Sir Luke Thompson (18 July 1867 – 15 January 1941) was a British

coal merchant Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dead ...

and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician. Grave of Sir Luke and Lady Thompson

Early life

Thompson was born on Chester Road,

Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth is a former village and parish which now constitutes the west side of Sunderland City Centre, merging with the settlement as it expanded outwards in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is home to the Sunderland Minster church, which ...

, the son of John Thompson (1823–1883), a

, and his wife, Catherine (née Liddell, 1826–1915). After schooling, he became a ship's

draughtsman A draughtsman (British spelling) or draftsman (American spelling) may refer to: * An architectural drafter, who produced architectural drawings until the late 20th century * An artist who produces drawings that rival or surpass their other types ...

before entering into the coal trade.

Politics

In the general election of 1922, Thompson was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for the two-seat constituency of

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

, alongside

Walter Raine Sir Walter Raine (1874–1938) was Conservative MP for Sunderland, at the time a two-seat constituency.''Whitaker's Almanack'' 1923 to 1930 editionsF.W.S. Craig, ''British Parliamentary Election Results, 1918-1949'' The managing director of hi ...

. Both were defeated by the

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

politicians

Marion Phillips Marion Phillips (29 October 1881 – 23 January 1932) was a Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament in England. Early life and education Marion Philllips was born on 29 October 1881 in Melbourne, Australia. Her parents were Philli ...

and Alfred Smith in the general election of 1929, Thompson regained the seat in a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

in 1931, following Smith's death. He then held the seat alongside Phillips, briefly, and then with

Samuel Storey Samuel Storey (1841–1925) was a British politician born in County Durham. He became a Member of Parliament for Sunderland and the main founder of the ''Sunderland Echo'' newspaper. Early life Samuel Storey was born in Sherburn, near Durh ...

. Retaining the seat after the general election of 1931, he sat until the general election of 1935 when he retired. Thompson was knighted by

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

in 1934.

Death

Thompson was accidentally killed on 15 January 1941 in Sunderland, aged 73, according to Sir Cuthbert Headlam, Bart. after "trying to work a winch and

etting Etting (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Ettinge'') is a commune in the Moselle department of the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. The village belongs to the Pays de Bitche. See also * Communes of the Moselle department The ...

caught up in the machinery." He was buried in

Bishopwearmouth Cemetery Bishopwearmouth Cemetery is a cemetery in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It lies between Hylton Road and Chester Road ( A183 road). History Due to the cholera epidemic of 1831 and the subsequent overcrowding of churchyards, it was decided ...

with his wife's parents and siblings.

Family

On 19 October 1895, Thompson married Ann Trobe Potts (1869–1946) at Fawcett Street chapel, Sunderland.Marriage Index, England and Wales, 1895 December quarter, volume 10a, page 968 They had two daughters, Dorothy Trobe (1896–?) and Catherine (1900–?).

References

External links

* 1867 births 1941 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Knights Bachelor People from Sunderland Politicians from Tyne and Wear UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 Accidental deaths in England {{England-Conservative-UK-MP-1860s-stub