Searching the 19th Century British Library Newspapers, with search terms “Storey” and “coachman”, I think I’ve at long last found when and how my great-great-great grandfather Thomas Storey died:
Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle etc (Portsmouth, England), Monday, October 20, 1828; Issue 1515.
“On Saturday last, shortly after the morning coach had left Ryde, the coachman, Storey, was taken suddenly ill, and fell back on the roof quite insensible. One of the passengers then took the reins, and with the assistance of another outside passenger, the poor fellow was brought, between them, a distance of six miles to Newport, where every attention was paid him, but all to no purpose, as he remained in the state he was first taken, till he expired, which happened on the following day, leaving a wife and five children completely destitute.”
Could this be my Thomas STOREY, Rebecca’s husband? The occupation is correct, the location is correct, the time period is correct and Rebecca did have five children at the time. Now that I have a possible death date, I will look further for a burial record.