My great-grandfather, John Deakin, wrote that Thomas Deakin (1853-1935), my 2 times great-grandfather led a “great life of integrity and honour, was stern but kind, true as steel in uprightness in all his dealings, a pattern of level sober thought.” This was in a letter sent to his son, George Deakin, my grandfather, who lived in Canada, far from the rest of his family in England. The purpose of the letter was to let my grandparents know that Thomas had died on May 10, 1935. John explained that the medical staff had telephoned John on Jubilee Monday (Silver Jubilee of the reign of George V)¹ to come to be by his father’s side as there was no hope. A few days later, Thomas ended the “grand innings of 83 years” on May 10, 1935.²

“Aged Man Killed in Tram Accident” was the headline of the article that described Thomas’ accident that led to his death.³ Like many accidents, it happened because of a moment of distraction or inattention. He was 83, of sound mind, and probably physically quite strong. At the inquest into the accident, Thomas’ daughter, Alice Phillips, testified that he was in good physical condition, although he had lost his left eye.⁴ On May 4, 1935, he crossed Waterloo Road, at the junction of Shireland Road in Birmingham, England. An eye witness noted that Thomas had stepped out into the road to get to an island in the middle of the busy thoroughfare and walked smack into a tram. The tram driver had sounded his gong but Thomas continued. The lights were against Thomas, not the tram, and the coroner ruled it an accidental death.⁵

The photograph below shows the junction where the accident happened.⁶ I assume that Thomas was walking towards the island that we can see in the middle of the junction. He was carrying a shopping bag and was looking away from the tram.⁷

Thomas was born in Tipton, Staffordshire, England in 1852.⁸ Tipton is an industrial town located in the West Midlands, about 25 km northwest of Birmingham. Tipton was noted for coal mining and ironworks.⁹ and Thomas’ father was a shingler or hammer man, a highly skilled labourer. The task was a crucial step in the iron manufacturing process. The shingler used heavy tongs to place glowing-hot iron balls under amechanical hammer that was often called a “shingling hammer). ¹⁰

By the time Thomas was a young adult, the family lived in Smethwick (Birmingham) Thomas also became a shingler, like his father.  In 1871 the family lived at Brasshouse Lane,¹² which takes it name from the Brasshouse, the first brass foundry established in Smethwick in the 18^th century.¹³ Both Thomas and his father probably worked there. And Brasshouse Lane must have been where Thomas met his future wife, Harriet Hanes. In 1871, Harriet’s father was a grocer at 139 Brasshouse Lane and Thomas lived at 172 Brasshouse Lane.¹⁴ Everyone would have known the grocer’s daughter who most probably helped out in the shop. In those days, the customer would hand the list to the person behind the counter, where the purchases were weighed, measured, and packaged.¹⁵ Thomas and Harriet married on May 3, 1874. ¹⁶

Sadly, Harriet died eight years after their marriage, on May 13, 1882. She was just 26 and left four young children under seven. Her youngest son, George was under the age of one. Harriet’s death certificate indicates that she died of gastritis and diarrhea. Given the state of public sanitation at the time, it is probable that Harriet died of a waterborne infection, such as cholera or typhoid fever.¹⁸

As Thomas had four young children, it is not surprising that Thomas remarried fairly quickly. Thomas and Jane Stokes were married in Harborne on 9 February 1885.¹⁹ It would seem that Thomas and Jane never had children of their own. In the letter that John Deakin wrote to my grandfather, John refers to Jane as Grandma so she was always considered the mother of her husband’s children. John goes on to describe Grandma as a “game Old Lady of 84 years, and has stood up to her sad loss very bravely.” John continues to say that they will take care of her, as promised to Granddad (Thomas). John would have had to take care of her as Thomas left his savings to his four children, John, George, Maria and Alice and not to his wife, Jane. John closes the letter, signing off as “your loving Dad and Mother and Sister.”²⁰

1. Wikipedia, Silver Jubilee of George V, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Jubilee_of_George_V, accessed 7 October 2026.
2. Handwritten letter from John Thomas Deakin to George Deakin dated May 26, 1935, in the possession of the author.
3. Newspapers.com, Birmingham Gazette, May 16, 1935, accessed 23 September 2026.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Once Upon the Time in the Black County by Thomas J.R. Dearn, 1908, accessed on Facebook page 28 September 2026.
7. Newspapers.com, Birmingham Gazette, May 16, 1935, accessed 23 September 2026.
8. 1852, Registration of Births, Deakin, Thomas, District of Tipton, County of Stafford, England, accessed 28 April 2026.
9. Wikipedia, Tipton, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipton, accessed 1 June 2026.
10. North Lanark Museums, So Your Ancestor Worked in the Iron Industry?, https://www.northlanmuseums.co.uk/story/so-your-ancestor-worked-in-iron-industry/, accessed 1 June 2026.
11. The Iron Rolling Mill (Eisenwalzwerk), 1870s, by Adolph Menzel.
12. England and Wales 1871 census, Thomas Deakin.
13. British History Online, Smethwick: Economic History, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol17/pp107-118, accessed 25 June 2026.
14. England and Wales 1871 census, Harriet Haines.
15. The Genealogist, Time Traveller Michelle Higgs takes us on a Victorian shopping trip, Higgs, Michelle, March 2014,  https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/discover-your-ancestors/periodical/11/counter-intelligence-4394/, accessed 7 October 2026.
16. England and Wales, Register of Marriages, 1874, Parish of Harborne, County of Stafford, Thomas Deakin and Harriet Haines.
17. Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal, explanation of historical terms, http://livinghistoryofillinois.com/explanations/word_grocery_means.html, accessed 4 October 2026.
18. England and Wales, Register of Deaths, Deakin (Haines), Harriet, 1882, Harborne, Stafford.
19. England and Wales, Register of Marriages, John Deakin and Jane Stokes, 1985, Harborne, Stafford.
20. Handwritten letter from John Thomas Deakin to George Deakin dated May 26, 1935, in the possession of the author.