Tom was initially educated at home via private tutors he was sent to the Quaker run York School at 10 years old.

A steam explosion caught him and his foreman John Thompson whilst they were investigating a problem with the rolling mill furnace.

[1][3] The works continued to run under family ownership, under the chairmanship of Tom's nephew William Fry Whitwell until 1922 when they were eventually closed due to a global glut of pig iron.

[1] Thousands of residents assembled to pay respects to Tom at his funeral filling the south end of Stockton High Street and the entire length of Bridge Road.

His funeral procession, was four deep and numbered about two thousand people – an unusual turnout for a 40 year old industrialist and engineer.