Author Topic: A single family for Lyon Court  (Read 12633 times)

Thomas Thompson

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A single family for Lyon Court
« on: November 16, 2009, 10:22:37 AM »
        Lord Lyon has consistently requested Thomson family history verified by being  related and  by migration from the Border areas to other Lowland areas.
    We have tried to do this by researching  family trees from available records, but have been stymied by a large lack of family histories. In other words we have failed. :(
   So we have to find another method!!!   :)
    If we can show Lord Lyon a significant number of Thom(p)son's with verifiable DNA links showing a blood relationship, then we can prove we are a closely related family and are thus entitled to a true clan status. We still plan to petition for Corporate Arms, but having a DNA line would make our case very much stronger.
    Over the weekend I talked to Bruce Thompson and he would like to see more family histories that show a Scottish/Irish/American migration. This would enable our members to expand their search areas. For example XX born in Scotland in 1730 moved to America and settled in NC in 1765 Married  to XX and had XX children.
     We could assign a number (98765) to this family and anyone requesting additional information could then contact the individual posting  (98765) information.
     You can save some money now at Family Tree Thompson Project for a 37 marker test for only $139.00. SAVINGS OF $30.00 NOW  Go to:  http://www.familytreedna.com/products.aspx and order your Thom(p)son DNA kit. This is important to all of us AND our descendants.

John ThomsonHollingsworth

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2009, 06:34:09 AM »
When I had checked doing Thomson DNA project , I was advised that true family DNA only passes from male to male, There is some possible DNA through the female line but not as positive.
As I am a Thomson because my mother is/was a Thomson, they recomended not doing the test.
I could not get the only living male Thomson (my cousin) to participate in DNA testing.
My DNA is listed in the Hollingsworth family DNA project.
John

Mary

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2009, 08:41:29 AM »
Reading the information on the mitochondrial testing, you're right.......it only promises ethnicity and geographic area. Not enough to help us, other than to be able to say your mother's Thomsons originated in "place X."  Probably not worth the $99.

Go find your cousin, hold him down and swab his mouth  >:(  You'd think this was some kind of major operation the way some people avoid it! I'd help hold him :)

Donna

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2009, 12:51:45 AM »
Hey John,
I'm in the same position with the DNA testing...our only Thompsons, still living, are all female.    But, Bless you for trying!    :-*

Donna
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Stirling Thompson

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2009, 09:28:57 AM »
Similar problem here, I get the name from my grandmother who had my father out of wedlock so he had her name and passed it on to my brother and me. When asked, my father always insisted that his father was Augustus Thompson (his grandfather) so I'm not sure if I want to even go there.
Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

Xandra

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2009, 03:35:17 AM »
Hi Thomas,
I have been researching my Thomson line for a number of years. My grandmother is a Thomson and is 90 years of age.  I have this line going back to Alexander Thomsone born cir 1633 Tranent East Lothian.  I have found all the births for the descendants of Alexander Thomsone in East Lothian on Scotlandspeople. My 2nd great grandfather James thomson came to Australia in 1883. 
Hope this helps
Xandra

Thomas Thompson

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2009, 11:34:01 AM »
Hi Xandra

   Yes it helps a lot.  I have been talking to our in house genealogy expert and she is going to attempt a posting of the family lines of our members. What we need is: name, date of birth/christening, town, marrage, children, moved to ??, death, and so on.
   I think it is interesting that you may have had a name change of Thomsone to Thomson. I also know of members who are looking for Australian connections.
   I do have several pages of parish records from  1600 through the early 1700s. So it is possible we could find additional information about your ancestors.
Thomas

Sis Thompson's oldest

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2009, 07:41:37 AM »
OK this is where I show my ignorance.........

So, in town (Asheville, NC) there is a Celtic store and they have all manner of Scottish and Irish goods. Tartans, badges, and the like. The owner is a Ferguson, fascinating lady, a wee bit grumpy, but we got past that. She showed me the tartans and asked what Clan I was. I didn't know what to say! Well I did but I wasn't sure and here's why. We are trying to get Lyon Court to recognize Thom(p)son as a Clan and I said as much to Mistress Ferguson. (Yep, Mistress, her request) Her reply was, "Well of course there is a Clan Thom(p)son!" Then she proceeded to show me the Tartans, the blue that I've seen in pictures on Clan Thompson Society web site, then a grey (really liked that one!) and a red that I've seen on Clan McTavish web site (yeah, I admit I went there to look but wasn't getting that "warm fuzzy" and so didn't plunk my money down) then a hunting tartan and so on.

My question is if there are tartans for the Thom(p)son Clan, then isn't there a Clan? Or does a tartan not a Clan make?

All you educators out there enlighten me.

On another note my dear man just bought me a new bottle of LAPHROAIG!
Love that stuff!
Cheers,
Sherry
The bad news? There is no key to the universe. The good news? It was never locked.

Stirling Thompson

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2009, 09:35:08 AM »
Sherry,
Let's see if I can muddy things up a bit for you. The answer is No, a tartan does not make a clan. A tartan can represent just about anything, clans, corporations, cities, counties, states, provinces, countries, military branches, regiments, individuals, etc, etc, etc.... ad infinitum. The Thomson blue tartan was created especially for Lord Thomson of Fleet, the gray Thomson is generally regarded as a trade tartan as is the camel, the red Thomson is actually MacTavish but since the late MacTavish chief claimed the Thomson blue as his dress tartan many vendors have apparently taken to referring to the MacTavish as Thomson red and hunting tartans are generally the base sett for a tartan done primarily in browns and greens (I could be wrong on this last part). Tartans are registered but there doesn't seem to be any actual law regarding their usage and it is generally up to the chief to decide the appropriate tartans for clan members. Since we're not officially recognized as a clan we've mostly adopted the Thomson blue and since Lord Thomson of Fleet can trace his ancestry to Eskdale on the borders it seems most appropriate. Hope this helps.
Stu
Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

Sis Thompson's oldest

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2009, 03:16:00 PM »
Thanks Stu,

That clears up the Tartan question for me. Though, I was hoping for a different outcome....you know........ there's the Tartan, here's the Clan. Oh well.......... So when I make my purchase (a sash to start I think) the blue is the preferred?

Thanks again!
Sherry

The bad news? There is no key to the universe. The good news? It was never locked.

Michael Thompson

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Re: A single family for Lyon Court
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2009, 07:01:42 PM »
It WOULD be nice Sherry, if there were one authoritative answer to this question, but alas, it is not to be. Yes, the blue seems to be the most preferred and dominant tartan used by Thompsons, and the most recognizable. The camel is very common in Scotland as "burberry check" and quite popular as a fashion accessory. The grey is quite nice looking. The Hunting version is fairly rare, but I know some young people who are quite fond of it.

The real truth is that "clan tartans" as some official designation are largely the invention of a 19th century cloth merchant, who thought it would be a good way to sell more cloth. Tartans are associated with certain clans, but there was no set of "official clan tartans" in the old days, and even the kilt is of uncertain origin.

Actually, the best text on this whole subject that I've ever seen was written by a kinsman, named J. Charles Thomson. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/So-Youre-Going-Wear-Kilt/dp/185217126X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260755892&sr=8-1.

I prefer the blue because it seems to be the most widely recognized and associated more with Thompson than MacTavish, though some of them like it as well. But there's a lot of latitude in this area, despite what you might hear from the so-called purists. Perhaps Mary can give some better information when she returns; after all, she sells kilts.

Cheers,

Michael
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