Thomas Cowling Fynn (1819 - 1904)

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Thomas Cowling Fynn  was the youngest child of John Fynn and Sarah (née Cowling).

I have confirmed the baptism of Thomas Cowling Fynn at St Botolph on 12.12.1819. On the day of the 1841 census ( see Extracts of 1841 Census for more information), Sarah, his mother, lived at home, at 11 Tennis Court Road, where she was a lodging house keeper. John and his son, Thomas (Thomas Cowling FYNN), who was by then 20, both seemed to be working and living in the University. As the census for a particular address included not only those there over the night of the count but also those night workers who were to return home the next morning, one assumes they stayed at the college for more than just one night.  This is confirmed by the present day (2003) Head Porter at Corpus Christi, Mr. Douglas Carter. Apparently it would have been almost a permanently living-in job in those days. John was recorded on the census as "Porter of the College" and Thomas as "Under Porter"

For more details of his role at the College go to Corpus Christi College. 

To learn more of the "Fynn" family mark on the silver belonging to Corpus Christi review the pages associated with College Silver.  From the book, "Treasures of Silver at Corpus Christi College Cambridge" by Oliver Rackham (Dr Rackham is the present (2003) Senior Fellow of Corpus Christi), it would appear that the Fynns at one time owned some of the silver and rented it out to undergraduates.  The college subsequently bought that silver back.  This may explain the content of Thomas' Will (see below).

I have found that Thomas married Maria Martha Cross in 1847. We have traced the following children of theirs:

Returning to Thomas Cowling Fynn and Maria: In the 1851 census, Thomas was aged 31 years and Maria (aged 36 years). They lived in St Andrew the Great with Maria Louisa Fynn, 2 years, and John Fynn (my great grandfather), aged 1 month. See Extracts of 1851 Census for more detail.

By the 1881 Census, he was living at 5 Panton Street, Cambridge. He was 61 years and described himself as a "College Buttler" (spelling as on the form). Also on that census at that address are: Maria M., aged 66 years; Clara, a daughter, aged 28, no employment (other records spell her name as Clare Amelia); Florence, a daughter, aged 26, no employment; Ellen E., a daughter, aged 19, no employment; Kate M., a daughter, aged 17, no employment; Edric J. Cross, brother in law, aged 39, married, a sailor; and Emma Webb, servant (general domestic), aged 20.

Maria died early in 1887, aged 71 years.

In the only indexed part of the 1891 Census I’ve managed to look at, in that year Thomas Cowling Fynn was still living in St Andrew the Less. By this time only Clara Amelia and Florence Mary were living with him.

In the 1892 Kelly’s Directory for Cambridge, Thomas Cowling Fynn was listed in the ‘Commercial’ section as a College Butler; living at 5 Belvedere Terrace, Panton Street, Cambridge.

By 1896, Kelly’s lists him as a "Private Resident". He is still living at the Belvedere Terrace address. Thomas had really ‘arrived’. He was also listed in the Court Directory. He is entitled to ‘Esquire’ after his name.

In the 1901 Census, Thomas and his two daughters, Clara (48 yrs.) and Florence (46 yrs.) were living at "Kilnsey", Simpson Avenue, St Pauls, Cambridge. He is defined as a "retired college butter". Maybe once they could have spelt his status correctly. The employment of the two daughters was "undefined".  We have not been able to find Simpson Avenue in present day Cambridge. But see Thomas' Will below for another suggestion.

Thomas Cowling Fynn died 5th January 1904 aged 84 years.

We have found the grant of Probate in the matter of Thomas' Will.

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Page last updated 29th May 2010