Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 56.djvu/246

 but he afterwards rejoined it. In his later years he chiefly devoted his attention to educational questions; he was vice-chancellor of Sydney University from 1862 to 1865, and was elected chancellor annually from 1866 to 1878.

He died at Sydney on 16 July 1879. He had been made C.B. in 1856, and K.C.M.G. in 1874. Thomson was president of the Australian jockey club and of the Sydney Infirmary. A portrait of him by Capalti hangs in the hall of Sydney University, and a bust by Fantacchioti is in the library.

Thomson married, in 1833, Anna Maria, second daughter of Sir Richard Bourke, and left two sons and five daughters.



THOMSON, GEORGE (fl. 1643–1668), parliamentarian, was the son of Robert Thomson of Watton, Hertfordshire, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Harsflet or Halfehead of the same place. The family were staunch parliamentarians, and early in 1643 George held the commission of captain of a troop of horse under William Russell, fifth earl of Bedford. In the following year he served under Sir [q. v.] in his western campaign, and about the same time attained the rank of colonel; but, losing his leg in action, he retired from military service (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1644, pp. 33, 102, 107, 108, 136, 153). He was returned to parliament for the borough of Southwark, probably in August 1645, and on 18 Feb. 1650–1 was appointed a member of the council of state (ib. 1651, p. 45). On 8 April following he became a commissioner of customs, and in 1652 he was sent to the fleet as a commissioner to consult with Blake and report the condition of affairs to the council (ib. 1651–2, passim; Journals of the House of Commons, vii. 118). On 2 Dec. 1652 he was appointed to the committee for the admiralty, the committee for the ordnance, and the committee for trades, plantations, and foreign affairs (Cal. State Papers, 1652–3, p. 2). But in April 1653 the differences between Cromwell and the Long parliament came to a head, and the parliament was dissolved. On 18 May Thomson was dismissed from his posts of commissioner of the customs and of the army and navy, as well as from his other offices (ib. p. 335). Released from active employment, he occupied his leisure with the mystical speculations of the Fifth-monarchy men, whose opinions he embraced.

He returned to Westminster on 7 May 1659 with the remainder of the Long parliament. On 16 May he was appointed a member of the council of state, and on 8 July he was added to the committee for intelligence (ib. 1658–9 p. 349, 1659–60 p. 11). On 18 Aug. he was appointed colonel of a regiment of volunteers to be raised in London (ib. pp. 124, 563).

After the Restoration Thomson took refuge at the residence of his brother Morris at Lee in Kent, and occupied himself in anti-royalist intrigues (ib. 1661–2, pp. 97, 122, 125). On 31 Oct. 1661 a warrant was issued for his apprehension. For some time he remained in obscurity, but about the beginning of 1668 he was nominated to the commission of accounts (, Diary, ed. Braybrooke, iv. 285, 287, 355, v. 67). The date of his death is unknown. He married Elizabeth, daughter of James Brickland of Thorncliff in Cheshire.



THOMSON, GEORGE (fl. 1648–1679), medical writer, born about 1620, served under Prince Maurice in the civil war. After the overthrow of the royalists he proceeded to Leyden University, where he graduated M.D. on 15 June 1648, submitting as his thesis ‘Disputatio de Apoplexia,’ Leyden, 1648 (, Index of English-speaking Students at Leyden University, s.v. ‘Tomsonus’). During the plague of 1665 he resided in London, and made an especial study of the symptoms. In 1665 he published ‘Loimologia: a Consolatory Advice, and some brief Observations concerning the present Pest,’ London, 4to, in which he reflected on the conduct of those members of the College of Physicians who left the city during the plague. This pamphlet drew a furious reply from John Heydon [q. v.], entitled ‘Psonthonphanchia, or a Quintuple Rosiecrucian Scourge for the due Correction of that Pseudo-chymist and Scurrilous Emperick, Geo. Thomson’ (London, 1665, 4to). In the same year Thomson also published a work of some ability, entitled ‘Galeno-pale, or a chymical Trial of the Galenists, that their Dross in Physick may be discovered’ (London, 1665, 8vo), in which he protested against the contempt of English practitioners for experience, and their implicit reliance on theory. He also argued with considerable force against the excessive bleeding and purging in vogue, and against the method of attempting to cure diseases by contraries. A reply by William Johnson, entitled