Isaac Thompson was born in about 1772 to a non-conformist family in Sedgley, Staffordshire. He went into business as a Japanner and owned a Japan Factory in Oxford Street in Bilston. Records of some of his property dealings are available in the Wolverhampton Archives (Ref DX-510 from 1807-1828). His father Richard Thompson came from a line of Locksmiths in Sedgley and it is probably he who first ventured into this specialism of the metal trade.
The art of Japanning had first become fashionable in the court of George III in the 1780’s and Wolverhampton and Bilston in particular became the centre of the revived European industry. In 1818 a Trade Directory listed over 15 Japanning companies in Bilston alone.
Isaac married Sarah Astley on 25 April 1795 in St Peter’s Collegiate Church in Wolverhampton.
in 1818 he is mentionned as the executor of his wealthy uncle, Isaac Whitehouse‘s will. His mother was Elizabeth Whitehouse and indeed he called one of his daughters Elizabeth Whitehouse Thompson.
In 1827 Isaac went bankrupt. In the bankruptcy hearing held on 19 Feb 1827 in Shifnal he is described as Isaac Thompson of Bilston, Japanner, Dealer and Chapman. Records (including a sale poster of 1827) show that the premises in Oxford Street had to be sold, presumably to pay off debts. His sons Joshua and Titus also apparently were engaged for periods in Japanning at least until 1837. His nephew also Isaac was able to continue in the Japanning trade until the 1870’s.
Isaac Thompson died in 1838
His son John Thompson was the most successful and long lived of his children and set up a partnership with Edward Bagnall Dimmack as an Iron Founder in Bilston. His daughter Anne Thompson married Edward Bagnall Dimmack in 1830.
Family of Isaac THOMPSON and Sarah ASTLEY
| Husband: | Isaac THOMPSON (1772-1838) |
| Wife: | Sarah ASTLEY (bap.1772, d.1844) |
| Children: | Joshua THOMPSON (1796-1849) |
| Titus THOMPSON (bap.1799, d.1845) |
| Anne THOMPSON (1801-1881) |
| Isaac THOMPSON (b.1803, bur.1828) |
| John THOMPSON (1804-1875) |
| Richard THOMPSON (bap.1806) |
| Elizabeth Whitehouse THOMPSON (1809-1883) |
| James THOMPSON (bap.1811) |
| Marriage | 25 Apr 1795 | St Peters Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton |
Husband: Isaac THOMPSON
| Name: | Isaac THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Male |
| Father: | Richard THOMPSON (bap.1742, d.bef1787) |
| Mother: | Elizabeth WHITEHOUSE (bap.1746, d.bef1818) |
| Birth | 1772 | |
| Occupation | | Japanner |
| Death | 10 Sep 1838 (age 65-66) | Oxford Street, Bilston, Staffordshire |
Wife: Sarah ASTLEY
| Name: | Sarah ASTLEY |
| Sex: | Female |
| Father: | John ASTLEY (c. 1745- ) |
| Mother: | Esther MASON (1748- ) |
| Birth | | |
| Baptism | 11 Oct 1772 | Sedgley |
| Death | 24 Dec 1844 | Oxford Street, Bilston |
Child 1: Joshua THOMPSON
| Name: | Joshua THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Male |
| Spouse: | Ann TIBBATS (1798-1879) |
| Birth | 13 Feb 1796 | Sedgley |
| Baptism | 17 Apr 1796 (age 0) | Sedgley |
| Occupation | | Inn Keeper (Green Dragon) |
| Death | 22 Dec 1849 (age 53) | Bilston, Staffordshire |
Child 2: Titus THOMPSON
| Name: | Titus THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Male |
| Spouse: | Maria TOMKYS (1798-1877) |
| Birth | | |
| Baptism | 4 Aug 1799 | Sedgley |
| Occupation | | Wine and Spirit Dealer |
| Death | 9 Jun 1845 | Wolverhampton |
Child 3: Anne THOMPSON
| Name: | Anne THOMPSON1 |
| Sex: | Female |
| Spouse: | Edward Bagnall DIMMACK (1808-1875) |
| Birth | 23 Feb 1801 | Bilston, Staffordshire |
| Baptism | 23 Feb 1803 (age 2) | Temple Street Chapel |
| Census | 1851 (age 49-50) | |
| 1851 Census shows niece called Caroline Thompson staying with Dimmacks |
| Residence | Apr 1881 (age 80) | Birches, Codsall with Henry J Marten, Son in law, aged 80 |
| Death | Q4 1881 (age 80) | Codsall |
Child 4: Isaac THOMPSON
| Name: | Isaac THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Male |
| Birth | 26 Jan 1803 | Bilston, Staffordshire |
| Baptism | 23 Feb 1803 (age 0) | Temple St Chapel, Wolverhampton |
| Burial | 10 Aug 1828 | St Leonard’s Bilston |
Child 5: John THOMPSON
| Name: | John THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Male |
| Spouse 1: | Jane NICHOLSON ( – ) |
| Spouse 2: | Anne MILLER (1809-1861) |
| Birth | 1 Nov 1804 | Bilston, Staffordshire |
| Baptism | 17 Dec 1804 (age 0) | Temple St Chapel, Wolverhampton |
| Occupation | 1851 (age 46-47) | Iron Master; Barnhurst, Tettenhall, Staffordshire |
| Death | 25 Jun 1875 (age 70) | Great Malvern, Worcestershire |
Child 6: Richard THOMPSON
| Name: | Richard THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Male |
| Birth | | |
| Baptism | 26 Dec 1806 | Sedgley |
| Death | | |
Child 7: Elizabeth Whitehouse THOMPSON
| Name: | Elizabeth Whitehouse THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Female |
| Birth | 20 Jan 1809 | Bilston, Staffordshire |
| Baptism | 13 Mar 1809 (age 0) | Bilston, Staffordshire |
| Occupation | | School Mistress |
| Death | 28 Mar 1883 (age 74) | Bilston, Staffordshire |
Child 8: James THOMPSON
| Name: | James THOMPSON |
| Sex: | Male |
| Baptism | 30 Jan 1811 | Bilston, Staffordshire |
Note on Marriage
WItnesses Joseph Evans and Joseph Meready
Sources
| 1 | “1851 Census shows niece called Caroline Thompson staying with Dimmacks”. 1851 Census shows niece called Caroline Thompson staying with Dimmacks. Also John Thompson from Manchester is recorded as a co partner of EB Dimmack |