The Poulter Family

Our Poulter family history centres around Berkshire and Hampshire.

Thomas Poulter (17 April, 1868 - 29 October, 1939) was born in Sherfield on Loddon, Hampshire, at Marshall's Farm.  His parents were Thomas Poulter and Mary Ann Lee.    Thomas grew up on Marshall's Farm in Sherfield on Lodden, working first as an errand boy and then going into insurance and becoming an insurance agent with Prudential Life.  He married on August 18, 1891, at Basingstoke, to his first wife, Alice Hayden.  Together they had four children.  Alice died in 1902 after giving birth to their fifth child which was either stillborn or died shortly after birth.   I have not been able to find any record for the child which makes me believe it may have been a stillborn.  Alice contracted what was called "milk fever" after the birth, essentially an infection which in the early 1900's was fatal.  She died on 28 April, 1902 of puerperal septicaemia.

After her death Thomas was left to care for his family of four  young children.  It must have been a difficult challenge for him, and he was left with no other option than to foster his two youngest children, Cecil and Victor, out to his two brothers for care.  The boys spent time with Thomas' brothers Edward and George.  It was during the boys stay with their Uncle George that the youngest boy, Cecil, aged 3, was admitted to hospital in March 1903 with severe injuries, eventually causing his death.  An inquest was held which described Cecil as very emaciated, skin and bones, very dirty and "marks likes bruises over the face, arms and legs".

On December 20, 1906, Thomas married his second wife, a cousin named Sarah Herridge.  Three months later she gave birth to their first son, although the child did not survive long.  Throughout their marriage Thomas and Sarah would have 8 children, all sons, two who died shortly after birth.

There have been stories from the family who say Thomas was not a very nice man, and that he treated his wife and sons badly.  One story is that he refused medical care for a young son who had an infectious cut on his leg.  Gangrene set in and when he finally did seek medical care for the boy, the leg had to be amputated.  Thomas decided the only occupation the boy was good for now would be as a cobbler, so he set the boy up with a shingle and cobblers tools.