George Hunter MacThomas Thoms

George Hunter MacThomas Thoms of Aberlemno FRSE FSA (Scot) (1831–1903) was a 19th-century Scottish advocate and the 16th clan chief of Clan MacThomas.[1] A wealthy bachelor he was a generous benefactor to the Church of Scotland.[2]

Life
26 Cluny Drive, Edinburgh
The grave of George Hunter MacThomas Thoms, Morningside Cemetery

He was born at Aberlemno on 3 June 1831 the son of Grace Watt and her husband, Patrick Hunter Thoms, Provost of Dundee.[3] He was educated at the High School of Dundee[4] then studied law at the University of Edinburgh.[2]

He qualified as an advocate then lived and practiced from 13 Albany Street in Edinburgh's New Town.[5] In 1862 he was promoted to Advocate Depute allowing him to move to a large house at 52 Great King Street.[6]

From 1870 to 1899 he served as Sheriff of Caithness, Orkney and Shetland.

In his role as clan chief he oversaw the choice of tartan for the Clan MacThomas, now known as Ancient MacThomas.[2][7]

In the 1870s he was one of the major donators to the restoration of St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.

In 1884 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Thomas Stevenson, Alexander Forbes Irvine, Peter Guthrie Tait and Alexander Buchan.[8]

He was a member of the Royal Company of Archers and was Honorary Vice Admiral of the Pentland Firth.[3]

He retired to 26 Cluny Drive in the Morningside district of south-west Edinburgh.[9]

He died on 25 October 1903 unmarried and childless. His will included a then large sum of £60,000 for St Magnus Cathedral in Orkney (the equivalent of £7 million in 2000).[10] The cathedral used this money for a major restoration including a large stained glass window (the main east window) now known as the "Thoms Window".[2]

Thoms is buried in Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh. The grave lies on the outer south-west wall and records his benefaction to St Giles.[11]

Artistic recognition

His portrait in naval uniform is held by the Orkney Museum.[12]

Publications
  • Treatise on Judicial Factors
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gollark: I have, yes.
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gollark: Palaiologos is basically just amoral, yes.

References
  1. "George Hunter Macthomas Thoms, 2nd of Aberlemno b. 3 Jun 1831 d. 1903 Unmarried: MacFarlane Clan & Families Genealogy". clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  2. "Clan NC GHMT". clanmacthomas.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  3. "Person Page". thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  4. "St Magnus Cathedral". sites.scran.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  5. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1857
  6. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1865
  7. "Tartan Details - The Scottish Register of Tartans". tartanregister.gov.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  8. Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0 902 198 84 X.
  9. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1902
  10. "Kirkwall, Orkney – St Magnus Cathedral, the general tour | Northernvicar’s Blog". northernvicar.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  11. "www.findagrave.com/memorial/163426160/george-hunter_macthomas-thoms". findagrave.com. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  12. "Sheriff George Hunter MacThomas Thoms". Art UK. Retrieved 2018-11-11.


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