Dennis James Nicholass 1844 - 1927

Dennis James Nicholass was another of my paternal great great grandfathers.  He was born on 15th November 1844 in Deal on the Kent coast.  He was baptised at St Leonard's church in Deal on 6th December 1844.  Dennis's parents were Dennis Long Nicholass (1811 - 1879) and Elizabeth Parker Thomsett (1810 - 1885).

1844 baptism of Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of Find My Past)

St Leonard's is a lovely church on the outskirts of Deal.  More information about its history can be found here.

St Leonard's church in Deal (picture: Steve Goodsell)

On the 1851 census Dennis is living with his parents and 5 of his siblings in a house in Exchange Street in Deal.

1851 census Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of The National Archives and Ancestry)

There is a house at the same address which is along a very narrow street near the sea front.  I'm not sure if it's the original house which was there in 1851.

Exchange Street in modern times (courtesy of Google Maps)

As far as I know Dennis was the 5th of 8 children born to Dennis and Elizabeth.  His siblings were:

Louisa Thomsett 1834 - 1847
William Thomsett 1836 - 1894
Henry 1838 - 1914
Joseph 1841 - 1916
George 1846 - 1922
Emma Elizabeth 1849 - 1928
Thomas John 1851 - 1930

On the 1861 census Dennis and his family had moved house.  This time they were living in Silver Street which is just two roads along from Exchange Street.

1861 census Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

Silver Street in modern times (courtesy of Google Maps)

On 13th December 1868 Dennis married Mary Elizabeth Williams at the parish church of Great Mongeham near Deal.  Dennis' profession is given as shipwright.

St Martin's church, Great Mongeham (picture: John Lawrence)

By the time of the 1871 census Dennis and Mary were living in a cottage in Albert Street in Ramsgate.  They had one son, George, who was about a year old.  Dennis is still a shipwright by profession.

Quite a few modern houses have replaced the older ones on Albert Street in modern times so it appears that the house is no longer in existence.

1871 census Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

On the 1881 census Dennis is living with his wife, Mary, and 5 of their 10 children in a house in Townley Street in Ramsgate.

1881 census Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of The National Archives and Ancestry)

The children of Dennis and Mary were:

George Williams 1869 - 1957
Mary Elizabeth 1871 - 1871
Thomas Henry 1872 - 1925
Mary Elizabeth 1875 - 1960
Julia Eleanor 1877 - 1877
Ellen Fanny 1879 - 1967
John Betts 1881 - 1951
Florence May 1883 - 1981
William 1885 - 1919
Lillian Maud 1887 - 1958

The family are living in the same house in Ramsgate on the 1891 census and Dennis is a shipwright.

1891 census Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

On the 1891 census the Dennis and his family have moved home to Cambridge Terrace, in Church Road, in Ramsgate.  The family are split over two pages of the census.  I think the house was at one end of the road but I'm not sure which one it was.

1901 census Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

On the 1911 census Dennis and Mary had moved to the other end of Church Road in Ramsgate.  Three of their children are living with them along with a boarder.  Dennis is still a shipwright at the age of 66.

1911 census Dennis James Nicholass (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

Church Road in Ramsgate (picture: Google Maps)

Dennis died in 1927 in Ramsgate at the age of 82.