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Clan Thomson (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Thomson

Clan Motto: Pro Patria (For one’s country)

Origin of Name: Patronymic name, Not gaelic, likely Christian & Nordic Origins

Lands: Various

Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan

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Thomson Clan History

There are many Thom(p)sons in Scotland today; it is one of the most popular names in the Borders, Lothians, and Perth/Argyle. Even in Shetland, where the name was 'Thomason,' the phrase 'Son of Thomas' was used.

Thom(p)son is a patronymic name, which means that the next generation is named after the father's personal name. So it literally means'son of Thom'. As a result, there is no single Thomson family responsible for all of the Scottish Thom(p)sons found today. As a result, unlike other Clans and Families, there is no original location to pin point on a map. As a result, not all Thom(p)sons are linked. If you have this surname, you'll have to do some research to figure out which Thom(p)son you are.

Is it a 'P' or not a 'P'?

Thomson (no 'p') is the most common spelling in Scotland. Thompson (with a 'p') is more common in the north of England, while Thomas is more common in Wales. Thomsons spelled with a (a), (e), and occasionally a (p) gradually evolved from the 12th century into families with a central head or leader in the border and Lothian areas of the Scottish lowlands from Dunfriesshire to Roxburghshire.

If your surname begins with a 'P,' a 'A,' or a 'E,' you are descended from the Thom(p)son's of the borders. But keep in mind that spellings change, so see if you can find a consistent spelling or how it was originally spelled in your tree.

The Borders' Thom(p)sons

The Thom(p)sons lived in the West March of the borders. They were listed as border Clans with lairds (not chiefs) in the Scottish Parliament Acts of 1587 and 1594.

The US Clan MacThomas Society has been working to have the Thom(p)son recognized as a border Clan. They have been given arms - these are the Society's corporate arms. The following Crest will be available to Society members:

The crest of the MacThompson Society depicts a Border Reiver. Eskdale

The Thomsons of Eskdale were a small fifteenth-century clan who were closely associated with the larger Beattison and Nixon families. The English Lord Wharton reported to the Earl of Shewsbury in the 1540s that the Batysons, Thomsons, and Lytles of Esskdayle had made raiding (reiving) forays on several English towns.

The Scottish Borders town of Eskdale

The English Lords Lennox and Wharton crossed the Esk River in 1547 to conquer the area south of Annandale and Castlemilk. Due to the ongoing reiving on the borders, several lairds and clans were forced to take an oath of obedience to the King of England. There are lists of names in Carlisle Cathedral Library, including 166 Beatties and Thomsons who surrendered to the English King. The peace treaty of 1551 established the Debatable Lands between the Esk and Sark rivers, which belonged to neither kingdom. So it wasn't Scotland or England. Only cattle, goats, and pigs were permitted to graze in this area. They were not permitted to construct any structures. The Lords Warden of both England and Scotland frequently raided the area, destroying temporary structures and apprehending those who attempted to live there. I can't even imagine how difficult their lives would have been. This is one of the reasons why so many people from the area emigrated to other countries.

Thom(p)sons in the Central Highlands

The name is most commonly found in central Scotland, south of the Forth and Clyde rivers.

Duddingston Thomsons'

"The Thomsons, who possessed Duddingston, near Edinburgh, for five generations until sold by Sir Patrick about 1668; his father had been created a baronet in 1636," according to Wikipedia. Stodart II, page 140

By Henry Raeburn, John Thomson

Rev John Thomson FRSE RSA was a Scottish minister and landscape painter who lived from 1 September 1778 to 28 October 1840. He was Duddingston's minister. Rev John Thomson is best known for his landscape paintings, but he is also credited with coining the famous Lowland Scots adage "We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns," which was described as early as 1847 as "an expression of mutual good fellowship very frequently heard in Scotland." Although it is still widely used today, there is some evidence that it predates John Thomson, and there is also a Scottish Gaelic version, so this cannot be proven.

Henry Raeburn's 1790s novel The Skating Minister

The iconic painting, The Skating Minister, by Thomson's artistic acquaintance, Sir Henry Raeburn, is set in Duddingston Loch, which has a long history with curling and skating. The painting's subject, however, is the Reverend Robert Walker, minister of the Canongate Kirk.

The Thomson Tower

Thomson's Tower, Edinburgh, Duddingston

Thomson's Tower is a structure on the shores of Duddingston Loch. It was designed by Edinburgh architect William Henry Playfair (1789-1857) and built by the Duddingston Curling Society, whose members first wrote down the rules of curling.

