 John Tomlinson Brunner was born in Everton , Liverpool , the fourth child and second son of John Brunner ( b . 20 June 1800 ) , a Swiss Unitarian and schoolmaster , and Margaret Catherine Curphey ( d . 8 September 1847 ) , who originated from the Isle of Man , daughter of Thomas Curphey and wife Margaret Leece . His father established a school in Netherfield Road , Everton , known as St George 's House , to teach children along the lines advocated by Pestalozzi . Brunner 's mother died in 1847 , when he was aged five ; his father married Nancy Inman in 1851 . She had a shrewd business sense and Brunner gave credit to her for teaching him skills in practical matters . Brunner was educated at his father 's school and then , at the age of 15 , he decided to follow a career in commerce . He spent four years in a shipping house in Liverpool , but found it neither exciting nor lucrative , and so decided on a change of career . In 1861 , Brunner took a clerical post at Hutchinson 's alkali works in Widnes , where his older brother Henry was already working as technical manager . There , he rose to the position of general manager . Shortly after starting work at Hutchinson 's , Brunner met the German @-@ born chemist Ludwig Mond . 
