bierlow Volume  9c Page 314) which confirms his age in the Census. It also reveals that he married ELLEN OTTER in the March quarter of 1899 (GRO Sheffield Volume 9c Page 475). His sister ANNIE MILLS was registered in the March  quarter of 1874 (GRO  Ecclesall Bierlow Vol 9c Page 309)

The same source also confirms the details of ALDAM's older brother THOMAS BARLOW MILLS who was named after his father. He was born in the March quarter of 1876 (GRO Ecclesall Bierlow Volume 9c Page 342). There are also details of his marriage in the September quarter of 1898 (GRO Sheffield Vol 9c Page 695) to an ELEANOR VIVIA SHELDON. Eleanor was slightly older than Thomas for the records show that she was born in the September quarter of 1875 (GRO Sheffield Volume 9c Page 498). She was the daughter of JOSEPH and MARIA SHELDON. They lived on the same road as the MILLS family in 1881 - The MILLS lived at 131 Upperthorpe Road whist the SHELDONS lived at 89. ( Dwelling: 89 Upperthorpe Road Census Place: Nether Hallam, York, England Source: FHL Film 13421116 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 4621 Folio 63 Page 12)

Thomas and Eleanor would almost certainly have known one another as children. THOMAS died at the age of 59 in the September quarter of 1902 (GRO Sheffield Volume 9c Page 339) 

A THOMAS BARLOW MILLS was born in the December quarter of 1900 (GRO Sheffield Volume 9c Page 629) making three generations with the same name. My initial suspicion was that he was the son of Thomas and Eleanor Mills (nee Sheldon) but in February 2010 I received the following information from a fellow researcher. 

"I have in the 1901 census

Name: William H Mills
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1871
Relation to Head: Head Gender: Male
Spouse: Jessie A Mills
Birth Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England Civil Parish: Brightside Bierlow Ecclesiastical parish: Brightside St Thomas County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England
Registration District: Sheffield Sub-registration District: East Brightside ED, institution, or vessel: 23
Piece: 4380 Folio: 135 Page Number: 4 Household Schedule Number: 21
Household Members: 
Name Age
William H Mills 30 - b 1871
Jessie A Mills 30 b 1871
Robert Mills 7 b 1984
Aldam Mills 4 b 1897
Albert E Mills 2 b 1898
Thomas B Mills 5/12 b 1900

Could this be the same one as you are thinking was born to Thomas and Eleanor ? Robert William was my G G Grandfather". It appears that it was WILLIAM HENRY MILLS who named two of his children ALDAM and THOMAS BARLOW after his brothers, and not Thomas and Eleanor as I first thought.

Note Births Dec 1898 Mills Albert Edward Sheffield Volume9c Page608

ALDAM's second name MARSHALL was his mothers maiden name. In the September quarter of 1869 MARY ELIZA MARSHALL married THOMAS BARLOW MILLS making them my wife's great great grandparents. (GRO Sheffield Volume 9c Page 496) 

The 1891 Census has the family living in the Tinsley area of Sheffield (Source: PRO Ref RG12 Piece 3848 Entry157. It is very difficult to make out the address on the transcription but I believe it is 4 Burns Terrace, Tinsley, Sheffield.

As for Mary Eliza, there is an entry in the 1911 Census

Name: Mary Eliza Mills
Age in 1911: 64
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1847
Relation to Head: Head Gender: Female
Birth Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England Civil Parish: Sheffield County/Island: Yorkshire-West Riding Country: England
Street Address: 27 Berkley St
Marital status: Widowed
Occupation: Private Means
Registration District: Sheffield Registration District Number: 510 Sub-registration District: Attercliffe ED, institution, or vessel: 08 Piece: 27996

She is living on her own as a 64 year old widow. Mary Eliza died in Sheffield in June 1932

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This page was last updated on 12/11/20 15:19