John Pennington Thomasson
Encyclopedia
John Pennington Thomasson (19 May 1841, Bolton
– 16 May 1904, Heaton, Greater Manchester
) was an English
cotton spinner and Liberal Party
politician. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bolton
at the 1880 general election
along with John Kynaston Cross
in the double member constituency, signifying a great victory as two liberals were elected for the first time since 1852. He served for 5 years, when he lost his seat owing to the Home Rule
split. He became a Liberal Unionist, although he returned to the Liberal fold eventually.
and Maria Pennington, he was born into a well known family of Bolton
Quakers. In about 1862,he entered the cotton spinning firm founded by his grandfather at Mill Hill, in the Haulgh, Bolton, where he helped run the business of four cotton mills, with great success until 1871, when the partnership was dissolved and he continued with No. 3 mill under the old name of John Thomasson and Son.
In 1867 he married Katharine Lucas, a niece of John Bright
. They lived at Alderly Edge, Cheshire
, and had three children, Lucas (1868), Beatrice (1870) and Franklin Thomasson
(1873).
He was, like his father, an advanced Liberal. In 1873 he was invited to contest the Bolton constituency, but declined.
He followed his father in many public benefactions. By 1876 he had given 100 scholarships to the value of £25 each for three years. In 1881 he financed the building of the Haulgh Board School, gave £1,000 towards the founding of the Chadwick Museum, and built the Folds Road gymnasium. In all it is calculated that he gave over £30,000 to the cause of education in the borough. In 1890 he gave Mere Hall, formerly the residence of Sir Benjamin Dobson, to the town as a public park, together with £5,000 towards alterations. This became the original Bolton Art Gallery.
As a memorial of his work and in recognition of his services to the borough, the Thomasson Memorial School was erected on Devonshire Road.The school, for blind and deaf children was approved in February 1907.
He was made a freeman of the borough in 1902. He died at Heaton, Greater Manchester
on 16 May 1904 aged 62.
He was a Unitarian
, and a keen supporter of Bank Street Chapel, and his enlightened outlook is proved by the fact that he was an early supporter of the Women's suffrage
movement.
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
– 16 May 1904, Heaton, Greater Manchester
Heaton, Greater Manchester
Heaton is a mostly residential district and council ward of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It lies about two miles north west of Bolton town centre...
) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cotton spinner and Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Bolton
Bolton (UK Parliament constituency)
Bolton was a borough constituency centred on the town of Bolton in the county of Lancashire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system....
at the 1880 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
along with John Kynaston Cross
John Kynaston Cross
John Kynaston Cross , was a British cotton spinner and Liberal Party politician.-Background:Cross was the second of the thirteen children of John Cross and his wife Hannah, daughter of Richard Kynaston...
in the double member constituency, signifying a great victory as two liberals were elected for the first time since 1852. He served for 5 years, when he lost his seat owing to the Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
split. He became a Liberal Unionist, although he returned to the Liberal fold eventually.
Biography
Born on 19 May 1841, third child of Thomas ThomassonThomas Thomasson
Thomas Thomasson was a political economist and a campaigner for the repeal of the Corn Laws who was one of Bolton's greatest benefactors....
and Maria Pennington, he was born into a well known family of Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
Quakers. In about 1862,he entered the cotton spinning firm founded by his grandfather at Mill Hill, in the Haulgh, Bolton, where he helped run the business of four cotton mills, with great success until 1871, when the partnership was dissolved and he continued with No. 3 mill under the old name of John Thomasson and Son.
In 1867 he married Katharine Lucas, a niece of John Bright
John Bright
John Bright , Quaker, was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League. He was one of the greatest orators of his generation, and a strong critic of British foreign policy...
. They lived at Alderly Edge, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, and had three children, Lucas (1868), Beatrice (1870) and Franklin Thomasson
Franklin Thomasson
Descended from a well known family of cotton spinners from Bolton, Lancashire, Franklin Thomasson was born on 16 August 1873 at Alderley Edge, Cheshire, the 3rd child of John Pennington Thomasson, who was a benefactor and MP for Bolton. He married Elizabeth, a daughter of the late Caleb Coffin of...
(1873).
He was, like his father, an advanced Liberal. In 1873 he was invited to contest the Bolton constituency, but declined.
He followed his father in many public benefactions. By 1876 he had given 100 scholarships to the value of £25 each for three years. In 1881 he financed the building of the Haulgh Board School, gave £1,000 towards the founding of the Chadwick Museum, and built the Folds Road gymnasium. In all it is calculated that he gave over £30,000 to the cause of education in the borough. In 1890 he gave Mere Hall, formerly the residence of Sir Benjamin Dobson, to the town as a public park, together with £5,000 towards alterations. This became the original Bolton Art Gallery.
As a memorial of his work and in recognition of his services to the borough, the Thomasson Memorial School was erected on Devonshire Road.The school, for blind and deaf children was approved in February 1907.
He was made a freeman of the borough in 1902. He died at Heaton, Greater Manchester
Heaton, Greater Manchester
Heaton is a mostly residential district and council ward of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It lies about two miles north west of Bolton town centre...
on 16 May 1904 aged 62.
He was a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
, and a keen supporter of Bank Street Chapel, and his enlightened outlook is proved by the fact that he was an early supporter of the Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
movement.