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The Story of Thomas and Lucy Cox

Thomas Cox was a lockkeeper working for Severn Commission in the late 19th century. Lockkeepers on the River Severn were employed to collect tolls and ensure the safe passage of vessels through the locks; in addition they carried out daily checks on river levels and recorded these for the Commission.

As a lockkeeper for the Severn Commission, Thomas Cox worked at Tewkesbury Lock on the River Severn for ten years between 1881 and 1891. In 1891 he became a toll collector and lockkeeper at Maisemore Lock near Gloucester. The 1891 census for the parish of Tewkesbury shows Thomas, his wife Lucy and their children Thomas, William and Lucy living at Severn Locks, Tewkesbury where Thomas senior is described as a lockkeeper. Later that year the family moved to Maisemore Lock on the Western Arm of the River Severn just below the upper parting near the City of Gloucester. At that time traffic through the lock to the Hereford and Gloucester Canal had stopped as the canal had fallen into disuse but the lock was still used on a regular basis by a coal merchant at Maisemore Wharf on the river just below the lock. The lock house at Maisemore was fairly isolated, being situated on an island between the weir across the river and the lock a short distance from the village of Maisemore. The family lived in the Severn Commission owned house, whose only access was a footpath along the riverbank from the Maisemore Bridge and then across the lock, and relied on his work as a toll collector and lockkeeper for the Commission for their living.

Newscutting regarding the inquest held 12 February 1896 -
Gloucestershire Archives

On the evening of Tuesday, 18 February 1896 Thomas walked to a Maisemore village pub, The White Hart, for a drink and to collect some beer for his supper; there was nothing unusual in this and he left for home after only a couple of hours, wishing local villagers a goodnight as he left. Unfortunately, Thomas Cox was not seen alive again after that goodnight wish. He walked home along the riverbank but while crossing the lock just outside his house, he missed his footing, hit his head and fell in the water to his death. His body was dragged from the water the following morning. The inquest into Thomas Cox’s death took place on Friday February 21st and gave a verdict of accidental death by drowing. Thomas Cox was a well-respected member of his community and his death was reported in a number of local newspaper articles where he was described as “a steady, inoffensive man”.

Newscutting from the Gloucester Citizen concerning the drowning
of Thomas Cox - Gloucestershire Archives

Lucy was now a widow with three dependant children, left with the possibility of becoming homeless and with no income of her own to take care of her family. She decided to write to the Severn Commission asking them to consider her eldest son, Thomas for his fathers post. She would assist him as she had done her husband and reckoned that between them they could manage the work. The Commission did consider the appointment of Thomas Cox junior to his fathers post, and in support of Lucy’s application they received a reference in his favour from a prominent businessman Thomas Barnes of the company Barns and Chadborn. In a committee meeting of 29 February 1896 they made their decision. It was decided that although at the age of nineteen Thomas was too young to take responsibility for the collection of tolls, Lucy would be appointed toll collector at Maisemore Lock, on the same wages as her husband had been paid, and on condition her eldest son stayed with her to help her with her duties. Within a few days Lucy had written to the Commission thanking them for her appointment, she then started on her new life at Maisemore Lock ably assisted by Thomas Cox Junior.

Letter from John Bradley providing a reference for Lucy Cox, 1896 - Gloucestershire Archives

Lucy and Thomas junior’s duties not only included the collection of tolls from passing vessels, the safe operation of the lock and the assisting of vessels through the lock, but also the recording of water levels and rainfall on the river. Life would not have been easy; the family would have to a certain extent been at the mercy of the elements, the level of the river throughout the year would have been a constant preoccupation and the threat of flooding must have affected the family at times. On the other hand the Commission paid a good wage and kept the house in good repairs as a statement showing proposed repairs to the house in 1897 shows.

In February 1901 after five years as the toll collector at Maisemore, Lucy left her position and moved to Gloucester where the census of 1901 for the parish of St Luke, Gloucester shows her living on the Bristol Road as widow and describes her as “living on her own means”. By this time Thomas Cox junior had also left the employ of the Severn Commission and was a police constable in Tewkesbury.

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