Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Thomas was born at Marwood in 1894 to Emma Brown.
In 1901 Thomas was living with his family at Thorngate. Head of the home was his grandfather, Charles and wife Ann along with their off spring. The grandparents had 12 children together including William, a cartwright apprentice, Herbert, an iron moulder apprentice and Emma, a machinist minder at the flax mill.
Emma was an unmarried mother when she had her son, Thomas. She later married James Methan on Xmas Day in 1901. They went on to have 3 children of their own Martha Etta, Charles Wm and Edith Ann (who died in infancy)
By 1911 James Methan (having previously had taken Thomas into his household) shows the family living together at Thorngate, Barnard Castle. At age 16 Thomas was working in a shoe thread factory.
Thomas enlisted (under his own surname Brown) into the army at Bishop Auckland in 1915 By 27th June 1915 he was serving in France. He was killed in action 28th March 1918 during the mighty German Spring Offensive at that time. It was called Kaiserschlacht ie Kaiser’s Battle.
Thomas was awarded the following medals for his service – 1915 Star, Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
Thomas William Brown is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 64
