Joseph Lowes Thompson 1824

Joseph Lowes Thompson 1824-1893
Joseph Lowes was born 16 October 1824 of Robert Thompson and Sarah Lowes, at Monkwearmouth. He married Thomasin Elliott on 21 February 1847, and after her death, married Hannah Swan on 8 June 1864.

Joseph Lowes started learning the shipwright trade in 1837, at age 12, working with his father and two brothers. When this venture went bust in 1844, Joseph Lowes went to work for John Watson at Pallion, then to Neddie Brown at Hylton, then Carr Brown at Hylton, then to Richard Wilkenson at Pallion, then joined his father at the John Candlish yard at Southwick.

In 1846 he was a junior partner in the firm Robert Thompson & Sons, where his brother Robert was the chief designer.

Brother Robert left the business to start his own shipyard in 1854, and Joseph became the manager and chief designer.

He assumed total control of the Robert Thompson & Sons yard upon the death of his father in December 1860, and in 1864 he expanded the yard eastward, taking the yard then occupied by Mr. John Blumer. In September 1871, he changed the name to J. L. Thompson (& Sons was added in 1875 when the next generation came into the yard). Of the large wood vessels built by Joseph Lowes Thompson may be mentioned the Vencedora, Rondinella, Freedom, Golondrina, Atossa, Morning Glory, Aurea, Star, Iduna, Veronica, Trevanion, and many others. The largest wood vessel was the 1,017 ton Helvellyn, launched on 21 April 1856. From 1846 to 1869, 40,278 tons of wood ships were built. Wood shipbuilding continued until 1869, when the last wood vessel was built by Joseph L Thompson, numbered 103, it was launched in 1870, and named the Peace, in commemoration of the close of the Franco-German war.

Thompson was now considering the introduction of iron shipbuilding, and, with this in view, he sent his sons to their uncle's yard at Southwick, where iron construction was already in progress.

On 1 March 1871 the J L Thompson firm laid the keel of Ship number 105, their first iron steamer, ushering in a new era in shipbuilding. Joseph Lowes retired from the firm in 1875, leaving the operation of the firm to his three sons, Robert, Joseph Lowes (Jr.), and Charles Elliot Thompson.

Joseph Lowes was a very active supporter of the Sunderland Football Club. He died 24 January 1893, at age 68, at Ashville House, Monkwearmouth, and is buried at Monkwearmouth Mere Knolls Cemetery.

Thomasin Elliott 1818-1861 (1st Wife)

Thomasin was born about 1818 in Sunderland, the daughter of Charles Elliott. She died 20 October 1861, age 44 years, and is buried at Monkwearmouth Mere Knolls Cemetery.
They had the following children:

Robert	Born 22 May 1850	Monkwearmouth	Married Georgiana Andrew
Joseph Lowes	Born 27 Jan 1853	Monkwearmouth	Married Mary Ann Dickinson
Charles Elliot	Born abt 1855	Monkwearmouth	Married Mary Jane Kish, Margaret Appleby Bartram

Birth of Parents

Joseph Lowes Thompson

b: 16 Oct 1824 c: 26 Dec 1824 Monkwearmouth St Peter's Parish
son of Robert and Sarah Thompson, Monkwearmouth Shore, shipwright

Thomasin Elliott

b: abt 1818 Based upon death on 20 Oct 1861 at Age 44.

Marriage

21 Feb 1847
Joseph Lowes Thompson (24)
Thomasin Elliott (29)

St. John, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland 1847 1Q Newcastle T 25 318
Bachelor, Shipwright, of this parish, Father: Robert Thompson, Shipbuilder
Spinster, of this parish, Father: Charles Elliott, Block and Mast maker
after Banns, by H. W. Wright, Wit: Henry Masterton and John Davison

See views of the North Sands Shipyard in 1846 and 1885-6.

