Robert was born 22 May 1850 of Joseph Lowes and Thomasin Thompson. Father Joseph Lowes was a Shipwright Foreman at the Robert Thompson & Sons shipyard, and they resided at Whickham Street, Monkwearmouth Shore. At age 15 in 1865, Robert left school and was apprenticed to his father as a shipwright. Robert married Georgiana Andrew. Upon his father's retirement in 1875, operation of the firm was turned over to Robert and his two brothers, Joseph Lowes, and Charles Elliot. Robert became a partner in the firm. In 1876 James Marr joined the firm. More ground was added to the yard, including William Pile's site, until the whole of the North Sands, where previously seven yards had been in operation, was under the control of Thompsons. Robert built his first steel vessel in May 1885. The next year more than half the yard's output was in steel, including the SS Euterpe, a luxuriously furnished passenger liner, an unusual type of vessel to be built on the Wear. They built almost three-quarters of a million tons of shipping over the twenty year period 1888-1907, and the yard headed output on the River Wear for nearly all the years 1885 to 1900, and on three occasions was in fourth place in terms of world output. In 1893 brother Joseph Lowes retired from daily participation in the firms management due to failing

health.  In  1894, the Thompsons formed a limited liability company with a capital of £125,000, and Peter Phorson and James Marr were appointed to the board. James Marr, who was general manager of the firm, had been associated with Thompsons for 17 years, and would become chairman and managing director in 1901. The workforce then numbered 1,600. In 1907, the Thompson yard produced 12 ships aggregating 48,178 tons, a record for them until the second World War. Langham Tower

Over Dinsdale, on the River Tees

Robert was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Durham County in September 1890, and was on the Sunderland Town Council for a number of years. He served as chairman of the Monkwearmouth and Southwick Hospital Board, was a member of the Sunderland Infirmary Committee, and was a member of the Wear Commission for a number of years. Like the rest of his family, he was a member of the Methodist Free Church. He continued his father's interest in the Sunderland Football Club, was it's president in 1893, and gave it substantial financial support. A few years before his death he had decided to have "a place in the country', and had bought the old manor house at Over Dinsdale on the River Tees. He proceeded to pull it down, much to the locals' fury (!), and build in its place a 'stockbrokers' Tudor' style mansion. Some described it as a 'monstrosity'. Built to shipyard standards, it had extra thick walls, and great care was taken that all the rooms were perfectly square, level, vertical, etc. He also built a new bridge across the Tees, and a little house beside it for the toll collector, who opened a gate and charged each

person who walked across the bridge one old penny. The house had its own electric light engine and a 'engineer' to look after it, as well as a retinue of servants, headed by a butler with the rather strange name of George Tiplady Dobson. However, as soon as the house was finished, he had a stroke and was never able to enjoy his creation. He died 1 January 1908 at his new estate, Over Dinsdale Hall, near Darlington, at age 57. His recently acquired Sunderland home was Langham Tower, on Ryhope Road. He left an estate valued at £159,804.

Ethel	Born 22 Jun 1875		Monkwearmouth	Died 28 Jul 1875
Joseph Andrews	Born 30 Nov 1876		Monkwearmouth	Married Laurel Thompson
Robert Norman	Born 2 Jul 1878		Fulwell	Married Helena V. Short
Stanley Miller	Born 1 Dec 1880		Fulwell	Married Wilhelmine Vera Doxford
Amelia Rachel	Born 4 Dec 1884		Fulwell	Married John Lynn Marr
John Wyllie	Born 28 Jul 1886		Fulwell	Married Norah Miller

Estimated to be about 1903, possible at Dinsdale, while the house was being built. Place Cursor on a face to display person's name, click to go to their web page.

	ETHEL DAUGHTER OF R. & G. THOMPSON BORN JUNE 22ND 1875 DIED JULY 28TH 1875 ALSO THE ABOVE ROBERT THOMPSON BORN MAY 22ND 1850 DIED JANUARY 1ST 1908 AT OVER DINSDALE NEAR DARLINGTON ALSO THE ABOVE GEORGIANA THOMPSON BORN APRIL 20TH 1851 DIED JUNE 2ND 1930 AT SUNDERLAND
Monkwearmouth MERE KNOLLS CEMETERY PHOTOS BY T.G. WHITE