Thomas Matthews was a butcher in the village from the 1840s to the 1870s.

Early life

Thomas, born at Membury in about 1803, was the son of Richard and Mary. He was one of nine siblings, all baptised at Stockland. However, at least two may have been born at Whitchurch Canonicorum.

Thomas’s father died at Pendomer in January 1831.

Move to Hardington

By June 1841, Thomas lived in a house in Hardington High Street with his mother, his brothers Richard and George, and his sister, Eliza Bridget. The census omits his occupation.

1849-61

From 1849 to 1861, the family experienced significant change. Thomas’s mother died in December 1849, and his brother, George, left home before March 1851. His sister, Eliza Bridget, got married at Plymouth in 1857. Within a few, his brother, Richard, was living as a servant at the Coach and Horse Inn in Yeovil. By April 1861, Thomas lived alone, except for a boarder, the 82-year-old Betsy Slade.

Later life

By April 1871, Betsy Slade had moved out and Richard had returned to the family home to live with his brother.

Thomas died in the Yeovil workhouse in 1880. Richard then left the village, but his whereabouts in April 1881 is unknown. He died in the Yeovil area in 1883, aged 73. Neither Thomas nor Richard ever married.