Children

Robert Thompson

b: 22 May 1850 Monkwearmouth, County Durham 1850 2Q Sunderland 24 371
son of Joseph Lowes and Thomasin Thompson

1851 Census		31 March 1851	Monkwearmouth Shore, St. Peters, Sunderland
Whickham Street
Joseph L. Thompson Thomasin (Wife) Robert	Age 27 Age 33 Age 10 Mos.	Shipwright Foreman	Durham Durham Durham	Monkwearmouth Sunderland Monkwearmouth	16 Oct 1824 abt 1818 22 May 1850

Joseph Lowes Thompson

b: 27 Jan 1853 c: 12 Apr 1853 Dock Street Methodist Chapel
2nd son of Joseph Lowes and Thomasin Thompson 1853 2Q Sunderland 10a 337

Charles Elliot Thompson

b: abt 1855 Monkwearmouth, County Durham 1855 1Q Sunderland 10a 397
son of Joseph Lowes and Thomasin Thompson

1861 Census	RG9-3784	8 April 1861	Monkwearmouth Shore, St. Peters, Sunderland
Mulgrave Street
Joseph L. Thompson Thomasin (Wife) Robert Joseph L. Charles E. Hannah Swan (un)(Serv.)	Age 37 Age 43 Age 10 Age 8 Age 6 Age 30	Master Shipbuilder Scholar Scholar Scholar Domestic Serv.	Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham	Monkwearmouth Sunderland Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth	16 Oct 1824 abt 1818 22 May 1850 27 Jan 1853 abt 1855 17 Mar 1831

Death

Thomasin (Elliott) Thompson

Died 20 Oct 1861, Age 44, Monkwearmouth 1861 4Q Sunderland 10a 240
Buried at Monkwearmouth Mere Knolls Cemetery

Hannah Swan 1830-1875 (2nd Wife)

Hannah was born 17 March 1831, of William Swan and Margaret Horn. She had a twin sister, Jane. She is shown as the unmarried domestic servant of the Thompson household in the 1861 census. Thomasin

died in October 1861, and Joseph Lowes married Hannah in 1864. Hannah died 28 August 1875, age 45 years, and is buried at Monkwearmouth Mere Knolls Cemetery.

They had the following children:

Thomasin Elliot	Born abt 1865	Bishopwearmouth	Died 7 Mar 1865
Margaret Jane	Born 14 July 1866	Bishopwearmouth	Married Robert Henry Humphrey
Sarah Hannah	Born 6 Apr 1868	Bishopwearmouth	Married Benjamin Evans

Birth of Wife

Hannah Swan

b: 17 Mar 1831 c: 18 Mar 1831 St. Peter's, Monkwearmouth
daughter of William and Margaret Swan, Shipwright, Monkwearmouth Shore

Marriage

8 Jun 1864
Joseph Lowes Thompson
Hannah Swan

St. Nicholas, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland 1864 2Q 1864 Newcastle T 10b 148
Widower, Shipbuilder, Monkwearmouth, Father: Robert Thompson, Shipbuilder
Spinster, of this parish, Father: William Swan, Shipbuilder
by License, Wit: Thomas Hara and J. C. Pearson

Children

Thomasin Elliot Thompson

b: abt 1865  Monkwearmouth, County Durham
daughter of Joseph Lowes and Hannah Thompson     1865 1Q Sunderland 10a 553
Died: 7 Mar 1865    Monkwearmouth Mere Knolls Cemetery

Margaret Jane "Mary" Thompson

b: 14 Jul 1866 c: 5 Aug 1866 Dock Street Methodist Chapel
daughter of Joseph Lowes and Hannah Thompson, Dock Street East

Sarah Hannah Thompson

b: 6 Apr 1868 c: 3 May 1868 Dock Street Methodist Chapel
daughter of Joseph Lowes and Hannah Thompson 1868 2Q Sunderland 10a 614

1871 Census		3 April 1871	Monkwearmouth, County Durham
69 Dock Street East
Joseph L. Thompson H. [Hannah](Wife) Robert Joseph L. C.E. [Charles Elliot] Mary J. S.H. [Sarah Hannah] Isabella Swan (un)(sister) Plus 1 Servant	Age 47 Age 41 Age 20 Age 18 Age 16 Age 4 Age 2 Age 41	Shipbuilder employing 62 men and 20 boys	Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham	Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth	16 Oct 1824 17 Mar 1831 22 May 1850 27 Jan 1853 abt 1855 14 Jul 1866 6 Apr 1868 17 Mar 1831

I believe that the above named Isabella Swan is actually Hannah's twin sister, Jane.

