John Tweedy

c1850 Born at Ulgham

1871 Boarder at 3 Alliance Street, Hartlepool: John Tweedy (age 21 born Ulgham), Factory Draughtsman.

1874 July 12th. Baptism of his son George Frederick Tweedy at Monkwearmouth

1877 Patent. '1247. To John Tweedy, of Sunderland, in the county of Durham, Engineer, for the invention of "improvements in drilling machines."'

1879 Death of Mary, the wife of John Tweedy, late of Sunderland.

1881 Boarder at 100 Church Street, Longbenton: John Tweedy (age 31 born Ulgham), Civil Engineer Manager of Engine Works and Widower.

1882 Listed as Manager, Wigham, Richardson and Co when he joined the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

1886 January 12th. Married(2) at Tynemouth Congregational Church to Margaret Elizabeth (Lily), daughter of F. C. Marshall.

1891 Living at 4 Lyderham Terrace, St. Andrew, Newcastle: John Tweedy (age 40 born Ulgham), Shipbuilder. With his wife Margaret E. (age 28 born Newcastle). Three servants.

1901 Living at Kelso House, Jesmond: John Tweedy (age 50 born Ulgham), Director Shipbuilding Works. With his wife Margaret E. Tweedy (age 38 born Newcastle) and their children; George F. Tweedy (age 26 born Sunderland), Manager Marine Engine Works; Herbert J. Tweedy (age 25 born Sunderland), Manager Shipbuilding Office; Alice E. Tweedy (age 13 born Walker); Annie D. Tweedy (age 11 born Walker); and Ivan M. Tweedy (age 7 born Newcastle). Four servants.

1905 Partnership dissolved. '...the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, John Tweedy, Alfred Fernandez Yarrow, and Mark Robinson, and formed for the purpose of investigating, as Engineers, turbine and other engineering appliances, at Sun Buildings, Collingwood-street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, under the style or firm of the TURBINE INVESTIGATION AND ADVISORY SYNDICATE, has been dissolved by mutual consent as and from the 30th day of June, 1905. All debts due to and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by R. H. Winstanley, of Neptune Works, Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who has been appointed Liquidator of the affairs of the Syndicate...'

1911 Living at Tritlington Hall, Morpeth: John Tweedy (age 61 born Ulgham), Engineer and Shipbuilder and an Employer. With his wife Margaret Elizabeth Tweedy (age 48 Newcastle-upon-Tyne) and their daughter Alice Elizabeth Tweedy (age 23 born Walker) Also a sick nurse and three servants.

1916 April 14th. Died.

1916 Will. 'Mr John Tweedy, of Tritlington Hall, Morpeth, a director the Yarrow Schlick and Tweedy System. Ltd., and vice-chairman of Swan, Hunter, and Wigham Richardson Ltd., has left estate of the value £60,763 4s 6d. with net personalty amounting to £59,178 17s 6d. Probate the will granted Mrs Margaret Elizabeth Tweedy, widow, George Frederick Tweedy, The Nook, Park East, Newcastle, engineer, son; and William Burton, of Pilgrim House, Newcastle, solicitor. The testator gives £5OO to the General Commanding the Salvation Army, £5O Mary Isabella Hope, £250 to his wife. £5O to William Spelman Burton, and the residue in trust for Mrs Tweedy for life or widowhood, and then for his children.'

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1916 Obituary.

DEATH MR. J. TWEEDY, TRITLINGTON HALL. NOTED ENGINEER. Mr. John Tweedy, a director of Messrs. Swan, Hunter, Wigham Richardson, and Co., and a conspicuous figure in the engineering world, to which he has contributed several inventions and improvements in marine engines, died at Harrogate on Friday morning.

Mr. Tweedy, who came from Scotland, was associated with the great firm of shipbuilders for many years before he was added to the directorate, the engineering being his special department. He was a past president the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders.

Tweedy’s name will down to posterity in connection with the Yarrow-Schlick-Tweedy system of balancing marine engines. Mr. Yarrow was a noted Elswick engineer, and Mr. Schlick was a famous Hamburg engineer. This system so improved the marine engines on Tyneside that they were used by all the navies and by all the best of the mercantile vessels. These engines had come into almost universal use, but they in their turn were superseded by the steam turbine engines of today.

Mr. Tweedy was also prominently associated with the development of gyroscopes, which may be popularly described as heavy spinning tops intended to run at high speed order to prevent the rolling of ships at sea in stormy weather.

Mr. Tweedy was twice married, and one of the sons of his first marriage, Mr. G. F. Tweedy, has taken his father’s place as engineering director at the Neptune Works. His second wife, who survives him, is the daughter of the late Mr. Frank Marshall, also a Tyneside engineer of note. One of her sisters married Sir William White, the noted engineer.

Of his second marriage there were issue two daughters and a son, Captain Ivan Marshall Tweedv, wbo is now serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers in light military work, having been wounded some time ago.

Mr. Tweedy resided in Fernwood Road, Newcastle for many years. About a decade ago he had a paralytic seizure, which practically compelled his retirement from active business, and a few years he went to live at Tritlington Hall, near Morpeth. He was a man gentle demeanour, denial presence, and homely tastes, and was universally respected by those with whom he came in contact.

In his early years he was connected with a firm which was absorbed by Messrs Wigham and C. J. D. Christie.

A little later he joined those two gentlemen as third partner in the firm of Messrs. Wigham Richardson and Co.

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1916 Obituary.

MR JOHN TWEEDY. News of the death of Mr John Tweedy, who was well known and highly esteemed an will be received with much regret. The sad event occurred yesterday at Harrogate. In the year 1906, Mr Tweedy had a stroke, and from that time lived in practical retirement, having a residence Newcastle until a few years ago, when he went to Tritlington Hall, near Morpeth.

Mr Tweedy received his early training with Richardson, and Co., West Hartlepool, and was afterwards with George Clark of Southwick, Sunderland. Subsequently, became associated with Messrs Wigham Richardson, and Co., Ltd.. Neptune Works, Walker, and had a great deal to do with the prosperity of that firm.

Upon its amalgamation with Swan and Hunter he occupied a seat on the directorate, and took a prominent part the management of the far-famed establishment.

He showed great interest in the development all high-speed ships, and was particularly successful with the triple expansion four-crank engine balanced on the Yarrow-Schlick-Tweedy system; and took vigorously the development of the gyroscope, designed for the purpose of preventing the rolling of ships at sea.

Mr Tweedy, who was about 66 years of age, was twice married, and had two sons by his first wife, one being G. Fred Tweedy, who has taken his father's place engineering director at the Neptune Works.

His second wife was a daughter of the late Mr Frank Marshall. One of the daughters married Mr Gordon and the other Mr. Scott, of Lancashire. Captain I. Marshall Tweedy, a son, who is serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers, was slightly wounded some time ago, and is now on lighter service.

Reference to Mr Tweedy's death was made by Colonel White at last night's meeting, in Newcastle, of the North-East Coast Institution Engineers and Shipbuilders. He was a valued member of the Institution, of which was a past president. was well known all engineers the North-East Coast.

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