Thomson Family
Family tradition has it that the Thomsons originally came from Arbroath, Angus and when I found the family, without the father, in the 1841 census living in Arbroath I assumed this was correct. Although this family had lived for many years in England, the father's death is recorded in Arbroath in 1865. His death certificate showed that his father was a farmer in Roxburgh and his baptism and that of many of his brothers and sisters are recorded in the Roxburghshire church registers. I have not yet discovered why he returned to Abroath and have been unable to find him in either the 1841 or 1861 census in either England or Scotland. His son John, born 1830, did not name any of his 12 sons after his brothers David or George or his grandfather David.
The use of Hallyburton as a middle name does suggest a conection with the east coast of Scotland as it is a surname from this area. I have, however, been unable to discover why the Thomsons used it when naming their children.
It is interesting that the first John Thompson in this part of my tree always spelt his name the English way, with a 'p', and it is recorded in the Linton baptismal register with this spelling, although his siblings baptised in other parishes were spelt the Scottish way. It is the later Thomsons that dropped the 'p'.
By 1822 the Thompsons were living in Berkshire and remained in England until the second half of the 1830's when they moved to Abroath. By 1851 the family had moved to London, south of the river and remained there for over a century. The later Thomsons started a very successful drapery business with many of the extended family employed in it. The business was based in Greenwich and the last shop closed in the late 1960s.
Being Scottish, the Thomsons were of low church persuasion and attended St Marks Presbyterian Church, Greenwich from 1853, when it was newly built, until the early 1970s. Many family members were involved in the running of the church and several became deacons. Thomson babies were baptised here but, until the early 20th century, their weddings took place in Church of England churches. Social life would appear to have centred round the services and meetings as many of the Thomson marriages are to other church members.
The original St Mark's Church building was bombed in 1944 and rebuilt in 1953. In the early 1970's this building was marked for demolition to make way for a road scheme which was never carried out and it still stands on the corner of South Street and Ashburnham Place.
Below are links to the pages that are relevant to the Thomsons
Family Tree
- List of Thomson names from which a family tree can be built
Family Members with Their Own Page
- Adolph Thomson 1862-1935
- Alexander Thomson 1807-188?
- Charles Halliburton Thomson 1880-1954
- David Thompson
- David Thompson 1802-1872
- Elspath Thomson 1794-1880
- George Thompson 1839-1887
- James Thompson 1884-1947
- John Thompson 1791-1865
- John Thomson 1830-1897
- John Hallyburton Thomson 1855-1914
- Robert Thomson 1799-1887
- Sarah Thompson 1803-18??
- William Thompson 1805-1847
Wills
- Alfred James Thomson of Catford and Greenwich. Proved 1916
- Emma Thomson of Greenwich. Wife of Alfred James Thomson. Proved 1921
Tombstones
- John 1897 & Emma 1897 Thomson, Caroline Burns 1911, Emma Thomson 1936 – Greenwich
- John 1914 & Ellen 1912 Thomson, Alfred 1916 & Emma 1921 Thomson – Greenwich, London
- Agnes Jane Pitarc, death, New Cross 1909
- Charles Ernest Thomson, death, West Hampstead 1915
- Charles Halburton Thomson, marriage to Gertrude Thomson, Worthing 1913
- John Halyburton Thomson, death, Greenwich 1914
- John Thomson Letter sent by the deacons of St Marks church, on his death in 1897, to his family
- North West Kent Family History Society Covers the area in London where the Thomsons lived and includes information on tombstones in Ladywell & Brockley Cemetery where some of them are buried.
- Adolph Thomson 1862-1935 More information about his descendants and photographs
- London Metropolitan Archives
- St Mark's Greenwich Minutes of Deacon's Court 1860-1865 LMA/4393/A/006 - London Metropolitian Archives
- St Mark's Greenwich Minutes of Session 1873-1910 LMA/4393/A/001 - London Metropolitan Archives
- St Mark's Greenwich Communion Roll 1873-1892 LMA/4393/B/001,002 - London Metropolitan Archives
- Post Office London County Suburbs Directories 1904,1905,1908,1911,1914-1919
- Kellys London Suburbs Directories 1896,1901
- Kellys Kent Directory 1882,1891