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Blantyre Folk

Mr & Mrs John Thomson

Diamond Wedding

1882 - 1942

DIAMOND WEDDING.- We join with their many friends in offering congratulations to Mr and Mrs John Thomson, Sydes Brae Cottage, High Blantyre , on having celebrated their diamond wedding. The happy event took place on Monday night with a family gathering in their home.

Mr Thomson is a native of High Blantyre and is the son of the late Mr William Thomson who resided at Lintbutts, but the two cottages have long since been demolished. His wife was Miss Catherine Barr, daughter of the late Mr James Barr, who owned the bakery business now carried on by Mr Robert Todd. She was saleswoman in her father’s shop.

They were married at Kirkton, High Blantyre by the late Rev. Robert McKenzie, who was the first ordained minister of Livingstone Memorial, then of the old United Presbyterian body.

Mr Thomson is one of the few men now living who attended the old school in Blantyre village (which he left about 1869), the same school which Dr Livingstone attended. Mr Thomson was a joiner to trade and was latterly employed in that capacity in Udston Colliery till it was closed. Since then he has been retired. He has not spent his retirement in leisure however, and leads quite an active life still. He is keenly interested in bees and for many years past has been known as an authority on bee life and their habits. His love for bees was inherited from his father, who, in his day, was also an expert in bee life and was a well known figure amongst Scottish bee-keeping enthusiasts. Mr Thomson has six hives in activity, but his stock, owing to prevailing conditions, is greatly under that of pre-war days. He is also an amateur horticulturist and was a well known exhibitor at the large open shows, where he had many successes.

Mr and Mrs Thomson have had a family of six sons and four daughters, eight of whom are alive, and there are eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. At the function congratulatory telegrams were received by the worthy couple from the King and Queen, the British Sailors Society, and one from a grandson serving with the New Zealand forces in the Middle East, while relatives and friends also sent their congratulations, Mr and Mrs Thomson are enjoying remarkably good health and can still move about with their usual activity.

The Rev. Archibald Frew, minister of the Livingstone Memorial Church , presided at the happy function and during the tea read the telegram from the King and Queen. He also added his own personal good wishes, saying it was a personal honour to be present to join with them on such an auspicious occasion.

Ref. Hamilton Advertiser. 27/6/1942. Page 4.  

(Photograph included in article.)

 

WILMA BOLTON . 2005.

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