Joseph Thompson Snr (abt. 1783 - 1862)

Born about 1783 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England

Husband of Eliza Ellen Daly — married 1811 (to 1815) in Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland

Husband of Jane Huddy — married 1818 (to 1820) in Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland

Husband of Sarah (Hughes) Thompson — married 1821 in Diocese of Cork and Ross, County Cork, Ireland

Descendants

Died 4 Jun 1862 at about age 79 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia

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Joseph Thompson Snr c1783-1862

Biography

Joseph Thompson a 'Geordie' was most likely born in 1783 (calculated from Gravestone & 1st Death Notice, Geelong Advertiser) in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England. People from the Tyneside area of North East England especially Newcastle upon Tyne were known as a 'Geordie'. ^[1]

Joseph was married three times between 1811,1818 & 1821 in Co. Cork, Ireland. He had 12 Children (7 boys & 5 girls); two in his 1st marriage over 2 years & ten in his 3rd marriage over 21 years.

Joseph became a 'Corkonian' after immigrating to Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England c1811.

For 30 years Joseph was managing various Engineering related businesses in Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland.

In 1824 in Cork, as Jos Thompson he was a Tinman & Brazier for a Brazier & Tin Plating business at 60 Grand Parade, Cork, the widest street of Cork. ^[2] In the late 1820's he was a partner with Edward Ring in 'Ring & Thompson' a general Engineering business that also built Steam Engines. This partnership was dissolved in 1831.

He went on to start his own engineering business the 'Union Iron Works' in Warren's Place, Lapp's Island' Cork City. The 'Union Iron Works' was one of small number of firms that built Steam Engines for various Cork City businesses & by 1838 Cork City had 28 Steam Engines which collectively generated 412hp throughout the city. The 'Union Iron Works' business lasted 5 years until in 1836 when a Sherriff's auction forced the sale of his business equipment & household goods. His business site & dwelling appeared to have escaped the Sherriff's auction.

Joseph re-invented himself to form a new engineering business offering a wide variety of manufactured products ' J. Thompson & Co' in the same location Warren's Place, Lapp's Island. This lasted for two years from 1837 to 1838. However in Jan 1839 Joseph was declared insolvent & this appears to be the end of his engineering business pursuits in Ireland.

Fortunately his knowledge of Steam Engine manufacture paved the way for a new start overseas & in the early 1840's Joseph immigrated from Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia with his 3rd wife Sarah Hughes & their 7 youngest children most probably in mid to late 1841 and before mid 1842.

Joseph & his family likely immigrated from Cork to Melbourne under the Australian Colonial Government - Assisted Migrants scheme with their voyage being either fully or partially subsidised. At that time Melbourne was a young city of only 6-7 years after being founded in 1835.

As part of his immigration he brought out lathes, boring and planing machines, for manufacturing steam engines, mill work, thrashing machines, press screws and hydraulic presses to set up business in the harbour town of Melbourne. ^[3]

Joseph's son Joshua Thompson (18) a Smith (Blacksmith) & daughter a Affia (Aphra) Thompson (20) a House Servant were the only Thompson's listed on board the barque "Thetis" which arrived 18 Feb 1842 in Port Phillip from London & Cork with 230 Bounty Immigrants aboard. Ref: PROV, Immigration - Assisted Passenger Lists 228 records.

The family arrived in Port Phillip after 20 Mar 1841 (when their daughter was born in Cork) & before 23 Jul 1842 when Joseph advertised his new 'Millwright, Engineer, and General Machinist' business between Bourke Street & Bourke Lane, Melbourne. Five months later circa 17 Dec 1842 Joseph had moved the engineering business to Queen's Wharf, Melbourne.

Their youngest son Frederick James was baptised the next year on 21 Apr 1843 in Melbourne, Victoria.

Three years later in 1846 Joseph had re-located the engineering business to Ryrie St, Geelong & renamed it "Joseph Thompson & Sons Engineering". His oldest son from his 1st marriage Joseph Thompson (1814-1877) an engineer & his eldest son from his 2nd marriage Joshua Thompson a blacksmith (1824-1910) were two of his sons involved in the business.

