14 - The Leigh Family

The story of the Leigh family is one of great loss and sadness but also travel and adventure.

​

In 1871 38 year old Thomas Leigh was living on Romiley Road with his 34 year old wife Rachael and their 4 children, William, Squire, Maria and Lavinia. Thomas had worked as a dyer like his father but in 1871 was working at the hatworks. Whilst his family originated from Stockport, Rachael (born Rachael Reece) was born in Cumberland to Welsh parents.

​

Thomas and Rachael married on 30th September 1855 and within 2 years they had 2 sons, William and John. In 1858 John died. A year later Annie was born but didn't survive. In 1866 their son Samuel died in infancy. Then in 1868 Kate and Howard died. The couple would have 12 children in total and only 5 survived to adulthood. 

​

On 4th September 1873 The Leigh family, which by then numbered 7 with the addition of baby Thomas, boarded the SS City of Richmond headed for the United States of America. The family would never return to the UK, settling down in Staten Island, New York. They travelled in steerage at the cheapest rate. Historically, travelling in steerage had been horrendous with shared beds, ladders rather than stairs and poor food. However, companies such as The Inman Line built ships with more comfortable accommodation for the 3rd class passengers and sailing to the US became more popular.

​

Thomas went back to his roots, finding work, along with his older sons, in a dyeworks. The family did well in America. William married an Irish woman named Catherine Crawford, had children and bought his own house, something that would have been very unlikely back in Romiley as a working class man. His children married Germans, Swedes and Norwegians, forming a multicultural family. 

​

You can find out more about the Leigh family in the book "Residents of Romiley Road" which will be coming soon.