Mabel Rose (Meredith) Thomson (1896 - 1943)

Born 1896 in South Hornsey, London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Francis James Lockwood Jones — married 1916 (to about 1937) in Hackney, Middlesex, England

Wife of William Thomson — married after 1918 in New Zealand [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 5 Oct 1943 at about age 47 in Carey's Bay, Otago, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Raewyn Vincent [send private message]

Biography

Mabel (Meredith) Thomson was born in Middlesex, England.

Mabel Meredith was born in South Hornsey, London in 1896. She was the daughter of John Meredith and Emily Sharpe. ^[1]

In 1911, Mabel was living with her parents and four younger siblings in Stoke Newington, London. Her father was a house painter. Mabel was a 15-year-old fancy goods maker. ^[2].

Marriage and Child

Mabel married Francis James Lockwood Jones in the latter part of 1916 in Hackney, Middlesex, England.^[3] Francis and Mabel had one child together: Donald James Jones born December 1918, Holborn, Middlesex, England.^[4]

Emigration

Mabel departed Plymouth aboard the ship Kigoma on May 31st 1919. The ship was bound for Lyttelton, New Zealand. She was traveling under her married name Jones. ^[5] A further record notes the ship was destined for Port Chalmers, likely after it had reached Lyttleton as the country it was bound for was to New Zealand. ^[6]

Second Spouse and Children

According to family knowledge, Mabel and William may have met aboard a ship he was working on, while she was enroute to Christchurch, New Zealand. Her death certificate indicates she was married to William in 1920. I cannot find a marriage record for Mabel and William Thomson, but she spent more time with William than she did Francis. There is a record under divorces in the Christchurch Supreme Court from 1937 for Francis and Mabel, which mentions Marriage Certificate, but this is long after the 'supposed' marriage' between her and her second husband. ^[7]. Family gossip refer to her first child, Donald, as the black sheep. Looking at his profile, it might be understandable why that conclusion was reached.

Mabel and William had three children, all born in New Zealand.

• Heather Doreen Thomson
• Angus William Thomson
• Robin John Thomson, who sometimes went by Rob or John.

Death

Mabel passed away on October 5th 1943. ^[8] Little is known about Mabel Rose Meredith from the 'handed down information'. Her granddaughter said she committed suicide ^[9] around her mother's (Heather Thomson) birthday and this was confirmed in the official death record which was obtained for a fee from Archives New Zealand. Clearly she was unhappy with life and apparently, she didn't treat her daughter, Heather, very well. Mabel's ongoing psychological condition is unknown, but depression or a possible traumatic event is highly likely that triggered her to take her life. Given that she was working at the age of 15, it would suggest the family was struggling and perhaps this struggle continued mentally, even after she migrated to New Zealand and had a family of her own.

Burial

Mabel was buried on October 7 1943 in Carey's Bay, Otago, New Zealand. Her second spouse, I will refer to as husband for continuity of the family line, was buried beside her 12 years later.^[10]. It is doubtful her husband would have been buried alongside her later on, if they were at irreconcilable odds in their relationship during her life.

Familial Repercussions and Silver Linings

Mabel's sad demise had a devastating effect on her 14 year old son John, who ran away to sea at 14. He lied about his age and became a mess boy. Speculation from John's son (and I agree) surrounding his disappearance is that perhaps William, his father, aided him in leaving home, as it is likely he would have needed permission. Mabel's daughter, Heather, was affected emotionally. Mabel's other son, Angus, drowned at sea in 1973 and it is unknown if he had any children. He couldn't swim, despite being a man of the sea.

Through the tragedy of Mabel's passing, the Thomson offspring have since been reunited between New Zealand and England. A family tragedy has finally resulted in a long-lost relative being reunited with the very many cousins he did not know he had and to know a bit more about his aunt and grandmother.

Sources

• I did pay to obtain an official transcript of her death, so I can confirm her death date and that the location of where she was found is accurate, despite the burial information in the sources stating she was buried the same day she died. That is not accurate.

1. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ : accessed 16 November 2020), database entry for Meredith, Mabel Rose (Mother's maiden surname: Sharpe), GRO Reference: 1896 M Quarter in Holborn, Volume 01B Page 775.
2. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWGQ-8CJ : 1 August 2017), Mabel Rose Meredith in household of John Silas Cole Meredith, Stoke Newington, Stoke Newington, London, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26FF-L6F : 13 December 2014), Mabel R Meredith and null, 1916; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1916, quarter 4, vol. 1B, p. 1005, Hackney, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
4. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2FBG-JS5 : 1 October 2014), Donald J Jones, 1918; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Holborn, London, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
5. ↑ https://search.findmypast.com/record?id=tna%2fbt27%2f0904000077%2f00025
6. ↑ https://search.findmypast.com/record?id=tna%2fbt27%2f0904000077%2f00502
7. ↑ https://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=3007
8. ↑ New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs - Births, Deaths and Marriages Search with death registration # 1943/31095
9. ↑ https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19431006.2.30?end_date=31-10-1943&phrase=2&query=mary+rose+thomson&start_date=01-01-1943 ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES Otago Daily Times, Issue 25349, 6 October 1943
10. ↑ Burial: Dunedin City County Cemeteries database (https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/do-it-online/search/cemeteries-search) , online database accessed 13 January 2021. Entry for Mabel Rose Thomson, 48-years, died 7 Oct 1943, buried on 7 Oct 1943 in Port Chalmers Cemetery. Block DB. Plot 7A.