Thomas was born in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England on November 23, 1832 to Henry Laundy, a gardener by trade of the Quaker faith and Sarah Anne Fletcher of the Episcopal faith.

Thomas's uncle Edwin was a prominent figure in the Quaker Church, his grandmother Jane (nee Onion) Laundy in her later years became a preacher for the church.

Thomas left England sometime around 1847-1848 with his parents and ten siblings. His sister Elizabeth died on the voyage over.

Thomas arrived in Quebec, Canada around 1847-48, and later settled in Sarnia, Lambton, Ontario. He married Catherine Mary Turner, a lady of the Catholic faith of Irish decent on July 31, 1856 in the St. John's Anglican Church at Ancaster, Ontario. Thomas and Catherine had four sons together. Sons, Edward and George followed in their father's footsteps and became tombstone cutters. His son William set out to mine colbalt and on August 8, 1890 he was buried somewhere in Humboldt County, Nevada cemetery. (most likely in a unmarked grave) The circumstances of his death are unknown at this time. Not much is known about Franklin at this time. Thomas and Catherine also adopted a son Charles from a family named Jackson.

Thomas was a marble cutter, and owned his own business in Port Huron, Michigan. In the city directory his business was listed as "The Port Huron Marble and Granite Works". Thomas traveled from Port Huron to Sault Ste. Marie with his trade. His excellent work can be found throughout Michigan and Ontario, Canada cemeteries. He is listed in many Michigan directories throughout the state. In 1898 he sold his business to his son George, who relocated the business to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and became the first monument dealer there.

Thomas left for the Alaska gold fields from the Soo (Michigan) in April of 1898 with two companions, Thomas Hopkins and Angus McDougall. Angus was a bartender at the Franklin House where Thomas was a boarder. Unfortunately Angus became ill and after three weeks, died in July 1898 on Old Indian trail about 120 miles from Graham Post in Northwestern Canada. Thomas Laundy wrote a letter to Angus's sister Mrs. Alexander McDonald (Flora) of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, detailing the circumstances of Mr. McDougall's death. Mr. Hopkins and Thomas buried Angus. (In a beautiful location, C. Dave Neal was so kind to email me pictures Thank You !)

Thomas arrived in San Diego from the Alaksa gold fields around 1899-1900 and became a carpenter and furniture dealer. Thomas spend the rest of his years in San Diego County. His wife Catherine died in 1905 and is buried in Port Huron, Michigan, in her son Edward's family plot. Thomas was buried in a casket fashioned by his own hands, which was placed in an underground vault prepared by himself. He designed and masoned his own tombstone.

Up until the early 1970's his tombstone had a large marble sphere, but vandals felt the need to destroy his work. Cemetery personnel felt that it couldn't be repaired, and for over thirty years, it was missing until....

UPDATE: I think I found the missing marble sphere... I was at Mt. Hope June 10 & 11, 2006, and there is a sculpture of many different markers and marble items as a work of art for passengers on the trolley to see as they pass by the cemetery (only thing the sculpture was placed backwards) It looks to be the same size of the sphere that was once there.

Bio by his great-great granddaughter
Bernice Laundy-Hodgins