Thomas Sopwith
Toronto Daily Star, August 3 1934
Thomas Sopwith (1888-1989) had a childhood that was marred by a terrible tragedy: when he was 10 years old, a gun that was resting on his knee accidentally discharged and killed his father. As a young man, he raced motorcycles, became interested in ballooning, and was a member of the British ice hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1910 European Championships.
He taught himself to fly shortly after that, and then founded the Sopwith Aviation Company in 1912. During the First World War, the company manufactured over 18,000 aircraft for the Allies, including over 5500 Sopwith Camels.
After the war, he formed Hawker Aircraft, named after his test pilot, Harry Hawker. During the 1930s, he became interested in yachting, and entered the America's Cup in 1934 and 1937. He nearly won the cup in 1934, making him legendary, as the United States had held the cup continuously since 1851. (The U.S. finally lost in 1983.) He was knighted in 1953 and lived to nine days after his 101st birthday.
Mr. Sopwith's wife was the former Phyllis Brodie Gordon (1892-1978); the two married in 1932. She was his second wife: he married Beatrice Hore-Ruthven in 1914, when she was 43 and he was 26. She passed away in 1930.
Created November 10, 2025.