On Christmas day 1849 (25 Dec 1849) Joseph visited his son George (then aged 13-14) & found that he was being mistreated at his tinsmith apprenticeship in Melbourne. Two months later on the 7 Feb 1850 George was granted leave to visit his family in Geeelong & Joseph subsequently detained his son George at his Geelong family home. George was soon after summmoned (via the Geelong Police) having been charged with absconding fom his master a Melbourne based Tinsmith firm. However George was ordered to return to Melbourne for the case to be heard. An apprentice indenture was normally about 7 years in the 1850's. Even though Joseph claimed that his sons 1st indenture was null & void and his 2nd indenture was not properly authorised by him as his father the magistrate ruled that George must return to his master to complete his indenture. ^{[4] [5]}

Union Steam Mills: Controversial & Protracted Sale (1850-1852)
in 1849 Joseph Thompson & Sons (partnership of Joseph Thompson Snr & his sons Joshua Thompson & Joseph Thompson Jnr) announced in the Geelong Advertiser that they had sold their Iron and Brass casting business - the 'Victoria Iron and Brass Foundry' located in Malop St, Geelong & that they were still continuing their Union Steam Mills business located in Point Henry, near Geelong.

However by Sep 1850 Joseph Thompson Snr (Machinist and Miller) was in a trouble with paying his debts (cash flow) & he decided to sell the mill business by auction around the same time without the approval of his eldest son Joseph Thompson Jnr. At that time his sons Joseph Jnr & Joshua were living in houses associated with the Point Henry mill site in 1850. The auction was postponed after controversary over a payments for steam engine repairs carried out at the mill in 1851.

This initial 1851 auction notice caused tension between Joseph Snr & Joseph Jnr & was played out in a number of "tit for tat" claims published in the local Geelong papers in the early 1850's.

The mill was sold in late Oct 1852 by private treaty (half in cash & balance in 6 months) & soon after the new owner Thomas Bescoby complained in public notices in the Geelong Advertiser that he was unhappy about wheat being left at the site after the sale.
Refer: Various Trove articles TBA

Joseph Thompson Snr & his sons engineering businesses 1840's & 1850's
During the 1840's & 1850's in Melbourne & Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Joseph Thompson Snr & his sons had various engineering businesses as:- Millwrights & Engineers, Blacksmiths & Wheelwrights, General Machining (Brass & Metal Castings, Wrought Iron work, Turning & Fitting), Steam Mills & finally in 1856 by himself selling Winnowing Machines (machine that blows air to separate chaff from grain).

Joseph Thompson Snr passed away at his residence - Ryrie St, Geelong, on the 4 Jun 1862, Aged 78.

Parents

Refer Joseph Thompson's 1862 Death Certificate:-
Father: Joseph Thompson (Farmer) & Mother name is unclear as provided by his 2nd eldest son Joshua Thompson (1824-1910). However a Joseph Thompson died in 1827 leaving a token 1 shilling to his son Joseph Thompson & an estate under £300 to his wife Sarah which is consistent with naming of Joseph's two first born children from his first marriage i.e. Sarah (1812) & Joseph (1814).

Birth/Baptism

Born 1783 or 1784 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England.

Siblings

TBA

Marriages

Marriage 1: 1811 - Joseph Thompson Snr (c1783-1862) from Cork City, Co. Cork Ireland (born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, Eng ) married Eliza Ellen Daly (1792-1815) from Blarney, Co. Cork, Ireland in Cork, Ireland. ^[6]

Marriage 2: 1818 - Joseph Thompson Snr (c1783-1862) & Jane Huddy (1790's-c1820) ^[7]

Marriage 3: 1821 - Joseph Thompson Snr (c1783-1862) from Cork City, Co. Cork Ireland married married Sarah Hughes (1800-1870) likely from Cork City, Co. Cork Ireland in the Diocese of Cork & Ross - Ireland. ^[8] & ^[9]

Children

Joseph Thompson had 12 children over 31 years in 3 marriages.

Children Marriage 1 - Joseph & Eliza Ellen Daly had 2 Children:
Sarah Ann Thompson (1812-1893) Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Joseph Thompson Jnr (1814-1877) Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland.

Children Marriage 2 - Joseph & Jane Huddy had no children

Children Marriage 3 - Joseph & Sarah Hughes had 10 children:
Aphra (1822-1847); Joshua Thompson (1824-1910); Thomas Thompson (1826-1917); Isabella (Thompson) Fawcett (1829-1868); John Thompson (1830-1901); William Thompson (1834–1909); George Thompson (1836–1920); Mary Hughes Thompson (1839–1925); Annie Maria Thompson (1841–1917) & Frederick James Thompson (1842–1873).

