John Thompson (b 1866 Newcastle-on-Tyne, m Mary Louisa Turner
1887 Newcastle-on-Tyne, d 1893 Newcastle-on-Tyne)
Mary (Maria) Louisa Turner (b abt 1866 Newcastle-on-Tyne, d 1901 N
Fitzroy Vic) Norman
Thompson (b 1888 Newcastle-on-Tyne, m Winifred Emma Farr 1918 Northcote
Vic, d 1932 Thornbury Vic)
Frederick Thompson (b 1890
Newcastle-on-Tyne, m Louisa Bertha Miles, d 1964 Carlton Vic)
John Thompson's Story
John was born in Newcastle on Tyne in 1865 or early 1866. His
parents were John and Mary Ann Thompson. John was the eldest
of five known children. The other four children were girls. His
father was a cabinet maker. John would have had a strong temperance
and Methodist upbringing, as in the 1871 census his father gave his
occupation as Temperance Missionary and Local Preacher Methodist. In
the 1881 Census, his father has reverted to Cabinet maker. John
(Jnr) at age 15 was a draughtsman and the older three girls
were scholars. While John was working, he was also studying. He won
prizes at the Newcastle School of Sciene and Art over a period from
age 11 to age 18. (the prizes are listed below). When he married in
1887, his profession is again draughtsman. His wife Mary Louisa
Turner had lived in Newcastle on Tyne all her life as well. In 1891
the couple are living not far from John's parents with their two
young children. John is now working as a Lithographic Artist. Sadly,
in March 1893 John died (of "Empyaema Asthemia"). Four months later
Mary Louisa and the boys came to Melbourne to join her parents
who had come to Victoria two years earlier.
Mary was born at Jarrow Durham about 1866.
Jarrow is on the south bank of the Tyne, not far from the
centre of Newcastle on Tyne, and she generally gave her place of
birth as simply Newcastle on Tyne. In 1881 she is living wih her
parents, older sister and two young brothers at Westgate, Newcastle
on Tyne. At he marriage her father described his profession as
blacksmith, but just about everywhere else he describes himself as a
whitesmith*. Mary married John Thompson (see above) in 1887.
When John died six years later she joned her parents in Melbourne.
Her young brother John W Turner came wih her on the voyage (it has
to be him, though he claims to be 22 when he is only 18). She
spent the rest of her life in Melbourne, and died in 51
Alexander Parade, North Fizroy in 1901, aged 35.
Another look at that
shipping manifest. There is another Thompson (T H Thompson male
aged 35) travelling in the cabin section. No known relation. Mary
and family were is steerage. Thompson is a common name but there
were only 31 passengers total on the ship. Also interesting is
that the Thompson family are immediately followed on the passenger
list by Mrs Jane Heffer (30) and John Heffer (16). John Thompson's
aunt married a Hepper. The Heffers follow immediately after the
Thompsons on the list and on other listings we have seen groups
travelling together appeared sequentially on the passnger list.
All passengers embarked in London and the Thompsons Turner and
Heffers above make up seven of the eleven passengers disembarking
in Melbourne
Brother Edward lived in Melbourne. Whether sister Ann came to
Australia is not known. *A whitesmith is a
person who works with white or light-colored metal (such as tin)
and does finish work, such as filing and/or polishing, on iron to
remove black oxides. Whitesmith can also refer to the person who
polishes or finishes the metal rather than forging it. - Wikipedia
"I do feel that John
Thompson’s widow was brave emigrating to Australia - although the
fact her parents were there obviously was the key factor in her
decision making. A woman who was left a widow at a young age with
young children had few options to avoid the workhouse. With no
formal education women struggled to provide financially for a
family. Occupations that have occurred in my research were
laundress/washerwoman, charwoman, dressmaker. Alternatively a
widow could take in lodgers and many chose to seek out a second
husband very quickly."
