Thomas Lucas
Mayor of Oxford 1892/3
Thomas Lucas (1839–1917) was baptised at St Thomas’s Church on 11 December 1839, the son of William Lucas, who was born in Oxford in 1812, and his wife Mary, born in Woodstock in 1813.
The Lucases are believed to have settled in Oxford in 1742, and there were several branches of the family in St Thomas’s parish.
Thomas’s older sister, Ann, was baptised at St Aldate’s Church on 3 November 1837: at that time his father was a saddler at Wyatt’s Yard in St Aldate’s. By the time of Thomas’s birth two years later, his parents had moved to the parish of St Thomas, and they had five children baptised at St Thomas’s Church: Thomas himself (11 December 1839), George (13 July 1844), Emily (or Emelia) Jane (born in 1848 but not baptised until 11 May 1851), Mary (born in 1845 but not baptised until 19 January 1854), and William Frederick (1855).
The family is listed in the 1841 and 1851 censuses as living in Park End Street, and Thomas’s father is described as a saddler.
At some point between May 1851 and January 1854, the occupation of Thomas’s father changed from saddler to publican. At the time of the 1861 census is described as a victualler at The Queen’s Arms, 1 Park End Street, and Thomas (aged 21) is a college cook, still living at home with his surviving siblings. Thomas’s father died at the age of 54 and was buried at St Thomas’s Church in 1866.
The 1871 census shows Thomas’s widowed mother running the pub on her own, and all her children except the two youngest daughters appear to have left home.
By 1871 Thomas was a married man, and the college cook and manciple of St John’s College. Aged 31, he was living at 6 St Giles’ Street with his 25-year-old wife Annie Charlotte and one servant.
Lucas and his wife had eight children:
- Ada Annie Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 1 May 1870)
- Kate Isabelle Ridley Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 16 March 1871)
- Arthur Ernest Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 15 April 1873)
- Cecil Frederick Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 15 August 1874)
- Gerald Tom Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 27 October 1875)
- Gladys Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 6 August 1877)
- Jessie Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 7 February 1879)
- Christopher William Lucas (baptised at St Giles’ Church on 3 January 1883).
In 1880 St John’s College demolished Thomas Lucas’s house and the one next door to make way for the first section of its new buildings on St Giles. Lucas was rehoused by the college at 21 St John Street, and can be seen there at the age of 41 in the 1881 census with his wife and five of his children: Kate (9), Cecil (6), Gerald (5), Gladys (3), and Jessie (2). The family had two servants.
Lucas gave up his post at St John’s College when he acquired a financial interest in the family firm of W. F. Lucas & Co., manufacturing clothiers: this was based in Red Lion Square (Gloucester Green), but later moved to larger premises in George Street. He moved to Northlands in Woodstock Road (then No. 94, but now No. 118), and he can be seen there in the 1891 census “living on his own means”, with his wife and three of his children: Kate, Arthur Ernest, and Christopher. He and his wife were still living there in 1901 with their son Arthur (28), his daughter Jessie (22), and his youngest son Christopher (19), who was then an architect’s pupil.
Lucas was first elected to the council for the North Ward in 1884, representing the Conservative Party. He was appointed Sheriff of Oxford for 1890/1.
In 1892 Lucas was elected Mayor of Oxford (for 1892/3), and became a Justice of the Peace. During his mayoral year he laid the foundation stone of the new Town Hall (below).
Lucas remained a councillor until he was elected an Alderman on 18 January 1898, and he was a member of the council for 33 years and also a Freeman of the city.
Lucas was also a member of the Alfred Masonic Lodge. He was a prime mover in the building of the New Theatre in George Street in 1886, and in getting it rebuilt again in 1892 after it burnt down.
Lucas’s arms appear in glass in the Council Chamber (left).
Because Lucas was a a member of the Municipal Buildings Committee when the new Town Hall was opened in 1897, his head is carved in stone in the Council Chamber corridor (right).
The 1911 census shows Lucas (71) living at 94 (now 118) Woodstock Road with his wife and two of his unmarried sons: Gerald (35) was a theatrical manager, and Christopher (28) was an architect. They had one servant.
On 2 December 1917 Lucas died at the age of 78 at his home, “Northlands”, 118 Woodstock Road . His funeral was at St Margaret’s Church, and he was buried in Holywell Cemetery (Plot A.107), where his wife was buried with him in 1928. A plaque in his memory was placed on the south wall of All Saints Church (then the City Church).
See also:
- Oxford Journal Illustrated, 5 December 1917, p. 3c (obituary)
- Oxford Journal Illustrated, 12 December 1917, pp. 1 (portrait of Lucas in mayoral robes and chain) and 7 (pictures of his funeral)
- Arms of Lucas in stained glass in one of the windows of the Council Chamber
- Two letters of October 1893 from Thomas Lucas to Sir William Markby re the attendance of himself and other council members at Benjamin Jowett’s funeral (Balliol College Library, Jowett Papers, Group II, Class D4, Nos. 71 and 72)
- 1841 Census: Oxford (St Thomas), 891/17/36
- 1851 Census: Oxford (St Thomas), 1728/399
- 1861 Census: Oxford (St Thomas), 895/108
- 1871 Census: Oxford (St Paul), 1436/77
- 1881 Census: Oxford (St Giles), 1500/54
- 1891 Census: Oxford (St Giles 4), 1166/86
- 1901 Census: Oxford (St Giles), 1381/32