David Thomson

1763 - 1834  (70 years)

• Name	David Thomson
  Birth	30 Sep 1763	Netherknock Westerkirk, Dumfrieshire, Scotland
  Christening	2 Oct 1763	Netherknock, Westerkirk,Dumfrieshire
  Gender	Male
  Death	22 Jun 1834	Scarborough,York Co.,Upper Canada
  Burial	St. Andrew's Cemetry, Bendale,ON
  Person ID	I5906	Whisperspast | David
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2023

  
  

  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	Mary Glendinning,   b. 28 Jan 1768, Meikleholm, Langholm, Dumfries d. 8 Nov 1847, Scarborough,York Co.,Upper Canada (Age 79 years)
  Marriage	30 Nov 1787	Westerkirk, Dumfrieshire, Scotland
  Children	1. James D. Thomson,   b. 29 Apr 1789, Netherknock, Westerkirk, Dumfriesshire,Scotland d. 26 Mar 1867, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 77 years)   2. Andrew D. Thomson,   b. 23 Nov 1790, Netherknock Westerkirk, Dumfrieshire, Scotland d. 27 Jul 1854, Scarborough,York Co.,Upper Canada (Age 63 years)   3. Isabella Thomson,   b. 8 Jan 1793, Westerkirk, Dumfrieshire, Scotland d. 15 Aug 1872, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 79 years)   4. Richard D. Thomson,   b. 18 Oct 1794, Westerkirk, Dumfrieshire, Scotland d. 22 Feb 1878, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 83 years)   5. Archibald D. Thomson,   b. 2 Aug 1796, Scarborough, York, Upper Canada, British Colonial America d. 27 Dec 1877, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 81 years)   6. David Thomson,   b. 27 Feb 1798, York, Upper Canada d. 12 Oct 1852, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 54 years)   7. Janet (Jennet) Thomson,   b. 18 May 1800, Scarborough Junction, Upper Canada d. 11 Jan 1862, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 61 years)   8. William D. Thomson,   b. 4 Mar 1802, Scarborough Junction, Upper Canada d. 3 May 1877, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 75 years)   9. John D. Thomson,   b. 10 Apr 1804, Scarborough Junction, Upper Canada d. 4 Dec 1888, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 84 years)   10. Mary Thomson,   b. 10 Jun 1807, Scarborough Junction, Upper Canada d. 9 Dec 1879, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 72 years)   11. Helen Thomson,   b. 5 Aug 1809, Scarborough Junction, Upper Canada d. 23 Jul 1844, Scarborough,York Co.,Ontario (Age 34 years)
  Family ID	F2144	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2024

  
  

• Notes

  David and his wife Mary arrived in Upper Canada (now Ontario) with their four children in 1796 and settled briefly in Newark (now Niagara on the Lake) where David worked as a mason for his brother Archibald, who had settled there earlier. When York (now Toronto) was made the capital of Upper Canada, David and his brothers moved there. In 1797 they moved to one-acre lots on Duchess Street and Caroline Street. (Today this is the corner of Sherbourne and Richmond Streets). As a stone mason, David worked on the construction of the first parliament buildings. His account book verifies that he began "to wall the Government Brick houses" on July 26th. He also found much work rebuilding Fort York in 1815. David and Mary decided to leave the dampness of muddy York and move to the drier land of Scarborough, most likely in the Spring of 1799. David built a log cabin adjacent to the Highland Creek, near the site of the old Native village and within what is now Thomson Memorial Park. Later that Spring the couple's seventh child, Janet was born, thus becoming the first documented birth in Scarborough. David joined other pioneers in the defense of Canada in the War of 1812. During the War of 1812 no fewer than a dozen Thomsons served in the Third Regiment of York Militia. David was by far the most eminent of them. They were with General Brock at Detroit, when Hull surrendered on August 16, 1812 and at Queenston Heights in 1812. When the Americans attacked York in 1813 he ranked as the Captain of a company. Shortly after the close of the 1812 war David Thomson built a tavern, or stopping place, on the opposite bank of the stream from that on which the first cottage stood. The tavern was a frame house built by one of David's sons. In this house David and his wife lived the remainder of their days. On one occasion when David had pneumonia at the age of 68, Dr. Hamilton bled him each day for nine days in succession. The old man did not seem to improve under this rigorous treatment, so Dr. Patterson of Markham was called in for consultation. They decided to bleed the patient again, but he appeared no better for this 10th bloodletting. All hope was then abandoned, and the relatives were summoned to his bedside. But, the hearty old pioneer was not ready to die; he miraculously recovered and lived for another four years. In 1833, David injured his leg chopping logs and had to have his leg amputated. This was done without anesthetics apparently on the kitchen table. He died on June 22, 1834 from continued problems with his operation. In 1847 the will of his widow Mary distributed their hard won savings, twenty-two pounds apiece to their ten sons and daughters, his treasured cherry table and family Bible, her sugar kettle, flock of sheep and all her handmade feather beds and blankets. David had given a portion of his land in 1819 to build St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. They and many Thomsons have been buried in that cemetery. There is the David and Mary Thomson Collegiate and the Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough named after them. This park has involved Scarborough's early history as the location of a native village years before and the homestead of the area's first settlers. ************************************** A petition for additional land, submitted by David in 1799, states: 'That your petitioner came from Scotland to this Province about three years ago, with his family which now consists of a wife and six children, five of whom are boys - that he has received 400 acres of land located in Scarborough where he now resides, and was the first settler in that township. Also illuminating are the descriptions which these documents give. David was said to be: 'Light grey eyes, brown hair, about 5 ft 10 inches high, 37 years old.'