John Thomson

See http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Thomson,_William_(1819-1890)_(DNB00)

"[He] migrated to Whitehaven in 1813 to join the business of his uncle, Walter Thomson. He became director of the local bank and chairman of the ‘Cleator Moor Hematite Iron Company,’ the first hematite company formed in the north of England. He died at Bishopthorpe Palace on 18 April 1878, aged 87 (West Cumberland and Whitehaven Herald, 25 April and 2 May 1878; Whitehaven News, 25 April and 2 May 1878)."

A Slightly different description: http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/prominent-graves-but-whose-are...

The 1841 census records John and Isabella living at Kelswick House with William, and his siblings: Jean, aged 20, Isabella, 14, John, 15, Edward, 12 and Charles Robert, nine.

In 1851 daughters Jean, Isabella and son Charles Robert are still living at home with their father. Isabella, William’s mother, died at the age of 59 on July 25, 1847, and her name appears on one of the St Nicholas gravestones.

His father John was of Scottish ancestry and apprenticed as a draper with his uncle at 61 Roper Street (now LXVII Furniture Shop), moving to 37 King Street (former Woolworth site) in 1813, then to 51 King Street (now Curry’s) in 1835. By 1851 John employed 12 men and four apprentices.

Sometime between 1835 and 1841 he had Kelswick House built, designed by the architect Mr Bosward (who also designed the Trustee Savings Bank on lowther Street). He retired in 1856, when the business was handed over to Messrs Fisher & Coulthard. For two periods, 1850–1853 and 1859– 1870, he was also one of the 14 elected Town & Harbour Trustees. Lord Lowther was one of the others, who appointed six more.

He was also a director of the Bank of Whitehaven (established in February 1837), and a governor of the Whitehaven Infirmary and was a member of the Burial Board from its establishment until 1875, so was instrumental in the creation of the new cemetery.

He was also a magistrate and, politically, a Liberal. Originally his religion was Presbyterian (at the Low Meeting house in the Market Place), but when that church split he moved to St Nicholas Church, where he was a vestryman for many years. On top of all that he was also an original shareholder of the Whitehaven Theatre from 1843.

John had been a member of the Whitehaven Volunteers who used to drill at Brimstone Hill, High Street.

He had gone on a three- week trip to London five weeks before his death, taking ill on his journey home. He stopped off at Bishopthorpe, official residence of the Archbishops of York, two weeks before his death.