Robert was born on 23 November 1819 of Robert Thompson and Sarah Lowes, at Monkwearmouth Shore. In 1837 Robert joined with his father and brothers Joseph Lowes, and John, and two of his father's brothers, to open a yard at Washington Staiths (Coxgreen). He married Sarah Barbar, the daughter of Richard Barbar, a mason, on 9 June 1839 at Monkwearmouth. During the industrial depression of the early forties, the Coxgreen yard went out of business, and Robert found work in a Southwick yard. His father went to sea. After the depression, Robert Sr. became foreman for John Candlish, Southwick, and was soon joined by Robert Jr. and brothers Joseph Lowes and John. In 1846 Robert Thompson senior and his three sons opened a yard at the North Sands, styled as Robert Thompson & Sons. No agreement was made, only the wage arranged. The father took 30s a week in wages, son Robert 27s and his brothers 24s; thus pointing to the leading position which son Robert had already secured. The yard prospered. Young Robert was the chief draftsman.

Disputes were however arising between Robert and his father and in 1850 he left the yard. Joseph Lowes, who had designed the emigrant ship Achilles, persuaded his brother to rejoin the yard. A partnership agreement of 1853 gave Robert a quarter share in the yard. He then designed the first wooden vessel, built on the Wear, having iron diagonal straps. This was the 936 ton City of Carlisle, built for Edmund Graham, of Newcastle. She was a full rigged ship, the largest built by Thompsons up to that time, and was the fourth order received from the owner. Mr. Graham presented Robert Thompson Jr. with a gold watch to show his appreciation in designing the City of Carlisle, which proved to be one of the fastest ships in the eastern trade at that time. Robert was 35, when he again decided to branch out on his own. On August 8, 1854, he bought the patent slipway and shipbuilding yard then occupied by John Candlish, from the executors of W. Tanner, and commenced to build at Southwick. The establishment of this business led to some confusion because there were now two Robert Thompson yards, each independent, for the next six years. His first ship was the little wood barque Graces (449 tons), built in 1855 for Thomas Coxon, of North Shields, and there followed 21 of much the same type until he commenced building composite ships ten years later. In all, 18 very fine composite ships (iron frames with a wooden hull), more than any other Sunderland yard, were built by Robert - the first the Southwick in 1865 and the last in 1874.

Robert began building in iron with the SS Irishope (1,113 tons) in 1868. Although a few other Wear yards had preceded him in iron shipbuilding, he was in advance of the great majority of shipyards there, including the main family yard. Many very smart sailing ships were built in the "iron" age, the last of them was the barquentine Regent (386 tons), built in   A Broadside Launch at Robert Thompson And Sons' Bridge Dockyard In 1903. The S.S. ADMIRAL L' HERMITE

1892 - an iron ship, although steel had been introduced at the yard in 1888. The firm was styled Robert Thompson and Sons when the junior members of the family came to the yard. In 1880, he took over the Bridge Dockyard, which had been idle for some years, and established a ship repair business. From it came some spectacular broadside launches. This method of launching was used because the narrowness of the site precluded the ships being sent down the slipway in the normal fashion. The final broadside launch was the Admiral L'Hermite in 1903. Robert died at West Hall, Whitburn, on 18 July 1910, at age 90. The firm, Robert Thompson & Sons Ltd., continued with his sons James Elliot, Joseph Lowes and Richard Charles at the helm.

Sarah Elizabeth	Born abt 1840		Washington	Married James Henry Wood Culliford
Isabella	Born 7 Jan 1842			Died 1 Oct 1845, age 4
James Elliot	Born 3 Nov 1844		Sunderland	Married Isabella Borthwick Douglas
Isabella	Born 24 Dec 1846		Monkwearmouth Shore	Married Henry Hay Wake
Robert	Born 12 Feb 1849		Monkwearmouth Shore	Died 13 Dec 1851 age 3
Margaret Jane	Born 14 Mar 1851		Monkwearmouth Shore	Died 13 Oct 1851 age 8 Mo.'s
Margaret Jane	Born abt 1853		Monkwearmouth Shore	Married John Lockie Clark
Robert	Born abt 1854			Died 3 Dec 1854 age 7 Mo.'s
Robert	Born abt 1855			Died 30 Aug 1860 age 5
Richard Charles	Born 15 Aug 1857		Monkwearmouth	Married Dorothy Clark Millicent Featherstonehaugh
Joseph Lowes	Born 22 Mar 1859			Married Emma Herring
Viginti Tertius	Born 9 Jun 1862			Married Violet Allison Euphemia Barnes
Henry	Born 14 Nov 1863		Southwick	Married Margaret "Minnie" Dove

1861 Census	RG9-3781	8 April 1861	Southwick, County Durham
Carley House
Robert Thompson Sarah (Wife) Sarah E. James Isabella Margaret J. Richard C. Joseph L. Plus two servants	Age 41 Age 38 Age 21 Age 17 Age 14 Age 8 Age 3 Age 2	Shipbuilder Employing 43 men and 30 boys Apprentice Scholar Scholar	Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham Durham	Monkwearmouth Shore Biddick Washington Sunderland Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth	23 Nov 1819 abt 1821 abt 1840 3 Nov 1844 24 Dec 1846 14 Mar 1851 15 Aug 1857 22 Mar 1859

Carley Lodge

Mabel

Born 24 Mar 1876

Sunderland

Married Harold Douglas Briggs

Southwick HOLY TRINITY CHURCHYARD       PHOTOS BY T.G. WHITE		IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF SARAH MY BELOVED WIFE WHO DIED 26TH APRIL 1866 AGED 45 YEARS ALSO ROBERT THOMPSON OF WEST HALL, WHITBURN ELDEST SON OF THE LATE ROBERT THOMPSON WEST HOUSE, FULWELL BORN NOV. 23 1819. DIED JULY 18 1910 THE BURIAL PLACE OF ROBERT THOMPSON
		ALSO HER CHILDREN ISABELLA WHO DIED OCTOBER 1ST 1845 AGED 4 YEARS ROBERT WHO DIED DECEMBER 13TH 1851 AGED 3 YEARS MARGARET JANE WHO DIED OCTOBER 13TH 1851 AGED 8 MONTHS ROBERT WHO DIED DECEMBER 3RD 1854 AGED 7 MONTHS ROBERT WHO DIED AUGUST 31ST 1860 AGED 5 YEARS