Death

Hannah (Swan) Thompson

Died 28 Aug 1875, Age 45, 1875 3Q Sunderland 10a 430
Buried at Monkwearmouth Mere Knolls Cemetery

1881 Census	RG11-5005	4 April 1881	Monkwearmouth, St Peters, County Durham
Ashville House
Joseph L. Thompson (Wid'r) Jane Swan (un) Plus 2 Servants	Age 57 Age 51	Shipbuilder Housekeeper	Durham Durham	Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth	16 Oct 1824 17 Mar 1831

1881 Census	RG11-0631	4 April 1881	Clapham, Surrey
5 The Ceders (Methodist Girls College)
Margaret J. Thompson Sarah H. Thompson	Age 14 Age 12	Pupil Pupil	Durham Durham	Sunderland Sunderland	14 Jul 1866 6 Apr 1868

1891 Census	RG12-4147	6 April 1891	Monkwearmouth, County Durham
Ashville
Joseph L. Thompson (Widr) Jane Swan (un)(Sis-Law) Plus 2 Servants	Age 67 Age 61	Shipbuilder Housekeeper	Durham Durham	Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth	16 Oct 1824 17 Mar 1831

1891 Census	RG12-4045	6 April 1891	Neasham, County Durham
Neasham Hall Farm
Robert Humphrey Margaret (Wife) Sarah Thompson (Sis-Law) Lydia Adamson (Visitor) Plus 9 Servants	Age 24 Age 24 Age 22 Age 28	Farmer	Acklam Sunderland Sunderland Darlington	Yorkshire Durham Durham Durham	abt 1866 14 Jul 1866 6 Apr 1868 abt 1862

"His homestead which he has erected, is known as Ashville, on the Newcastle Road. It is all that could be desired, the grounds being neatly laid out. This is enough of itself to attract the retirement of such a one as Mr. Joseph L. Thompson, but with him a retired life seems not to be regarded as a safe one, consequently, when in robust health, he appears still in love with the clattering sound of the hammer and the shrill shriek of the "buzzer". Now that the North Sands Shipyard is entirely under the control of his three sons, Messrs. Robert Thompson, Joseph L. Thompson, Jun., and Charles Elliot Thompson. ....."
From The past and present history of the North Sands Shipyards and their surroundings from 1823 to 1891, by John Thompson November 1891 (No Relation)

Death

Joseph Lowes Thompson

Died 24 Jan 1893, Age 68, 1893 1Q Sunderland 10a 367
Buried at Monkwearmouth Mere Knolls Cemetery

Sunderland Daily Echo - Wednesday 25 January 1893 Death notice
Sunderland Daily Echo - Saturday 28 January 1893 Funeral notice

	IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF THOMASIN WIFE OF JOSEPH L. THOMPSON WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE OCTOBER 20TH 1861 AGED 44 YEARS ALSO OF THOMASIN ELLIOT INFANT DAUGHTER OF J. L. & HANNAH THOMPSON WHO DIED MARCH 7TH 1865
Monkwearmouth MERE KNOLLS CEMETERY PHOTOS BY T.G. WHITE	IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF HANNAH WIFE OF JOSEPH L. THOMPSON WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE AUGUST 28TH 1875 AGED 45 YEARS DEARLY LAMENTED

ALSO OF JOSEPH L. THOMPSON SHIPBUILDER NORTH SANDS SHIPYARD BORN 16 OCT. 1824 DIED 24 JAN. 1893

Summary of the Will of Mr. Joseph L. Thompson of Ashville House, Newcastle Road, Monkwearmouth, County Durham		1824 - 1893 Dated 21 August 1888
	Trustees and Executors:	Sons, Robert, Joseph Lowes, and Charles Elliot Thompson.
	Daughter Margaret Jane Daughter Sarah Hannah The Trustees (The Three Sons)	Income from Trust, plus £ 1,000 at marriage. Income from Trust, plus £ 1,000 at marriage. £ 2,000 each when both daughters married, or deceased. They divide the Trust Fund equally, if both daughters die unmarried. £ 6,000 available, at interest, for business purposes, until they receive their legacies.
	Jane Swan (Housekeeper)	Twelve Shillings weekly, for life.
The Ashville House Estate, at Monkwearmouth, shall be available for unmarried daughters, until marriage.

DURHAM 25 April 1893 Probate

THOMPSON, Joseph Lowes, the elder, of Ashville, Newcastle-road, Sunderland, gentleman, died 24 January 1893, Probate, Durham, 25 April, to Robert Thompson, Joseph Lowes Thompson and Charles Elliot Thompson, shipbuilders. Effects £23,672 0s. 7d.
Resworn January 1894 £23,847 6s. 2d..