Author Topic: SIR THOMAS THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, KNIGHT  (Read 22848 times)

Allan Thomson

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SIR THOMAS THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, KNIGHT
« on: January 08, 2010, 09:29:15 AM »
SIR THOMAS THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, KNIGHT

Descent
The first record of the family of Sir Thomas Thomson of Duddingston is his Great Grandfather, Thomas Thomson of Duddingston who married Catherine Towers (daughter of John Towers of Innerleith.  Its unknown how many children they had but there is evidence that this is the parents of Alexander Thomson of Duddingston (Grandfather of Sir Thomas) who married Catherine Lawson (daughter of Sir William Lawson of Boghall).  Alexander and Catherine had a son also called Alexander Thomson of Duddingston (Father of Sir Thomas) who married Margaret Preston (Daughter of Alexander Preston of Edinbugh, sister of Sir Johm, President of the Court of Session).  There is a stone tablet inside Duddingston Kirk, Old Church Lane, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH15 3PX marked as follows:

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A shield divided per pale. On the dexter side: Ar. a stag's head cabossed gu., attired or., in a chief  gu., a cresc. & 2 mullets or. (For Thomson). On the sinister:  Ar. 3 Unicorns couped sa. (For Preston).  Dies Mortis Aeternae Vitae Natalis est Fidelibus. 10.1.1603  (The day of death is the birth of life for the faithful).
This stone is a memorial to Magister Alexander Thomson and his wife Margaret Preston.  
(I am unsure if the Blazon for the Thomson section of the shield is correct... )

Alexander and Margaret had the following children:

1)   John Thomson (thought to have died without legitimate issue)
2)   Sir Thomas Thomson, 1st Bart of Duddingston (Died before March 1666)

Sir Thomas Thomson of Duddingston, Knight is mentioned in the Parliamentary records of Scotland in 1633.  He was assigned the lands of Duddingston within the Sheriffdom of Edinburgh.  [He apparently bought these lands from Lord Roxburgh http://www.baronage.co.uk ].  He is mentioned in 1648, 1649 and much later in 1661.  [It is stated that his son Patrick sold the lands in 1666 http://www.baronage.co.uk ]
The Thomson Baronetcy, of Duddingston in Edinburgh, was created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 20 February 1636 for Thomas Thomson. The title became dormant on the death of the third Baronet in 1691.

Sir Thomas Thomson, 1st Baronet married (mcrt 17.09.1627) Margaret Scrymgeour (daughter of John Scrymgeour, 1st Viscount of Dudhope).  Thomas and Margaret Scrymgeour had the following children

1)   Thomas Thomson (Baptised 9 Dec 1627, died before father and without issue)
2)   Sir Patrick Thomson, 2nd Baronet (1637-c. 1674)
3)   Sir James Thomson, 3rd Baronet (d. 1691)

Thomas, Patrick and James appear to have died without a legitimate heir.  The title became dormant on the death of (James) the 3rd Baronet.  Its thought that there was a sister from this generation, Rebecca Thomson who married Sir John Hay of Barra and Lands.
It seems that the arms for this family were never registered with the Lord Lyon in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings (started 1672).  Its possible the arms were recorded in some earlier record.  

Further research may be of interest but there is not thought to be any existing Thomson’s who could matriculate these arms.  The arms appear to have existed at the time of Sir Thomas Thomson's father (per the representation on the memorial stone) and this leaves the possibility that another branch of the family might be able to prove a link to these arms... although I would think this is unlikely.

The arms below are thought to be a representation of the arms of Thomson of Duddingston but they are at variance to the Blazon (description) above.

Allan Thomson


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« Last Edit: January 16, 2010, 08:37:02 PM by Forum_mgr »

Allan Thomson

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Re: SIR THOMAS THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, KNIGHT
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2010, 10:05:04 AM »
A search of the index for Scottish Wills and testaments etc provides the following:

The testament, dative and inventory of Sir Patrick Thomsone of Duddingston 15 April 1674 are held by Edinburgh Commisary Court and are available via www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

The testament dative and inventory of Sir James Thomson of Duddingston dated 28 Jan 1691 are held by Edinburgh Commissary Court and are available online via www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Allan Thomson

Allan Thomson

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Re: SIR THOMAS THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, KNIGHT
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2010, 01:07:39 PM »
Hmmm.  thought this line of enquiry was dead but I accidentally seem to have uncovered records of another Thomson branch here.... I was looking for another Thomson armiger amongst the Lyon Court records (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) and noticed this entry further down the page.... copied below for anyone interested:

Lyon Records 13th July 1781
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John Thomson Esquire Secretary to the Honourable Board of Excise in Scotland, descended from the ancient Family of Thomson of Duddingston by David Thomson second son of Thomas Thomson of Duddingston BEARS Argent a stags head cabussed Gules on a chief engrailed azure a cross crosslet fitched Or between two spur revels of the field CREST A cross crosslet fitched Gules MOTTO Optima est Veritas.  Matriculated 13th July 1781

more research required....



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