Thomas Robert Steele appears on the 1901 census aged 9. His father, Anthony Steele was a farmer, and was aged 52 at the time of the census.: his mother Sarah was 47. A that time they had 9 children, five daughters and a son older than Thomas and a daughter and a son younger. Both parents and all the children had been born in St. Bees. Their home was at the Gill, St. Bees.