Jeremiah Thomings

Jeremiah Thomings was baptised in Kingswinford on 10 Mar 1733, the son of David and Sarah Thomings. We know a little about him because of the wills of two of his brothers as well as a host of details from various parish registers.

The will of his brother David Thomings of 1795 lists out Jeremiah’s other brothers – Edward (bap 1731), Joshua (bap 1736) and Thomas. We know from Joshua Thomings will of 1806 that there was another brother Timothy (1745-1778) who had children still living in 1812 but Timothy is not mentioned in David’s will.  David Thomings, the elder brother, is described as a watchmaker of Halesowen and Thomas, the youngest brother as a clockmaker.

A document (Final Concord) in the local archives of 1812 is a settlement of some property as a consequence of Joshua’a will. Joshua was evidently a bachelor of some means and the document neatly lists a large number of the grandchildren and some great grandchildren of David and Sarah Thomings. This helps enormously in identifying Jeremiah’s children and their subsequent marriages.

Jeremiah, himself, married Jane Walford in Northfield, Worcestershire on 7 Oct 1759. She was “of that parish” and the couple’s first daughter Mary was baptized in St Laurence, Northfield on 4 Aug 1760. She married a William Wicherley on 25 Oct 1784 back in Kingswinford.

Jeremiah and Jane Thomings had nine further children all of whom made it into adulthood.

Jeremiah’s second daughter Jane Thomings, baptized 9 Mar 1762, married Richard Harper Dimmack on 16 Jul 1781 and these are the parents of Jeremiah Dimmack. On the death of Jane (bur 9 Sep 1783) when her only son Jeremiah Dimmack was less than two, Richard Harper Dimmack remarried her sister, that is Jeremiah Thomings’s third daughter Sarah, baptized on 26 Dec 1764. This marriage resulted in a number of half siblings to Jeremiah – most notably Arthur Dimmack. The descendants of Jeremiah and Arthur Dimmack were all involved in the iron industry in the West Midlands, South Wales, Northern France and Coatbridge in Scotland.

Jeremiah’s oldest son was called Samuel. He was baptized on 23 Nov 1766 in St Giles Rowley Regis and married Mary Richards on 27 Nov 1785 in Kingswinford..

Jeremiah’s second son was also called Jeremiah Thomings, baptised (probably) on 26 Jun 1768 in St Giles Rowley Regis. He died intestate in 1820 and a document reveals that the administrator of his estate was Elizabeth Thomings of Level Iron Works. This we can presume is Jeremiah’s widow. The monthly magazine announces the wedding on 22 Feb 1813 of Mr J Thomings of Level Iron Works and Miss Youngjohn of Kidderminster. His widow must therefore be the same Elizabeth Thomings cited in bankruptcy case of 1822 alongside the nephew Jeremiah Dimmack.  The Old Level Iron works in Brierley Hill had come into existence some time in the 1770’s when Lord Ward had helped construct the canal and led to the rapid industrial growth of the area. The church of St Michael’s Brierley Hill had been founded by subscription in 1765 to cope with the growing population in the southern part of the large parish of Kingswinford. This explains the shift of the BMD records to the latter parish.

Ann Thomings was Jeremiah’s fourth daughter baptized 29 Jul 1770 in Kingswinford. She married Richard Longmore, farmer, on 4 Dec 1804.

David Thomings baptised on 24 Dec 1775 married Ann Garman on 22 Jan 1805. William Stinson was a witness at the wedding. At the wedding of one of his daughters in the 1840’s, David Thomings profession is stated as ‘manufacturer’.

Phoebe Thomings, baptized on 15 Nov 1778 in Brierley Hill and was married to William Johnson the younger on 20 Feb 1804 in Sedgley.

Jeremiah’s youngest daughter Elizabeth was baptized on 23 Apr 1780  and married William Stinson, a landowner in Kingswinford on 9 Jun 1802. He together with his brother in law Jeremiah Thomings was an executor of Joshua’s will of 1812.

Through all these records it is possible to see the class of person that Jeremiah Thomings was. We know that his brother Joshua, a yeoman, had strong methodist tendencies as he mentions John Wesley in his will. Later generations all became Wesleyan and it would seem reasonable to assume Jeremiah was inclined that way. There is a strong possibility that his wife Jane Walford also came from a non conformist family.

Jeremiah’s wife, Jane,  died and was buried on 5 Aug 1799 in Brierley Hill aged 59 and Jeremiah himself died seven years later and was buried on 9 Mar 1806 also at Brierley Hill aged 73. His will written on 24 Nov 1802, ahead of a number of his children’s marriages, and probate was granted on 23 Jun 1806.

On balance it seems Jeremiah Thomings (snr) was both a small holder and perhaps an entrant into the iron industry as its impact hit the Brierley Hill area in the 1770’s. There is evidence of some dynastic ambition in this early iron industry in the way that his grandson Jeremiah Dimmack married into the Bagnall family and had interest in the Moor Croft Iron works in Wednesbury and his son Jeremiah Thomings also by 1800 had interest (perhaps as an employee of Lord Ward, Earl of Dudley) in the Old Level Iron Works in Brierley Hill. This was the basis of much more extensive iron interests of his great grandsons Edward Bagnall Dimmack and Richard Dimmack of Coatbridge, both ironmasters.

Sources

  • Will of David Thomings, abstract. Dudley Archives Ref DSCAM/3/499/1:
    • Description: Will (2 May 1795) of David Thomings of Hales Owen, Salop, watchmaker; all upon trust for sale, with proceeds for equal division between brothers, Edward Thomings, Jeremiah Thomings, Joshua Thomings, William Long of Bourn Heath, parish of Bromsgrove, yeoman and Thomas Thomings, clockmaker, with benefit of survivorship; share of Edward to be paid in such manner and at such time as Joshua shall decide; executor, Joshua Thomings of Cradley Forge, Worcs., yeoman (brother).
  • Will of Joshua Thomings, Yeoman, brother in National Archives, PROB 11/1532/119 1812
  • Final Concord: Dudley Archives. Ref No:DSCAM/2/2/3/5
    • Description: Indenture part of Fine (Michaelmas Term 53 Gerorge III) between Noah Brettell (Plaintiff) and Samuel Thomings, Jeremiah Thomings, David Thomings, Thomas Thomings, William Wicherly and Mary his wife, Richard Longmore and Ann his wife, William Johnson the younger and Phebe his wife, William Stinson and Elizabeth his wife, Paul Smith and Mary his wife, Jacob Smith and Sarah his wife, Sarah Dimmack, Ann Carter, Elizabeth Mills and Ann Thomings, spinsters (Deforciants) of premises in the parish of Kingswinford.