William Taylour Thomson

Sir William Taylour Thomson KCMG CB (1813-1883) was a British military officer and diplomat.

The unusual twin grave of William Taylour Thomson and his wife, Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh

Military career

He was a gifted military officer. When the British ship "Tigris" sank in the Euphrates river he was one of the survivors. In 1839 he participated in taking of Herat. He served in Iran in 1849 and 1853 to 1855.[1]

Diplomatic career

He was the British Chargé d'Affaires to Persia between 1849–55 and Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary 1872-79[2] Between 1855 and 1873 he served in Chile. He was succeeded by his younger brother Ronald Ferguson Thomson.

He retired to Edinburgh living at 27 Royal Terrace, an impressive Georgian townhouse on Calton Hill.[3]

He died on 15 September 1883 and is buried in Warriston Cemetery in an unusual double sarcophagus next to his wife. The grave lies on the north side of a main diagonal path just south of the vaults.

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References
  1. http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/iran/dip.html
  2. "British Diplomatic Representatives in Iran 1800-1950". British Library Help for Researchers. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  3. Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directories 1875 to 1883
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