Gillian
John and Mary Thompson
Starting Information
We had the following certicifates: Marriage 30 May 1887 Wesley
Chapel Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland
John Thompson 21 years, Bachelor, Draughtsman,
56 Stone St, Newcastle. Father John Thompson Cabinet Maker
Mary Louisa Turner 21 years, Spinster, Redheugh Cottage, Shot
Factory Lane, Newcastle, Father Joshua Turner Blacksmith Birth certificate : Norman
Thompson 28 May 1888, 156 Jefferson St, Newcastle on
Tyne, Subdistrict Westgate
Father John Thompson. Mother Mary Louisa (nee Turner) Death certificate : John Thompson
7
Mar 1893, 156 Jefferson St, Newcastle on Tyne, Subdistrict Westgate,
aged 27
Glenis Crocker has prizes awarded to John Thompson by the School of
Science and Art, Newcastle on Tyne (Corporation St)
1876 - Science and Art Department - Prize for Freehand Drawing of
the First Grade (certificate)
1877 - Science and Art Department - Prize for Model Drawing of the
First Grade (certificate)
1881-2 - School of Science and Art - Commitee Prize (book
Illumination by Windsor and Newton)
1884 - School of Art - Third Grade Prize (book Architecture - Gothic
and Renaisance, by T Roger Smith)
1884 - School of Art - Third Grade Prize (book Classic Architecture,
by Roger Smith and John Slater)
Mary Louisa and the boys came to Melbourne in 1893 after John's
death, to join her parents Joshua Turner and Elizabeth (Stephenson),
who had come to Victoria 2 years earlier. In Melbourne Joshua Turner
made much of the iron lace found on houses and verandahs in Fitzroy
and Northcote (suburbs of Melbourne).
SS Australasian left London 12/7/1893, arr 26/8/1893
Cabin J Thompson 35 (listing looks
like J
F)
<--- unrelated as far as we know
Steerage J W Turner Clerk 22 (Mary’s young
brother)
Mrs Thompson 27
Norman Thompson 5
Frederick Thompson 3
Destination Melbourne
1881 Census
The following family has to be them : Cabinet Maker + Draughtsman
+
John aged 15
20 Moor St,, Westgate, parish of St Phillips, Newcastle
John Thompson
Head
M 46 Cabinet
Maker Newcastle (abt
1834)
Mary A Thompson
Wife
M
37
Newcastle
(abt 1843) John Thompson
son
15
Draughtsman
Newcastle (abt 1865)
Mary A Thompson
Dau
13
Scholar
Newcastle
(abt 1867)
Annie H? Thompson
Dau
12
Scholar
Newcastle
(abt 1868)
Isabella J? Thompson
Dau
9
Scholar
Newcastle (abt 1871)
Elizabeth Thompson
Dau
1
Newcastle
(abt 1879)
Mr Odgear notes this address is very close to Stone St, the address
where John Thompson was living when he married in 1887
For more Census data on John Senior, go
to his page
1891 Census
Parish of Elswick, Arthur's Hill, Newcastle on Tyne, 156
Jefferson St
Born John Thompson
Head
M 25 Lithographic
Artist Newcastle on Tyne (abt
1865) Mary Louisa Thompson
Wife
M
25
Durham.
Jarrow (abt 1865) Norman Thompson
Son
2
Newcastle
on Tyne (abt 1888)
Frederick
Thompson
Son
1
Newcastle
on Tyne (abt 1889)
Jarrow is about five miles from the centre of Newcastle on Tyne,
downstream, on the other side of the river
There is a 1863 book on Wills and executors that came through the
Thompsons, inscribed J W Turner, Wakefield Terrace, Gateshead. . Not
sure who JW Turner was, but possibilities
(1) The JW Turner who came with Mary Thompson in the Australian in
1893. Assumed to be her younger brother?
(2) Joe William Turner (b abt 1832), brother of the younger
Joshua
(3) Glenis has a baptism record for Joshua Wood Turner, son of
William (Cabinet Maker) and Hannah 4 May 1831 Huddersfield.
They also baptised John Wood Turner on the same day
Comments by Gwen on the JW Turner who came with Mary Thompson He later had a
music shop in High St Northcote (near Darebin Rd)
Research Notes
When Mary died, the two boys were eleven and thirteen. Who looked
after them?
Names are too common to pick up much reliably, Also some records say
Newcastle Upon Ttyne,
others just Newcastle On
Ttyne
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Mr D Odgear, who generously researched John and Mary for
us, including copying the above 1881 census return and obtaining
certificates, way back in 1989
Thanks to Glenis Crocker for all the stuff in her research notes.
Also Gillian Wild who gave us Mary Ann Graham
If you have additions or corrections
to this page, please contact us
Bones in the Belfry home page
Page last updated - 9 Jul 2007 20
Dec 2012 8 Jun
2020 1 July 2020