Immigration

1811: Joseph may have immigrated from Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England to Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland c1811 based on not being listed in the 1809-1810: West's Cork Directory.

1841/1842: Joseph Thompson & Sarah Hughes (3rd Wife) and their 7 youngest children including Joseph's engineering business equipment immigrated probably as Assisted Migrants (no immigration record found to date for Joseph Thompson his wife & their 5 youngest children) from Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland to Melbourne c1841/1842.

Joseph's oldest children from his 1st Marriage Sarah Ann Thompson & Joseph Thompson Jnr immigrated to Sydney in 1840.

Two years later Joseph's oldest children from his 3rd Marriage - Aphra Thompson (20) & Joshua Thompson (18) immigrated from Cork, arriving at Port Phillip 18 Feb 1842 & were the only Thompson's among 230 Bounty Immigrants aboard the barque 'Thetis' which departed from London and Cork 9 Nov 1841. ^[10]

Residences

1783-c1810: Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England.
c1811-1830: Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland.
1831-1841: Lapp's Island area, Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland. 1842: Bourke St & Bourke Lane, Melbourne. &
1844: Queens Wharf, Melbourne operating the Millwright, Engineer, and General Machining business (Ref: 23 Jul 1842: Port Phillip Gazette).
1845: Flinders St, Melbourne - Joseph Thompson - Engineer - Port Phillip Separation Merchants' and Settlers' Directory.
1846: North Geelong - Joseph Thompson & Sons Engineering.
1849: Malop St, Geelong - Port Phillip District - Electoral Roll.^[11]
1850: Malop St, Geelong (Shop & House).
1862: Ryrie St, Geelong

Occupation / Businesses

Cork City, Co. Cork Ireland
1824: Tinman & Brazier - Jos Thompson - Brazier & Tin Plate Worker - 60 Grand Parade, Cork. Ref: 1824 Pigot & Co Provincial Directory of Ireland.^[12]
1827-1831: Ring and Thompson:- Iron, Brass, and Steel Founders, Manufacturers of Steam Engines etc (Partnership with Edward Ring dissolved in 1831) initially located at Coach-Street then moved to Smith-Street, South-Mall, Cork.
1831-1836: Union Iron Works - Foundry, Millwright, Engineering & Manufacturers of Steam Engines business, Warren's Place, Lapp's Island, Cork.
1836: Sherriff's Auction of business equipment at Joseph Thompson’s Foundry, Warren’s Quay, Lapp's Island, Cork (Union Iron Works) on the 23 Aug 1836 & after at his dwelling household items.
1837-1838: J Thompson & Co - Iron and Brass Foundry, Millwork & Manufacturers of Steam Engines, Warren's Place, Lapp's Island, Cork.
1839: Insolvent Debtor, Cork - formerly of Cork City, Iron Founder, and late of same place, not in any business.
1840-1841: TBA.

Melbourne CBD, Victoria, Australia
1842-1844 : Millwright, Engineer, and General Machining business - Initially between Bourke St & Bourke Lane, Melbourne then Queens Wharf, Melbourne.
1845: Joseph Thompson - Engineer - Flinders St, Melbourne.

Geelong, Victoria, Australia
1846: Joseph Thompson & Sons (Engineering) - North Geelong.
1849: Victoria Iron and Brass Foundry, Malop St Geelong (Joseph Thompson & Son) sold Iron and Brass casting business to Messrs Eastwood and Oddie.
1850: Shop & House - Malop St, Geelong, Victoria.
1850-1852: Union Steam Mills - Point Henry Rd, Point Henry.
1856: Winnowing Machines - Joseph Thompson - Great Ryrie St East, Geelong.

Death/Funeral/Burial

Joseph Thompson died 4 Jun 1862 at his residence - Great Ryrie-Street East, Geelong - Aged 78 or 79 depending on which Death Record you refer to.
The Death Certificate, Victoria BDM's, Cemetery Record & 2nd Death Notice in The Argus all have Aged 78 (which means born 1784).
The 1st & 3rd Death Notices in the Geelong Advertiser & Gravestone all have Aged 79 (1783) & is my preferred Age at Death.

