People from Stoke-on-Trent

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Thomas Robey

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Thomas ROBEY (1800/1 - ?) - Schoolmaster, Stoke-upon-Trent

 

father: ? mother: ?
Thomas Robey 1st wife: Abigail (d.1858)
2nd wife: Mary

 

c. 1800 Born in Warrington, Cheshire (probably the younger brother of William Robey).
1822 By this date Thomas was running the "Commercial Academy, Church Street, Hanley.
1841 By this date he rented a room in the recently built schoolroom of the Wesleyan Methodists in Market Street in the town of Stoke-upon-Trent. He ran a private school from here.
A 1850 advertisement claimed that his was the largest voluntary school in the county of Staffordshire.
1842 His daughter (by his first wife, Abigail) -  Elizabeth Hannah Robey died in infancy. They were living in Cross Heath Street, Stoke-upon-Trent.
1851 According to the 1851 census he was living in Princess Street.
1861 According to the 1861 census he was living in Market Street with his second wife Mary and stepchildren.
1868 Thomas Robey was evicted from the schoolroom premises because of his failure to pay the rent.

NOTE: William Robey (probably Thomas's older brother was a schoolmaster in the town of Longton)

1851 Census
11 Princess Street, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire

Name Estimated Birth Year Birthplace Relationship Occupation
Thomas Robey abt 1801 Warrington, Lancashire, England Head Commercial Schoolmaster
Abigail Robey abt 1803 Wern, Shropshire, England Wife Commercial Schoolmistress
Mary Robey abt 1827 Market Drayton, Shropshire, England Daughter Assistant Governess
James Robey abt 1829 Market Drayton, Shropshire, England Son General assistant teacher
Peter Robey abt 1835 Market Drayton, Shropshire, England Son General assistant teacher
Thomas Robey abt 1832 Market Drayton, Shropshire, England Son General assistant teacher
Jane Robey abt 1837 Market Drayton, Shropshire, England Daughter scholar
Catherine Caldwell abt 1837 Warrington, Lancashire, England Servant General Servant

NOTE: in the early 1950's Honeywall, Princess Street and Upper Cliffe Bank were all renamed as Honeywall and the houses were re-numbered.

1861 Census
109 Market Street, Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire

Name Estimated Birth Year Birthplace Relationship Occupation
Thomas Robey abt 1801 Warrington, Lancashire, England Head Schoolmaster
Mary Robey abt 1812 Warrington, Lancashire, England Wife  
Catherine Isaac abt 1851 Warrington, Lancashire, England Stepdaughter scholar
William Isaac abt 1853 Warrington, Lancashire, England Stepson scholar
John Colley abt 1811 Ipswich, Suffolk, England Visitor Commercial Traveller

NOTE: in the early 1950's Market Street was renamed Hide Street.


Market Street - from an 1898 OS map
Princess Street is top left of the map

 


Market Street and Chapel Street - from a detailed 1877 OS map

 


The Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School rooms, Stoke - built in 1838
for some years before the erection of Cross Street
Board Schools in 1875 this was also used as a day school.
 

In 1840 the House of Commons set up a commission to inquire into the state of children employed in the mines and  manufactories. Samuel Scriven visited the area of Stoke-on-Trent from December 1840 onwards to collect evidence.
One of the workmen at a factory in Stoke records that he sent his son to "day-school at Mr. Robey's"

Messrs. DANIEL AND SONS, China Factory, Stoke.
ENAMELING ROOM. Ther. 60; open air 32.
No. 60. Sarah Simpson, aged 41.
I have been a painter more than 30 years; 12 years in this firm ; only five women work here in a general way ; there are more now on account of having an order to complete ; our usual hour of work is from seven to six; we have worked for this reason till 12 o'clock every night but one this week (five nights), but it is very rare that we have occasion to do so ; we work by the day, and are paid for over hours. No children work with us.
We are allowed two hours out for meals.
I have three boys, too young for work; the eldest is a boy 10 years; he goes to day-school at Mr. Robey's ; as the mother of a family I prefer giving them all the education I can. I think children are indeed taken too early to work; the effect depends upon what they are put to ; running moulds, and dipping, and oven-work I have seen often very injurious to them so young ; it also operates upon their moral characters. It depends a good deal upon the disposition of girls how they turn out. I don't think the painters are the worst ; there are no bad habits among them ; the treaders and others are more exposed to evil examples, but they don't go very young there; I wouldn't like a daughter of mine to be there.
I think our work is healthy upon the whole, but at first we feel it.