John THOMAS ²

  Notes:

John was the second surviving son, and was born at Lostwithiel in Cornwall. In 1792 he married Tryphena Masters (qv) in Ilchester in Somerset. They had 10 children, most baptised in Ilchester, apart from their second son James who was baptised back in Lostwithiel, and the two youngest sons who were baptised in central Birmingham. He was variously described as a carpenter and a builder, and presumably moved from Lostwithiel to Ilchester and then on to Birmingham (around 1814) for work.

Seven of their 10 children survived childhood - six sons and one daughter - and all of their sons were engaged in the Canal Trade. Their eldest surviving son James (qv) was a Canal Engineer with the Birmingham Canal Company (BCC). Their second son John was a carpenter, like his father, and then a Canal Agent who lived at the Lock House at Curdworth in Warwickshire. Their only daughter Elizabeth married Joseph Pitchfork, a schoolmaster in Robert Baylis's Charity School in Dudley in Worcestershire. Their third son Thomas was a lock keeper in Tipton in Staffordshire, then a corn chandler. Next was Joseph who was first a milkman, then a book keeper, and finally an Agent for the BCC. Their next son Richard was a book keeper then Accountant with the BCC: his son Hubert was Engineer then Clerk to the Grand Junction Canal. Their youngest son Robert was Manager and Clerk to the BCC, and lived at Harborne in Warwickshire.

Additional source:
Census returns

John married Tryphena MASTERS, daughter of Unknown and Elizabeth MASTERS, on 24 Dec 1792 in St Mary the Major, Ilchester, Somerset.¹ (Tryphena MASTERS was christened on 5 Feb 1775 in St Michael and All Angels, Somerton, Somerset,⁶ died on 15 Apr 1845 in Ladywood, Warwickshire ⁷ and was buried on 21 Apr 1845 in Key Hill Cemetery, Birmingham, Warwickshire ⁸.)