Death Certificate 5 Jun 1862 informant was his son Joshua Thompson & it has extensive details:- Cause of Death: Died of Bronchitis for 2 months; Aged 78 (1784), Father: Joseph Thompson; Mother: Listed but unclear; about 21 years in Victoria. Lists 3 Marriages & Children (1st Marriage children - Sarah Ann & Joseph; 2nd Marriage children - none; 3rd Marriage details); Born in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Buried 6 Jun 1862: Geelong Eastern Cemetery - Joseph Thompson, Area: Church Of England; Location: EAS-COE-OLD-A-807-720 ^[13] &
Gravestone: Joseph Thompson - Died 4 Jun 1862; Aged 79 (1783), Ref: Find A Grave - Memorial Id 165253919 ^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ 'Geordie' is a nickname for a person from the Tyneside area of North East England, A Geordie can also specifically be a native of Tyneside (especially Newcastle upon Tyne) and the surrounding areas [1]
2. ↑ 56-60 Grand Parade, Cork, Photo c1906 (Courtesy of Irish Architectural Archive & Ramsden family) [2]
3. ↑ 23 Jul 1842: Joseph Thompson commenced business Bourke Street & Bourke Lane, Melbourne, Ref: The Port Phillip Gazette. [3]
4. ↑ 23 Mar 1850: George Thompson (aged 13-14) an indentured apprentice tinsmith detained in Geelong by his father Joseph Thompson after he found him being mistreated while learning his trade in Melbourne was ordered by the court to return to Melbourne to serve out his apprentice indenture. [4]
5. ↑ 23 Mar 1850 Court Case: George Thompson (aged 13-14) an indentured apprentice tinsmith detained in Geelong by his father Joseph Thompson after he found him being mistreated while learning his trade in Melbourne was ordered by the court to return to Melbourne to serve out his apprentice indenture. [5]
6. ↑ 1811: Marriage 1 - Joseph Thompson Snr (c1783-1862) & Eliza Ellen Daly (1792-1815) in Cork, Ireland. Ref: Ancestry.Com Library Ed.
7. ↑ 1818: Marriage 2 - Joseph Thompson Snr (c1783-1862) & Jane Huddy (1790's-c1820). Ref: Ancestry.Com [6]
8. ↑ 1821: Marriage 3 - Joseph Thompson Snr (c1783-1862) & Sarah Hughes (1800-1870) in the Diocese of Cork & Ross - Ireland. Ref Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds indexes (1623-1866). Ref: Ancestry.Com [7]
9. ↑ Valerie Willis WikiTree link for Sarah Hughes (1800-1870). [8]
10. ↑ Aphra (Affia) Thompson (20) & brother Joshua Thompson (18) were the only Thompson's among 230 Bounty Immigrants aboard the barque 'Thetis' from Cork, arriving at Port Phillip 18 Feb 1842. Ref PROV - Assisted Passenger Lists - Ship 'Thetis', Pages 65 & 69 [9]
11. ↑ 1849: Thompson, Joseph Malop St, Geelong Port Phillip District - Electoral Roll. [10]
12. ↑ Jos Thompson - Braziers & Tin Plate Workers - 60 Grand Parade, Cork.
    Ref: 1824 Pigot & Co Provincial Directory of Ireland. [11]
13. ↑ 6 Jun 1862: Joseph Thompson - Buried at Geelong Eastern Cemetery - Area: Church Of England; Location: EAS-COE-OLD-A-807-720 [12]
14. ↑ Gravestone: Joseph Thompson - Died 4 Jun 1862; Aged 79, Ref: Find A Grave - Memorial Id 165253919 [13]

• VICTORIA DEATHS - 4398 / 1862 - THOMPSON Joseph (parent's names recorded only as father: " Joseph") - place of birth : Newc (Newcastle).

• Text on the grave stone reads "To the memory of Joseph Thompson died 4th June 1862 aged 79 years / Sarah wife of the above died 28th Sept 1879 aged 70 years / also / Aphra their daughter died 30th Aug 1847 aged 25 years / also / Robert Fawcett son of Robert and Isabella Fawcett and grandson of the above died 21st Jan 1854 aged 2 years and 8 months." Find A Grave : Memorial ID: 165253919 : Joseph Thompson