Biography

John Tomkinson, born 1787, was a stonemason by training. But he turned into a pretty fair contractor too.

From 1816, when he is first known to have moved to Liverpool, he began over 30 years of incredible industry to become the most trusted contractor in Liverpool, creating many of the landmarks we still see today.

He both rose and fell, as you will see.

Quote from parliamentary paper of 1833:

Without offending your modesty, are you not reckoned a very excellent workman in Liverpool?
I do not know that; I study to give satisfaction to all the public bodies by whom I am employed.

It seems that his grandfather (William c1720-1780) was from a family of Tomkinsons in Staffordshire. He married Mary daughter of Sir Harry Conway,Bart., of Flintshire. They had but one son, Charles (1745-1811) who married Hannah Shakerley of Shakerley, Cheshire. They had two sons, William b1776 and John b1787 and other offspring. John was born in Gwersyllt Hall Denbighshire. Presumably this belonged to his father in law who is referred to as being of “Shakerley and Gwersyllt”.
His father was not provident and "being fond of field sports and other amusements the family became greatly reduced in circumstances. The education of the young people was much neglected etc. etc."
When he was a young boy he was sent with an officer, his father’s friend, into Bedfordshire where he had a narrow escape from being murdered by some gypsies but was saved by his blind pony!
Charles later moved to Liverpool and John was apprenticed to a stonemason, Mr Grindrod of Liverpool. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked all over the country including a spell on Government work in the Channel Islands. During this time he had to evade the press gangs.
He returned to Liverpool and was made foreman to the firm of Hetherington and Grindrod. At about 30 he married Betty who was the widow of Timothy Grindrod- who died shortly after being found to have defrauded the Dock Committee in the matter of stone supplies. John then went on his own in 1816 from no.16 Kent Street.
During his career he sorted out the quarries used to supply stone for the Houses of Parliament, which thereafter never failed to produce sufficient stone to keep the job going, although he did comment that the stone was not sufficiently durable- which of course is totally correct.
He continued with some 500 to 700 men employed between 1823 and 1833 (see parliamentary minutes).
He was a Non-conformist and was a deacon at St Georges Church (The Black_e- which he built) under the great Dr. Thomas Raffles.
In 1833 he was called to speak to a HoC investigation into an alleged bribery scandal in Liverpool elections
In 1834/5 he erected Bethesda chapel Runcorn at his own expense (£5000 then, £500,000 today)
One job (unknown) was tendered for with wages at 3 shillings a day but before it was finished they had risen to 4s 6p so a 50% increase. He lost £16,000 (£1.6 million today) on that.
Also lost heavily on the Birkenhead Docks and made worse by taking shares in the Company in lieu of payment.

His property was rendered worthless and it took him the rest of his life to pay off his bankruptcy.
During his life he had many near misses and some accidents, being crippled in 1855
He died in 1865 and left around £7,000 (£700,000) including his quarries. He left this to those who had supported him since 1848, his wife having pre-deceased him.