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JOSEPHINE MARY LOMAX-SIMPSON

(11 March 1925 - 25 May 1999)

Biographical Notes: Grandfather and Parents

Compiled by Audrey Beaton

Return to: Biographical Notes

a) Grandfather: Jonathan Simpson: (1850-1937)

Paternal grandfather of Dr Lomax-Simpson. Born in Bolton, Lancashire, he was a close friend from childhood of the first Lord Leverhulme. An architect by profession, as a young man he was commissioned to design model cottages for workers in Bolton by the trustees of the estate of a local philanthropist. By 1908, Jonathan Simpson was involved with Lord Leverhulme in the creation of Port Sunlight on Merseyside. This prototype garden city has been described as "the community preceding all other British experiment in planning the environment". It was to be a marriage of architectural and social tradition and was to take almost fifty years to complete.

b) Father: James Lomax-Simpson: (1882-1976).

Father of Dr Lomax-Simpson and only son of Jonathan Simpson. His godfather was Lord Leverhulme. Educated at Uppingham and Liverpool University he also was an architect by profession. In 1910 he was appointed to take charge of the Architectural Department of Lever Brothers and was made a director in 1917. As Company Architect he was responsible for most of the development of Port Sunlight from 1910 onwards. In 1930 he prepared the design and plans for Unilever House in the City of London. It was opened by the Lord Mayor of London in July 1932 and 'The Morning Post' wrote "Unilever House will delight the eyes and minds of all who appreciate beauty in Architecture".

James Lomax-Simpson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in June 1943. He was made a Trustee of the Leverhulme Trust and served as a Trustee of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight. He was also on the Board of the Royal Free Hospital.

Throughout his life James Lomax-Simpson took an interest in people who were deprived or under-privileged. In 1936 he established a Trust Fund to award an Annual Character Prize to a member of one of the Dr Barnardo's Homes in Australia, known as the 'Christopher Barr Character Prize'. Mr Lomax-Simpson was joined in this project by his wife in 1959, who contributed additional funding. Both Mr and Mrs Lomax-Simpson continued to show an on-going interest in the recipients of this prize over a number of years.

During the period of 1963-1969 Mr and Mrs Lomax-Simpson were regular visitors at Dr Lomax-Simpson's home in Wimbledon when they joined the many deprived young people who were either visiting or living in the house at the time. When, in 1970, after the death of her mother, Dr Lomax-Simpson founded the Messenger House Trust, James Lomax-Simpson was a trusted mentor and critic. He maintained a lively interest in the Trust's development and also in the establishment of the Hutchinson Settlement in 1977. When he died in June 1977 he left ?10,000 to the Hutchinson Settlement and the money used to help purchase the first Settlement House - 'Sansovino'.

c) Mother: Isabel Mary Lomax-Simpson (née Messenger):

Born in Orange, New South Wales, Australia, Mrs Lomax-Simpson came to England as a young woman. She helped nurture the Lomax-Simpson family tradition of helping people less fortunate, and served on several Charity Committees. She was a creative personality, an innovator with a spontaneous interest in the unusual. Visiting York in 1953 she saw a commemorative plaque to John Goodricke, a renowned astronomer in the 18th century who was both deaf and dumb. Impressed by the account of this young man's ability to overcome his handicaps, Mrs Lomax-Simpson enlisted the help of her friends to establish the John Goodricke Prize - a scholarship awarded to a young person who was disadvantaged in a similar way.

It was as a direct result of her mother accepting five London evacuees in their Worcestershire home in 1940 that Dr Lomax- Simpson, at that time fifteen years of age, developed an awareness of social problems which was to remain as a focus throughout her professional career.

After the death of Mrs Lomax-Simpson it 1969, Dr Lomax-Simpson used a bequest from her mother to purchase 8 Malcolm Road, Wimbledon. It was to become the first of nine houses established between 1970 and 1991 to provide accommodation for homeless young people. The house was to be known as Messenger House and the Trust took the name of the Messenger House Trust. - A living memorial to Dr. Lomax-Simpson's mother.

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This page authored by: Craig Fees

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