George Thomson (25 March 1815 – 29 June 1866) was a Scottish marine engineer and shipbuilder, born at

Partick Partick ( sco, Pairtick, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and to t ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. He served his apprenticeship with a Mr. Graham in Partick before entering the works of Mr. Robert Napier, where he quickly gained the best knowledge in

marine engineering Marine engineering is the engineering of boats, ships, submarines, and any other marine vessel. Here it is also taken to include the engineering of other ocean systems and structures – referred to in certain academic and professional circl ...

available. He then went into business with his brother James and the firm of James & George Thomson was born. They started with engine building then expanded into shipbuilding in 1851. They produced over forty steamers including the ''Russia'', one of the top ships crossing the Atlantic. They then moved to

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...

and later to a new works at

Clydebank Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Bowling and Milton, West Dunbartonshire, Mil ...

, increasing staff from 1,500 to over 4,000 at the new works. After James' early retirement and the sudden death of George, the new works were managed by the sons of George (also called James & George). In 1899, Sheffield steel manufacturer John Brown & Co. took over the

shipyard founded by James and George Thomson.

External links

from ''Memoirs and portraits of one hundred Glasgow men'' (1886) 1815 births 1866 deaths People of the Industrial Revolution Businesspeople from Glasgow Scottish shipbuilders 19th-century Scottish businesspeople {{Scotland-business-bio-stub