Thomas Crowley and Elizabeth Molloy

Bowlalley Lane, Kingston upon Hull
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bernard Sharp - geograph.org.uk/p/3847770

Thomas Crowley (bap. 25 Dec 1812, in Hull), son of Thomas Crowley and Mary Ann Wood (m. 1808), married Elizabeth Molloy (b. 1815 in Sunderland, Durham) on 13 Jun 1838. The marriage was even announced, "At Sunderland Church [...] (undoubtedly at that date Holy Trinity Church or Sunderland Parish Church) on Tuesday, Mr Thomas Crowley, to Miss Elizabeth Molloy" in the Durham County Advertiser on 15 Jun 1838. Although Elizabeth also claims to be from Sunderland, there is no baptism record for her, so I've been unable to identify her origins. 

Thomas and Elizabeth had five children:

1. Elizabeth Crowley b. 1841 (no birth registration nor baptism found)
2. Margaret Crowley b. 1847 J Quarter in KINGSTON UPON HULL Volume 22 Page 449, died aged 2, in 1849 D Quarter in HULL Volume 22 Page 327 and buried on 14 Oct 1849 at All Saints Church, Sculcoates
3. Sarah Ann Crowley b. 1849 J Quarter in KINGSTON UPON HULL Vol 22 Page 483, died 1849 S Quarter in KINGSTON UPON HULL Vol 22 Page 35
4. Margaret Crowley b. 1850 in KINGSTON UPON HULL Vol 22 Page 458
5. Thomas Crowley b. 1852 D Quarter in SHEFFIELD Volume 09C Page 235

Mother's maiden name on the registrations for Sarah Ann and the 2nd Margaret is Molloy, on that for Thomas, it's spelled Malloy, on the first Margaret it was Maloy. Have checked the GRO year by year for each and any similar derivatives.

In 1841, Thomas Crowley (25) Groom, and Elizabeth Crowley (20) - ages were rounded down to the nearest five on this census - were living in the household of Thomas' mother, Mary Crowley (50) in Cumberland Street, Sculcoates.

In 1851, Thomas Crowley (40) Agricultural Labourer, from Hull and Elizabeth Crowley (36) Spinner from Sunderland, Durham, Elizabeth Crowley (9) and Margaret Crowley (0), were among a long list of Lodgers in the household of Elizabeth Hamilton (40) at 41, Pea Croft, Sheffield, Yorkshire.

Elizabeth Crowley died, at 49, in 1858 J Quarter in Sculcoates.

On 1 Nov 1858, therefore, Thomas Crowley, Oil Miller, of Church Street, Hull, son of Thomas Crowley, Corn Factor, married Jane Rich, spinster, daughter of John Rich, Warehouseman, at St. James's Church, Hull. (The church was closed in the mid 1950s and demolished in 1957. The site is now a garden.)

Thomas Crowley, as we see, became an Oil Miller: someone who extracted oil from seeds, particularly linseed and rapeseed that were grown in England. 

There seems to have been a long history of oil milling in Hull, one of two industries that dominated the town's industrial history, with 'Isis Oil Mills' silo, No.45 Morley Street, Stoneferry, previously the earliest surviving oil mill silo in the city, which became the heart of Hull’s oil seed milling industry. (The demolition of landmark Isis Oil Mill in Hull began in 2019.); former Oil Mill, Glass House Row, close to Sculcoates Bridge; Chambers & Fargus, seed crushers and edible oil refiners and the Anglo-Egytian Oil Mills & Refinery, Lime Street, next to the river Hull, among others. Oil Seed Crushing. "There are references to the milling of rape-seed in Hull from the early 16th century and by the middle of the 18th century the industry was well established. As early as 1740 Joseph Pease, later head of the banking firm, had built an oil-mill at the corner of Lowgate and Salthouse Lane."

In 1861, living at 56, Church Street, Sculcoates, were Thomas Crowley (47) Oil miller, Jane Crowley (46), Thomas Crowley (7) and Charlotte C Rich (17) Stepdaughter. (Charlotte Collings Rich was Jane's illegitimate daughter, presumably by Mr Collings, born in 1843. She married a Thomas Beach in 1863.) Elizabeth Crowley married William Henry Tummon, in 1860. Margaret, I've not located.

Then Jane Crowley died, aged 52, in the first quarter of 1869.

So, on 24 May 1869, Thomas Crowley (54) Widower, of Church Street, Sculcoates, son of Thomas Crowley, Merchant (deceased), married, Hannah Bassingdale (50), widow, daughter of Joseph Wilson, Engineer (deceased), at All Saints Church, Hull. (Hannah Wilson previously married Charles Bassingdale in 1846.) Witnesses were Thomas Wilson and Elizabeth Wilson.

In 1871, still at 56, Church Street, Sculcoates, were Thomas Crowley (59) Oil miller, Hannah Crowley (50) - still - and Thomas Crowley (17) Oil miller.

In 1881, Thomas Crowley (69) Oil miller and Hannah Crowley (63) were living at 13, Bowlalley Lane, Kingston upon Hull. (Nos.15, Bowlalley House & 16, two houses, circa 1820. Dividing the two premises is The Pathway, an alley. See: The secrets behind Hull's mysterious black door that goes to nowhere.)

Thomas Crowley, then of Glasgow Street, Hull, died, aged 76, and was buried on 14 Feb 1889 at Hull Holy Trinity (Hull Minster since 2017).

In 1891, the widowed Hannah Crowley was still living in Glasgow Street, Newington, Sculcoates with Emma Crowley (33) who "takes in mangling". Emma was the widow of Thomas Crowley's son, Thomas Crowley, who had died at 35 and been buried on 21 January 1889, only around three and a half weeks before his father. So Hannah was Emma's step-mother-in-law. However, she is listed as being Emma's aunt. This could be for want of a better description, but it could also mean she was already her aunt by blood relation [needs further investigation].

Hannah Crowley died, aged 78, in 1896, in Sculcoates.