Thomas Longridge
Thomas Longridge (c.1751-1803), variously described as a merchant of Sunderland, an ironmaster of Newcastle, or of Gateshead
1751 Born
1770s Thomas Longridge formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, William Hawks, which became William Hawks (Snr) and Co. They acquired a plating forge at Beamish in 1779, additional smithing shops at Ouseburn in 1780, a forge at Lumley (Lumley Forge?) in the mid-80s, and slitting and rolling mills on the River Blyth in the 1790s [1].
1782 The brothers-in-law took over the Bedlington Ironworks on the River Blyth.
1792 Hawks and Longridge built a rolling mill at Bedlington
1801 Thomas Longridge, merchant, Westgate St, Newcastle-upon-Tyne [2]
1803 Thomas died
1805 Thomas's daughter, Anna, married John Gooch of Bedlington; their oldest son continued the Longridge name, Thomas Longridge Gooch; another son was Daniel Gooch (1816-1889).
1809 Hawks sold the Bedlington Works to Gordon and Biddulph from London, who appointed Thomas' nephew, Michael Longridge, to run it.