Thomas Billups

Birth Name Thomas Billups
Gender male
Age at Death 71 years, 1 month, 19 days

Narrative

Thomas is the oldest known son of John and Jane (Davison) Billups.

In 1851, Thomas was working for the railroad and was lodging in Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire. His father John died in 1847 and his mother Jane was working in a home in March, Cambridgeshire. The other children were together in Wimblington. (See John's family information.) Thomas' wife may be the Mary Ann Morris, age 10, with William and Georgianna Morris in Melton Ross, Lincolnshire. (censuses.)

Thomas and his wife and son Richard James were living in Sutton St. Mary, (Holbeach) Lincolnshire in 1861. Thomas was a police officer. In 1871, they were in Attercliffe cum Darnall, (Sheffield), Yorkshire, and also had a daughter, Maria J. born about 1861. Thomas' occupation was unclear, possibly a slat maker or steel melter. (censuses.)

On August 10, 1876 Thomas applied for naturalization, in Mifflin County, PA. On his application, Thomas said he left Liverpool May 1, 1872, arrived in New York on May 15, 1872, and came to Pennsylvania at once. The application notes that Thomas was illiterate. A copy of this application, dated Jun 11, 1892 is included with Thomas' naturalization papers. Thomas was naturalized on Jun 15, 1892, in the US District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania. At that time, he was living in the 17th Ward of Pittsburg. (Images at ancestry.com, immigration records, US District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania.)

In a letter home dated 4 May 1878 from Mifflin Co., his brother Henry (Harry) says
"My brother has Gon About
Nine Hurnded Miles west
from us he is Gon to farming
his Dorter has Got Married"

(See Henry's information for source information regarding the letters.)

Thomas and his son Richard J. are in William's 1880 Evansville [Indiana] City Directory at ancestry.com. They are both living at 224 Lincoln St. Thomas is a pedlar and Richard is a farmer.

In 1880, Thomas' wife, Mary (Morris) Billups and her son Richard were living at 224 Lincoln St., in Evansville, Vandenburgh Co., Indiana. Richard is listed as a "huckster." In the same town was an Alfred Billups, who was also born in Cambridgeshire, in 1832, and who was Thomas' first cousin.

Thomas returned to Pennsylvania by 1879 or 1880 and was living and working in Pittsburgh. His listing in the 1880 Pittsburgh City Directory says he is a laborer living on Thirty-Eighth St above Penn ave. (He was not found in the 1879 city directory.)

His residence or shop is on 38th St above Penn Ave in 1881 as well. His residence in 1884 was 3515 Butler and his photography business, Thomas Billups & Company, was between 32nd and 33rd. In 1888 and 1889 his son James had a notions business at 3228 Penn Ave. In 1889 both Thomas and James are listed as photographers. Thomas was at 5900 Penn Ave, and James was at 3226 Penn Ave.

All these addresses in Pittsburgh were near his sister Naomi Jackson. Naomi's husband was the manager of a hotel at 4936 Harrison St. (Source: city directories at ancestry.com)

A few other listings for Thomas in the Pittsburgh City Directory, source: http://www.donslist.net/PGHLookups/Pgh1895M.htm:

1882
Billups Thomas, lab, Butler n 35th

1895, 1897, 1899
Billups, Thos, photographer, Home and Butler, h. 4936 Harrison
1898
Billups, Thos, photographer, 4936 Harrison

A letter dated 1897 from Samuel Callwood to Henry James Ronaghan, both nephews of Thomas by his sister Susanna, says that Samuel showed Henry's letter to 'Uncle Tom.' (Source: email from a descendant of Susanna.)

In 1900 Thomas and his son James were living on the same street in Jeannette Borough, Westmoreland County. Thomas was listed as a widower, but his wife Mary J Billup is living in Pittsburgh with her son in law, Francis Vincent. She was listed as widowed also. (censuses.)

-----------------
1851 Census Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire
Civil parish: Witham on the Hill
Ecclesiatical parish: Bourne
County: Lincolnshire
Source information: HO107/2095
Registration district: Bourn
Sub-registration district: Corby
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Folio: 531, Page: 3. Household: 4
Gillard's Lodge [spelling?]

