Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1871
  • Title
    Photographs of the Thody/Rogers/Geary family
  • Admin/biog history
    The collection consists of: two small carte-de-visite albums (c.1860s-70s); postcards (c1902-1920) (originally in a standard postcard album of green pages with slit cuts with a maroon/purple binding) a selection of loose photographs (c. 1920s-1950s). The carte-de-visite albums contain photographs mainly by London, Cambridge and Bedfordshire photographers and both albums contain some of the same photographs. This suggests that they may have belonged to two members of the family and have then descended to the same person (Thulia May Rogers/Geary and then to Margaret Geary/Makin). The most likely suggestion seems to be that one album belonged to Ann Thody and one to her sister Elizabeth Thody/Rogers and that the images relate to the wider Thody family possibly of one or both their brothers. The postcards were mainly of standard views of various places throughout Great Britain and some from abroad. The interest of them was in the messages written on the backs rather than the images on the fronts. The album had broken down and the decision was taken to remove the postcards from it. The postcards were mainly sent to Thulia May Rogers. Others were sent to her aunt Miss Ann Thody, her sometime employer Miss Anthony, a few were sent to Miss Skerman, Miss Card and Miss Cam. Those sent to Miss Card and Miss Cam at Aspley Guise have no messages just the address. Some are unused. The Thody name, with various spellings, is quite common in Bedfordshire. As far as this collection is concerned it is focused on Cotton End/Cardington/Wilstead. The Thody family had been present in Cardington Cotton End from the 1600s. William Thody was born to Samuel and Elizabeth Thody in 1774. At some point William joins the army and spends time in Spain during the peninsular wars. He is sent to England in April 1815 but is apparently a corporal at the battle of Waterloo in June that year with the 1st battalion of 40th Regiment of Foot. He becomes a Chelsea pensioner and dies in 1858. While in Spain William has a son, Allan born c. 1814. He also seems to have at least one other child, Elizabeth born in London c. 1815 or 17. Allan appears in Cotton End by at least 1834; he marries Elizabeth Saunders by banns at Cardington parish church on the 19 October. Both Allan and Elizabeth being described as of the parish. The witnesses to the marriage are John and Elizabeth Arnold. Elizabeth Thody had married John Arnold in Cardington only a couple of months previously. On the 1841, 1851, 1861 censuses Allan is given as a farm or agricultural labourer and Elizabeth is a lacemaker. By the 1871 census all the children have left home, but in 1891, Allan and Elizabeth are sharing their home with daughters Ann, a domestic servant, and Elizabeth Rogers, lacemaker, and granddaughter Thulia May Rogers aged 3. Allan dies in 1898. Elizabeth dies in 1875. Allan Thody and Elizabeth (nee Saunders) have at least five children: Ann Thody (1835-1913) Samuel Thody (1838-1921) George Thody (1845-1935) Elizabeth Thody (1847-1940) William Allen Thody (1850-1911) All the children are born in Cotton End. Ann Thody (1835-1913) never marries. She goes into domestic service. On the 1901 census Ann is head of a household (Littlesworth) in Cotton End Road, Wilstead; the other occupants being her sister Elizabeth Rogers, niece Thulia May Rogers and two infant boarders May Gooden aged 1 and Frances May aged 11 months. In 1911 Ann and Elizabeth are still living together at Littleworth, Wilstead. Ann is retired and Elizabeth is a charwoman. Samuel Thody (1838-1921) marries Elizabeth Keech in about 1869 and has two sons, George and William. Appears to remain in Cardington area throughout his life. George Thody (1847-1935) marries Elizabeth Jackson (born Hauxton) in 1873 in Islington. On the 1891 census he is a publican living in Hauxton, Cambridgeshire and has children named James Allen (16 imbecile since birth, born London St Pancras, died 1904), Edith Ann (14, born Linslade), Florence (12, born London St Pancras) and Annie (11, born London St Pancras). George and Elizabeth had another daughter, Sarah Elizabeth (born 1875, assumed to be twin of James Allen). On the 1891 census she is living in Sidney Street, Cambridge, where she is a housemaid to the Stockbridge family. Elizabeth Thody/Rogers (1847-1940) was born on the 24 August 1847. [On the 1881 census she may be house keeper to James Jackson a farmer and publican at The Chequers, Hauxton, Cambridgeshire, although this is more likely to be another Elizabeth Thody, daughter of William (b1811) and Elizabeth Thody of Cotton End. The only other member of the household is Jackson’s six year old granddaughter Sarah E Thody, who had been born in London]. Elizabeth married Charles Rogers in 1886. They had one daughter Thulia May born 7 August 1887. On the 1891 census Elizabeth and Thulia are living with Elizabeth’s parents Allan and Elizabeth at Cotton End, Elizabeth’s occupation is given as lacemaker. In 1901 they are living with Elizabeth’s sister Ann Thody at Cotton End Road, Wilstead. Both Elizabeth and Ann give their occupations as laundress/nurse (children). In 1911 Elizabeth is still living with Ann; she gives her occupation as charwoman. On the 1939 register Elizabeth is living with George, Thulia May and Thulia Margaret Geary in Bedford Road (Wilstead?). William Allen Thody (1850-1911) appears to be twice married. His first wife was Mathilde Parent, whom he married in Illinois, USA in 1873. Mathilde died in 1892. William subsequently married Lucy Cook(e) in 1894. William lives at Tottenhoe and then Studham and is a police constable. He has children: Joseph George Allan Thody b. c.1874 in Canada. Married Lizzie Hall Bone. Children Edna Thody and Clarence Allen Thody [Lewis] Albert Thody, b 1876, Caddington. Marries Clare Cutler. Emigrates to America in 1907 becoming a US citizen in Salt Lake in 1923 with children Florence, William, Gertrude, Mabel and Kathleen. Mary Ann [Minnie] Nash (illegitimate), b.1880, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Nash Clarence Archibald Thody, b. 1885 at Houghton Regis [Lena] Florence Thody, b. 1890, Totternhoe. Married John Marchant 1913 Harry Thody, b. c.1895, Markyate; son of Lucy Cook[e] Thulia May Rogers (1887-1983) was in domestic service prior to her marriage. For some time, she worked for the Anthony family at 24 Kimbolton Road. Mr Anthony was a chemist, who had a shop on the High Street in Bedford. On the 1921 census she is a house parlourmaid at 5 Landsdowne Road, Bedford. Her employer is Miss Diana E S Butt. From the postcard collection we can trace her movements more. She married, in 1928, George William Geary (26 May 1889 – 1951). George was the son of George and Mary Geary. George senior was a builder and had children: Rose, Kate, Lucy, Emma, Lily, Robert and Thomas, and one other who died. George junior had emigrated to Canada in 1913. He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915 giving his occupation as carpenter. He entered the USA in 1923 with the idea of settling in the USA but was back in England by 1928 when he married Thulia May Thody. Tulia and George had a daughter Thulia ‘Margaret’ Geary (18 May 1929 – 20 March 2005). Thulia Margaret married Ronald James Makin (1932-1963) in 1960. They lived at 4 Westfield Road, Queen’s Park, Bedford. They had a daughter Joy Sheridan Makin (23 Oct 1961 – 2000).
  • Archival history
    On the death of Thulia 'Margaret' Makin the collection passed to her sister-in-law (the sister of Thulia's husband Ronald) and then to the daughter of the sister-in-law, who donated them to the archive service. The albums were discussed between the donor and her mother, but apart from Auntie Margaret and her mother, neither knew that side of the family and at the time of donation to the archives the details of the family were sparse.
  • Level of description
    fonds
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