Thomas Henry Hulme: the three sisters’ maternal grandfather
Thomas was the eldest child of James and Alice Hulme, née Brierley (Brierley given as middle name to his daughter, Nora). He had a sister, Emily, born 1874, and a brother, Joseph Young, born 1877.
- born October 18, 1871, Bolton
- married Eunice Artingstall, September 13, 1905
- died July 29, 1926, age 54 years
In 1900 Thomas was a solicitor’s clerk in Bolton. He went to dancing classes at Central Hall and there he met Eunice Artingstall. They fell in love and were married. She stayed home to take care of him and, in time, their son and daughter. As a solicitor’s clerk Thomas travelled to visit clients. One day, running for a train to come back home to Bolton, he collapsed with a heart attack and died on the station platform. He was only 54 and Eunice, at 50, was left with little money. To get by, she took in lodgers. Some time later one of the lodgers, George, fell in love with Eunice’s daughter, Nora. They were married and had three daughters.
The happenstance of circumstance: if Thomas hadn’t been late for the train, there wouldn’t have been any lodgers, George wouldn’t have met Nora, and the three sisters would never have been born (the 7 children and 18 grandchildren wouldn’t exist either).