The Thomson Family, Ireland and Glasgow

James Thomson, born 13^th November 1786 in County Down, Northern Ireland.

He matriculated at Glasgow University in 1810 and graduated in 1812, M.A.

After his graduation, he continued to attend classes in Medicine and Divinity

with the intention of becoming a minister.

In 1814, he was appointed to the Belfast Academical Institution where he taught arithmetic, geography and book-keeping for a year before moving to the college department becoming professor of mathematics.

In Belfast, he met Margaret Gardner, the daughter of a Glasgow Merchant, who he married in 1817. The couple lived in Belfast and went on to have seven children there.

Margaret died in 1830 and James arrived in Glasgow in 1832 after being offered the Chair of Mathematics at Glasgow University bringing with him his young family.

Sixteen years later, James was struck by a second Cholera epidemic to hit Glasgow and died on 12^th January 1849.

Glasgow Herald, January 15^th 1849

James Thomson Senior

James Thomson and Margaret Gardner’s children:

Elizabeth, born 1818, died 1896 (married Rev. David King)

Anna, born 1820, died 1857 (married William Bottomley)

James, born 1822, died 8^th May 1892

William, born 1824, died 17^th December 1907

John, born 1826, died 7^th February 1847

Margaret, born 1827, died 1831

Robert, born 1829, died 9^th September 1905 (Australia)

James Thomson Junior,

eldest son of James Thomson and Margaret Gardner

matriculated at Glasgow University in 1834

studying Engineering and Natural Philosophy.

He graduated B.A. in 1839 and M.A. (Hons.) in 1840.

Became a consulting civil engineer in Belfast 1851 to 1857 during which time

He was appointed Professor of Civil Engineering at Queen’s College.

He married Elizabeth Hancock c.1853 in Ireland

Returned to Glasgow on appointment to the Regius Chair

at Glasgow University in 1873.

In June 1877 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Served as President of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland

from 1884 - 1886

The Regius Chair of Civil Engineering had been founded by Queen Victoria in 1840 - it

had originally been entitled the Regius Chair of Civil Engineering and Mechanics.

James Thomson Junior and younger brother William are found on the 1851 Census as follows:

Living at College Buildings, High Street, Glasgow

William Thomson, Head, age 26

Master of Arts, Professor of Nat. Phil., University of Glasgow, born Belfast

James Thomson, Brother, age 29

Master of Arts, Civil Engineer, born Belfast

Agnes Gall, Aunt, age 53, born Glasgow

William Thomson,

second son of James Thomson and Margaret Gardner

matriculated with his elder bother James at Glasgow University in 1834

also studying Engineering and Natural Philosophy.

He did not graduate at Glasgow but went on to study at Peterhouse, Cambridge.

He became Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow University aged 22,

holding the post for 53 years (1846 – 1899)

Married Margaret Crum, daughter of Walter Crum and Jessie Graham

14^th September 1852 at Glasgow

In 1866, he became the first scientist to be elevated to the peerage when knight by

Queen Victoria becoming Lord Kelvin of Largs.

He was Chancellor of Glasgow University from 1904 until his death in 1907.

In 1861, the brothers  are recorded as Living at Nelson Street, Largs, Ayrshire

William Thomson, Head, age 35

LL.D., University of Glasgow Philosophy, born Ireland

Margaret Thomson, Wife, age 34, born Eastwood, Renfrewshire

James Thomson, Brother, age 39

Master of Arts, Professor of Civil Engineering, born Ireland.

Elizabeth eldest daughter, born 1818, died 1896

Anna, second daughter born 1820, died 1857, married William Bottomley

On 8^th March 1844 at Glasgow.

John Thomson, fourth son born 1826, died 7^th February 1847

Margaret, third daughter, born 1827, died 1831

Youngest and seventh child, Robert Thomson, born in 1829,

Emigrated firstly to New Zealand around 1853 then to Sydney, Australia.

He died in Australia 9^th September 1905.

Margaret Thomson nee Crum, Lady Thomson, wife of Sir William Thomson

died on the 17^th June 1870.

A Death Notices appears Glasgow Herald and reads as follows:

“At Brooksby, Largs, on the 17^th instant, Margaret Crum,

wife of Sir William Thomson, Professor of Natural Philosophy

in the University of Glasgow.”

Death Notice from The Argus, Melbourne (Australia), Issue: Wednesday 31^st August 1870

William re-married 4 years later, on 17^th June 1874.

His second wife was Frances (Fanny) Anna Blundy,

Daughter of Mr. Charles Blundy of Madeira

Neither James nor William can be found on the 1871 Census.

James Thomson Jnr.

In 1881, James is found with his family

Living at Oakfield House, Hillhead, Glasgow

James Thomson, Head, age 59,

Professor of Civil Engineering, born Ireland

Elizabeth Thomson, Wife, age 62, born Ireland

Mary Hancock Thomson, Daughter, age 26, born Ireland

James Thomson Jnr., Son, age 23, Master of Arts, Glasgow University,

Born Ireland

Also enumerated with James and his family is:

William J. Hancock, Nephew, Student in Arts, Engineering, age 17,

Born Ireland.

