Thomas James Burbury was the son of William Burbury (1822--1901) and Elizabeth nee Kench (1825--1914), and was a member of the Stoneleigh Burbury family. He was born at "Crewe Farm", Kenilworth on 22 July 1858. During his childhood he would have learnt his father's market gardening trade, and in due course he took over the famiy business at "Crewe Farm".
He married Elizabeth Tranter Miles in 1882, and at the time of the marriage Thomas James lived at "Crewe Farm" and Elizabeth lived at Lavender Farm, Berkswell. They had six children: Thomas Seymour (b. 1882, known as "Seymour") Hilda Lizzie (b. 1884, died young), Cyril Wilmot (b. 187), Clara Doris (b. 1889, known as "Doris"), Frederick Ewen (b. 1891) and William Harold (b. 1892).
One of my principal correspondents on the Stoneleigh Burbury family has been Irene Makepeace-Lott, daughter of Frederick Ewen Burbury. Among Irene's notes, she mentions that Elizabeth was apparently a widow at the time of her marriage to Thomas James and that she had a son by her previous marriage whose surname was MILES. This son is said to have emigrated to Australia, although I know nothing further about this.
I am also unsure about the reference to Elizabeth being a widow. The International Genealogical Index (IGI) lists the marriage of James George MILES and Eliza TRANTER on 23 June 1859 at Berkswell. It would seem possible that this couple had a daughter Elizabeth who was born in 1861, but there is no entry in the IGI for the birth or baptism of a daughter Elizabeth to this couple anytime within ten years of 1861. The matter needs to be checked further by referring to source records that are more primary in nature, such as the actual parish registers and the 1881 and 1891 census returns.
Thomas James Burbury and his family lived for a time in or around Warwick after his marriage. From extant correspondence held by Irene Makepeace-Lott, it was probably in Windy Arbour, Kenilworth. The first two children were born there, the next two at Chipping Norton and the last two at Winslow and Flecknoe.
He was a builder and cabinet maker, and had a timber yard opposite the Workhouse in Winslow High Street, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. He was extremely inventive. He invented a part for a plough, without which no plough was made afterwards. He also invented a chair which converts into steps.
He made very fine furniture, and he also made the carved woodden gates of the Boathouse at Blenheim Palace. These were made in 1880 and were still in operation until the 1970s when they were replaced.
When he took over "Crewe Farm" as was customary with tenant farmers, it may be surmised from the above that horticulture was not his natural bent. After various disappointments including being defrauded of 8000 pounds and after a difference with Lord Leigh about shooting on Sunday, he bought "Rookley" (now called "Shenstone Grange") at Balsall Street near Berkswell for 2000 pounds, and carried on his market gardening and haulage business from there until his death from a heart attack on 3 December 1920 at the age of 62. He also bought a garage in Balsall Street for his sons. After he died, "Rookley", a half-timbered 17th-century house with a Tudor barn, was sold to the Winter family, but was sold again in 1979 for 100,000 pounds.
In some respects Thomas James was an unfortunate man. No doubt his misfortunes contributed to his early demise. He died owed a great deal of money which his children never recovered. He was buried at Temple Balsall and his wife, who lived with her daughter Doris at Ivy Cottage in Berkswell until her death in 1926, was buried beside him.
The family had a shop in Queen Victoria Road, Coventry which was the retail outlet for the Crewe Farm produce. A Mr Ernest King, who died in 1980 in his eighties, used to tell Irene that when he was 13 he used to drive the gig full of produce to the shop every morning. Mr King also said that before work on the farm, Thomas James would assemble the workers and family for bible reading and prayers to start the day. Irene also heard from her Uncl Bill (Thomas James and Elizabeth's son William Harold) about hos kind his mother was to any waif or stray. He said at Sunday tea they never had fewer than 18 or 20 to sit down.
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