Thompsons in Middlesborough

[warpedtime]

Hello, I'm researching my grandfather's family who came from Middlesborough, Yorkshire. My grandfather immigrated alone to Fremantle, Western Australia in 1928 on the s.s. Ballarat. I believe he was part of the Empire settlement scheme to Australia at that time. He pretty much left his past behind him, as did his children, (even more so!), so piecing together where he came from has been challenging.

His father was Ralph Thompson, who was born in Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, Durham, about 1859 and moved as a child with his family to Middlesborough. His father, John Thompson was an Enginewright and died when Ralph was 12. He lived with his widowed mother Margaret (nee: Tomkinson) (or vice versa?) until her death before 1901.

They lived at 63 Wood Street, Middlesborough

Ralph married Elizabeth Ann Gray, born 8 Jun 1870 in Stockton, Durham at the registry office in Middlesborough on 25 Nov 1895. Elizabeth already had an illegitimate child born 29 Nov 1894. I have no idea if Ralph was the father, however Maud was part of the family along with the the following children, all born in Middlesborough:

Annie Lilian Victoria Thompson (b. abt Mar 1898)
John William Thompson (b. abt Sep 1899)
Ethel Thompson (b. Sep 1904)
Robert (b 8 Dec 1905) (My grandfather)
Charles Bloomfield Thompson (b. Sep 1909 d. Mar 1910)
Elsie Thompson (b. abt 1914)

I believe John William Thompson was killed in France in 1917.

Ralph Thompson was an Engine Driver and a Dockyard crane operator.
He was still alive at by 1914, but deceased by the time of my Grandfather's marriage in Western Australia, 1933.
According to a descendent of his wife's first daughter, Maude, her family tradition is that he died in an industrial accident on the docks.

I would very much like to know what did happen to Ralph as I have been able to find no record of his passing. I would also like to learn more about what happened to the rest of the family- are there any other relatives out there?

This is my first posing to this board, so my apologies if I've placed this request in the wrong place.
kindest regards,
Alan Thompson

[sillgen]

Hi and welcome to rootschat
If Ralph died in an industrial accident there may be a report in the local paper but without a date it will be a long search.
It might be worth trying to find John William Thompson on www.cwgc.org as that may give his next of kin and indicate if Ralph is alive then.   Just trying to narrow it down.   A will might be useful too.
People often moved to the other side of the Tees so do include Durham in your search too.
Regards
Andrea

[warpedtime]

Hi Andrea,
Thank you for the welcome. I have had a look at the war graves site and I have located a possibility for J W Thompson. However he would only have been 18 when he died, so I would guess that his enrollment might not be entirely accurate, even if I could trace it, which I haven't been able to yet.

Name: John W. Thompson
Birth Place: Middlesbrough, Yorks
Death Date: 24 Nov 1917
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Middlesbrough
Rank: Private Regiment: Highland Light Infantry
Battalion: 14th (Service) Battalion
Number: 29463
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
Comments: Formerly 23627, Yorks Regt.

Name: THOMPSON, JOHN W.
Initials: J W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry
Unit Text: 14th Bn.
Date of Death: 24/11/1917
Service No: 29463
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 10.
Memorial: CAMBRAI MEMORIAL, LOUVERVAL

What would be name of the local papers in the Middlesborough area between 1916-1932?
The next question would be: are any of them on line?
Thanks,
Alan

[sillgen]

The Middlesbrough Gazette springs to mind but there may have been others then.   They are very good at printing queries about ancestors too so it might be worth contacting them.
Andrea

[Whipby]

Hi - have you seen this death from FreeBMD?  I know you said he was still alive in 1914, but the age of this man would fit for your Ralph:

Deaths Sep 1912 
THOMPSON  Ralph  Age 53  Middlesbro  Vol 9d   Page 650

This death is also on the Tees Valley Indexes site:
http://www.middlesbrough-indexes.co.uk/search.php

Perhaps the child born in 1914 was not his child?  Do you have the cert?

The Gazette has a supplement called Remember When which often publishes requests from people looking for descendents of their ancestors.  Have a look at the website at http://rememberwhen.gazettelive.co.uk/ - there's an option there to contact the editor of Remember When.

The Evening Gazette's website itself is: http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/

Hope this helps, and  good luck!

[warpedtime]

Hi Whipby,

Yes, I have seen this now, and I really do have to wonder! Another possibility is a death nearby in Hartlepool in 1920.

I really am going to have to purchase some certificates to find out. Unfortunately there was a complete break between my Grandfather (Ralph's son) and his family in England, and this might go some way to explaining it. My grandfather was a man I only later on found out was badly damaged by his experiences in the second world war, and I never really got to know him.

Its good to understand a bit more about his past however sad that was.

thanks for the links.

[macintosh]

Before you purchase piles of certificates from Tees Valley Indexes on line, there is an option to ask a question to see if it may be the cert you are looking for. e.g
Is Ralph Thompson's mother called ?? or his his wife's maiden name ? they will answer back in the affirmative or negative but not in detail - it could save you some dosh.

James

[warpedtime]

Hi All,
An update on my search, I am now in possession of my Great-Grandfather's death certificate, issued 11 September 1912:—

Cause of Death:
Injuries accidentally received through being crushed by a slingful of angle cases in the hold of a steamer through the breaking of a crane chain.

Certificate received from Oswald H Cochrane, Coroner for the County Borough of Middlesbrough. Inquest held Tenth September 1912.

It is indisputably him! Oww!

A big thank you to Whipby and Glen Field for putting me on the right track.

On the matter of of his son, John William Thompson, I have since seen the actual image of the 1911 census rather than a transcription of it and it lead me to the realisation he died in 1911 at the age of two, possibly days before the census took place. Still a tragic story, but rather a different different one to the one I had told to myself.

So a number of questions answered but new interesting ones emerge...

For example, just how did he manage to father a child, Elsie Thompson b. 28 Apr 1914, Middlesbrough, close on two years after he had passed away?...  Talented lot us Thompsons!

 

Thanks again to everybody,

Alan Thompson

[Whipby]

My lot are also just as talented, with several ancestors born years after the death of the "father"! 

Glad to have been of help, Alan, and so pleased you found the information you needed.  Do you think his death and report of the inquest may have been in the local newspaper?  The Evening Gazette, as it is now, was founded in the 1850s and archived copies are held on microfilm at M'bro Central Library (the reference section).  It may be worth emailing them, they may be prepared to look it up for you as you have a specific date.  Here's their link: http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ccm/content/leisure-and-culture/libraries/1your-libraries/central-library.en

You never know ...