The then-factor of Duddingston Estate, Thomas Scott, Sir Walter Scott's brother, was influential in bringing the Rev. John Thomson (1778-1840) to be minister at Duddingston Kirk in 1805, and the minutes of the Kirk Session in March 1806 show that Walter Scott, Advocate (as he was then), was ordained as an elder the following year.

The Thom(p)sons of the Highlands

So if you spell Thomson without a 'p', you might be a Highland Thomson.

The MacTavishes and the Thom(p)sons

Many people with this name lived in Perthshire and Argyllshire, and were considered septs of the Clan MacTavish.1. The surname in this area is an anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Thomáis, which means "son of Thomas," or Mac Thomaidh, which means "son of Tommie." In early records, the name was spelled MaKcome, and it was common in Upper Deeside. Thomson may be an anglicised form of MacTavish in some people and thus directly related. MacTavish (son of Tammas) and McCombie (son of Tommy) are Gaelic equivalents, and MacLehose is derived from the Gaelic'mac gille Thoimis" or son of St Thomas. As a result, some Thom(p)sons can see the connections.

Charge from MacTavish of Dunardry's arms

Dugald MacTavish of Dunardry, Chief of Clan MacTavish, has attempted to claim that all clansmen who bear "the name of Thom(p)son" are of Clan McTavish, but this cannot be true because the surname Thom(p)son comes from various sources and areas of Scotland. This, according to reports, was stated in a letter.

Thomson arms appear in the second and third quarters of MacTavish of Dunardry's arms. The main charge is the head of a buck, not a stag, as is customary in Thomson arms. (A buck is a male fallow deer, whereas a stag is a five-year-old or older male red deer. The shape of the antlers is the heraldic distinction.)

When researching the Thom(p)son crest, you will notice that the McTavish Boars Head is used. This is not the correct Thom(p)son crest.

Glenshee's Highland Thomsons

Upper Glenshee is associated with Clan MacThomas. Clan Chattan Mackintoshes was also founded in Glenshee.

The Mackintoshes and the Thom(p)sons

Clan MacThomas descended from Clan Chattan Mackintoshes and was based in Glenshee at first. The MacThomases backed King Charles I and the Marquis of Montrose, but after Montrose was defeated at the Battle of Philiphaugh, the chief withdrew his forces and expanded his influence into Glen Prosen and Strathardle. The chief was pleased with the stable government established by Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth. As a result, following King Charles II's Restoration, the MacThomas fortunes declined and the clan split, with some clansmen moving to the Lowlands and changing their names to Thomson or Thomas.

The MacThomas' and the Thom(p)sons'

Clan MacThomas is said to have descended from Thomas, a Gaelic-speaking Highlander. Tomaidh Mor was the grandson of William Mackintosh, the seventh chief of Clan Mackintosh. This occurred in the fifteenth century. Thomas moved to Glenshee with his Clan because the Clan Chattan federation (of which his grandfather was the eighth chief) was too large and uncontrollable. They settled and thrived here. Mccomie, Mccolm, and Mccomas were all variations on the name. Remember that most people were illiterate at the time, and names were rarely written down; when they were, the person writing just made their best guess.

The MacThomas chief is mentioned in Government proclamations around the 1670s, when the clan had begun to drift apart. Some moved south to the Tay valley and became known as Thomson, while others moved to Angus in Fife and became known as Thomas, Thom, or Thoms. Angus, the tenth chief, took the name Thomas and later Thoms. He settled in northern Fife and farmed successfully. As a result, there will be Thomsons with ties here.

Thomsons who were recorded

In 1318, a John Thomson led part of Edward Bruce's invading army in Ireland on behalf of Robert the Bruce. In Edward Bruce's war in Ireland in 1318, John Thomson, "a man of low birth but approved valour," led the men of Carrick (Hailes, II, p.102, 206).

Adam Thomson, Lord of Kylnekylle, Ayreshire, 1370-1380 (Laing 64).

In 1398, Johannes filius Thome was elected bailie of Aberdeen (CRA, p.374).

In 1401 (Friars Ayr, p.37), John Thomson witnessed a grant in Ayr. Donald Thomson was a member of an inquest to determine the Templer lands' pasturage rights over the adjoining town and territory in 1461 (Strathendrick, p. 222).

According to Workman's Manuscript, "Thomson of that Ilk" is Henry Thomson, Lyon King of Arms, 1504-12, who held lands in the barony of Dirleton in East Lothian, not on the Border.

In 1548, the property of three brothers named Thomasson in the barony of Skebo was seized for slaughter (ibid,. II, p. 609).

