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John
Thomson of Duddingston, Pastor and Painter
Appendix |
PEDIGREE OF REV. JOHN THOMSON OF
DUDDINGSTON
JOHN THOMSON’S
progenitors resided at Weddersbie, and appear
ai proprietors of the lands of Newton of Collessie, in Fife. James
Thomson, of Newton of Collessie, on the 27th June 1618, being then on the
point of death, constituted Bessie Stirk, his lawful spouse, tutrix to
their children William, James, Robert, George, John, and three daughters,
and ‘commends his saull to the protectioun of Almightie God, and the
revenge of his innocent blood, committit be malicious persons, in the
handes of God and his deai and loving friends.’ He died on the following
day (Confirmed Testaments, St. Andrews). James Thomson, his
great-grandson, after the Revolution, became minister of Colinton, near
Edinburgh, and was translated to Elgin, 21st June 1696. His wife,
Elizabeth Paterson, a daughter of Thomas Paterson, minister of Borthwick,
and widow of George Turnbull of Currie, died in 1698; but he again
married, as on the 12th February 1718 he had a Charter of Confirmation to
himself (as son of the late William Thomson of Newton of Collessie), to
Janet Brodie, his spouse, in conjunct fee, of the said lands, formerly
held of James, Earl of Southesk, as superior. He died at Elgin, 1st June
1726, and bequeathed 600 merks to buy Bibles for the poor of the parish
(Shaw’s History of Moray, p. 241). The eldest son, James Thomson,
M.D., Elgin, sold the lands of Newton in 1760, and died unmarried. He was
the translator of the Commentaries of the Emperor Antoninus
(London, 1747, 8vo). The second son, Thomas Thomson, was admitted minister
of Auchtermuchty, in 1701. He
married, in 1715, Margaret, daughter of Hugh Craig, minister of Galashiels,
by whom he had a numerous family, and died 1st January 1733 at the age of
56. His sixth son, of the same name, was for some time previous to 1753
tutor in the family of Sir James Ferguson of Kilkerran, by whom he was
presented to the parish of Daily. He became minister of Dailly in 1756,
and was the father of a large family. He died, 19th February 1799, at the
age of 70. By his first wife, Peggy Hope, daughter of the Hon. Sir
Alexander Hope of Carse, he had one daughter, Margaret, who was married to
her cousin, Rev. James Thomson, minister of Girvan, afterwards of
Prestonkirk. By his second wife, Mary Hay of Lochside, widow of Mr.
Lockhart, he had four sons and four daughters, of whom Thomas Thomson was
the eldest, and John Thomson the fourth son, the other sons being Francis
and Adam. These were born as follows :—Thomas Thomson, 10th November 1768;
Francis, 10th February 1770; Adam, 28th October 1776; and John, 1st
September 1778. The daughters were Christian, born 1771; Mary, 1773;
Agnes, 1775; and Helen in 1780. The youngest of these, Miss Helen Thomson,
became the wife of Professor James Pillans, of Edinburgh University, being
married to him 9th August 1811. Mrs. Thomson, their mother, died at
Edinburgh, 21st January 1822, aged 76.
PORTRAITS OF THE REV. JOHN THOMSON
There are several good portraits of
the artist-minister extant, of which two are to be found in the SCOTTISH
NATIONAL GALLERY.
1.
PORTRAIT BY ROBERT Scorr LAUDER,
R.S.A., his son-in-law, is a
half-length front view, of small size, 25 inches by 20 inches. Thomson is
here represented standing at a table fully robed in black Geneva gown and
bands, with his left hand resting easily on a large open Bible, while his
right is thrust into his side and is partly shaded by the folds of the
gown. His easel is introduced in the background with a large framed canvas
upon it, his palette being suspended on the wall above, indicative, we
presume, of the day of rest.
The execution of the details is
characterised by Lauder’s carefulness of finish and tasteful colouring,
the hands being specially Morthy of notice for their delicacy and
refinement of drawing.
The picture is the property of the
Royal Scottish Academy, through whose courtesy it has been reproduced in
photogravure, and forms the frontispiece to this volume.
2.
PORTRAIT BY WILLIAM WALLACE,
an artist who practised in Edinburgh as
a portrait painter for ten or fifteen years, and about 1833 settled in
Glasgow. He followed out the same line of Art there with some success, and
died in 1866.
On a canvas 33 inches by 26 inches,
upright, a full-length portrait of Thomson is given. He is represented
seated at his easel, on which there is a large framed canvas, with a
partly finished woody landscape. His left hand holds the painter’s palette
and maistick, while his elbow rests on the rail of the low circular-backed
armchair. The right hand hangs easily by his side, while the right leg is
crossed over the knee.
Thomson, in this picture, is dressed
in the usual clerical garb of the period, black coat and trousers, with
deep black scarf round the throat, over which his collar is barely
visible. He appears to be about the age of fifty-two, so that it was
probably painted in 1830. It represents him with a high, bald forehead,
with a tinge of grey on the whiskers and side locks. There is a bright
sparkle in his eye, and a smile plays round his lips.
The portrait was bequeathed to the
National Gallery by Thomson’s brother-in-law, Professor Pillans.
Two replicas of it by the same
artist were in the possession of the late Mr. Lockhart Thomson, one of
which has been exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh for
some years on loan.
PORTRAIT BY SIR HENRY RAEBURN, RA.
25 inches by 30 inches. This fine portrait of Thomson by his friend Sir
Henry, now in the possession of Archibald Stirling, Esq. of Keir, Bridge
of Allan, is a head and bust; representing him at the age of forty-five,
while still in his manly vigour, and before his waving raven locks had
become grey or had left his massive forehead. The eyes are keen and
searching, the lips full and expressive, as if ‘the deep, tremulous
emotions were ready to break down in a flood of tears.’ The broad collar
of the coat and vest are thrown well back, exposing to view a spotless
white cravat. The flesh tints are in Raeburn’s best style, being clear,
fresh, and healthy.
This picture has been engraved by
Alexander Hay, but the plate hardly does justice to the original:
impressions of it are scarce.
The portrait was long the property
of the Raeburn family, and was lent by them to the Raeburn Exhibition in
Edinburgh in 1876. It was afterwards acquired by the late William Stirling,
Esq. of Keir.
PORTRAIT BY YELLOWLEES. 15k inches
by 12 1/2 inches. In the possession of Ralph Dundas, Esq., Drumsheugh
Gardens, Edinburgh.
Thomson is represented in
half-length sitting before an easel, upon which is a canvas with a
mountain landscape. He appears as a comparatively young man—certainly not
more than forty—the side view of his face exhibiting a slightly protruding
under lip. He wears a pair of spectacles, and the brown dressing-gown is
handsomely trimmed with fur on the collar and sleeves. The portrait, if
not bearing a close resemblance to the others mentioned, is very
pleasingly composed, and daintily painted.
It was exhibited in the Loan
Exhibition of National Portraits in 1884. |
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