Thomas Dowsett, J.P. (1837-1906)
 
Mr. Thomas Dowsett was the first Mayor of Southend (1892-1893).
The History of Rochford Hundred, published in 1867 by Philip Benton, describes Thomas as being the son of a Prittlewell Shoemaker. White's 1848 Directory of Prittlewell list Henry and James Dowsett as being shoemakers.
As a young lad, Thomas served an apprenticeship with John Dowsett, a hairdresser at 106 Park Road. However, it was obvious that from an early age, he was carving out a career for himself as a formidable businessman.
He married Eliza Ann -- in 1857. Eliza passed away 11th March 1878, aged 26. They had a son, Herbert Arthur, born 1878, passed away 1939.
Thomas' second marriage was to Clarissa at -- on --. Clarissa, (the first Mayoress of Southend), passed away on 1st April 1928, aged 26. They had a daughter, Ellen Challis (Nellie), born on - -, passed away on 20th October 1903.
On 29th June 1869, the last Lord of the Manor, Daniel Scratton sold much of the land he owned in the area of the shrubbery and the railway, in numerous lots. The Milton Estate was sold for housing, and the land bounded by Scratton Road, London Road, High Street and Avenue Road, including the cricket field opposite the Cricketer’s Inn was brought by Thomas Dowsett for £300.
Thomas was an active member of Clifftown Church, and became its first Deacon. He was also a Sunday School teacher at the old British School in the High Street.
In 1879, he was a trading as a Furniture Warehouseman when he brought a parcel of land which was part of the Hamlet Hall Estate, close to Barlands Farm, from The Malden Property Purchase Company Limited for £1125. At first buying the land with a 99-year lease, he later exercised the option to buy the freehold.
In 1882, the Local Board was superseded by a Municipal Corporation and Southend became a Borough, its area comprising the whole of the old parish of Prittlewell, with Thomas Dowsett elected as its first Mayor. At this time, he owned a fancy repository in Marine Parade, and was a House, Land & Estate Agent. He was also an Insurance Agent for Commercial Union. In addition to this, both Henry and William Dowsett were involved in his businesses of a Pianoforte & House Furniture Warehouse, and Ironmongers in the High Street and on the corner of Alexandra Street.
In the spring of 1893, Thomas sold 2½ acres of land in the district of St. Mary’s, the highest point in the borough, to the Borough Council, which had decided to provide a permanent infectious diseases hospital in the midst of a Typhoid epidemic. It is that part of the present site with the entrance in Balmoral Road, a western boundary of Hamlet Court Road, formerly Sallendines Lane.
Thomas provided eight Almshouses and two villas in Chelmsford Avenue, Prittlewell (1904?)- A ceremony took place on the day the almshouses were handed over to the people of the parish, with a description of the inside of the houses. A sundial was presented as a thank you to Thomas Dowsett.
Thomas Dowsett passed away on 30th January 1906, aged 68. It has been estimated that he was worth close to a quarter of a million pounds at the time of his death. His family donated £1,000 to a Children's Ward in Southend, and as a gesture of further generosity, his executors gave the 13th Century Southchurch Hall (then known as Wiffen's Farm, which had become part of Thomas Dowsett's estate, and had been farmed by the Dowsett family until 1925) together with five acres of surrounding parkland to the town on the condition that the earthworks and moat, and the historical interest of the Hall itself, were to be preserved. In 1928-1929 it was restored to serve as a local library and the surrounding medieval earthworks were turned into public gardens. Only in 1974, when the local library moved to a new building in Lifstan Way, was the hall finally opened as a museum.
Thomas Dowsett was laid to rest in the family vault in the grounds of St. John the Baptist Church in Church Road, Southend, and a monument erected (Pictured, right).
Herbert Dowsett went on to become a J.P. and was thrice elected Mayor of Southend; 1925-1926, 1937-1938 and 1938-1939.
Sergeant Thomas William Dowsett of the Honourable Artillery Company, elder son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Dowsett of 26, Dowsett Avenue. He was killed in action at the age of 23, whilst in the trenches with his company on Saturday 30th January, 1915. He is buried in the Cemetery for British Troops, at Kemmel, Belgium, alongside his comrades.
Photo courtesy of Peter Brown
Miss Eliza Mary Dowsett (Thomas’ niece) married Mr. Harry Simmonds of Brixton at the Congregational Church, Southend, on 4th May 1880. Eliza ran a confectionery shop at No. 4 Park Road.
With thanks to Sue Godden, Great-Great Granddaughter of Thomas Dowsett, for additional information.