Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 9.djvu/308

572 to many difficulties, chiefly arising from the remote and obscure period to which its "Acts" refer, remained unfinished so late as 1841, when Mr. Thomson's connection with the register-office ceased. It was completed and published, however, in 1844, under the superintendence of Mr. Innes.

"The Acts of the Lords Auditors of Causes and Complaints. MCCCCLXVI-Mecccxciv." 1839. Folio.

"The Acts of the Lords of Council in Civil Causes. MCCCCLXXVIII-MCCCCXCV." 1839. Folio.

In addition to these, Mr. Thomson prepared the following abbreviates, of which only a limited number were published for the use of the register-office:

"A Continuation of the Retours of Services to the Chancery-Office, from the Union, A.D. 1^07, to the present time."

"An Abbreviate or Digest of the Registers of Sasines, General and Particular, arranged in Counties, with Relative Indexes, from the 1st of January, 1781, to the present time."

"An Abbreviate of Adjudications from the same period to 1830."

"An Abbreviate of Inhibitions, General and Particular, arranged in Counties, from the same period to 1830."

Of an equally professional, and still more personal description, were the folr lowing :

"The First Five Annual Reports of the Deputy-Clerk Register of Scotland," from 1808 to 1811. One vol., folio.

"Annual Reports, from the Sixth to the Fourteenth (from 1811 to 1822)." One vol., folio.

We now pass from the labours of the deputy-clerk register, to those of the member of the Bannatyne Club. This antiquarian institution, which was originated in 1823, unanimously elected Mr. Thomson to the honorary office of vice-president; and afterwards, in 1832, in consequence of the death of Sir Walter Scott, the distinguished president of the club, Mr. Thomson, with the same unanimity, was appointed to succeed him. His services in behalf of this important association were thus characterized by Lord Cockburn, its vice-president, in the funeral eulogium which he pronounced before the members, after the decease of Mr. Thomson: "As one of our original founders, and deeply conversant with our objects and aims, he was, while absent from Edinburgh, unanimously chosen vice-president. After co-operating assiduously with Sir Walter Scott, our first president, in all the business of the institution, he became our second president on the death of that illustrious person; and throughout the whole of the succeeding twenty years, was our master and our guide. With several powerful associates or competitors, in detached fields, or subordinate walks, it was by his knowledge and sagacity that our general course was directed. The value of his superintendence is attested by its results. The publications of the Bannatyne Club form the greatest, the most difficult, the most important, and the most splendid disclosures that have ever been made of the latent historical treasures of our country. The merit of these works is certainly not due to him entirely; if it had at all been ascribed to him in his presence his candour would have at once disclaimed it, and given the proper part to its true owners. But those by whom the contributions, either of individuals or of the club, have been prepared, and who are best acquainted with the difficulties attending the execution of such undertakings, will acknowledge the aid which they uniformly derived from the president's judgment and zeal.