John Sen Inches Thomson

John Sen Inches Thomson (1844–1933), was a Scottish whaler and sealer, ship owner, captain, inventor and author. In 1877, Inches Thomson and his crew were sailing on Bencleugh when she shipwrecked during a terrific gale off Macquarie Island, Tasmania, Australia. After four months on the island the crew was rescued by Bencleugh's sister ship, Friendship. In 1912, Inches Thomson released a book detailing the highlights of his sea voyages, including his time as a castaway.

Shipwreck John Sen Inches Thomson and his brother, Andrew operated under "Thomson Brothers" as ship chandlers and managed sealing and whaling ships in the waters surrounding Australia and New Zealand. They were part owners of the sailing ships Parisian, Superb and Othello and fully owned the Redcliffe, Bencleugh, Friendship, S.S. Peninsula and S.S. Jane. Bencleugh was a 66-ton wooden schooner built at Port Chalmers, New Zealand in 1872 by Sutherland & Co., and registered in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. They originally sailed beyond Macquarie Island looking for Emerald Island. a large wave overtook Bencleugh and pushed it into the breakers. Whalley was buried on the island. The Friendship had left Port Chalmers shortly after Bencleugh. The book was reprinted under the same title by gt gt niece, Rosy Fenwicke, in 2023 by Wonderful World publishers.

Personal life

Born John Thomson in 1844 in Alloa, Clackmannan, Scotland, His father was shipowner, Watson Thomson, whose first cousins Alexander and William founded The Ben Line. Several responses to 11 - 14 year old John's letters are reproduced in the 1850s letter collection, Sailing Upside Down Under by Blair Thomson in 2023.

In 1862 aboard the Nelson, John (17) emigrated to New Zealand to join his brother Andrew in business. They set up the ship chandlery and ironmonger business, "Thomson Bros" which operated until the early-1890s. John was for many years responsible for the company's fleet of 21 'lighter' boats. The business set up the gas works for street lighting in Port Chalmers. Another innovation was establishing the second freezing works in Otago. When the partnership was dissolved in mid 1884, John moved to Melbourne where he patented the 'black box' forerunner, a maritime device for recording the course of a vessel and an improved pneumatic butter churn which sold well.

John added 'Inches' to his surname after his 1896 marriage to Margaret Anne Inches. Margaret, or Maggie as she was known, was the only child of Charles Hood Inches of Hope Park, Blairgowrie, in Perthshire. The couple lived in this home and at 36 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh. It is believed the John's name addition (Inches) was intended to honour his wife's family. Margaret and her father were members of the Smalls of Dirnanean. The couple had no children. Hope Park - family home of Margaret Inches where she and John lived.

Margaret Inches Thomson died in 1919 and is buried in the Inches family plot in Blairgowrie Cemetery. After his wife's death, Inches Thomson removed to New Zealand where his late brother Andrew's family and his cousin, Captain William Thomson of Alloa, lived. He died there at Dunedin on 20 March 1933. A full collection of newspaper articles on John, his brother Andrew and the businesses of Thomson Bros, Port Chalmers has been published in 2024.