In his father's Will (written 1772) Thomas and his brother Jeremiah were bequeathed equal shares of their father’s dwelling house, shop and orchard, late Maskles, now occupied by Thomas Vinal.
In 1776 Thomas Gower of Lindfield, cordwainer, is named in the Will of Richard Jackson of Ardingly as husband of Richard’s niece Sarah.
Thomas Gower of Lindfield was a witness to the Will of James Walder of Cuckfield, maltster, in 1781.
In 1781 Thomas Gower of Lindfield, cordwainer, was sole executor and residuary legatee of the Will of his mother-in-law Mary Jackson of Ardingly, widow.
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Thomas had a house and shoemaker's shop in the southern (larger) part of Crosskeys in Lindfield.
Thomas Gower, John's father, bought the site of the present Red Lion from "King" Saxby's estate in the 1790s; the Red Lion he refers to in his Will of 1823 (below) was Porters, from which the licence was transferred to the present site in 1833, when Thomas's former property was rebuilt as an inn. 3
Assignment: 20 Jul 1792. 4
By JOHN GOWER of Lindfield, dyer, to THOMAS GOWER of Lindfield, cordwainer, brother of the said John - for £47 - of the said Cottage built by Thos. Maskall for the residue of the term of 300 years, reserving liberty to the said John to dwell for life in the S. part of the cottage, to be parted off with the dye house, stable and part of garden
Signature & seal. Witnesses: - Henry Cox, Mary Vine and Stephen Vine
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Assignment 1810. 5
By the said THOMAS GOWER to HENRY MITCHELL of Balcombe, yeoman, - for £195 - of the said Cottage on the Town Common in Lindfield, subject to the proviso for the occupation of the S. part for life by John Gower
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FREEHOLD DWELLING HOUSE AND LANDS, IN SUSSEX
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION,
By Mr. DRAWBRIDGE
At the WHITE LION INN, in LINDFIELD, on Thursday, the 12th day of August, at three o'clock in the afternoon, in 6 lots....
Lot 4. —One enclosure of MEADOW LAND, near Lindfield Common, called KITWISH, containing by estimation, three acres, now in the occupation of Thomas Gower.
Sussex Advertiser, 26 Jul 1824, p. 2
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The ancestral Gower cottages opposite the Pond, and Thomas Gower's house in the
High Street (replaced by the Red Lion) no longer exist, but of course Crosskeys (now
one house) and 4 Pelham Place, the former School of Industry building (where Thomas’s son John lived during the latter part of his life), still do. 3
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Abstract of the Will of Thomas Gower of the Parish of Lindfield in the County of Sussex, Cordwainer, written 5 Mar 1823, proved 21 Aug 1828. 6
(Names of family members are underlined.)
Gives, devises and bequeaths in trust to his friend Henry Morley of Lindfield, yeoman, and to his son Abraham Gower of Brighthelmston, cordwainer, all his freehold tenements, buildings, gardens, plots of land on the east side of the town of Lindfield and adjoining the Red Lion Inn on the south, in order that his wife Sarah may enjoy the rents, issues and profits of the said real and personal estate for the term of her natural life, along with the use of all his household goods, furniture, plate, linen and china. And after her death he directs his said trustees to sell his real and personal estate and distribute the proceeds to his children, namely one quarter to his son Thomas Gower, one quarter to his son Abraham Gower, one quarter to his son John Gower, and one quarter to his daughter Sarah the wife of William Russell.
Gives, devises and bequeaths to his son John Gower all his working tools and implements, and his stock of leather.
Appoints his wife Sarah and his son Abraham Gower joint executors of his last will and testament.
Witnesses: John Tye, John Elliott, John Brown
Research Notes: