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Thomas GOTHAM
1812 - 1850 (37 years)
Has 8 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name Thomas GOTHAM Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born 26 Oct 1812 Staffordshire, England 
- From the 1841 census, where rounded down age shown as a 25, implying born between 1811 and 1816Actual date from baptism register
Baptised 8 Nov 1812 St. John’s Church, Hanley, Staffordshire, England - From BT entry (image on FamilySearch, viewed 15 Jan 2022)
"[Novr 8] Thomas son of William & Sarah Gotham Shelton [Born] Octr 26 1812"
Gender Male Confirmation 21 Aug 1836 St. Peter’s RC Church, Cobridge, Staffordshire, England - From image on FMP
Occupation 1841 Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England Pottery Presser Emigrated Between 10 Sep 1842 and 18 Dec 1842 - Since Thomas married in England in 1842 he had presumably not emigrated by then (the expense of the journey was not insignificant to those of modest means).
However, a letter by him dated 18 Dec 1842 was published in The Potter's Examiner and Workman's Advocate (PE&WA 4, no. 23 (November 1, 1845): 189– 90 - cited by article "Our Home in the West": Staffordshire Potters and Their Emigration to the America in the 1840s" (Goodby, Miranda) (in the "Ceramics in America" section of the Chipstone website) - so he had emigrated by Dec 1842.
His wife, along with the wife, Sarah, and children of his brother Matthew, and Sarah's mother, Anne Richardson, and children emigrated in 1843. Anne's husband definitely emigrated, and presumably Matthew did also (there is no sign of him remaining / dying in England) so it seems likely Thomas emigrated with his brother Matthew and Thomas Richardson, and their families followed once they had found some work and somewhere to live.
Residence Dec 1842 St. Louis, Missouri, USA - At the time he wrote a letter home
Residence From 1848 to 1850 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA - Thomas appears in police records for four events between 1 Feb 1848 and 23 July 1849, in New Orleans, and he was there when he died in 1850 so he seems to have left St. Louis to live in New Orleans by 1848.
Occupation 1850 Labourer - At the time of his death
Died May 1850 District 3, Orleans, Louisiana, USA Cause: Dysentery - From U.S., Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885
He is recorded as Thomas Gatham, born England, a labourer
The age is close, as is the name, and born England clearly points to this Thomas.
Siblings7 brothers, 4 sisters and 1 person of an unknown gender Patriarch & Matriarch 
Humphrey GOTHAM, bap. 5 Jan 1665, St. Bartholomew’s Church, East Ogwell, Devon, England, d. Yes, date unknown (Age ~ 63 years) (2 x Great Grandfather) 
Sarah LEES, b. Abt 1784, d. Mar Q 1839, Stoke on Trent Reg Dist, Staffordshire, England (Age ~ 55 years) (Mother) Person ID I301269 All | All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study , All subjects of the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study Last Modified 6 Sep 2024
Father William GOTHAM, b. Abt 1782, d. Sep Q 1843, Stoke on Trent Reg Dist, Staffordshire, England (Age ~ 61 years) Mother Sarah LEES, b. Abt 1784, d. Mar Q 1839, Stoke on Trent Reg Dist, Staffordshire, England (Age ~ 55 years) Married 22 Dec 1806 St. Bartholomew’s Church, Norton le Moors, Staffordshire, England - From PR entry (image on FMP)
Baptisms of Mary to Herbert indicate these were the 9 to 13th children of William and Sarah.
Of the earlier 8 I have found evidence of 7.
Family ID F300408 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family Maria PLANT, b. 17 May 1817, d. Yes, date unknown Married 10 Sep 1842 St. Gregory’s Roman Catholic Church, Longton, Staffordshire, England - GRO ref: GOTHAM, Thomas to Plant, Maria q3 1842 Stoke On Trent RD 17 163
However, the RC parish marriage register (image on FMP, viewed 12 Dec 2017) shows Thomas with the surname 'Gethan' so was this marriage of a Gotham or a Gethan (Gethin?)?
As well as the GRO paper index, Staffs BMD (i.e. the local copy of the index) also has Thomas as a Gotham so I think this is probably correct, especially as with it being an RC marriage the registrar would have been present at the ceremony and so the local entry is not a copy made of the PR entry. I guess it is possible that he recorded Thomas' surname wrongly at the time. Unfortunately the parish register does not include the father's names, so it is not possible to see if Thomas's name is right without purchasing a marriage certificate.
Roman Catholics mostly married other Roman Catholics, so important supporting evidence is that Thomas, who was not born into an RC family, was confirmed (with surname recorded as Gotham) in the Roman Catholic Church in 1836.
Last Modified 6 Sep 2024 Family ID F300433 Family Group Page | Family Chart
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Event Map Click to hide 
Born - 26 Oct 1812 - Staffordshire, England 
Baptised - 8 Nov 1812 - St. John’s Church, Hanley, Staffordshire, England 
Occupation - Pottery Presser - 1841 - Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England 
Residence - Dec 1842 - St. Louis, Missouri, USA 
Residence - From 1848 to 1850 - New Orleans, Louisiana, USA = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install) Pin Legend 
