Thomas COLEMAN (1816-1895)

Thomas Coleman (1816-1895), was the uncle of Julius Sladden.  

Thomas Coleman was born in 1816 at Eythorne, Kent, the second of five children of Thomas Coleman and his wife, Elizabeth (née Noakes).  He was baptised at Eythorne on 31st December 1816.  In 1817, the family moved to Goss Hall, a large farmhouse on the outskirts of Ash-next-Sandwich, where his father farmed 340 acres.  Goss Hall remained in the Coleman family until the 1960s.

Thomas married Charlotte Petley at Ash in 1845; they had no children.  At the time of the 1851 census, Thomas was described as a farmer of 270 acres, living at Guston Farm House, Ash.  In 1861, his 17-year-old nephew, Francis Nixon Sladden, known as Frank, was also staying at Guston, learning the farming trade.

In the mid-1860s, shortly after the death of his mother in September 1863 (his father had died in 1856), Thomas and Charlotte moved into Goss Hall, together with nephew, Frank.  Charlotte died in July 1869 and was buried at Ash.

Thomas married again in 1873 at Ash to Bertha Solly, over 20 years his junior.  They had two children:  Beatrice (1876-1962) and Thomas Solly (1878-1947).  Frank Sladden was by now married with three young children of similar ages to Beatrice and young Thomas.  They had moved into Guston Farm House.  In the 1881 census, Thomas and Frank were described as joint occupiers of 700 acres of arable and grass land employing 21 men and four boys.    

Thomas continued to live at Goss Hall until his death on 14th February 1895.  His widow, Bertha, remained at Goss Hall until her death on 24th August 1906.  Thomas’ death was recorded on a plaque erected in the church, appended to that of his parents:

Thomas, eldest son of the above Thomas and Elizabeth Coleman, died at Goss Hall February 14th 1895, aged 78 years.