Thomas John Shorter was born to father Thomas Shorter, 25, and mother Laura Harriet Turner, 22, in Spitalfields, Middlesex. Thomas Jr had five siblings consisting of two boys and three girls.
Thomas was baptised the same day as his older sister, Alice, on the 5th April 1871 at Christ Church with St Mary and St Stephen in their home town of Spitalfields. The address of the family at the time of their baptism was 36 Crispin St, Spitalfields, London.
At the age of 15, Thomas, along with his brother James, 11, was attending Forrest School in Walthamstow, London, where he was a scholar when Frederick Barlow Guy was the headmaster.
Just 18 years later, in 1899, their mother Laura passed away with their father, Thomas Sr., remarrying Elenor.
The next census available relating to Thomas is in 1901 where he is head of the household at The Grove, South Woodford, Essex, based in E18 London today, and deals as a Glass and China Dealer along with his male siblings who are both recorded as Clerk to China Dealer, of whom he employs and who live with him along with his three sisters. Thomas's father was also a China Merchant, a trade that followed down the family to Thomas Jr.
He also appears in the electoral roll of 1901 as being at 36 Crispin St, London (Warehouse, joint) with his abode being noted as Mardyke, Buckhurst Hill, Essex.
In 1924, Thomas's father passes away in December 1924 at 143 Brighton Road, Worthing, and is buried with his first wife Laura. His father left Thomas £35,825 2s. 4d. on the 9th July 1925. Thomas continued to have both Crispin St and Mardyke up until 1926 where the electoral roll places him in Heene, Sussex, at Southerndene in St Botolphs Road. It was later this year that Thomas John Shorter passed away on the 10th October and was buried at Heene Cemetery five days later.
The Last Will and Testament for Thomas John shorter was dated 12th July 1926.