2. Thomas Sopwith Sr., Jacob, and Thomas Sopwith Jr.:
o The firm of Sopwith & Co., established in 1769 by Thomas Sopwith Sr., was one of the most significant in Newcastle.
o Thomas’s son, Jacob Sopwith, took over the business around 1800.
o Jacob and his younger brother, James, were both apprenticed to James Watson.
o Jacob completed his apprenticeship and joined the Newcastle Joiners’ Company in 1792, while James followed suit in 1801.
o The firm specialized in joinery, cabinet making, and chair making.
o Jacob likely subscribed to Sheraton’s Drawing Book in 1793.
o Jacob announced new premises at Pilgrim Street, facing All Saint’s Church.
o Jacob trained several apprentices, including Thomas Dickman, Robert Francis, Joseph Milburn, and Robert McAlister.
o Jacob was involved in furnishing Wynyard Park in County Durham for the Marquess of Londonderry.
o Jacob passed away in 1829, and the direction of the firm was taken over by his son, Thomas Sopwith Jr. (1803-1879).
3. Thomas Sopwith Jr.:
o Thomas was not only a cabinet maker but also a surveyor and engineer.
o He opened an office in the Royal Arcade during the 1830s, advertising “Furniture Manufactured from Original Designs” and his “Improved Travelling Cases.”
o Thomas’s cousin, John Sopwith, joined the firm as a partner in the mid-1830s.
o They acquired showrooms at the newly redeveloped center of Newcastle, on the corner of Market Street and Grey Street.
o The firm built a new cabinet factory on Sandyford Road around 1844.
o By 1850, the firm became Sopwith & Co., with showrooms further along Northumberland Street.