Joseph Thomas (1838-1901) was a Cornish architect, civil engineer and entrepreneur who lived the majority of his life in Looe.
He made a number of significant contributions to the development of the town in the late 19th century, including the design of the Banjo Pier and the creation of the Hannafore estate.
[2] As a boy, he helped his father work on the construction of the bridge over the Looe River and the new roads to Polperro and St Martins.
His solution was to shorten the existing pier at the mouth of the river and instead build a larger round structure at the end, giving it the overall shape of a banjo.
Not only was he responsible for creating the Hannafore estate, but also the scenic Hannafore Road, the present line and extent of the quayside in West Looe (as far south as St Nicholas' church), the present form of the Banjo Pier and other prominent aspects of the character of the town are directly attributable to him.