tˈɑːməs wʌz ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdᵻd æz mˈoːɹ sˈɛnsᵻbəl ðɐn hɪz pɹˈɑːflᵻɡˌeɪt fˈɑːðɚ bˈoʊɔːɾɚ, ænd spˈɛnt ðə lˈæst pˈɑːɹt ʌv hɪz lˈaɪf mˈænɪdʒɪŋ ðə fˈæmɪli ᵻstˈeɪts wˌɪtʃ stɹˈɛtʃt tə nˌɪɹli tˈɛn,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ ˈeɪkɚz fˈoːɹɾi kˌeɪˈɛm tˈuː ɪn hˈænbɛɹi, dˈɑːdɚhˌɪl, fˈɛkənˌæm ænd ʃɹˈɔːli ɪn wˈʊstɚʃɚ, ænd ɪn ʃɹˈɑːpʃɚ ænd wˈɔːɹɪkʃɚ.
Thomas was regarded as more sensible than his profligate father Bowater, and spent the last part of his life managing the family estates which stretched to nearly 10,000 acres (40 km²) in Hanbury, Dodderhill, Feckenham and Shrawley in Worcestershire, and in Shropshire and Warwickshire.