Thomas Billups, 25, rail laborer, unmarried
Where born: Doddington, Cambridgeshire, England
Lots of lodgers

----------
His future wife?
1851 Census Melton Ross, Lincolnshire
Marris, William, head, born abt 1803, in Hulby, Lincolnshire
[note incorrect spelling of Morris]
Morris, Georganina, wife, born abt 1803, in Laceby, Lincolnshire
Morris, Mary Ann, daughter, born abt 1841, Melton Ross, Lincolnshire
Watson, Georgianna Morris, visitor, born abt 1836, Laceby, Lincolnshire

==========
1861 Census Sutton St Mary, Lincolnshire, England
Civil parish: Sutton St Mary
Ecclesiatical parish: St Matthew
County: Lincolnshire
Source information: RG9/2327
Registration district: Holbeach
Sub-registration district: Long Sutton
ED, institution, or vessel: 5d
Folio: 58, Page: 9. Household: 34.
22 Sutton Bridge

Billups, Thomas, 30, police officer, BP: Wimblington
------, Mary J., 22, BP: Boston, Lincolnshire
-, Richard J.R., 1, BP: Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire

==========
1880 United States Census, Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana
Series T9, Roll 0317, Page 266B
at 224 Lincoln St. [two blocks from William St.]

Mary BILLUPS Self M Female W 40 ENG Keeping House ENG ENG
Richard BILLUPS Son S Male W 20 ENG Huckster ENG ENG

This is Thomas' family. Thomas reentered US in 1881 through Ellis Island. Henry's letters said Thomas had gone farming, 900 mi. west. Note "Married" not "widowed" for Mary's marital status.

 

==========

1900 Census, PA, Westmoreland Co., Jeannette Boro

Series T623, Roll 1498, Page 177B, E.D. 104, sheet 4 or 19B

renting on Third Street,

[same street as son James R. see his file.]

 

Billups, Thomas, Nov 1829, 70, Wd, ENG ENG ENG, occupation ?

Came here: 1871, been here: 29 years, naturalized

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth November 13, 1829 Cambridgeshire, England   1
Christening November 26, 1832 Isle Of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England   2
Census (Head) April 2, 1871 Attercliffe, Yorkshire, England 357 High Street 3a
Event Note

1871 Census Attercliffe com Darnall, Yorkshire, England
RG10; Piece: 4698; Folio: 122; Page: 41; GSU roll: 847239
2 April 1871

357 High Street

Thomas Billups, head, married, 41, steel mill, born Wimblington, Cambridgeshire
Mary Jane Billups, wife, married, 31, born Boston, Lincolnshire
Richard J Billups, son, 11, born Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire
Maria J Billups, daughter, 9, born Molton, Lincolnshire

Emigration May 1, 1872 Liverpool, Lancashire, England   1
Immigration May 15, 1872 New York, New York County, New York, United States   1
Naturalization June 15, 1892 Pennsylvania, United States   4
Death 1901     5 6
Burial   Jeannette Memorial Park, Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States   6a

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father John Billups1804March 1, 1847
Mother Jane DavisonJuly 25, 1809November 8, 1868
         Thomas Billups November 13, 1829 1901
    Sister     Susanna Davison Billups October 22, 1832 September 7, 1900
    Sister     Jane Billups about 1835 March 11, 1906
    Brother     Henry Davison Billups about March 1837 January 12, 1838
    Sister     Mary Ann Billups about 1838 May 25, 1884
    Sister     Naomi Billups February 24, 1842 October 11, 1907
    Brother     Henry Billups November 3, 1843 November 10, 1843
    Brother     Henry “Harry” Billups September 29, 1845 between September 29, 1891 and September 29, 1892
    Brother     John Billups about July 1, 1847 November 17, 1847

Families

Family of Thomas Billups and Mary Jane Morris

Married Wife Mary Jane Morris ( b. July 1839 d. August 2, 1907 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage October 25, 1858 Fleet, Lincolnshire, England   7a 8a
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
James Richard BillupsNovember 18591931
Maria Jane Billupsbetween January 1862 and March 1862February 23, 1885

Source References

  1. Dan McClenahen: Naturalization Papers of Mifflin 1803 - 1906.
  2. International Genealogical Index
  3. 1871 Census of England
      • Page: Attercliffe com Darnall, Yorkshire, England, RG10; Piece: 4698; Folio: 122; Page: 41; GSU roll: 847239
  4. Ancestry.com
  5. 1900 Census, PA, Westmoreland Co., Jeannette BoroSeries T623, Roll 1498, Page 177B, E.D. 104,
  6. findagrave.com
      • Source text:

        Plot 1, Section 1

  7. General Record Office (GRO), United Kingdom
      • Page: Jane Golding, age 71. vol 9c page 363
  8. English Billups group's spreadsheet: transcriptions of vital records
      • General:

        English Billups group's spreadsheet, transcriptions of vital records, referencing GRO Ref 4Q Holbeach 7a 731