THOMAS STEPHENS was born on 14 November 1804 in Croydon, Surrey, England. He died on 23 January 1880 at his residence, Highland House, Richmond Hill, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

His parents were RICHARD and ANN STEPHENS and he was christened in the George Street Independent Church in Croydon, Surrey, England. According to one of his marriage records, his father, RICHARD STEPHENS, was a "bricklayer".

THOMAS STEPHENS probably grew up in Surrey, but we know very little about him for the first 30 years of his life. We know that he was living in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire in about 1836. His whereabouts is unknown prior to that time. There was a Thomas Stephens who was a "licensed victualler" [innkeeper] in Bermondsey, Surrey [located in the immediate vicinity of Croydon] between 1824 and 1826, but it isn't known if this was our THOMAS STEPHENS. If so, this may explain why our THOMAS STEPHENS became an "innkeeper" in Leeds.

THOMAS STEPHENS was living on "East Street" in Morley, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England when his wife GRACE [whom he married in about 1836] died in 1837. We also know that he was married three times in Leeds, but there is a possibility that he may have also been married before he married GRACE.

Please note:There is a marriage record at the Church of St. Peter in Leeds on 16 August 1824 for a THOMAS STEPHENS and ELIZABETH MURPHY (a widow). Nothing more is known about this THOMAS STEPHENS[e.g. his age; the name of his father etc] or about her: her maiden name or her birth and death dates. It is possible that this might be our THOMAS STEPHENS who would have been 20 at the time.

We do know that our THOMAS STEPHENS was married to the following:

A. He was married first to GRACE BINKS in 1836 in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England and that she died on 13 March 1837 at their residence of East Street, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England from inflammation following the birth of their daughter:

1. GRACE STEPHENS, born on 3 March 1837 in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; married JAMES STEPHENSON on 20 September 1866 in St. Peter's Church, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; she died on 6 February 1917 at her home at 5 Ridge Mount Cliff Road in Hyde Park, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

B. He was married to ANN BRAMHAM on 10 November 1837 in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England. He stated that his address was 94 East Street in Leeds and that his occupation and that of his father RICHARD STEPHENS was: "bricklayer". Soon after his marriage he became a "publican" as proprietor of Sussex Tavern in the Kirkgate District of Leeds. THOMAS and ANN [BRAMHAM] STEPHENS became the parents of seven children:

1. THOMAS GEORGE STEPHENS, born 19 August 1838 in the Kirkgate District, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; married MARY GOODWIN on 28 May 1864 in All Saints Church, Normanton in Wakefield, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; he died on 29 May 1893 at the family residence on Ellerby Road, Sussex Square, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

2. ANN STEPHENS, born 1840 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; married JAMES SWALES on 27 May 1861 in St. Peter's Church, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; she died on 19 May 1897 in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

3. JAMES STEPHENS, born between April and June 1842 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; died 11 March 1846 at the family residence in Sussex Tavern, Sussex Square, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

4. HENRY BETTS STEPHENS, born 1844 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; married ANNIE MARSTON HARTLEY BENTLEY on 9 April 1864 in St. George's Church, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England; he died in September 1928 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

5. RICHARD STEPHENS, born between October and December 1845 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; he died at the family residence on 26 November 1846 in Sussex Tavern, Sussex Square, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

6. ALFRED STEPHENS, born between October and December 1847 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; married FRANCES ELIZABETH BRAITHWAITE in December 1883 in Hull, East Riding, Humberside, England; he died on 25 December 1923 in Halton, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

7. LUCY STEPHENS, born about October 1849 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England;

ANN [BRAMHAM] STEPHENS died on 24 October 1849 at the family residence at Sussex Tavern in Sussex Square, Leeds, West Riding, England during the childbirth of their seventh child LUCY STEPHENS.

C. THOMAS STEPHENS was married third in 1850 according to the records of the Leeds Register Office in that city to ELLEN MIDDLETON and they became the parents of three daughters:

1. FANNY STEPHENS, born between October and December 1852 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; married DANIEL DODGSON on 20 May 1874 in the church of St. Saviour, Cross Green, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; she died on 14 February 1908 at her residence at 119 Roundhay Road in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

2. PAULINA STEPHENS, born in June 1855 in South East Leeds, West Riding; Yorkshire, England; married EDWARD WILLIAM PEACE on 27 May 1875 in the Church of St. Saviour, Cross Green, Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; she died on 28 March 1918 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.

3. LUCY ELLEN STEPHENS, born between January and March 1858 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; she died on 13 November 1862 in South East Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

ELLEN [MIDDLETON] STEPHENS outlived THOMAS STEPHENS and died in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire on 25 December 1887.

THOMAS STEPHENS was a plumber and a Publican who owned at least two Public Taverns in Leeds, West Riding, Yorkshire. At the time of his death from "bronchitis" on 23 January 1880, he resided at the Highland House on Richmond Hill in Leeds. He was buried in the Woodhouse Cemetery in Leeds in Plot 7740.