John Hallyburton Thomson 1855-1914

John Hallyburton Thomson

John was born in Deptford, Kent on 25 August 1855 the son of John Thomson and Emma Goodwin.

On 25 March 1877 in Camberwell, Surrey he married Ellen Lucretia Nodder, the daughter of William Nodder a shipwright and Grace Stephens. She was born in 1853 at Torpoint, Cornwall. At the time of his wedding John was a commercial clerk. By 1881 he was a travelling salesman living at 53 Lethbridge Road, Lewisham with his wife and son. Also in the house was his mother-in-law Grace Nodder. By 1891 he was a draper living at 70 Greenwich Road, Greenwich. His business is listed at this address in the Post Office directories, until 1914 when his son, Charles, and son-in-law, Joseph Pitarc, took over and it became Thomson & Pitarc but John still retained the lease. From 1911 John is also listed as a linen draper at the adjoining property of 72 Greenwich Road. In 1901 census he is living at 114 Lewisham Road, Greenwich. From 1904 to 1914 his residential address was 132 Greenwich Road. According to the 1911 census this house had 10 rooms. On the night of the census also living there were his wife, son William, son and daughter-in-law Edward and Maisie, niece Norah Curno born Wexford, Ireland and a domestic servant, Beatrice Barber aged 22.

John Thomson's drapers shop at 70 Greenwich Road

Ellen died in 1912 and John died on 16 November 1914 at 132 Greenwich Road. According to his obituary in The Kentish Mercury he was a prominent member of St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, South Street, Greenwich. (He had become a member in 1901.) The congregation at his funeral included the Mayor of Greenwich. He was interned at Shooters Hill cemetery. By tradition women did not attend Thomson funerals.

His brothers Walter and Adolph witnessed his will and his sons Charles and John were his executers. He left his leasehold properties to three of his sons. The house at 132 Greenwich Road to Charles, shop and dwelling house at 70 Greenwich Road to John, and shop and dwelling house but not the actual business at 72 Greenwich Road to William. William was given the option of buying the business and he ran it until the 1960's. John's eldest son, Charles and son-in-law Joseph J Pitarc all ready had a drapery business at 70 Greenwich Road. His other son, Edward, who had become an entertainer rather than entering the family business, was left £500 and Edward's daughter was left £25. His blind nephew Garnet Thomson was also left £25. On his wife's side, his great-niece Norah Curno was left £25 and so was his niece Annie Irwin, a widow with two children.

Wedding of John & Ellen's son William Arthur to Ann Greig 1915

Known children of John and Ellen:-

Charles Halliburton Thomson born 27 January 1880 at Lewisham, Kent
He has his own page
John Alfred Thomson born 1882 Lewisham
John was baptised on 2 April 1882 at St Mary's, Lewisham. In 1901 he was a boy copyist in the civil service. John was living at his parents house at 132 Greenwich Road when he married Florence Eliza Borthwick on 14 July 1910 at St Marks church, Greenwich. Florence was born on 25 June 1880 and baptised in 1882 at St Leonard, Shoreditch, the daughter of Peter Thomas Borthwick, an engineer and his wife Mary Ann . In 1911 John was a civil servant second division living in Lee. He was appointed by St Marks church as the Superintendant of Randell Place Sunday School in September 1912 and resigned a month later owing to his removal to Hayes, Kent. He was living at Woodgrange, Station Road, Hayes in 1914 when he was an executor of his father's will in which he was left the leasehold shop and house at 70 Greenwich Road, Greenwich. In 1918 he was living at 32 Streatham Hill, Wandsworth. John died on 23 September 1965 at Hailsham, Sussex. Only known child is:-
- Irene Florence Agnes Thomson born Bromley 1913
  She married John E Blakeney in 1939 at Hammersmith, London
- Newspaper: Death of Agnes Pitarc
Agnes Jane Thomson born 1884 Greenwich
On 11 June 1908 she married Joseph John Pitarc at St Pauls, Greenwich. Joseph was a business associate of her brother, Charles. The Pitarcs originally came from Spain. Agnes died on 20 March 1909 at New Cross. In 1911 Joseph was living with his brother-in-law above their draper's shop and in 1915 he married Sarah J Broadfoot at Greenwich.
Edward Walter Thomson born 1886 Greenwich
On 13 March 1906 at Greenwich register office Edward married Maisie Potter, an actress living at Vesta Road, Brockley, London. Maisie gave her father's name as Llewellyn Potter, deceased and his occupation as of independent means. They both gave their age as 21.

Maisie was born Gwladys Awen Dedwydd in Hamburg, Germany on 15 September 1884 the daughter of Llewelyn Jeuan Dedwydd and Charlotte Sarah maiden surname Penfold. Her parents had married the year before in Gloucester.

On census night 1911, Edward and Maisie were living in the house of his father but their daughter was not with them. Maise is listed as born in 1889 in France of British parentage. Child:-
- Doris Maisie Thomson born 1906 Greenwich
  In 1911 she is living with her grandmother, Charlotte S Dedwydd, a widow, living on private means, in a house with eight rooms, in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire.
Edward is not listed with his brothers in the Kentish Mercury as attending his father's funeral in 1914 and he was only left £500 in his father's will whereas his three brothers were each left property. Edward was an actor and music hall artist, using the stage name Mr Lupin. He went to India, working as an entertainer, leaving his wife in England. On 6 February 1915 at the Wesleyan Church, Lahore, Bengal, Edward married Olive Wardle. He gave his occupation as theatrical entertainer and Olive was the daughter of Walter Frederick Wardle who according to the London Gazette was made a second lieutenant in the I.A.R.O. in 1918.
William Arthur Thomson born 1889 Greenwich
William was known as Will. He was admitted to St Marks church in 1913 and ordained a deacon in 1925 and an elder in 1934. In 1915 He married Ann Greig. She was born in 1893 in Aberdeen, Scotland the daughter of Alexander Greig and Mary-Ann Smith. Her parents were added to the roll of membership of St Mark's church in 1905 by transfer and Ann herself was added in 1909. William inherited from his father the leasehold shop and house at 72 Greenwich Road but this did not include the actual business which he was given the option of buying, including the shop fittings. He was bombed out during the war but had moved back by 1950 and lived there until the early 1960's when he retired with his wife to Westbury, Wiltshire. He died in 1970 at Bath, Somerset. Ann died in 1977 at Bromley, Kent. Children:-
- Alexander John Thomson born 1917 Greenwich
  He died in 1983 at Trowbridge, Wiltshire
- Gordon William Thomson Born 31 July 1920 Greenwich
  Known as Don. He died Aug 2002.
- Stanley Keith W A Thomson born 21 June 1922 Greenwich
  Known as Stan to family but Tommy (from Thomson) to everyone else. Married Eileen Tarvin on 24 Mar 1945 at Wandsworth, London. She died Oct 1999 in Crawley. Stanley died Jan 2004 in Crawley.
Ellen Maud Thomson born 1 July 1891 Greenwich
She was baptised on 1 February 1893 at St Pauls, Greenwich and her death is recorded in the December GRO index of the same year.