In 1881 the family was living at Prospect House on Higham Hill, and Thomas was a "currier employing 35 men and 4 boys, and a farmer of 292 acres employing 8 men and 3 boys". He farmed at Rushden Grange, (formerly Tailby's Lodge), later known as Sanders' Lodge, and suffered a haystack fire there in 1882 and again in 1890. He was a tenant until 1897, when he bought the farm. He sold it in 1916.

By direction of the Executors of the late Mr. W. Marshall, of Ditchford Mill, upon the premises, at Rushden Lodge adjoining the Turnpike Road leading from Irchester to Higham Ferrers), on Monday September 20^th 1844.

The Valuable Live Farming Stock, Farming Implements, and some other Effects.

Consisting of 100 ewes and theaves, 40 shearhogs, 80 lambs, four in-calf milking cows, three sturks, two calves, four good cart horses, three cart mares, handsome bay pony, quiet in harness, four-years-old; small black pony, three-years-old; seven sets of horse harness, narrow-wheeled wagon, two broad-wheel carts, one narrow-wheel cart, excellent sociable, on springs; field roll, winnowing machine (by Blackwell), forks, rakes, sieves, and general barn tackle, bean mill, corn screen, corn drags, chaff box, two horse cribs, two cow cribs, lead horse trough, eight sheep cribs, sheep and pig troughs, three pair of barrows, two large barrows, two wheel ploughs, two swing ploughs, long and short ladders, about 12 dozen hurdles, and two dozen of trays, wagon cloth, quantity of sacks, pair of steps, and some other effects.

Wellingborough Petty Sessions: Moses Wooding & Sanders Wooding, of Wymington, labourers, were charged, on the information of John Cooke, Esq., of Rushden Grange, with committing a trespass in pursuit of game on Sunday the 2nd. ult., on land in the occupation R. Robinson, of the ......