Notes A birth registration was found for Thomas Longhurst: Year of Registration: 1907; Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep; District: Horsham; County: Sussex, West Sussex; Volume: 2b; Page: 308. Parents: Thomas Longhurst and Blanche Ann Couchman, married 1905, in Romney Marsh, Kent, England.
Sometime after the birth of their third and last child, Clifton Longhurst, in 1909, Thomas Longhurst left his wife and returned to his native Surrey. Blanche Longhurst was unable to care for her three children (Margaret, the oldest, Thomas, and Clifton)and sought the assistance of Dr.Barnardo's Home in Essex. Margaret was fostered out to a family living in Norfolk, and Tom was sent to Australia. Arrangements were made for Blanche to keep her youngest son, Clifton.
In 1924, Thomas Longhurst, 16, arrived in Sydney, Australia, along with a large group of Barnardo boys from Stepney Causeway, London, England. **originally stated to have arrived aboard Demosthenes but not found on shipping list**
On February 12, 1949, Thomas Longhurst married Annie Warburton in Australia.
The last contact Barnardos had with Thomas was in 1951 and at that time he was married and living somewhere in Victoria.
All contact with Thomas was lost until the 1960's when his sister, Margaret, received information from an unknown/unnamed woman in Australia advising that due to Thomas' ill-health he/they would be returning to England. This did not happen and no further contact was made.
Thomas Longhurst, born c. 1908 (parents unknown), died August 3, 1975, age 67 in Corryong, Victoria, Australia (#19097). Annie Warburton Longhurst died on October 19, 1967, in Corryong, Victoria, Australia.