Archibald Thomson^[1]

1749 - 1819  (69 years)

• Name	Archibald Thomson
  Birth	7 May 1749	Netherknock, Westerkirk Parish, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
  Christening	7 May 1749
  Gender	Male
  Burial	Jan 1819	St. Andrew's Cemetry, Bendale,ON   [2]
  Death	22 Jan 1819	Scarborough Junction, Upper Canada   [3]
  Person ID	I5883	Whisperspast | Archibald
  Last Modified	7 May 2024

  
  

  Father	Andrew Thomson,   b. 5 Feb 1713, Netherknock, Westerkirk, Dumfieshire, Scotland d. 21 Dec 1792, Netherknock Croft, Scotland (Age 79 years)
  Mother	Jannett Scott,   b. 25 Oct 1717, Westerkirk, Dumfrieshire d. 22 Feb 1802, Netherknock Croft, Westerkirk, Dumfries, Scotland (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	22 Aug 1746	Westerkirk, Dumfieshire, Scotland
  Family ID	F2122	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth McKay,   b. 1762, Gamrie, Banffshire, Scotland d. 22 Apr 1817, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 55 years)
  Marriage	27 Jul 1781	Quebec City, Quebec
  Children	1. Andrew Thomson,   b. 25 Apr 1782, Quebec City, Quebec d. Abt 1850, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 67 years)   2. Mary Catherine Thomson,   b. 7 Dec 1783, Fort Detroit, Michigan d. 20 Aug 1827, Twsp. of York, Ontario (Age 43 years)   3. Janet Thomson,   b. 3 Sep 1785, Fort Detroit, Michigan d. 13 Jul 1871, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 85 years)   4. Elizabeth McKay Thomson,   b. 5 Jun 1787, Kingston, Ontario d. 24 Nov 1873, Scarborough Twsp,York Co.,Ontario (Age 86 years)   5. Helen Eleanor Thomson,   b. 30 Apr 1789, Thurlow twp, Bay of Quinte, Ontario d. 30 Mar 1872, East York, York, Ontario (Age 82 years)   6. Hugh Christopher Thomson,   b. 11 Aug 1791, Kingston, Upper Canada d. 23 Apr 1834, Kingston, Ontario (Age 42 years)   7. Edward William Thomson,   b. 15 Jan 1794, Kingstown Twsp, Upper Canada d. 20 Apr 1865, Toronto, Ontario (Age 71 years)   8. Alexander Stewart Thomson,   b. 28 Jul 1796, Newark, Upper Canada   9. Archibald John Thomson,   b. 1 Mar 1799, York, Upper Canada d. 4 Dec 1875, Scarborough Twsp,York Co.,Ontario (Age 76 years)   10. George Thomson,   b. 18 May 1801, Scarborough , Upper Canada d. 28 Sep 1840, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 39 years)   11. Agnes Nancy Thomson,   b. 17 Jan 1804, Scarborough , Upper Canada d. 17 Jun 1848 (Age 44 years)
  Family ID	F2128	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2024

  
  

• Notes

  Archibald was the first brother to come to North America in 1773, first to Harpersfield, New York State. There he cleared 12 acres of 100 acres tract and had a log house before 1775 on land owned by John Harper. With the start of the rebellion, came to Canada in 1775 and fought with McDonell's Loyalist Militia in the American Revolutionary War. As a master carpenter, he was engaged in the repair of forts. He was a Scout for Chief Joseph Brant in the Mohawk Valley New York and was imprisoned 1778 but escaped. Later, in 1779, he continued to serve as a militia officer in Fort Detroit under Gov. Hamilton, having been appointed Lieutenant by Lord Dorchester. in 1780 he settled at Carleton Island near Kingston, Ontario and had a wharf and store at Kingston. He had met Elizabeth McKay, whose family had come out from Scotland and settled nearby in New York State. Her father Hugh McKay, also a loyalist, with Elizabeth were later general merchants in Quebec city. Archibald and Elizabeth were married in Quebec City in 1781. He continued activity with Brant's Volunteers and at Fort Detroit until 1786. He and his wife, Elizabeth, settled in Kingston in 1786. While there he built a home for Sir John Johnston (1789) and assisted with the building of St. George's Church (1792). Later, in 1795, they moved to Newark (now Niagara on the Lake), then the capital of Upper Canada. His brothers Andrew and David came in 1796. They had decided to go to York (now Toronto) as it was being made the new capital of Upper Canada. Archibald very likely did much to assist the building of the new community as he had in Kingston and Newark. The 1799 census said his was York's largest family (9). He built first Anglican church in York. In the early years Archibald was recognized as Scarborough's leading citizen. He was elected Scarborough Town Warden in 1799. He was naturally commissioned to be a Lieut. of the York militia, second in command of the company of the Eastern circle. In 1810 his name appears several times as one of the five "Justices assigned to keep the peace" who were present at general quarter sessions held at York. Archibald died 22 Jan 1819. St Andrew's Cemetery (Bendale) in Scarborough is where they are buried. The tombstone reads "remains transferred to Bendale 3 Jun 1854 by descendants who numbered 231" Archibald is the great grandfather of Roy Herbert Thomson, Lord Thomson of Fleet, of the newspaper empire. Located on Page 1132 Loyalist Lineages of Canada

  
  

• Sources

  [S269] according to William Higgins database, rootsweb WorldConnect Project database higgins. name of Archibald Thomson [S64] according to R. Wayne Thomson database, photograph of gravestone taken in St Andrew's Cemetery, 2003. place of burial of Archibald Thomson [S269] according to William Higgins database, rootsweb WorldConnect Project database higgins. date and place of death for Archibald Thomson