Thomas SUTTON (1857-1925)

Thomas Sutton

Quick Facts

Born:
11 Dec 1857, Banbury, Banbury, Oxford, England
Parents:
Daniel SUTTON and Susanna BUTLER
Marriage:
Rebecca Annie GRAY 11 Mar 1876, Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand
Children:
  • Susan Annie Sutton (27 Aug 1877 - 1958)
  • Thomas Boswell "Tom" Sutton (8 Sep 1879 - 1932)
  • Robert Buswell "Bob" Sutton (7 Feb 1882 - Bef 13 May 1955)
  • Isaac James Sutton (22 May 1882 - 1882)
  • Sydney Joseph "Syd" Sutton (10 May 1883 - 1 Sep 1950)
  • Horace Neve Sutton (23 Sep 1884 - 3 Jun 1906)
  • Minnie Rebecca Sutton (14 May 1887 - 22 Feb 1937)
  • Nita Emma Sutton (14 May 1887 - 2 Jun 1949)
  • Ada Olive Butler Sutton (19 Apr 1889 - 13 May 1959)
  • Margaret Sutton (12 Mar 1891 - )
  • Tina Margaret Felle Sutton (8 Jun 1892 - 6 Aug 1977)
  • Martha Sutton (13 Oct 1893 - )
  • David Barclay Sutton (13 May 1895 - Abt 1910)
  • Elsie May Sutton (8 Jun 1897 - )
  • Darien Neave Sutton (7 May 1900 - 11 Dec 1961)
  • Wheneia Stephen John Sutton (10 Apr 1902 - 1965)
  • Allan George Sutton (Abt 1902 - Bef 17 Mar 1967)
Died:
7 Jun 1925, Wanganui, New Zealand, at age 67
Buried:
9 Jun 1925, Wanganui, New Zealand

Notes

Medical notes

The cause of his death was Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease".

General notes

Noted events in his life were:

Marriage Notes

The marriage was witnessed by Samuel Gray (brother of Rebecca) and Lucy Gray (sister of Rebecca). The ceremony was held in the home of Mr. Kirk (Rebecca's stepfather).

Additional photographs

Thomas with his daughters. Click on photo for complete picture.

Thomas Sutton

Obituary of Thomas Sutton

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 Jun 1925, Wanganui, New Zealand.

Mr. Thomas Sutton, who died at Castlecliff (Wanganui) on Sunday, was a very old resident of Palmerston North, having landed there in 1874, and taking part in the pioneering work of the town. He was at one time Master of the Masonic Lodge and founder of the same lodge at Rongotea. Mr. Sutton was 67 years of age at the time of his death and leaves a widow and three children to mourn their loss.

Additional Notes

What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With all voluntary muscle action affected, patients in the later stages of the disease become totally paralyzed. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of people, their minds remain unaffected. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment---"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away. "Lateral" identifies the areas in a person's spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that nourish the muscles are located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring or hardening ("sclerosis") in the region. As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing and breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (waste away). Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies.
Golden Sea
Thomas would only have been 16 but it's possible he lied about his age in order to travel by himself. Interestingly, Thomas Sutton is the *only* passenger from Oxfordshire. According to newspaper reports, about 100 of the passengers were on shipped to Wanganui.