clanforum
General Category => NEW MEMBERS! Introduce yourselves here! => Topic started by: Scott Thomson on March 22, 2009, 11:59:54 AM
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Hello,
My name is Scott Thomson I live in Aberdeen, Scotland.
My family has been firmly established in Aberdeenshire in the north-east of Scotland since at least the middle of the 18th century, unfortunately I can get no further back than 1746.
I came across your website and I have to say that I am impressed by what you are trying to achieve, it's about time Thomson's stood up to be counted, I am sick to the back teeth of Clan MacTavish trying to misappropriate our name to boost their numbers.
I note on your site that you concentrate on the Thomson's in the borders of Scotland, which is understandable as I am familiar with Thomson of that Ilk, and the border history of the Thomsons.
I have always had a great interest in the history of my country and family, so to honour both my interests and my late father I chose to become an armiger in 1992. I was informed by the Lord Lyon at the time that a stag's head was the appropriate emblem for a Thomson, and I was granted what I consider a beautiful coat-of-arms, that not only honours my Thomson heritage, but also my mother's O'Brien heritage.
I chose for the crest an arm sleeved in the hunting Thomson tartan holding a cross-crosslet-fitchee, which is a common symbol found on arms of Thomsons and Aberdeenshire families.
I look forward to getting to know you on this forum.
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Scott,
Welcome! It's great to have a member actually on the ground in Scotland but I should caution you we'll probably ask you to do a lot leg work for us. Ive done a lot of research on the internet and I've seen Thomsons found all over Scotland. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that if you shake any family tree in Scotland, Ireland or England one or more Thomsons, Thompsons, Tomsons etc. etc. etc... is bound to fall out. Your arms look quite handsome I must say, how about posting a larger version so we can get good look and be really jealous! Again, welcome to the Clan Thompson Society I hope you will look upon us as family and I look forward to lots more posts from across the pond!
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I agree with Stu, Scott. Would love to see a bigger version so we could admire your arms.
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Hey Scott Thomson,
Welcome to the Forum and I'm sooooo happy to have you join our family ;D
Donna
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Hello and Welcome,Scott!! Aberdeen is a beautiful place and it is on my list of places to see if I'm ever able to come over. I like to ghost hunt and Dunnottar castle is one of my places of interest, in the Whigs Vault Dungeon, I think that would be great! Anyway, welcome to you and your family and so greatful you decided to join us in our search for the truth.
yours in family and spirit, Bev
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Welcome Scott
I am glad you decided to post on our forum. We began this journey after talking to Allan Thomson (armiger) and agreeing that Thomson had a legitimate place in Scotland’s history. He indicated that the time required to restore Clan Thomson might detract from his immediate personal issues (newly married and Studies),but I expect that we will greatly benefit from his future support.
My initial conversations with Lord Lyon were based upon being a noble community, a stem line of the Thomson of that ilk (stag head) and searching for a chiefly line or one elected by a derbhfine. At the present time it looks as if Lyon court might take a dim view of an elected chief unable to claim a blood link. We are in great need of guidance in dealing with the Lyon Court. As a primarily American group we know very little about Court protocol. I realize that in Lyon’s eyes a clan either is recognized or it isn’t based upon a chief. However, without Lord Lyon’s acceptance of our claim as a family/clan since the 1500rds we face great obstacles. Which is why we are now considering corporate arms.
Our immediate problem in America is due to some who contend that we are not ‘officially recognized’ and thus should not be included in any Scotland heritage events.
I hope that by working together we will be able to restore our Scottish heritage.
Tom
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Hail Scott! Please excuse my ignorance regarding protocol and terms. Please define for me what you stated you are. (armiger) We only recently traced ourselves back to James Thompson (Jimmie) and so being Scot is new and exciting for us. I am our family research geneologist and have spent many hours on Ancestry.com searching for our roots. We hope we are able to visit the ancestral lands in Scotland and Ireland. My Celtic blood link is Dye from Ireland and as years back they fled Ireland for France to escape religious persecution and there were strong anti-papal sentiments. I am married to Jimmie Thompson and I have a pretty convincing ancestor lineage back to Alexander Thom(p)son from (we think) Kilbirnie. I found one old church record of an Alexander married to a Wayson in the 1600's and the registration of the birth of their children. We are told that one Captain Alexander fought in the Tyrone rebellion, I am unsure if this is any of our lineage. It's all pretty exciting and I am glad you have added yourself to our circle.
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Hello again,
I'd just like to thank everybody for the warm welcome to the forum, and I hope to post more in the future.
Pamela wanted to know what an armiger is, well it's pretty straight forward, an armiger, or Duine Uasal in Gaelic is anybody who owns and has the right to use a coat-of-arms. It also means I have the right to wear a single eagle's feather in my bonnet, alas at the time of writing I have never had the need to do this!
Beverly, if you ever get the chance to see Dunnottar Castle you should, I have visited many times and I still find it breathtaking, although it is best to go in summer as it can be mightly cold at any other time of year!
And for Michael and Stirling who wanted to see a bigger picture of my arms:
(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr343/Abaddon_the_Just/ScottThomsonCoatofArmssmallest.jpg)
The scan doesn't really do the or (gold/yellow) on the shield justice, but you get the idea.
Scott.
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WOW!
