His father John, a framework knitter, had been born in Belgrave Gate, Leicester and his mother Hannah in Anstey. They had moved to Wigston somewhere around 1820 via Aylestone where Thomas himself and his older sister Mary were born.

Thomas married Caroline Langham in the spring of 1851 and 10 years later when the 1861 census was taken they were living in Leicester Road with their children Charles aged 8, Louisa 5, Agnes 3 and Alick 1. Thomas at this time was described as a master framework knitter.

The wages calculations for a week in 1865 show a total paid out of £22 12s 5d. These come from series of records thoughtfully deposited at the Leicestershire Record Office by Ernest Lewin, the fourth generation to run the business. The calculations show the old system within the trade where framework knitters were employed in their own homes and were paid piece rate (so much for each item worked) and with a deduction for the rent of the master's frame.

It is very interesting to note the employee's names. Of the 24 mentioned, no less than one third can be identified as members of the family. Referring to the family tree, it can be seen that William Boulter was Thomas's brother in law, Henry Smith was married to his niece (he later changed his occupation to Dairy Farmer with premises in Bull Head Street, about where the police station is now). Joseph Truman, another brother in law started his own company at 42/44 Bushloe End, his premises now being preserved as the Framework Knitting Museum. Hannah Lewin was his mother, Maria Roe was niece and George and John Powell were nephews - a real family business and surely suggesting that the system of frame rents, especially in good times, was not always the evil it undoubtedly was in bad times.

The period between these wages book entries in 1865 and 1871 probably mark the change from the employees working in their own homes and going to work in a factory environment. this is apparent because by the latter date Thomas and family had moved to Mowesley End where he is described in the census as a Master Hosiery Manufacturer employing 27 men, 5 boys and 4 women. These premises, which in later years had their address changed to Spa Lane following the opening up and extension to the far end of the lane, consisted of a detached house and traditional two storey framework knitting workshop alongside. They were most likely built especially for him.

On 28 August 1879, Thomas died aged 62 at Wigston. The cause of death was given as ‘gastric carcinoma’. In his will which was written three days previously he was described as a shirt manufacturer. He appointed his wife Caroline and friend George Shipp as executors and trustees.

The will is signed with Thomas's mark X, which could mean he was too ill to write his name, but more likely that he was illiterate as nearly everyone was at the time. This would of course be a great handicap to running a business today, but was not such a problem in those less regulated days. Such people devised their own 'shorthand' style of note keeping which they could understand, and their children who they could afford to have educated used to write official letter etc. for them.

Happily the family did decide to retain the business, and in 1881 it was being run by his widow Caroline who had four of her children living at home, the youngest two still dependent. Charles Lewin by then aged 28 lived elsewhere at 32 Burgess Street, Wigston with his new wife Selina nee Carter whom he married on 31 August 1880, and a four month old daughter Edith

The business continued into the third generation in the hands of the second Charles who by 1936 had turned the house into part of the business premises and gone to live at Oak House, 107 Leicester Road. In 1953 he made the business a limited company C. Lewin Ltd. He died in 1968.

The fourth generation, Charles' eldest son Ernest, continued the family tradition and all seemed ot be going well in 1973 when a 'Highlights of Industry' article appeared in the Oadby and Wigston Advertiser. At this time the company made men’s and women’s pullovers and cardigans, many supplied by mail order. Between 2,000 and 3,000 parcels a week leaving the Wigston works and the management were looking for prospects of new business in the Common Market. However changes in the hosiery trade which has seen the demise of nearly all the traditional companies and possibly the lack of a successor, as Ernest's son had chosen another occupation, were the probable reasons for it's eventual closure.