Thomas King

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Rita Dowdall @ genes who writes:
Residence at time of marriage. Swan Place, Southwark. Witnesses at marriage. John and Isaac Olpin. When married to Neate St., Camberwell. Then Stepney Green.Then Homerton. Retired to Godstone South nr. Englefied Green. Returned to Waller Road, New Cross.[grayfamilytree.FTW] [georgeking..ged] Father: James King (born 24-Dec-1800). Mother: Elizabeth Becheley (born 1803). [1st] marriage in/on 13 Aug 1854 in/at Old Surrey Tabernacle to Sophia Olpin (born 19 Jun 1833). THOMAS KING (1830-1900) was the fourth child, but his elder brother died at the age of 12 months and the other two were sisters: consequently he was the eldest son. His parents were church people, and he was taken to Slaugham to be christened since there was no church at Handcross where he was born [a distance of little more than a mile]. In 1831 the family moved to Horley, where his father drove a van to London twice a week. It was here that, at the age of five, Thomas caused his mother a great deal of anguish by stowing away on the van one evening; when an extensive search failed to find him, it was concluded that he had fallen into the well and drowned. However, he was discovered on the van after an hour or so, and his father sent his mate back to say Thomas was found, while Thomas had his first sight of London. In 1836 the family moved to Haling Farm, Croydon, where Thomas had his first job of keeping the rooks off the newly-sown corn, and in about 1842 the family moved into the town. In 1844 Thomas left school (aged nearly 14) and started work at a large corn dealer, maltster and seedsman, where he had to fetch milk and clean knives and forks, boots, and the stables amongst other jobs. He left after three years and drove a cart for his father for a short time, and then worked at a livery stables at the top of Brixton Hill, looked after a couple of ladies' cobs, and cleaned harness etc. at a gentleman's house. When nearly 18, he went to work at a Table Cover Manufactory at Croydon, but after a while there was a strike which he joined, and for a time was doing any job he could find. He eventually went back to the factory, but finally left in 1851, when he went to London and took work at Mr Leyser's, Great George Street, Bermondsey (@@ 24/- a week). While here he saw a 'beautiful young girl' in Fendall Street. Thomas discovered that she and her father attended the Surrey Tabernacle, Borough Road, Southwark, so Thomas started going there too, where he also fell under the spell of Mr Wells' ministry. In 1852 Thomas became redundant, so he went to Mr Clark's Table Cover Factory in Neate St, Camberwell, but he was soon discharged after playing a practical joke, and he returned to Croydon. Here he drove for his father for a short time, and worked at the Croydon factory again. He kept up his acquaintance with Sophia's parents, visiting them occasionally, which stood him in good stead after he returned to London in 1853, sawing at Hearthstone for a few months, and then Leather Japanning at Bryan and Price's, Dacre Street, Westminster. However, that autumn work became slack and he was discharged, and he was unemployed throughout that bitter winter, when the Thames froze over. His landlord permitted him to stay on without paying any rent, but Thomas was often hungry. He had made the acquaintance of Sophia again, but could see no prospect of being able to keep her. In the spring of 1854 he returned to Mr Clarke's in Neate St, Camberwell, where he was on piece work, and by hard work he was able to save sufficient money to ask Sophia to marry him, and on 13th August 1854 they were married by Mr Wells at the old Surrey Tabernacle. In the autumn of 1854 he went back to Mr Leyser's, Great George St, Bermondsey, because at Mr Clarke' the work could not continue in frosty weather and the men were laid off, while at Leyser's the work was fire dried. Their first child, Sophia, was born 5 June 1855, and in late 1855 Thomas was made foreman of his department - this worried him, because it was the habit of Mr Leyser that whenever he made anyone foreman it was simply the prelude to his being discharged. Mr Leyser began to express dissatisfaction early in 1856 for no reason that Thomas could discern. He heard that there might be a vacancy at Messrs. Bevington & Sons, and went there one lunchtime, but was not successful; Mr Leyser heard about this and used it as the excuse to threaten discharge. Fortunately, Thomas heard that Spill & Co., of Stepney Green, wanted a man competent to manage the manufacture of cloth peaks; Thomas applied and was appointed. He only stayed a year, as work became bad, but he was recommended to Messrs I Robins & Sons of Houndsditch as a cloth japanner in their factory at Homerton, where he remained for 9 years. It was a great trial for Thomas and Sophia to leave Bermondsey and be unable to attend the ministry of James Wells other than occasionally, but they found comfort in the ministry of a Mr Parker, in Rope Street, Bethnal Green, and after moving to Stratford attended the ministry of Mr Bratcher at West Ham Lane Chapel, where Sophia was received and baptised in May 1960. Complaints about the smell of drying oil led to the factory being sealed, so that working conditions became intolerable, and in about 1863 they moved to Plaistow, West Ham, but the factory he worked at soon failed, and he took work at Walthamstow. In 1864 Thomas commenced hat japanning on his own account at Stratford, and slowly introduced cloth japanning (which latter work increased when japanned hats went out of fashion). The Stratford premises were unsuitable; so they moved to Kingsland Road; these premises were sold, so they moved again to Balls Pond. Here the workshop was just behind the house, so Sophia was able to help there in between her domestic duties. Here again there were complaints about the smell from the drying oils, and in 1868 they returned to the south side of the river, moving to Arthur Street, Old Kent Road. The move was difficult - five of the six children had had scarlet fever, one after the other, and it was only a few months before Annie was born. The factory was in Canterbury Road. With great joy they returned to Mr Wells' ministry, which was now in the new chapel in Wansey Road. Thomas was baptised into the Church in December 1869, Sophia joining at the same time. In 1884 there was a disastrous fire at the factory - only part of the building and none of the contents was insured. Sophia, together with her eldest daughter, were bringing Arthur back from hospital after an operation and their train almost passed through the flames. Thomas was chosen deacon of the Surrey Tabernacle in 1882, and held the post until he resigned in 1889. He was also a Trustee from 1882 until his death.

Thomas married Sophia Olphin, daughter of John Olphin and Esther Button, on 13 Aug 1854 in Old Tabernacle, Surrey England. (Sophia Olphin was born on 19 Jun 1833 in Bermondsey, London, Surrey England, christened in May 1860 in Westham Lane Chapel, Sussex England and died in 1914 in Waller Rd, New Cross, Essex England.)