William Aird Thomson

The Very Rev Dr William Aird Thomson DD (1773-17 March 1863) was a Scottish minister and antiquarian who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1835.[1]

Life
Middle Church in Perth, now known as St Matthew's Church

He was born in the manse at Sanquhar the son of Rev Dr Thomson. The family moved to Markinch while he was still young.[2]

He studied divinity at the University of Glasgow.

He was ordained by the Church of Scotland as minister of Dalziel in 1801, then moved in 1808 to the far larger Middle Church in Perth in 1807.[3] The church, which stands in an imposing location on the River Tay was later renamed St Michael's.[4] At the same time his brother Rev Andrew Thomson was translated from Sprouston to the East Church in Perth. However, Andrew translated to New Greyfriars in Edinburgh in 1810.[5]

In 1833 the University of Glasgow. awarded him an honorary doctorate (DD).[6] In 1835 he succeeded Very Rev Patrick McFarlan as Moderator of the General Assembly.

In the Disruption of 1843 he left the established Church of Scotland and joined the Free Church of Scotland, establishing a new Free church in Perth. He went into semi-retirement in 1845 when Rev Thomas Dymock came to assist him.[7]

He died at home, 6 Athole Crescent in Perth[8] on 17 March 1863.

Family

He was married to Margaret Fraser, daughter of Luke Fraser. In 1841 their daughter Mary Anne Thomson married Walter Glass of Smiddiegreen who committed suicide by shooting himself in the head two months after the wedding.

Her sister Helen Mary Thomson married Prof Patrick Campbell Macdougall of the University of Edinburgh.[9]

The daughter Margaret Thomson married Rev John Reid Omond.[2]

Other children included Gilbert James Thomson (b.1813)[10] and Rev John William Thomson of the Free Church.

Publications
  • A History of the Circulation of the Scriptures (1814) with "Mr Orme"
  • Memoirs of the Late Rev James Scott (1820)
  • John Campbell of Carbrook (1827)
  • Letters on Church Politics (1832-6)[11]
  • Questions for Young Communicants
  • A Catechism on the Gospel of St Luke
gollark: Furnace: convert 1 iron ore to 1 iron.
gollark: !roll d6
gollark: !roll d6
gollark: I am going to mine nonfuel in mines 1, 2 and 3.
gollark: I'm going to mine fuel in mines 1, 2 and 3.

References
  1. "Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland genealogy project". geni_family_tree.
  2. Ewing, William Annals of the Free Church
  3. Traditions of Perth; George Penney (1820)
  4. Good Stuff. "Middle Church, (Formerly) and Halls, 4, 6 Tay Street., Perth, Perth and Kinross". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. Free Church Monthly; April 1863
  6. "University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of William Aird Thomson". universitystory.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  7. Free Church Monthly December 1845
  8. Perth Post Office Directory 1862-3
  10. "FamilySearch".
  11. Archives, The National. "The Discovery Service". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
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