There's nothing half so sweet in life as the Pen's young Pig (part 2)

T Shaw Safe

Researching Thomas Shaw Safe gave me an insight into the glitz and glamour of America in the early 20th century, but I jump ahead of myself.........

In March 1856, Thomas Shaw Safe was born to James William Safe and Lucy Mary Eleanor Safe nee Keogh. James and Lucy had married 6 years previously, on 25th September 1851, at St James's Church, Spanish Place. About a year later their first child, James, was born. Electoral rolls for 1854 - 1855 suggests that the family was living at 2 Seymour Street, Paddington - perhaps better known as the A5024. 2 Seymour Street was located where the Hyatt Regency Hotel called The Churchill is now situated.

In 1859, Lucy died, leaving James a widower bringing up two young sons. By the time of the 1861 census, the family had moved to 2 Inverness Road, remaining there until 1876. For the next four years, James William Safe lived at 99 Inverness Terrace.

Thomas' brother, James, is a bit of an enigma. Records suggest that he died in August 1878 in San Antonio, Texas, however I cannot find any trace of when he went out to the States, and what he was doing there!

James William's father (also called James) had been a surgeon in the military, and James William had joined the Navy, becoming Chief Clerk of the Coastguard Office of the Admiralty. Thomas followed the military pattern, becoming 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Montgomery Rifles, as reported in the Naval and Military Gazette (24th April 1878). This promotion may have been due to the regiment being sent to Jersey to train as a response to growing tensions around the Russo-Turkish war. However, the regiment were stood down in Welshpool in July 1878. Thomas received another promotion to Lieutenant in August 1879.

By the time of the 1881 census, James William had moved out of London to Brighton, and Thomas was living at 18 Albert Mansions, Victoria Street. The Royal Montgomery Rifles had become the 4th Battalion of the South Wales Borderers. Thomas was promoted to Captain on 2nd April 1882, a rank that he held until at least 1889. In October 1890, James William died in Brighton. Thomas his executor and granted probate; on this record, we can see that Thomas is now living at 5 Davies Street, Berkeley Square.

As far as I can identify, Thomas first started visiting the United States in 1886. By the end of September 1900 he had got engaged and married to Miss Harriet Ives Gammell, "one of the richest women in America" according to the York Herald (14 September 1900) (seen in the image, aged about 6 with her younger sister Helen Louise Gammell. Helen married Sir Arthur Herbert in 1892).

Harriet and Helen's parents were William Gammell and Elizabeth Ives. William was Professor of History and Political Economy at Brown University until his resignation in 1864. Elizabeth was the grandaughter of Thomas Poynton Ives, a prominent Rhode Island businessman. They lived at 'Ocean Lawn', built by the architects Peabody and Stearns (have a look at this link for a nose at the house https://www.wsj.com/articles/newports-ocean-lawn-seeks-18-5-million-1458140358)

What is interesting, is that in the write-up of the engagement in the Portsmouth Evening News (21st July 1900) is that Thomas is described as an "Englishman of much repute as an explorer and also a man of wealth". At present, the only hint of exploration is the existence of an indenture between His Highness the Rajah of Sarawak (Charles Brooke) and Thomas Shaw Safe which gave Thomas permission to prospect for minerals, although Thomas was elected as a member of the American Geographical Society on 6th December 1909.

Thomas Shaw Safe died on 14th October 1916. He was survived by his wife Harriet and their only child, Kenneth Shaw Safe.