Thomas B. Oldroyd, a successful business man of Arkansas City, Kan., has been engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in that city for over twenty-five years and is one of its most progressive and influential citizens. He was born near Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, Sept. 2, 1847, and is a son of Henry Oldroyd, a native of England, who came to America in 1819. Henry Oldroyd settled first in Maryland, but moved from there to Pennsylvania, where he married Miss Hannah K. Ebright. They then drove through to Ohio, in which state they resided until their respective deaths, the father at the age of eighty-two and the mother at the age of ninety-four. They were the parents of six children, of whom four sons were brave defenders of the Union cause during the Civil war. The father was a farmer by vocation and a Republican in politics, and both he and his wife were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he was for many years a class leader. Henry, Oldroyd was the son of Charles Oldroyd, who was a native of England and a fuller by trade. When England had forbidden her skilled mechanics to leave the island, in order to prevent other countries from obtaining them, Charles Oldroyd, the subject's grandfather, succeeded in leaving England and came to America, finally settling in Wayne county, Ohio, where he resided until his death. George Ebright, the maternal grandfather of Thomas Oldroyd, was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer by occupation and removed to Ohio, where he resided until his death. He was a son of Phillip Ebright, who was one of Washington's loyal patriots from the beginning to the end of the Revolutionary war. The closing years of his life were spent in Pennsylvania.

Thomas B. Oldroyd, of this review, was reared in Ohio and educated in the common schools of that state. After school days he was engaged in farm work until after his marriage. He then went to Fort Wayne, Ind., where for several years he was engaged in the manufacture of furniture, but his father's failing health and old age caused him to return to Ohio to take charge of the old home farm. He was thus engaged until 1885, in which year he removed to Arkansas City, Kan., and there established the furniture and undertaking business in which he is still engaged. He has a large store, with a very complete line of furniture, and enjoys a very prosperous trade. His undertaking establishment, as well as equipment, is of the best and most modern type.

In 1870 Mr. Oldroyd married Miss Ada Burkholder, a daughter of Joseph Burkholder, who removed to Kansas from Pennsylvania and died in Harper county. He was a farmer and cabinet maker by trade. Mr. and Mrs. Oldroyd have three children: Miss Roxana Oldroyd, a graduate and a post-graduate of the University of Kansas, for a time successfully filled positions in the high schools at Arkansas City and at Parsons, Kan. She joined the student volunteer movement, however, while at the University of Kansas, and is now in India engaged in missionary work, which she enjoys and in which she is very successful. Ralph W. Oldroyd and J. Harry Oldroyd, the sons, are associated with their father in the business at Arkansas City. Mr. Oldroyd is a Knight Templar Mason and has served as master of the blue lodge. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.