Thompson Family

[ResearchJu]

(This is my photo)  This is a long shot but this is a photo of my Second Great Grandfather, Robert Henry Thompson, born 1857 died 1934 (3rd from the left). He was illegitimate but his Mum went on to marry and have 6 further sons. I'm thinking this might be Robert and his brothers (but one did die as a baby which would make only 5 brothers) but alternatively he was a Freemason so could have been on a trip with them. I'm trying to work out the date of the photo and whereabouts the photo was taken - maybe on a pier or a boat?  Robert was born in East Peckham, Kent but at this stage was living in Leyton. We've ruled out that it was taken in Southend as the background isn't right.  Several of the family came from Malling and Maidstone so it could have been taken there or in Wimborne, Dorset or somewhere in Sussex where other members of the family lived.  Robert's youngest half sibling was 25 years younger than him so that could mean the chap on the far right is the youngest brother.  Thank you in advance

[jim1]

Well you seem to have slipped down the board a bit.
I can tell you this was taken around 1908-12 the younger man's 2 1/2"
starched collar is a bit of a giveaway.
This would make him around mid to late 20's when this was taken (if it's the younger brother) which
looks about right.

[Karen McDonald]

Hi,

It could be some sort of grockel boat - the white upright pole/pipe with a bit of wood at the top with a cable running through it looks way more like some kind of an awning than actual ship's tackle.

To be honest, I'm not sure how any town can be ruled out as the background - there is very little to see.  And even as a Sarfend girl, I couldn't rule out my hometown from that little bit of coastline.  (Or has the photo been cropped?)

I know nothing about Freemasons. If they were Freemasons on a jolly together, wouldn't they perhaps all have some sort of identifying item, such as a badge or a scarf or something? Or would they be incognito? 

Lovely photo, by the way. 

[ResearchJu]

Well you seem to have slipped down the board a bit.
I can tell you this was taken around 1908-12 the younger man's 2 1/2"
starched collar is a bit of a giveaway.
This would make him around mid to late 20's when this was taken (if it's the younger brother) which
looks about right.

Thank you for your message.  That would mean my 2nd Great Grandfather would have been around 55 in 1912 and I think he looks a bit older than that and his brother, Thomas, 31 as he was born in 1881.  Thomas could have been 31 but I think he looks a bit older too - I know people did seem to age quicker then.  But as you say the starched collar may be the real clue so you could be right.  I do have a photo of my 2nd Great Grandfather when he was 59 and he did have the white moustache then.  Thanks again for taking the time to reply.  Best wishes

[ResearchJu]

Hi,

It could be some sort of grockel boat - the white upright pole/pipe with a bit of wood at the top with a cable running through it looks way more like some kind of an awning than actual ship's tackle.

To be honest, I'm not sure how any town can be ruled out as the background - there is very little to see.  And even as a Sarfend girl, I couldn't rule out my hometown from that little bit of coastline.  (Or has the photo been cropped?)

I know nothing about Freemasons. If they were Freemasons on a jolly together, wouldn't they perhaps all have some sort of identifying item, such as a badge or a scarf or something? Or would they be incognito? 

Lovely photo, by the way. 

Thank you very much and someone else said it looked like a boat so I think you're right.  I put a photo on 'unidentified photos of the British Isles' as I thought the building to the right of the man in the bowler hat was a building in Southend in the 1920s.  I had the following reply - 'If this were Southend you would see buildings on the skyline. The building you point out is the Floral Hall built on the Cliff Gardens. It was on its own while in the OP there appears to be a line of buildings on a slightly lower level It also had a different shape'.  The photo is the full photo and has not been cropped. 

Looking back at photos of Southend in the 1920s there were no other houses along there so I think it was most probably taken in Kent but probably impossible to work out. 

Thank you!

[Karen McDonald]

Hi,

You have confused me a bit. 

What does the sentence "The building you point out is the Floral Hall built on the Cliff Gardens." mean? Did you show them a photo of (definitely) Southend for comparison?

The building which can be seen to the right of the dapper chappy in the middle looks - I would say - nothing at all like the Floral Hall/Happy Valley.
To the right of that there is a long row of low buildings.

If I had to stick my neck out, I would say it looks more like the cockle sheds at Leigh-on-Sea. But I could be completely wrong! 

[ResearchJu]

Hi,

You have confused me a bit. 

What does the sentence "The building you point out is the Floral Hall built on the Cliff Gardens." mean? Did you show them a photo of (definitely) Southend for comparison?

The building which can be seen to the right of the dapper chappy in the middle looks - I would say - nothing at all like the Floral Hall/Happy Valley.
To the right of that there is a long row of low buildings.

If I had to stick my neck out, I would say it looks more like the cockle sheds at Leigh-on-Sea. But I could be completely wrong! 

Sorry for the confusion.  Yes you're right he says it is not the Floral Hall which I thought it might be - https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-aerial-view-of-southend-on-sea-circa-1929-81613579.html this link takes you to a photo of a Southend Aerial shot taken in the 1920s which shows the Floral Hall with no houses to the right of it so we are ruling out that part of Southend.  I'll see if I can find a photo of the cockle sheds from that time to compare.  Thanks

[ResearchJu]

Update on this photo.  I now believe this is not actually a family photo but a photo taken at the Essex Annual Provincial Lodge of Grandmasons.  My Great Great Grandfather was a Freemason.  We believe it may have been taken in 1906 in Harwich where the annual event was that year.  The photo looks like it could have been taken on the pier at Harwich and an old aerial photo of the buildings between the 4th and 5th Man (from the left) seem to match up.  I know there were previous comments about it being between 1908-12 so I'm wondering whether it could have been as far back as 1906 and would have made my Great Great Grandfather 49 at the time.

The event was held at the Volunteer Drill Hall, Barrack Lane, Harwich in 1906. In an article in a newspaper it reads 'after dinner the toastlist was disposed of in 8 minutes and the guests were taken on the Fesex? for a trip up the Orwell (river) as far as Pin Mill - Felixstowe, Parkestone Quay and Harwich Harbour being afterwards visited. Tea was partaken of at Harwich and the visitors returned home by boat and rail ...'  - hence why we think there's a possibility it may be at Harwich.

The reason we think it could be Trinity pier as at Harwich have the white poles as the original photo see snap 1 there are buildings by the pier that fit the original photo numbered 1 and 2 in the 2nd snap and 3 points to where the pier is located and snap 3 show the same buildings between the 2 mens heads on the original photo and as a bonus there are terraced housing in the correct position as the original photo.

Any help in confirming would be much appreciated.