James Thomson (1700-1748) was an English poet best known for his poem "Rule Britannia," which is considered a classic of English literature. Alexander "Greek" Thomson was a notable architect of the nineteenth century who is gaining recognition at the end of the twentieth. In December 1845, Robert William Thomson invented the pneumatic tyre, and though born in Belfast, scientist and inventor William Thomson became associated with Glasgow University and became Lord Kelvin. He gave the temperature measurement "Kelvin" his name.

The Clan Today and Thomson's Worldwide

William Thompson of Tower City was born in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, around 1839 or 1840, the son of Alexander Thompson (1805-1873), an immigrant from Scotland who came to America in 1828 to work in various industries such as flour milling, lumbering, and mining.

Many Thomsons emigrated or were forced to emigrate to Ireland, some as refugees, and others to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

With the help of organizations such as The Clan Thompson Society in the United States, the borders branch of this Family may end up locating a Clan Chief, establishing it as a separate identified Clan. Other pockets of Thomsons are likely to remain as part of other Clans, such as MacThomas, MacTavish, or Mackintosh.

Thomson Places & People

Thomson Locations:

Fiddes Castle, near Stonehaven. Thompsons owned it in the late 17th century.

Thomson Tartans

Thomson Hunting Contemporary

Camel MacTavish / Thomson

Dress Grey MacTavish / Thomson

MacThomas the Elder

MacThomas Contemporary

Thomson Crest & Coats of Arms

Thomson Clan Symbol:

Why is there a crest for the name Thomson?

The first evidence of a crest for the name Thomson we can find comes from the arms of Alexander Thomson, Bute Pursuivant (and thus a Herald), who registered arms on 01/07/1724 and had for his crest: A thistle proper, motto Pro patria.

In addition to the crest from Alexander Thomson's arms On the same page of the Register, John Thomson of Charlton (crest: a stag's head erased proper, motto: Honesty is the best policy) is listed.

Andrew Thomson, Advocate in Aberdeen (crest: A crane holding in its beak a twig of palm proper, motto: Curae cedit fatum - Fate yields to carefulness) is also on the same page. Any of these could be used as the Thomson family crest. We chose the first from Herald Alexander Thomson because it was the earliest and carried more weight because he was a Herald.

The above arms and crests are shown on a page from the register.

The Thom(p)son Society Emblem

The Thom(p)son Society has a crest that has been registered. This can be worn by Society members but is not the Clan's crest (as it can be worn by anyone with the surname Thom(p)son).

The Clan Thompson Society's corporate crest is as follows: Crest a Border Reiver on horseback Proper, with the Motto 'DENY US NOT' in an Escrol over the same.

Thomson Family Crest

Thomson's Arms of that Sort

Sir David Ogilvy's Seton Armorial (1591) described the "elder" coat of arms as: Thomosone - Argent, a stag's head cabossed Sable charged between the attires by a mullet Gules. This is not listed in the Arms Register.

Gules, a stag's head cabossed Argent Or, and on a chief Azure, a cross crosslet fitchy Or between two spur-rowells Argent.

Alex Thomson of Banchory's arms.

The arms of 18 Thomsons from Gayre's Roll of Scottish Arms, as well as the enigmatic Thomson of that ilk and Allan Thomson.

Thomson's remaining arms in the Lyon Office Ordinary, vol.II. Roy Herbert Thomson's first coat has been omitted because, upon becoming Lord Thomson of Fleet, he changed the original moose-head in his arms to the usual Thomson stag's head. The moose was appropriate for a Canadian, but perhaps he became a British subject and felt compelled to Scottify his arms.

Thomson, Theodore Radford Forrester (1897-1981)

Arms:

Argent and Azure on a slant Sable, a mullet between two cabossed stags' heads Or

Crest:

A gauntleted hand in pale holding a flaming torch in proper bend

Motto:

Above the Crest: Acquanimitas (Calm Mind).

Veritas Praevalebit (Truth Will Prevail) is written beneath the shield.

Lord Kelvin, Baron of Largs (1824-1907), William Thomson

Largs' Baron Kelvin of Netherhall

(Knighted on November 10, 1866, and elevated to the peerage in 1892)

Lord Kelvin is a scientist. Lord Kelvin is a scientist.

Argent, a stag's head cabossed Gules, a thunderbolt Proper winged Or, on a chief Azure, between two spur revels of the field. [1866]

A cubit arm erect vested Azure, cuffed Argent, holding five ears of rye Proper.

Supporters: Dexter: A University of Glasgow student, habited [Gules], holding a marine voltmeter in his dexter hand.

Sinister: A sailor in [Azure] garb, holding a coil in the dexter hand, the rope passing through the sinister, and a sinker of a sounding machine suspended therefrom, all Proper.

(Over the crest) Motto: Honesty without fear.