McManus 168

William Gordon Thomson was the son of James Thomson, an architect, and his wife Mary Gordon.^[13] James Thomson had moved to Dumfries to convert the chapel in Buccleugh Street into a courthouse.^[20] He also designed various, simple churches within Dumfriesshire.^[20]

William’s father, having died of cholera in 1832^[20] at Dumfries^[20][21] when he was merely 12 years old, William and his widowed mother subsequently made their way to live and work in Dundee. Perhaps this had been a move for opportunities and to be closer to relatives, his mother, coming as she did, from Fordoun in Kincardineshire. They had established themselves in Dundee by 1841.^[6] William’s oldest brother, George, also an engineer, had married in Manchester in 1837^[22] but died at Poona in 1842.^[20] Another brother, James, was manager of Broadford Works in Aberdeen.^[23] James was later to join with his brother in Dundee at Douglas Foundry. In 1853, William Gordon Thomson wed Margaret Catherine Milne, the sister of his brother James’ wife, Elizabeth Milne.^[23]

On William’s return to Dundee from London in 1849,^[14] he was assumed as a partner in the firm of ‘John Kerr & Co,’ engineers and millwrights at Douglas Foundry in Blinshall Street.^[14] The firm is reported to have enjoyed much success, with William Gordon Thomson going on to gain a reputation as a skilled arbiter in many disputes.^[14] It was reported that from small beginnings, ‘the firm prospered, and extensions were gradually made until all the departments of a general engineer and founder’s business were included.’ ^[24]

On the dissolution of ‘John Kerr & Co’ in 1866, brought about by the retiral of the Kerr brothers, John and William, William Gordon Thomson was joined by his brother James,^[14] the business continuing under the title of ‘Messrs Thomson Brothers & Co.’^[14] A further change came in 1878, when the brothers were joined by William’s son, Alexander Gordon Thomson, to become known as ‘Messrs Thomson & Son & Co,’ with William Gordon Thomson being the senior partner.^[14]

Such was William Gordon Thomson’s reputation as a man at the head of his profession, that:

‘He, along with William Bruce Thomson (of Tay Foundry) was asked to ‘report on the advisableness of re-erecting the Tay Bridge on the old foundations from which it was blown on the night of 28 December 1879. The report was in favour of an independent structure being erected.’^[14]

The lease of the ground at Blinshall Street expired in 1889^[24] whereupon, ‘new buildings of a modern type’ were erected on ground feued at Clepington Road,^[24] on the south side of the new Suburban Railway.^[14] From there, the firm continued to do a large business, principally in mill gearing, jute machinery, cloth finishing and hydraulic work.^[14]

It would appear that having long manufactured machinery for the jute trade, William Gordon Thomson looked to diversify his interests during the 1870s. He became the sole partner of the ‘Clepington Spinning Company’^[25] which was established in North Isla Street in 1873/74.^[26]

William Gordon Thomson, engineer, iron founder and mill spinner died at his residence, ‘Fairfield‘ (a now listed building, situated at 7 Fairfield Road, West Ferry), survived by his son, Alexander Gordon Thomson, who had been associated in business with his father from 1871.