Thomas is born in 1750 to Richard and Ann Mattingly in Wootton St. Thomas, where the family have lived for many years. He is the second son of their four children. He moves to the larger nearby Market town of Whitchurch near Andover by 1778, whilst the rest of his family remain iin the village. Here he marries Sarah before 1778, as this is the year his first child William is born. He goes on to father at least six more children. When he died in 1832, he was shown as having lived for 86 years, which would mean he was born in 1750.
The Parish records, now held at the Hampshire Record Office, are my only source of information on the early history of my family as they rarely appear to have had property and so do not show up on Voters Lists, Land Tax, Poor Rates, Wills or similar lists. I feel confident that they were employed as was the case with most villagers by the Lord of the Manor, who in this case would have been the Earl of Portsmouth, who lived at Hurstbourne Park, which was a large estate to the west of the village of Wootton St. Lawrence. There seems to be a tradition of following an occupation of Gardeners in the family and they may have been such at this time.
Thomas Mattingly was to marry Sarah, whose surname is yet to be found and in 1778, aged 28 their first child, William is baptised at All Hallows Church in Whitchurch. They were to go on and have another seven children according to the Parish Records, the last born in 1794. Sarah is to live until 1817, when her burial is recorded at the church aged 66. Thomas lives to the grand age, for those times of 82, dying in the year 1832. Whitchurch was a flourishing Market town in the 18th century at the junction of the London to Andover and Newbury to Wiltshire roads. The River Test flows to the south of the Market place and its mills serviced flour milling, silk manufacturing, woollen cloth and paper making. The town is still attractive with its Silk Mill, built in 1815 and coaching Inns. If one removes the traffic it is not too difficult to visualise it at the time of Thomas Mattingly.