FM016 / FM296 Thomas Mangnall

Thomas Mangnall was born on the 19th February 1858 in Manchester, a son of Robert Hartley Mangnall (GM028) and Judith Porter (GM200). He was christened on the 22nd February 1860 at Manchester Cathedral.

In the 1871 Census Thomas is shown to be living at 4 Factory Brow, Tetlow Bridge in Crumpsall with his family. He was only 14 years old but was working as a factory operator.

Thomas married Mary Hall (FM017) on the 4th April 1878, she was from Crumpsall in Manchester. They had the following children:-

• Jane (EM010), b.1879 in Crumpsall. Jane was described as an "idiot" in the 1891 census and presumably died before 1900;
• James (EM011), b.1880 in Crumpsall;
• William (EM298), b.1883 in Manchester;
• Thomas (EM299), b.1885 in Manchester;
• Robert (EM300), b.1888 in Manchester;
• Mary (EM301), b.1890 in Manchester;
• John (EM314), b.1892 in Manchester;
• Benjamin (EM315), b.1898 in Manchester;
• Jane (DM074), b.1900 in Manchester;
• Edward (DM093), b.1902 in Manchester;
• Harry (DM107), b.20th November 1903 in Manchester.

By the time of the 1881 Census Thomas was aged 23 and living at 8 Wade Street in Manchester with Mary, Jane, James and three lodgers. Thomas was working as a carter.

The family were still living at 8 Wade Street by the time of the 1891 Census and of the 1901 Census. In 1901 Thomas was 43 years old and working as a "Night Soil Remover"! At the turn of the century flushing toilets were becoming more popular but in most areas the toilets were "outside", either in huts in the backyard between groups of houses. The toilets often consisted of a wooden board with a hole in it over a container. These containers were emptied by the "night soil men" who sold the waste to farms as fertilizer. This practice continued until early in the twentieth century, well after the Great War.

We think that Thomas died sometime between 1930 and 1935. His wife, Mary, died on the 30th June 1940.

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