John's parents, James Thomson and Rachel Baillie, were born in Colinton near Edinburgh as were their first four children. And the younger four including John were born in the historic county of Renfrewshire, west of Glasgow.
John's father and most of his siblings including his sister Rachel worked for the Cowan Paper Makers in Penicuik, Scotland, soon to be the largest paper factory in the world. At age 17 John and brothers James and Peter came to Trenton, New Jersey, to continue their apprenticeships in paper making.
John went on to New Brunswick, Canada, to work on a process to convert wood pulp into paper using acid-insoluble soda ash.
He then supervised Canada's first commercial production of wood pulp for Angus, Logan & Co in Windsor Mills, Quebec, where James joined him briefly and John met and married his wife Minnie.
In 1869 John and Mary (Minnie) moved back to Saint John, New Brunswick, where their daughter was born. His father and Peter's daughter Kate are still on the Saint John's 1871 census. Meanwhile John joined James in Newburgh, Ontario, where the brothers established three new paper mills including Strathcona which is still in operation.
Sadly, both children died in 1878 of Scarlatina. Brother Peter's daughter Kate was living with them in 1881. And their home was always open to young nieces and nephews.
-----
Both John and James were written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
This plaque on the southeast corner of Main and Factory Streets, just north of the Napanee River bridge, Newburgh, Ontario, honours John and James Thomson for their contributions to paper making in North America.
John's father and most of his siblings including his sister Rachel worked for the Cowan Paper Makers in Penicuik, Scotland, soon to be the largest paper factory in the world. At age 17 John and brothers James and Peter came to Trenton, New Jersey, to continue their apprenticeships in paper making.
John went on to New Brunswick, Canada, to work on a process to convert wood pulp into paper using acid-insoluble soda ash.
He then supervised Canada's first commercial production of wood pulp for Angus, Logan & Co in Windsor Mills, Quebec, where James joined him briefly and John met and married his wife Minnie.
In 1869 John and Mary (Minnie) moved back to Saint John, New Brunswick, where their daughter was born. His father and Peter's daughter Kate are still on the Saint John's 1871 census. Meanwhile John joined James in Newburgh, Ontario, where the brothers established three new paper mills including Strathcona which is still in operation.
Sadly, both children died in 1878 of Scarlatina. Brother Peter's daughter Kate was living with them in 1881. And their home was always open to young nieces and nephews.
-----
Both John and James were written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
This plaque on the southeast corner of Main and Factory Streets, just north of the Napanee River bridge, Newburgh, Ontario, honours John and James Thomson for their contributions to paper making in North America.
John's parents, James Thomson and Rachel Baillie, were born in Colinton near Edinburgh as were their first four children. And the younger four including John were born in the historic county of Renfrewshire, west of Glasgow.
John's father and most of his siblings including his sister Rachel worked for the Cowan Paper Makers in Penicuik, Scotland, soon to be the largest paper factory in the world. At age 17 John and brothers James and Peter came to Trenton, New Jersey, to continue their apprenticeships in paper making.
John went on to New Brunswick, Canada, to work on a process to convert wood pulp into paper using acid-insoluble soda ash.
He then supervised Canada's first commercial production of wood pulp for Angus, Logan & Co in Windsor Mills, Quebec, where James joined him briefly and John met and married his wife Minnie.
In 1869 John and Mary (Minnie) moved back to Saint John, New Brunswick, where their daughter was born. His father and Peter's daughter Kate are still on the Saint John's 1871 census. Meanwhile John joined James in Newburgh, Ontario, where the brothers established three new paper mills including Strathcona which is still in operation.
Sadly, both children died in 1878 of Scarlatina. Brother Peter's daughter Kate was living with them in 1881. And their home was always open to young nieces and nephews.
-----
Both John and James were written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
This plaque on the southeast corner of Main and Factory Streets, just north of the Napanee River bridge, Newburgh, Ontario, honours John and James Thomson for their contributions to paper making in North America.
John's father and most of his siblings including his sister Rachel worked for the Cowan Paper Makers in Penicuik, Scotland, soon to be the largest paper factory in the world. At age 17 John and brothers James and Peter came to Trenton, New Jersey, to continue their apprenticeships in paper making.
John went on to New Brunswick, Canada, to work on a process to convert wood pulp into paper using acid-insoluble soda ash.
He then supervised Canada's first commercial production of wood pulp for Angus, Logan & Co in Windsor Mills, Quebec, where James joined him briefly and John met and married his wife Minnie.
In 1869 John and Mary (Minnie) moved back to Saint John, New Brunswick, where their daughter was born. His father and Peter's daughter Kate are still on the Saint John's 1871 census. Meanwhile John joined James in Newburgh, Ontario, where the brothers established three new paper mills including Strathcona which is still in operation.
Sadly, both children died in 1878 of Scarlatina. Brother Peter's daughter Kate was living with them in 1881. And their home was always open to young nieces and nephews.
-----
Both John and James were written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
This plaque on the southeast corner of Main and Factory Streets, just north of the Napanee River bridge, Newburgh, Ontario, honours John and James Thomson for their contributions to paper making in North America.
Inscription
JOHN THOMSON 1838 [1837] - 1920
His Wife
MARY GARDNER 1849 - 1929
MARY A. THOMSON 1869 - 1878
JOHN THOMSON 1872 - 1878
THOMSON
Gravesite Details
Scottish baptismal record states 1837
Family Members
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