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G30. Thomas COLCHESTER the miller was baptised in 1794 in Barking, Suffolk and was buried there on 2 June 1847.8
He must have taken over the family milling and baking business as Thomas was a tenant of Lingwood's smock windmill which stood on the northern outskirts of Needham Market, just into the parish of Creeting St Mary.10 He was recorded as occupying it in a document covering the transfer of land on the death of his uncle Benjamin in 1826.2 The ground-works of the mill still exist as cellars to the house built on the mill mound - but no one in the family has ever plucked up enough courage to tap on the door with a request to view!10 From the Ashburnham accounts we know that he was buying brushwood, just like his father and grandfather, presumably for the bakery ovens at 20s a load for short wood and 16s for brushwood in 1840.2
Thomas's bake office and home was in Tudor House in 111 High Street, Needham Market,2 recently owned by Hugh Paget and George Ewart Evans. He was listed in the Pigot & Co directory of Suffolk 1823-436 and also in 183920 as a Baker in Needham Market. In late 1839 or early 1840 he moved to 19 High Street as there was a notice for the sale of 111 High St in the Ipswich Journal on 14 December 1839; they also owned 17 High St. He paid Poor Rates in 1840 on nos 13, 15, & 17 School Street, off the Causeway, so I may have confused the High Street with School Street.2
He witnessed the marriage of William Quinton to Mary Ann Colchester in 1817 and the will of John Sheldrake of Needham in 1823. In 1836 he subscribed 5s to the Almshouse trust in Needham Market. In 1836 he was admitted to a property, which I think was Gloziers, 16 High Street.
In the tithe map of 1838 he was occupying Mill Yard in Creeting St Mary. There was also a record of him being a tenant of 115 High St, paying a poor rate of £1.10.00 between 1835 and 39.2
In his will he left his windmill in trust, with his wife Elizabeth and his son Robert having the first option to rent it and to buy it for £150 on her death. His wife Elizabeth also got a life interest in the bake office and houses, but she was authorised to sell them if need be. Everything else was left directly to Elizabeth.38
He was married to Elizabeth OSBORN on 8 Dec 1819 in Nedging, Suffolk.2,38 She was born in 1790 in Rattlesden.37 The Ipswich Journal of Dec 11 1819 records their marriage at Nedging to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Mr Richard Osborn, farmer of Nedging. The Suffolk Chronicle of May 27 1848 records: "Died on the 8th after a short but severe illness in the 18th year, Samuel youngest & only remaining son of the late Mr Thomas Colchester, miller & baker of Needham Market, deeply lamented by his widowed mother, who, in less than a year, has been bereaved of her husband & 2 sons."2
As we know that Samuel died from TB, we assume that they all died from this miller's scourge, no doubt exacerbated by the constant inhalation of flour dust.10 When Thomas died, she was left a life income in all his property,38 and with the death of the whole family she sold up in Needham Market and moved to Ipswich by 1851. At that date she was recorded in the census as a widow living off an annuity, at 36 Victoria Street Ipswich with her daughter Mary Ann aged 27 and one servant.37
Children of Thomas COLCHESTER the miller and Elizabeth OSBORN were:
G37 i. George Thomas COLCHESTER
G38 ii. Robert Osbourne COLCHESTER
G39 iii. Mary Ann COLCHESTER
G40 iv. Edward COLCHESTER was buried on 30 Aug 1835 in Barking, Suffolk when aged 9.8
G41 v. Samuel COLCHESTER