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b.1845 – d.1915
Throughout her life, the names of Thomasine, Thomasina, and Thomasinie have been used.
Thomasina Bridie was born ~1845 in Anstruther-Easter, Fife, Scotland, to parents Andrew Bridie and Ann Dawson. Andrew was a house carpenter and married Ann on the 22nd May 1826 at Saint Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. From what I could locate they went on to have at least 7 children Christina 1827, William Bissett 1829, Margaret Bissett 1831, Elizabeth 1832, Ann 1834, Thomas 1836, Andrina 1842 and Thomasina in 1845 although a birth / baptism for Thomasina has not been located so far.
Anstruther is a small coastal resort town in Fife, Scotland, situated on the north-shore of the Firth of Forth and 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews. The town comprises two settlements, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester, which are divided by a stream, the Dreel Burn. Anstruther Easter is where the family lived and Andrew worked as a Carpenter, he is noted on the census records as employing up to 3 men at times.
During the 1851 census Thomasina was recorded as a 5-year-old scholar living at Dreel St, Anstruther Easter, Fife, Scotland with her parents Andrew and Ann and her older sisters Elizabeth and Andrina. By 1861 Thomasina had moved out of home and was recorded as a 15-year-old Servant living at 5 East Richmond Street, St. Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh with her brother William, her sister Annie Robb and Annie’s husband John Robb.
Adulthood
Nine years later on the 19 August 1870 in George Square, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Thomasina aged 24 years old married Ralph William Cuthbert a Cabinet Maker also aged 24 years old, both living in Glasgow at the time, witnesses to the marriage where Margaret Galloway (Thomasina’s sister) and Richard Williams.
After their marriage in 1870 they are then located on the 1871 census where Thomasina was recorded as a married 25 year old living with her husband Ralph a Cabinet Maker at 61 Raglan St, St George in Glasgow, no children to Thomasina and Ralph can be located until 6 years later when Thomasina gave birth to a daughter Annie Dawson Cuthbert on the 6th April 1876. Annie was likely named after Thomasina’s mother, sadly young Annie passed away on the 11th March 1877 aged just 11 months old from Bronchitis and Measles, the address at the time was recorded as 26 Arthur St, Glasgow.
The following year on the 20th February 1878 Thomasina gave birth to another daughter Elizabeth Little Cuthbert, Elizabeth being named this time after Ralph’s mother, tragedy hit again though when only 6 months later on the 4th September 1878 Elizabeth Little Cuthbert passed away aged 6 months old from Diarrhoea and Convulsions, the address at the time was recorded as 26 Arthur St, Glasgow.
1880s
Still in Glasgow during the 1881 census Thomasina was recorded as a married 35-year-old living at 98 Dumbarton Rd, Barony, Glasgow with her husband Ralph a Cabinet Maker.
At some point between 1881 and 1891 the couple have made the move to London where they can be found on the 1891 census, Thomasina recorded as a married 44-year-old living at 11 Miller Court Rd, St Paul, Deptford, Greenwich, London with her husband Ralph who is still working as a Cabinet Maker, also lodging with the family at the time was 32 year old Nicholas Wade.
It would appear they settled in Walthamstow, a large town in the London Borough of Waltham Forest round 12 km northeast of Central London.
On the 15th April 1896 Thomasina, aged 51 years old, from 8 Selborne Rd, Walthamstow, London was admitted to the Manor Asylum in Epsom, Surrey. Her next of kin is recorded as her husband Ralph Cuthbert of the same address. Thomasina’s initial examination stated she would not speak but kept gesticulating and waving her arms about. Thomasina was eventually diagnosed with Dementia.
Death of her husband
I would assume it was not that long after Thomasina’s admission to the Asylum that Ralph himself became ill and was eventually admitted to the Lunatic Asylum on the 20th January 1897, several weeks later Ralph a Cabinet Maker from West Ham Union aged 52 years old passed away on the 8th Feb 1897 at the Essex Lunatic Asylum in South Weald, Brentwood, Essex, England, cause of death recorded as Chronic Brights Disease and General Anasarca (Also known as Kidney Disease).
Probate for Ralph was located stating the following – Cuthbert Ralph William of the Essex County Lunatic Asylum Brentwood, effects left to Henry Samuel Campbell, collector to the Guardians of Greenwich Union in the amount of 100 pounds.
Thomasina was transferred to Private on the 9th September 1900 and can be located on the 1901 census as a 57 year old widow admitted to the Manor Asylum in Epsom, Surrey, England as a Private Patient, she was however transferred from Private Class to Pauper on the 23rd April 1903.
During her time at the Asylum Thomasina was recorded as being childish in manner, delusional and hallucinating, regularly hears voices and can be at times abusive, noisy and violent, her memory got worse as the years went on and the last several years saw her confined to her bed where everything had to be done for her.
According to the Patient address book Thomasina’s sister Elizabeth kept in close contact making the journey from Scotland to the Asylum every year to visit with her sister up until Elizabeth’s death in 1913.
On the 6th March 1915 aged 70 years old Thomasina of 78 Selborne Rd, Walthmastow, wife of Cuthbert passed away at the Manor Asylum in Epsom, Surrey, England, cause of death was recorded as Cerebral Hemorrhage.
Thomasina was buried at the Horton Cemetery in Epsom, Surrey, England on the 11th March 1915 in grave reference 1570a.
