Thomas Napier Thomson | |
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| Born | Thomas Napier Thomson (1798-02-25)25 February 1798 |
| Died | 1 February 1869(1869-02-01) (aged 70) |
Thomas Napier Thomson (25 February 1798 – 1 February 1869) was a Scottish minister, historian and biographer. While still young he stopped using his middle name.
He was born inGlasgow on 25 February 1798, the fifth son of Hugh Thomson, a West India merchant. About 1812 the family moved to London, and Thomson was placed at a boarding-school nearBarnet. Abronchial medical problem meant he was sent to his uncle's house inAyrshire, and in October 1813 he entered theUniversity of Glasgow as "Thomas Thomson", dropping the middle name after a disagreement with the Napier family.[1]
After entering the divinity hall as a student for the ministry, Thomson was reduced to poverty by his father's money troubles. He supported himself at college as a private tutor, and in 1823 obtained the two highest prizes in the University of Glasgow. Having received a license as a preacher, he officiated in many parts of Scotland, as well as in Newcastle and Birmingham. In Glasgow he delivered a series of lectures to ladies on the "Philosophy of History".[1]
In 1827 he was appointed assistant to Laurence Adamson, minister ofCupar-Fife; but had to resign when his throat problem flared up. He was then ordained to the charge of the Scottish church inMaitland, New South Wales, for which he sailed on 11 May 1831 with a brother and sister. On arriving at Maitland, there was neither church, manse, nor congregation, so he initiated a charge atBathurst on 13 July 1832. About this time he married. Shortly after the birth of his second child he resigned his charge and returned to England.[1]
Thomson arrived in England 1835, becoming a professional writer. In July 1844 he left London for Edinburgh, where he had been appointed by theScottish Free Church editor of a series of works it was about to publish. When that ended, he worked on journalism. In 1851 he became connected withBlackie & Son, the publishers, for whom he later was a staff writer.[1]
Thomson died atTrinity, Edinburgh, on 1 February 1869.[1]
In 1818 Thomson publishedThe Immortality of the Soul, and other Poems, his only work in verse. In his college days he produced alsoRichard Gordon,The Christian Martyr,A Visit to Dalgarnock, andThe City of the Sun. As a minister, he wrote forThe Christian Instructor.[1]
Charles Knight took Thomson on to edit and remodelRobert Henry's ‘History of Great Britain.’ This project was shelved in favour of a new work,The Pictorial History of England (1838), to which Thomson was one of the main contributors. He also wrote extensively for the periodical press, and biographical and critical notices forThe Book of the Poets: Chaucer to Beattie (London, 1842).[1]
In 1840 Thomson was commissioned by theWodrow Society to editDavid Calderwood'sHistorie of the Kirk of Scotland. He used the original manuscript in the British Museum, and took nearly five years. The Free Church series of which Thomson was editor comprised theSelect Practical Writings ofJohn Knox and others.[1][2][3]
In 1851 Thomson wrote a supplementary volume ofRobert Chambers'sBiographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen, and immediately before his death he prepared a new edition (3 vols., revised and continued with a supplement) which was published between 1869 and 1871. It is his best known work. His own biography is contained in the supplement. He also published:[1]
Thomson edited:[1]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1898). "Thomson, Thomas Napier".Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 56. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
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