John Knowles.net
Thunder Family
Introduction and history
The Family of Percy John THUNDER and Emma Flora HURST
The Family of Percy as James Percy HUNTER and Florence Mary ASKEW
The Thunder Boot and Shoe business
In 1804 Carter THUNDER started a boot and shoe business at 15 East Street, Brighton. The business grew and eventually passed down the line to Edwin THUNDER and then Henry THUNDER when it would grandly call itself 'COURT BOOTMAKER.'
Florence Mary ASKEW (aka Florence Mary Jeffreys) and Percy John Thunder (aka James Percy Hunter). We can only conjecture the venue. Percy was previously the licensee at the Dog and Bacon, Horsham for two years. This is clearly in the early 1900s. The key 'blank' period, when little is known and the name change was made, lies probably between 2005 and 2007 although the range could be a couple of years wider. It is clear that Percy was an experienced victualler. In one newspaper article it is claimed he ran other licensed houses when in Horsham.
We know from the school record below (click and select view in another browser window to see this enlarged) that the family lived in the Spread Eagle pub in Mitcham Road, Croydon in late 2014 for just over a month. This photo looks as if it is taken at a pub but is nothing like the Spread Eagle that is dressed in stone finish all round the ground floor.
This page holds images and information on the ancestors and descendents of Percy John THUNDER who changed his name at some point after 1905 to James Percy HUNTER. The page is under development and will be corrected and added to as we progress with the research.
There are so many people to thank for this discovery. Firstly it was Pat Thompson who made the break through with the help of her phenomenal genealogical ally Michelle Gregory Rodgers Allis. They discovered that with the judicious use of the DNA tests taken by Pat's son Rudi and Sue my sister and me there was an indication of a strong link between Rudi and Sue and Me. The research that followed finally revealed that Pat's family had also had to cope with the problem of family name changes. In the end it was revealed that her partner's line came from Edwin Quintin THUNDER b.1870 who emigrated to the Transvaal in South Africa and my mother's line came from Percy John THUNDER b.1871. They were of course brothers. Pat and Michelle have continued to provide information not only on Pat's own family line but also on Sue and my line.
This ended decades of fruitless searching under the HUNTER name by our mother and by Sue and me.
For full information on Pat's partner's THUNDER line please contact her via the FaceBook Group.
On this page we shall mainly be looking at the ancestors and descendants of Percy John THUNDER.
Percy John Thunder and the law...
1907 was a critical year for Percy who left Brighton and his family of wife and three children. They had to rely 'on the Union' for their survival. Earlier in 1905 he had been to court over an unpaid debt of £40 11s 6d as a result, he claimed, of the loss of his wifes income of 30s to 35s a week from 'Chartered shares' following the South African War. The court finally agreed that he could pay off the debt at the rate of 7s 6d a month. 30 shillings was the equivalent of £117.85 in today's money, the amount a tradesman would earn then in 4 days.
The clipping below, dated 25 May 1907, shows an even worse situaltion - that for some time the police had been looking for him over a matter of desertion - to no avail. Eventually he was found in Croydon and brought back to court on 8 June 1907 and bound-over for a week. We have yet to find any court proceeding where this matter is dealt with.
Meanwhile Percy's elder brother Edwin Quinton THUNDER emigrated to the Transvaal in South Africa.
Percy John Thunder
(James Percy Hunter)
TIMELINE
Percy John THUNDER
23 Sept 1871 - Birth of Percy John Thunder
1871 - Birth of Emma Flora Hurst - Cuckfield, Sussex
23 May 1889 - First public performance as a pianist at the Brighton Aquarium
1891 Census - Appears on list of family at 15 East Street, Brighton with:
Head: Henry Thunder 39
Wife: Elizabeth F Thunder 31
Son: Percy J Thunder 19
Daughter: Nellie F Thunder 16
Son: Leslie W V Thunder 1
Niece: Olive F Thomas 8
Visitor: Edith M Toller19
Servant: Mary A Delderfield 22
December 1893 - performance accompanying ‘Now Thank We All Our God’ at the celebration of the restoration of Shipley Church
1895 - Marriage to Emma Flora Hurst
14 July 1898 - Christening of first child Marjorie Eileen Thunder at Holy Trinity, Horsham
1901 Census - Appears as Head of family at 8b East Parade Baptist Chapel, East Parade, Brighton:
Head: Percy J Thunder 29
Wife: Emma F Thunder 29
Daughter: Marjorie E Thunder 2
Servant: Emily M Short 13
25 June 1902 - Christening of second child Brian Cecil Percy Thunder
17 January 1903 - Organiser and performer of a Farewell Smoking Concert at the Queen’s Head Hotel, Horsham.
19 August 1905 - Appearance at Horsham County Court over a debt of £40 11s 6d agreed to pay 10s in the £ at 7s 6d a month
8 June 1907 - Appearance at Horsham County Court. He was brought up in custody charged with absconding and leaving his wife and three children chargeable to the Horsham Union in March, 1906. He pleaded not guilty. Prisoner was remanded until Saturday. He was found by the police living in Croydon. NO RECORD OF OUTCOME AS YET!!
13 June 1907 - Birth of James Hunter (Probably Percy John Thunder’s first child with Florence Mary Askew). Florence was then living at 45 Northcote Road, Croydon. 13 June 1907 - Florence Mary Askew gives birth to James at 60 Bridge Road, Croydon (Maternity Hospital). No father recorded on birth certificate.
1911 census the ‘Hunter’ family were living at 1 Arundel Road, Croydon
1911 - Census shows Emma (named Flora here) Thunder as head of family living with her 3 children Marjorie, Brian and Violet at 85. Clarendon Road, Hove, Sussex.
20 April 2012 Birth of Ronald Percy Hunter. ’Hunter’ family living at 108 Sydenham Road, North Croydon
2 September 1912 James Hunter Junior - admitted at Whitehorse Manor Infants School. Family living at 55A Gillett Road. He was only there for a few weeks as removed on 27 September 1912 - school does not record where he moved to.
24 August 1914 James Hunter admitted to Mitcham Road Infant School
Family living at the Spread Eagle, Mitcham Road
Family moved - James Hunter left Mitcham Road school on 2 October 2014 to return to Princess Road School
1950 - Death of Emma Flora Thunder (Hurst) at Hove Sussex
