Lancashire Lantern
Lancashire Lantern: Lancashire Pioneers
Part of the Lancashire Lantern network, the Pioneers gives details of people who were famous local people in science, technology and innovation. These pioneers were either born in Lancashire or their endeavours made a significant contribution to the development of the County.
James Thomson - Biography
James Thomson was born in Blackburn in 1779, the son of a liquor merchant.
At the early age of 15 Thomson pursued his studies at Glasgow University. On leaving here he went to London to work for a member of the Peel family, befriending men like Humphrey Davy, inventor of the miners safety lamp.
Moving north he then spent a short time as a chemist at the works of Messrs Peel of Accrington. During this time he married Cecilia Starkie the eldest daughter of the vicar of Blackburn.
Thomson established Primrose print works in 1811 with partners John Chippendale and James Burton.
The Primrose Print works soon became established and so profitable that after a few short years Thomson was able to purchase the estate on which the works stood for £28,000. The secret to the success of the works was Thomson's devotion to the scientific improvement of the printing process.
He took out several patents for his work with the application of colours and improvements to the process of printing cloth.
At the height of its success the works employed around 500 printers alone, besides those employed as engravers and block cutters, as many as 900 in total.
Some of the surrounding housing was built for the employees. Thomson employed the best engravers for cutting patterns and the most skilful chemists in his laboratories, one being Dr Lyon Playfair, (see also John Mercer) who came to Clitheroe from Germany and later sat in parliament as member for Scottish Universities.
Most of the cloth produced at the mill was for the luxury end of the market and this in the end, combined with a lack of capital was the downfall of the business, as other firms were producing cheaper fabric in larger quantities. Also fashions changed and the market decreased.
The image shows Primrose House - the home of James Thomson, situated behind the mill.
James Thomson died in 1850 following a serious illness, probably a stroke. Although his sons took over, the business failed dramatically in 1854 with debts of £120,000. Many local businesses also failed as a result and many families suffered severe hardship. The family eventually moved away and no longer have any connections with the area.
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