Thomas Henry Ismay was born on the 7th of January 1837 at Ropery House, Ellenborough, Maryport, Cumberland, the eldest son of shipbuilder and ship owner Joseph Ismay. Thomas's father Joseph was the town's first shipbroker when starting his own business as a shipbuilder and had a share in four ships trading with Maryport. When Thomas was twelve years old he was sent to Croft House (High School), Brampton, Cumberland, which was considered one of the best boarding schools in the North of England. During his free time here Thomas would carve model ships, rig them according to class, and sail them on a nearby tarn.
While Thomas was at school his father died and his great uncle, Isaac Middleton took a great interest in Thomas, it was Isaac who arranged for Thomas to be apprenticed with the shipbrokers Imrie Tomlinson in Liverpool, who he knew well as both he and Thomas's father had done business with them. At the age of sixteen he started his apprenticeship as arranged at 13 Rumfold Street, Liverpool. Upon completion of his apprenticeship Thomas decided to gain some experience sailing the seas and he travelled to South America, sailing round Cape Horn and visiting Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. It was said his motto was, then and always, "Be mindful". Returning to Liverpool he started a business of his own account and joined Philip Nelson, ship owner, also from Maryport. The business became known as the Nelson, Ismay and Company. The partnership did not last long as Philip was a retired sea Captain, set in his ways, and believed that the way ahead was with tried and trusted wooden ships. Thomas, on the other hand, believed that the way forward was with new ships made of iron. So, in 1862 after Nelson, Ismay and Co. closed, Thomas set up T.H. Ismay and Co. with offices at 10 Water Street, Liverpool. The business mainly consisted of running sailing ships to Central and South America.
In 1867 he acquired the House Flag of a bankrupt sailing ship company, the defunct White Star Line, which had run clippers from Australia to Great Britain and wished the line to have the largest and most luxurious ships at sea. He bought the White Star Line flag and goodwill together with their Australian wooden clippers, White Star & Blue Jacket, and other sailing vessels. By 1868 Messrs.Ismay had embarked upon a policy of larger ships. Two years later Thomas, in partnership with an old friend and fellow-apprentice, William Imrie, as Ismay, Imrie and Co., founded a new Trans-Atlantic company, the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, initially trading on the Australian run but then, from 1871 began running their steamers regularly between Liverpool and New York on the north Atlantic passenger trade.The White Star flag, the red swallowtail with the five-pointed star in the centre was to be seen flying above the funnels of the great iron steamers. They were backed by Gustavus Schwabe, a Liverpool merchant, on condition that all their ships would be ordered from shipbuilders Harland and Wolff in Belfast. All White Star Line vessels would now be built at Harland and Wolff. The first White Star steamer of the Atlantic fleet, the Oceanic, was launched on the 27th of August 1870, and made her first round voyage to New York and back, in March 1871 with Thomas on board. When he returned to Liverpool elated, the word was given to proceed as fast as possible with the building of additional steamers. In 1887 Thomas had offered to place the whole of the White steamship fleet, being the swiftest vessels afloat, at the disposal of the Government for service as cruisers or transports in the event of war. By 1902 the twenty-eight ships of the White Star Line represented a total tonnage of approx 226,000 tons.
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| The Oceanic |
On the 7th of April, 1859 Thomas had married Margaret, daughter of Luke Bruce, and they had 6 daughters, including two sets of twins, and 3 sons, one of whom Joseph Bruce, was to succeed his father as chairman of the White Star Line. Thomas retired from the firm of Ismay, Imrie and Co in 1892 but retained the chairmanship of the White Star Line, as active control of the firm passed to his son Joseph Bruce Ismay. Joseph Bruce Ismay became the head of the business and formed the International Mercantile Marine company in 1901, having been approached by American interests to form an international shipping company. He reluctantly became the head of IMM Company in 1904 but resigned his position in 1912, along with the chairmanship of the White Star line and was succeeded by H.A. Sanderson. Joseph Bruce held various other positions, such as chairman of the Asiatic Steam Navigation Company. He inaugurated the cadet ship, MERSEY, for training officers in the merchant navy, and also founded a fund to benefit widows of seamen, who had lost their lives afloat. To some extent, he never recovered from the bad press and resulting stigma, surrounding his survival of the sinking of his own ship, the TITANIC, in 1912.
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| The White Star Line Headquarters - Albion House |
Thomas Henry Ismay died on the 23rd of November 1899 of a heart attack following a serious illness at Dawpool Hall, near Thurstaston, on the banks of the river Dee in Cheshire. He was laid to rest in a quiet churchyard at Thurstaston, Wirral near his beloved home. On his death he left the great fortune of £1,297,887; this sum in 2014 terms would be equal to the sum £139,288,583.90. The White Star Line was very reflective of Great Britain's expansion of maritime commerce and owes its success mainly due to the business genius and thoroughness of one man, Thomas Henry Ismay who laid the foundation of its fame and enabled the White Star flag to extend its sway over the seas of the world. The rise and development of the White Star fleet are so closely interwoven as to be inseparable.
During his life Thomas made many charitable contributions. He never forgot the town where he was born and had loved so much. It was said that if any man turned up at the offices of the White Star Line who was from Thomas's hometown of Maryport, he would be guaranteed a job. In December 1876, although Thomas no longer owned property in Maryport he set up a fund for the old people of the town, £5 for coal and £20 for blankets, to be distributed annually at Christmas; the year after, he added a further £25 which was to be a shillings worth of groceries per person per week. This fund is still in existence today.
An interesting footnote is this church in Fox Street, at the top of Great Homer Street.
see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/08/a-liverpool-exemplar-dame-may-whitty.html
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