In 1881, Frances is alone, living at ‘College No. 11’, Kelvin district of Glasgow

Frances A. Thomson, Wife of Bachelor of Arts & Professor, age 43,

born Madeira (British Subject)

In 1891, William is found with his wife Frances

Living at 11 University (?), Kelvin district of Glasgow

William Thomson, Head, age 66

Professor of Natural Philosophy, born Ireland

Frances A. Thomson, Wife, age 53, born Madeira (British Subject)

In 1891, James is found with his family

Living at 2 Florentine Bank  House, Partick district of Glasgow

James Thomson, Head, age 69

Emeritus Professor of Engineering, born Ireland

Elizabeth Thomson, Wife, age 72, born Ireland

Mary Hancock Thomson, Daughter, age 36, born Ireland

Bessie Thomson, Daughter, age 34, Artist (Painting), born Ireland.

William Thomson (Lord Kelvin)

In 1892 William Thomson was made Baron Kelvin of Largs, but it was also the year

in which his brother Professor James Thomson, niece Bessie and

sister-in-law Elizabeth Hancock all died within a week of each other at

2 Florentine Gardens, the family home.

Florentine Gardens

Their causes of death were as follows:

James, Lobar Pneumonia in both lungs (6 days)

Bessie (Elizabeth), Progressive Muscular Atrophy (22 years) and Pleuro Pneumonia

Elizabeth, Acute Pneumonia (about 10 days)

Obituary

‘Death of Professor James Thomson’

Glasgow Herald, 9^th May 1892

We deeply regret to have to record the death of Dr. James Thomson, lately Professor of Civil

Engineering and Mechanics in the University of Glasgow, which took place yesterday morning

at his residence, 2 Florentine Gardens.

Professor Thomson had not been in robust health for some time, but his death, after an illness

of three or four days, which was the result of a chill, will come as an unexpected sorrow

to many friends.

Professor Thomson was born in Belfast in 1822. His father, also James Thomson, was for

many years lecturer on, and afterwards professor of, mathematics in the Royal Belfast

Academical Institution, but subsequently became professor of mathematicsin Glasgow University.

He was a highly successful teacher and original investigator in mathematics, and was the author

of many important school books. There are not a few persons living who remember well the

spirited mathematical classes of those days, and also in particular the brilliant progress of the

professor’s two sons, James Thomson and William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), who passed through

every class with credit and through many with unrivalled distinctness. The two young men early

showed that high inventive genius which had distinguished them through life, and James Thomson

chose for his career that of a civil engineer, serving his apprenticeship (after he had taken the

degree of M.A.) in the works of the late Sir William Fairbairn.

Mr Thomson, after the term of his apprenticeship was concluded, commenced business in

Belfast as a civil and mechanical and hydraulic engineer. His inventions of a vortex water wheel

and a centrifugal pump became widely known, and he was entrusted with work of much

importance both at home and abroad; and, in particular, designed and constructed great

pumps for the drainage of sugar plantations in Demerara. He was also engineer to the

Belfast Water Commissioners, and to the Lagan Navigation Works.

In 1857 he became Professor of Civil Engineering in Queen’s College, Belfast, an office which

he held till the death of the late Professor Macquorne Rankine in 1872. He was then elected to

fill the Glasgow chair, and he continued to fulfilhis duties of that office till 1889, when he was

obliged, owing to failure of his eyesight, to seek retirement. In spite of the sad blow which had

thus fallen upon him, Professor Thomson maintained undiminished all his zeal for scientific

pursuits and investigations; and, in March of this year, he completed a substantial paper on

‘The Grand Currents of Atmospheric Circulation’ which was rewarded by the Royal Society

as the Bakerian Lecture for the year.

Professor Thomson was the author of very numerous original papers on various subjects

connected with physics. In 1847 he communicated to the Royal Society of Edinburgh a

most important paper on the ‘Lowering by pressure of the freezing point of water.’ He led the

way to the development of thermo-dynamics which in the hands of Clausius, Rankine,

and others have done so much for the great modern improvements of the steam engine.

A man of singular purity of mind and simplicity of character, Professor Thomson was greatly

beloved by all with whom he came in contact. His gentle kindness and his unfailing courtesy

endeared him greatly to his pupils, and many will mourn the loss of so good and true a teacher.

He was conscientious to a degree, and clear-sighted in all that pertained to moral right and

wrong. Thus, never a public man, he held the strongest views on many burning political questions

– for example, the late American War, and still more recent Irish questions; and he was at all

times ready to uphold his convictions with keen logic and with the firmest decision.

Professor Thomson was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1877; he received the

honorary degree of D.Sc. from the Queen’s University in Ireland and of LL.D. from his own

University of Glasgow and from the University of Dublin.

In 1853 he married the only daughter of the late Mr. William John Hancock, J.P.,

of Lurgan, Co. Amagh, who survives him. He leaves also one son, Mr. James Thomson,

civil engineer, and two daughters.

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin’s statue, Belfast Botanical Gardens

Netherhall

William Thomson was President of the Royal Society from 1890 to 1895.

He died on 17^th December 1907 at his home 'Netherhall' near Largs in Ayrshire
and was buried in Westminster Abbey,

London on 23^rd December.  His grave lies in the nave beside that of Sir Isaac Newton

and a stained glass window designed by J. Ninian Cooper was erected within the Abbey

in 1913. More information can be found here:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/william-thomson,-lord-kelvin

The Thomson Family’s Lairs are located in Section Beta of the Glasgow Necropolis, on the

first level above the Egyptian Vaults at the main entrance from Glasgow Cathedral Precinct

across Wishart Street.

The smaller stone topped by a cross is to Annie Elizabeth Bottomley, a relative

of the Thomson Family.

Strangely, none of the Thomson Family appear to be listed amongst the

‘Who’s Who’ on the Necropolis Heritage Trail.

( https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3568&p=0 )

www.memento-mori.co.uk