THOMAS, Lindesay Jackson
Lindesay Jackson Thomas was born at All Saints', London on 21 October 1854 and baptised at St Thomas' Church, Regent Street, Westminster on 5 November 1854, son of Revd John Herries Thomas (1821-1903) and his wife Ellen Susan née Oldfield (28 July 1823-1908), who married at St James the Less, Thorndike Street, Westminster on 13 August 1851. Lindesay was educated at Archbishop Harsnett's School at Chigwell, Essex and studied at Lincoln Theological College and ordained deacon at Gloucester Cathedral in December 1880. In 1881 he was curate to his uncle, Revd Edward Colnett Oldfield at Minchinhampton Rectory, Gloucestershire being ordained priest at Gloucester in June 1882 and in 1886 was inducted as curate at St Michael and All Angels at Lower Sydenham, Kent. He married firstly at Lambeth, London in 1890, Henrietta Jane Hillier, née Bevan (1844-1900), a widow, when at St Olave, Silverdale, Lewisham. Henrietta's first husband was Henry Jenner Hillier (1814-1886), an army officer, and they married at Dartford, Kent in 1871 and had a daughter Mary (c.1875). In 1897 Lindesay was appointed to the vicarage of Swilland, near Ipswich and the Thomas's moved to The Rectory, Swilland, Suffolk where his 56-year-old wife Henrietta died in 1900. Lindesay married secondly at Swilland in 1906, Amy Elizabeth Pearson (1876-11 September 1911) and where their son, Geoffrey Oldfield Thomas was born on 10 October 1907 and after the burial of his wife, her body was later exhumed for a coroner's report which confirmed that she had died of meningitis. A watercolour landscape painter and a member of Ipswich Fine Art Club 1914-1915, exhibiting in 1916 two works 'Gathering Light' and 'St Mary's Swilland' showing at least ten works including 'The Last Sheaves' and 'The Kiss of Dawn'. Lindesay Jackson Thomas died at Swilland Rectory on 21 January 1916, aged 61 and he and both his wives are buried in Swilland churchyard.