William Sanders, a currier, with his wife Catherine and six children, was living in Wood Street at Higham Ferrers in 1841. His two oldest boys, George and Thomas were already working in the business.
Thomas Sanders was born on November 9th 1825 at Higham Ferrers, and he had married Ann Shelton (daughter of Thomas Shelton, butcher, and Martha) and they were living in Spring Gardens with their little daughter Charlotte Ellen in 1851, and three more daughters were born in the next decade.
The currying business was on the corner, opposite the old Rushden and Higham toll gate house, at the boundary of the two parishes. The business was devastated in a fire in 1882, but he soon rebuilt, and entertained his employees to a dinner in his "new warehouse". In 1890 he added another new warehouse as his business flourished.
In 1881 the family was living at Prospect House on Higham Hill, and Thomas was a "currier employing 35 men and 4 boys, and farmer of 292 acres employing 8 men and 3 boys". He farmed at Rushden Lodge, later known as Sanders' Lodge, and suffered a haystack fire there in 1882 and again in 1890.
In 1896 and 1902 he was Mayor at Higham Ferrers.
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