Early 1900s and second marriage
Thomas is listed as a member of the Committee of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaelogical Society [Annual Report, 1900] which shows an interest shared by his twin, Timothy, and two other brothers, Elias and Elijah. Then and in the 1901 census Thomas was living at the Rectory, Empingham. In 1901 his household included two young servants who were housemaid and
cook and his companion/housekeeper
, Annie Holmes. Annie was the tall lady Ernest recalled. She was about
twenty-four years younger than Thomas and came from a working class, agricultural family.
Ernest's recollection of Thomas included:
He married his housekeeper, so I was told, but not at Empingham Church. She was a tall lady standing six feet tall, with a generous hairdo and large hat with usually a spotted veil securely fastened under her chin. She took no part in village life whatever, except to go to Church every Sunday, morning and evening, leaving the Rectory some ten minutes after Tommy Owen and returning by herself immediately after the service. I never remember seeing them out together in the village. In Church she always sat in the middle of the third row of chairs, immediately in front of the Pulpit and when she thought Tommy had gone on long enough, (and he could waffle on) she would start to cough vigorously and he would conclude his sermon within two or three minutes, to the great delight of the young choirboys and, who knows, perhaps the whole congregation.
Thomas and Annie were indeed married on 29 April 1901 and the wedding did take place at Empingham Church [Oakham, 1901, 2nd qt]. The service was conducted by the Rev. Ulric Allen, vicar of nearby Hambleton and the witnesses were George Talbot Smith, Frances Mary Louisa Allan and William Forsyth, the latter being the schoolmaster at the local elementary school.
In September 1907 Thomas and Annie attended the marriage of Nesta Morgan-Owen, daughter of Thomas’s twin, Timothy; Thomas was one of the five clergy who conducted the service.