Tom was born in Huish Episcopi in the later part of 1873, the last of 9 children born to Jacob Rue and Emma (nee Ball). He had 5 older brothers and 3 older sisters.
In the census of 1881, Tom is shown living with his parents in Pitney, he was 8 years old and a scholar.
In 1891, he was still with Jacob & Emma, the only one of their children still with them. He was 17 years old and an unmarried agricultural labourer.
On 16th April 1896, Tom married Louisa Cullen in Pitney. Her parents were George Cullen and Harriet Scriven, she was from Long Sutton.
In 1901 Tom and Louisa Rue are living in Long Sutton (Bouley ? Buildings). He was 27 a general labourer, she was 33 a laundress.
In 1911 Tom (one of the few times he is listed as Thomas) is living with Louisa back in Pitney. He was 37 a farm labourer, she was 43. This census confirms them as having had no children born.
Tom appears to have been close to his much older brother Oliver (12 years between them), and his sister Mary (4 years his senior – she became Mary Hawker and Tom was witness at her wedding). These are the children of Jacob & Emma who stuck around the same area in Somerset. Much of the rest of the family moved to South Wales towards the end of the nineteenth century probably to find work.
Louisa died early in 1929 aged about 62 in or around Taunton.
On 2nd December 1930, Tom married Gwendoline Baker, a 30 year old spinster, in St Andrews Church in Curry Rivel. He was 57 years old, a farm labourer.
They had a son in 1934.
Gwendoline died in early 1937 aged just 35 in Taunton.
Tom died in early 1951 aged 77 in or around Yeovil.