Mr Thomas Henry Ismay

Thomas Henry Ismay was born on 7 January 1837 at Ropery House, Ellenborough, Maryport, Cumberland, the eldest son of shipbuilder Joseph Ismay.

At the age of 16 he took up an apprenticeship with Liverpoool shipbrokers Imrie & Tomlinson. When the apprenticeship ended he travelled to South America. Returning to Liverpool he began a business trading to Australia and in 1867 acquired the defunct White Star Line which had run clippers from Australia to Great Britain. In collaboration with William Imrie he founded the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company initially trading on the Australian run but then, from 1871 to the United States.

Ismay developed a unique partnership with shipbuilders Harland and Wolff in Belfast. All White Star Line vessels would be built at Harland and Wollf.

Ismay married Margaret Bruce in 1859 , together they had three sons and four daughters

Ismay retired from the firm of Ismay Imrie and Co in 1892 but retained the chairmanship of the White Star Line, active control of the firm passed to his son Joseph Bruce Ismay.

Thomas Henry Ismay died at Dawpool near Birkenhead on 23 November 1899 and was buried in the Thurstanton Churchyard.

References and Sources
The Times, 24 November 1899, Obituary
Whos Who, 1899
Whitaker's Almanac, 1901
Sidney Lee ed. (1901) The Dictionary of National Biography, Supplement Vol. 3

Related Articles and Documents

		THOMAS H. ISMAY
	Dictionary of National Biography (1901)	ISMAY, THOMAS HENRY
		ST BART'S CHURCH IN DAWPOOL (THURSTASTON)
	The Times  (1888)	LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES COMMITTEE, 1888
	New York Times  (1889)	AN UNPLEASANT INCIDENT
	The London Gazette  (1892)	LEGAL NOTICE OF THE RETIREMENT OF THOMAS ISMAY
	The Times  (1896)	T. ISMAY CONTRIBUTES TO PIRRIE HOSPITAL FUND
	The Times  (1899)	THOMAS ISMAY HONORED BY CITY OF BELFAST
	New York Times  (1899)	THOMAS HENRY ISMAY DEAD
	The Times  (1899)	DEATH OF MR. T. H. ISMAY
	New York Times  (1899)	THOMAS HENRY ISMAY [LETTER TO THE EDITOR]
	The Times  (1899)	FUNERAL OF MR. ISMAY
	New York Times  (1900)	THOMAS H. ISMAY LEFT £1,297,881
	The Times  (1900)	THE LATE MR. ISMAY'S WILL
	The Times  (1907)	OBITUARY: MARGARET ISMAY
	New York Times  (1907)	[OBITUARY OF MARGARET ISMAY]
	New York Times  (1912)	JOSEPH BRUCE ISMAY
	New York Times  (1912)	SEALBY DEFENDS ISMAY
	The Times  (1919)	£25,000 FOR BRITISH MERCHANTMEN
	The Times  (1924)	OBITUARY---MR. C. BOWER ISMAY
	New York Times  (1924)	CAPT. BOWER ISMAY DIES
	The Times  (1930)	OBITUARY---MR. J. H. ISMAY
	Voyage  (2004)	ROYAL STANDARD
	Titanic Research  (2011)	HARLAND & WOLFF AND THE PARTITION OF ULSTER