Raised in rural Bedfordshire, Thomas Cade Wadner grew up in difficult and challenging times. He was a man of few words, and like many who endured a tough existence he rarely spoke about his experiences. Following eighteen months of extensive historical research, Philip Wadner reveals the highs and lows of his grandfather’s life some half a century after his death. Thomas’ story is substantially more than a collection of cold facts. Although nobody alive today remembers much about him, fragments of information have been moulded into a series of vivid biographical sketches. Included are previously buried details of Thomas’ ancestry, outlines of his siblings’ lives showing how theirs compared to his, a snapshot of his future wife’s early days, and how he spent his twilight years. The book closes with vibrant vignettes of his five children.