Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/517

  Cunninghame Graham, and Mr. Bennet Burleigh. On 3 March 1886 he successfully defended Mr. Burns at the Old Bailey on the charge of inciting the mob to violence at Trafalgar Square in February of that year. In Jan. 1888 he again defended Mr. Burns, for similar conduct in November 1887; the latter was then sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment. Thompson also appeared for the defence in the Walsall conspiracy case (March–April 1892). He represented many trade unions in the arbitration over the prolonged Grimsby fishing dispute (November 1901). During the same period he contributed to the ‘Radical’ newspaper (started in 1880), and on its death to ‘Reynolds's Newspaper,’ the weekly Sunday paper, for which he wrote most of the leading articles as well as general contributions under the pseudonym of ‘Dodo.’ He succeeded Edward Reynolds as editor of the paper in February 1894, and held the post until his death. The uncompromising warfare on privilege and rank, which had always characterised ‘Reynolds,’ lost nothing of its force at Thompson's hand.

Thompson, who was a powerful platform speaker, was elected to the London county council as radical member for West Newington in 1895, but was defeated in his attempt to enter parliament for the Limehouse division of Tower Hamlets in July of that year. To his initiative was due the establishment in 1900 of the National Democratic League, of which he was first president. He was original member and promoter of the National Liberal Club (1882).

Thompson died of bronchitis and pneumonia on 28 Dec. 1907 at his residence, 14 Tavistock Square, London, and was buried at Kensal Green cemetery. He married on 3 April 1888, Mary, only daughter of Thomas Crosbie, editor and afterwards proprietor of the ‘Cork Examiner.’ She survived him with one daughter. A portrait of Thompson, painted by J. B. Yeats (father of W. B. Yeats), belongs to the widow.

 THOMSON, JOCELYN HOME (1859–1908), chief inspector of explosives, born at Oxford on 31 Aug. 1859, was the second of four sons of William Thomson, provost of Queen's College, Oxford, afterwards archbishop of York [q. v.]. Educated at Eton and the Royal Academy, Woolwich, Thomson entered the royal artillery in 1878, and engaged the following year in the Zulu war. Subsequently he was transferred to India, and thence he proceeded to Egypt, where he served in the royal horse artillery.

From an early age he was an earnest student of astronomy, and when twenty-three years of age he was nominated by the Royal Society an observer of the transit of Venus in the island of Barbados, receiving commendation for his accurate and painstaking work. From 1887 to 1892 he served on the staff of the Department of Artillery and Stores, and from 1892 to 1893 was second assistant to the director-general of ordnance factories. Meanwhile in 1888 he acted as secretary to the war office explosives committee, of which Sir Frederick Abel [q. v. Suppl. II] was president. The smokeless powder 'cordite,' recommended to the government in 1890 for adoption, received its name from Thomson. His comprehensive grasp of the characteristics of explosive substances enabled him to render conspicuous services to the committee. In 1891 he went to Canada to conduct tests on cordite when exposed to the influence of a cold climate.

Thomson was appointed an inspector of explosives under Sir Vivian Majendie in 1893, and in 1899 he succeeded Majendie as chief inspector.

In 1901 the Belgian government conferred upon him the Order of Leopold. He was made C.B. in 1907.

From 1900 to 1902 Thomson by official leave acted as consulting engineer in connection with the undertaking for transmitting electrical power from the Cauvery Falls to the Mysore gold fields. Afterwards he acted in a similar capacity to the Jhelum Valley electrical transmission scheme. In each his efforts met with signal success.

Thomson displayed versatile gifts in mechanical invention. Among useful apparatus which he devised were a mercury vacuum pump, a petroleum testing appliance, and a 'position-' or 'range-finder.' For the last named he received a grant of 500l. from the war department.

Suffering from nervous breakdown, Thomson shot himself on 13 Feb. 1908 at his residence in Draycott Place, Chelsea. He was buried in Brompton cemetery. He married in 1886 Mabel Sophia, fourth daughter of Thomas Bradley Paget, of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, vicar of 