I am the direct descendant Great grandson of (Ahnentafel 14) Thomas Pinnock. Thomas was born the eldest of eight children to (My Great great grandfather Ahnentafel 28) James Pinnock (1838- )and Eliza Cooke(Ahnentafel 29 - 1836 - ) 1860 in Melksham, Wiltshire.

Melksham forest was the Saxon hunting grounds, but as the trees made way for pasture and the town developed into a centre for cloth mills. Melksham most famous son must be John Fowler who was born in Melksham in 1826, the son of one of the many Quakers of Melksham.

Gradually the weaving died out. The cloth makers of Melksham found it increasingly difficult to compete with more intensively mechanised mills of the north yet were unable, or unwilling to produce cheaper quality cloth. They resorted to paying their outworkers less, which led to street fighting as the workers protested at their poverty.

The family are farmers on the 1871 census
Name Age in 1871 Birthplace Relationship Civil Parish

James Pinnock 33 Melksham; Forest, Wiltshire, England Head Melksham Wiltshire
Eliza Pinnock 36 Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, England Wife Melksham Wiltshire
Thomas W Pinnock 11 Melksham; Forest, Wiltshire, England Son Melksham Wiltshire
John Pinnock 8 Melksham; Forest, Wiltshire, England Son Melksham Wiltshire
Ellen Pinnock 6 Melksham; Forest, Wiltshire, England Daughter Melksham Wiltshire
Emma Pinnock 4 Melksham; Forest, Wiltshire, England Daughter Melksham Wiltshire
Eliza Pinnock 1 Melksham; Forest, Wiltshire, England Daughter Melksham Wiltshire

As the mills fell silent agriculture and engineering grew. Along came the canal of the Wilts & Berks Co. Followed by the railway. Neither made as great an impression on the town and is perhapos the reason that my ancestor moved south to join the royal Marines.

1881 British Census, HMS Minotaur Royal Navy, England
Public Records Office Reference RG11 5636 / 107 38

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability

Thomas PINNOCK Other U Male 22 Melksham, Wiltshire, England Gunner

Thomas married Ellen Elizabeth Fuller (Ahnentafel 15) in 1872, at Highbury, which is modern Swindon. Ellen was born the Eldest of four childen of Daniel Fller (Ahnentafel 30 - 1831 -) and Hannah Watts (Ahnentafel 31 - 1831 -) in 1838 at Standlake, Oxfordshire. she is with her parents on the 1881 census returns

1881 Census Prospect St, Caversham, Oxford, England RG11 1489 / 88 Page Number 23

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Daniel FULLER Head M Male 49 Caversham, Oxford, England Railway Guard
Hannah FULLER Wife M Female 50 Caversham, Oxford, England Railway Guard Wife
Ellen Elizth. FULLER Dau U Female 24 Caversham, Oxford, England Pork Butcheress
Charles FULLER Son U Male 18 Caversham, Oxford, England Railway Porter
Rose Sarah FULLER Dau U Female 11 Caversham, Oxford, England Scholar
Daisy Mary FULLER Dau Female 8 Caversham, Oxford, England Scholar

1891 census

Piece: RG12/877 Place: Portsea Island-Hampshire Enumeration District: 01
Civil Parish: Portsea Ecclesiastical Parish: St James,Milton
Folio: 115 Page: 5 Schedule: 0
Address: Eastney Barracks, Hq Of R.M.A.
Surname First name(s) Rel Status Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
Page: 121/17

PINNOCK Thomas Sldier S M 30 Gunner R.M.Artillery Wiltshire - Melksham

They had four children,

Thomas Carey Pinnock 1883 -
Edith Emily Pinnock December 29, 1887 - June 28, 1946 (Ahnentafel 7)
Ethel May Pinnock September 1, 1890 -
William H Pinnock, before 1899 - 1917

The 1901 census
Thomas Pinnock Head M 41 M Navvy Worker Wilts
Helen Pinnock Wife M 44 F Laundress Wash Worker Oxon Standlake
Edith Emily Pinnock Daughter 13 F Undefined Oxon Caversham
Ethel May Pinnock Daughter 10 F Undefined Berks Reading

Thomas had suffered from a slight alcohol problem, and had packed himself off to Canada to cure it. Helen was carrying William her youngest child at the time, and Thomas, who had been a farmer for a while, was doing recruiting work for the Navy. Well the cure worked too well, for it killed him, and the estate was frozen by Canadian law firms for the next 30 years.

Thomas?s wife, Ellen was left with a young William H and a teenage child Ethyl to support. David Launchbury (Ahnentafel 6)married his daughter Edith on November 10, 1906 in Caversham Parish Church (St Peters). Helen had been forced to move to a small house on Gosport Rd. Edith is with the extended family of Charles Carter, at no 10 Star road. Charles is the brother of Hannah, David Launchbury?s Mother, and this may have been arranged by Thomas Carey and Ada, who lived just down the road. Indeed, David?s parents moved a few doors away in Star Rd after Frederic retirement- until his death in 1914. They moved into 40 Bryant?s avenue, and with the arrival of her first child, took in her younger brother William as well.

Helen was cared for by her Daughter Edith, and her children, but started to slip into senility in the 1930's. After trying to slide down the stairs on a silver tray, like she had done as a child, she suffered injuries, and died November 22, 1939