Joseph Crompton

Joseph Crompton (17 January 1840 – 27 April 1901) was a vigneron, manufacturer and exporter who founded several companies in the early days of the colony of South Australia.

He was born in Liverpool the fourth son of Woodhouse Crompton and his wife Lucy (née Fletcher). After the death of his parents, he was brought up by his maternal aunts at Rivington Hall, the Fletcher family home in Lancashire. After attending a boarding school in Knutsford he decided to emigrate to South Australia in the hope of improving his health and making a fortune. To help in this second ambition he carried an introduction to the family of Francis Clark, Unitarians like himself.

He sailed on the SS Great Britain, arriving in Melbourne on 24 September 1860 and Adelaide a month later.

In Adelaide, he found employment working with Henry Septimus Clark in his capacity as engineer and secretary for the East Torrens District Council, and took over many of his duties, while forming a close friendship. (This council covered the area from the East Parklands to the Mount Lofty Ranges and as far north as Norton Summit, South Australia.)

In 1858 Henry had bought an Adelaide Hills property dubbed "Stonyfell" by his fiancee Annie Martin, and by 1862 he and Robert Slape had planted some 34 acres of vines and largely completed the two-storey cellars. On 21 May 1862 Henry formed a partnership with his brother Sidney and Joseph Crompton. Henry died in 1864 and in 1873 Joseph (who had meanwhile married Susan Mary Clark and together toured bought out Sidney's share, becoming sole owner, but retained the business name "Clark & Crompton" until 1880. Joseph and his family moved into Stonyfell Cottage which had been built in 1838 by the previous owner William? James? Edlin. In 1901 the whole family, with the exception of H. W. Crompton, was still living there.

Clark & Crompton employed as winemaker Henry Tyler, who produced a Dry Red Burgundy, a Dry White Hock, a Light Red and a Muscat from their own and other growers' grapes, producing in the 1870s around 9,000 gallons (41,000 litres) each vintage. With the sale of the property in 1888, Francis Crompton had no further interest in winemaking, but Henry Martin and his son Ronald took over the winemaking business from Dunstan in 1902 and in 1934 purchasing vineyards and cellars from the Dunstan estate.

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