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Hello Scott;
Welcome and thanks for posting. Hopefully you will keep us informed about our homeland. I have traced my ancestry back to Kilbirnie, Scotland. However, before returning to Scotland my ancestors lived in Antrim, Ireland. A Captain Alexander Thompson was given land there for fighting in a war. Strangely enough, My 5G Grandfather was given land in Georgia for fighting in the American Revolutionary War. Have you been to Kilbirnie and if so what is it like there and are there still some Thompsons there? I hope to visit Scotland someday. Have a great day. Jimmie Thompson
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And for Michael and Stirling who wanted to see a bigger picture of my arms:
(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr343/Abaddon_the_Just/ScottThomsonCoatofArmssmallest.jpg)
That's pretty cool Scott. Your stag has a face and everything. Nice detail. What's the motto? Reminds me a little of the Campbell motto you often find on Thompson crests on the internet.
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Hi,
My motto Noli Oblivisce means Do Not Forget. It is indeed similar to both the Campbell and MacTavish mottoes which are Ne Obliviscaris and Non Oblitus respectively, but this is not the reason I chose my motto, It was something that was personal to me and my life and what I felt about my own personal history.
I've never been to Kilbirnie Jimmie as it is the opposite end of the country from where I stay but I understand that it is a lovely town, and I don't doubt that there are Thomsons there, we are everywhere in Scotland! ;D
Maybe it's because I was born and brought up in the North-East of Scotland but I have to say that I have never actually met a Scot with the Thompson spelling, only Thomson.
Thomson is the 6th most common surname in Scotland, Thompson is 99th......however I understand that it is different in North America for various reasons. ;D
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Hi Scott!
Question: Looking at your arms, what is between the lion and the stag??? I can't figure it out.
So glad you've jumped in on the forum....!
As far as the ThomPson spelling, it is more common along the borders....over here, it was mostly from transcribing and pronunciation errors. That happened a lot more than we realize. My maternal grandfather was from Wales and his name was Davies. But when he got to the immigration point and gave his name, they wrote it down as Davis and for 30 years everything he did was as a Davis. He finally decided to go back and visit family in Wales and had his name legally changed to what it WAS originally. Weird, huh? But if they can do this to Davies, just THINK what they did to Thomson where they 'heard' the silent "p." Lots of us have family records where it's spelled both ways. Makes genealogy a bit tougher! :'(
By the way, I'm awfully glad you kept the stag on your arms :) It appears some of the newer armigers (I think they are the newer ones!) aren't using it.
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Hi Mary,
Between the Lion and the Stag on my shield is a millrind: (the iron which supports the upper millstone of a corn-mill, and carries the eye which rests upon the end of the mill spindle), this was to commemorate my late father who worked as a millwright.
The stag was actually recommended by Lyon himself as he said it was the most appropriate charge for a Thomson, but I would have insisted on the Stag anyway as I was keen to keep that link with Thomsons of the past.
Scott.
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Aha! Thanks so much for the explanation! I never would have guessed that.
They are lovely arms - I'll bet the gold really shows up bright and deep on the original grant! What made you decide to apply for arms? Did your father/gfather or someone earlier have them?
Mary
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I chose to apply for arms for various reasons, my love of Scottish history, and my keen interest in heraldry, were a couple but the main reason was to honour my late father who died when I was 7 years old. I thought it would be a keen reminder of where I came from and to the family I belonged to.
It's hard to explain adequately.
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Scott,
That is a very touching tribute to your father and your heritage. It is hard to loose a parent so young. This was a wonderful way to confirm your connection to the man you were seperated from physically way too soon. It is a handsome arms and honors not only your father but you also, and the fact that you did this speaks loudly of your mettle. Your father would be very, very proud of his son. Karma
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Thank you Pamela, that's very kind of you to say.
Scott.
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you are very welcome. and please forgive my mis-spelling of separated. Karma
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I can't think of a better reason than remembrance/homage to family and country. If Tom could ever find that elusive link...............
'Good on ya!'
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Sorry to change the subject but has anybody heard from STU? Off to bed now. Karma
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Karma,
I'm still here just been a little busy lately. It's nice know someone misses me when I disappear though! And speaking of disappearing... where's Katey? It only takes one day to have a birthday... I know I had mine the end of February... it sure is tough to get old! Oh yeah, about spelling... the forum has automatic spell checking. It will underline a misspelled word in red and if you right click on the word it will offer suggestions.
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Hey Stu!
Katey posted today! check it out.........
Mary
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Hello Scott and a warm welcome to the forum. It's great to have a member in Scotland! You can teach us so much about her customs and history.
I have an email friend living in Perth and he has sent a lot of Scottish history to me. He was forester for Laird Drummond at Stobhal Estate for 28 years and a very patriotic Scot. Unfortunately the old Laird died and his grandson inherited and did away with a lot of positions at the estate and my friend's job was one of the cuts. I have another email friend who lives 40 miles south of Edinburgh near Kelso in the Borders. She's sent some beautiful pictures of the village and countryside near where she lives. Unfortunately she doesn't know any of the history on Thom(p)sons although there are a lot around Kelso. Perhaps you could post some pictures of the countryside where you live, so those of us who will never get to see our ancestors homeland can drool over the pictures! ;D
I love your Arms and your tribute to your father in them. He would have to be proud of you.
In Clanship
Barbara