Thomas Lomas and the Bristol Channel Chemical Works

Thomas Lomas was born in 1828 in Salford, Lancashire. Son of James and Ann Lomas. In 1841 James’s Occupation down as ‘maker up’ and Thomas is a tailor. By 1851 Ann was a widow and was a provisions shopkeeper. Thomas junior was still a Tailor.Thomas married Jane Mease 3qt.1860 in Tynemouth Northumberland. Jane was the daughter of Soloman Mease who was a Chemist in 1841 and in 1851 is a magistrate and alderman as well as a chemist shop owner.Her mother was Mary Ann Mease. In 1861 they were living in Cleveland house Tynemouth. He is the Mayor as well as Alderman, magistrate, ?(doesn’t look like chemicals) manufacturer employing 120 men, plus a ship owner employing 50 men at sea. His wifes name is now Mary Drydon Mease. In 1871 he is now listed as a chemical manufacturer employing 250 men.
Thomas and Jane were living at Lake House Westoe, South Shields in 1861 where Thomas is listed as a chemical manufacturer! In brackets it says ‘Soda works in course of erection – 18 hands at present employed’.
I haven’t found Thomas in 1871 but did find his wife in Westbury on Trym in 1871. He came to Minehead in 1875 and built the chemical works at Culvercliffe Minehead which opened in 1877. He also started to build a house up in the woods behind the works but it was abondoned due to problems getting water to it aparently. Parts of it are still there, pictures below. The path going up to it from the end of culvercliffe is called Lomas’s path.

In 1881 Thomas and family are in Christchurch Bournemouth with sons, John 18 born in Durham, and Harold 8 who was born in Bristol in 1873. He also built Clevelands in 1877, a large brick and timber house, near the Parish church,Minehead, with architects Foster & Wood of Bristol. He was living there in the 1891 census. On October 29th 1887 the chemical works was destroyed by fire according to Astells chronology but the contents were auctioned on July 15th 1886.
Jane died in Salford Manchester in 1897 aged 64. In 1901 Thomas is living alone in Selbourne Villas Minehead and in 1911 he is living with his son Harold, who was a photographer in Minehead and became an early pioneer of the british cinema. His other son, John Arthur Mease Lomas is an artist living in Waldolf Chambers, Aldwych, London in 1911, with his wife Mary Christine who was also an artist and enameller. She was also an art critic. Both Harold and John are married but have no children.
John did some wonderful paintings of the Porlock area. He died in 1950 in Timberscombe aged 87. His wife died in 1938.

The picture below, taken in 1901, shows the site of the chemical works and the gas works