Mary (Glendinning) Thomson (1768 - 1847)

Born 28 Jan 1768 in Meikleholm, Langholm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of David Thomson — married 30 Nov 1787 in Westerkirk Parish, Dumfriesshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 8 Nov 1847 at age 79 in Scarborough, York, Canada West

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Biography

This profile is part of the Glendinning Name Study.

Mary Glendinning was born on 28 Jan 1768 in Meikleholm, Langholm, Dumfries, Scotland. ^[1] Mary married David Thomson , son of Andrew Thomson and Jannet Scott, on 30 Nov 1787 in Westerkirk, Dumfries.^[2]

Mary and David decided to emigrate to Canada as did David’s brothers Archibald and Andrew.

With more children surviving in Mary and David’s generation, there were not enough farms to be rented. So, David Thomson and others took up other professions and/or moved overseas. David, being a mason, would have had plenty work at Glendinning while the antimony mine was being developed. However, this did not last long. As the work reduced, he probably felt there were better opportunities in Canada.

Between 1760 and 1830, many tens of thousands of Lowland Scots emigrated. Many took advantage of new opportunities offered in Canada and the United States after 1776 to own and farm their own land.

Mary had 4 children in Scotland before she and David immigrated to Canada in 1796. Her fourth child was Richard, our direct ancestor. In Canada, she had 7 more children.

After living for some time in Niagara-on-the-lake near David’s brother Archibald, they went to York in March 1796 and to Scarborough in 1799.

David, a stonemason from Scotland, chose the spot they would homestead by walking out an Indian trail with an axe. On the opposite bank of a passing rivulet, they built their lonely cottage/log cabin with a large fireplace. There contended successfully against the hardship of forest life. They kept a cow and grew corn. Their main food was milk and cornmeal mush.

David’s brothers Andrew and Archibald built near him. All three were stone masons and worked on the first parliament buildings at York (Toronto). They each built a sawmill. This activity led to the creation of a small village known as the Thomson Settlement.

Mary was the first white woman to settle in the township. The Indian women (likely Mississaugas) were very friendly. Sometime in the late 1600s or early 1700s, the Mississauga Indians had moved into the area displacing the Seneca. They had a nomadic lifestyle, and moved seasonally across much of what is now York Region and the Golden Horseshoe. The British purchased Toronto from the Mississauga Indians on September 23, 1787. The Mississaugas of New Credit exchanged for 250,808 acres (101,528 hectares) of land in Toronto for 149 barrels of goods and a small amount of cash. A revision of the deal was made in 1805.

The Mississaugas are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe First Nations people located in southern Ontario, Canada, closely related to the Ojibwa. The name "Mississauga" comes from the Anishinaabe word Misi-zaagiing, meaning "[Those at the] Great River-mouth."

“A few years later, Mary was known to all as the “Mother of Scarborough”. She was no doubt possessed of indomitable courage, as well as a strong and abiding trust in the protecting arm of the Almighty. She must have had a firm nerve and boundless love for husband and children to carry her through the first seven months of her life in Scarboro. She was often alone from week's end to week's end with her children in the forest log-house, while her husband worked for the means of living at this trade in the town, returning with the week's provision on his back on each recurring Saturday night. What must have been the joy of the greeting with which they weary bread-winner was met! How longingly the wife must have watched for the figure coming into the little clearing beyond which she and her little ones dare not venture! How precious must those Sabbath days have been, and with what anxious thoughts did the brave woman bid her husband Goodbye on the Monday morning! She used to say, "Often in those early days the cottage was surrounded by wolves, some on the roof, other gnawing and scratching at the door. "

One day Mrs. Thomson heard a commotion among the domestic animals in the enclosure; she ran out, and seeing a bear about to carry off a pig, she struck him with an axe and made him drop his prize. The bear made off to the woods, and one of the men followed, but failed to kill him. During these first seven months of their life in the township, Mrs. Thomson had not seen another of her own sex, until one day an Indian woman came into the cottage. The face was strange, the language spoken unintelligible, but Mrs. Thomson welcomed her gladly. Albeit, of an alien race and color, they were women, and they understood one another by the freemasonry of sympathy divinely implanted in the breast of woman. Two years after their arrival in the New World a daughter (Janet) was born to the Thomson’s, the first white child born in the township. It would be difficult to give a detailed account of all the privations and daily difficulties of this pioneer life in the woods - the mother alone with her children while the husband worked either at York, or in clearing the land about the cottage; the necessity of adapting their wants to the means of supplying them; and the terrible anxiety when any of their number fell ill.

There was not much variety in their diet. Cornmeal and milk for breakfast, milk and cornmeal for dinner, and the same for supper, day after day, became not only monotonous but nauseating. As the spring opened it occurred to Mrs. Thomson that by noticing what the cow fed upon she might find some plant that would take the place of the garden greens of her old home. Pursuing this idea, she followed the cow into the woods, and thus discovered the leek. At first it was so great a relish that they used it frequently, but soon wearied of it. A dose of warm milk in which it had been boiled, administered to Mr. Thomson while ill of an ague he had contracted at York, so disgusted him that the leek was ever after banished from this table.

The stream supplied them with fish, some of which they salted for winter use. Doubt has been expressed as to the variety of fish caught, some affirming it to have been salmon, others that it was salmon-trout. It was undoubtedly salmon, which was then common to all our large lakes. There are several fish stories extant. The following is vouched for by several persons still living in the township: Andrew Thomson (who come with his brother David to Canada and settled on the adjoining lot in Scarboro) and another man, were fishing in the part of Highland Creek which flows through Springfield Farm; the former hooked and landed a fish so large that when suspended from a pole run through its gills and resting on the shoulders of the two men, its tail touched the ground. The men were about five feet nine inches in height. This fish was probably a sturgeon.”

Mary died on 8 Nov 1847 in Scarborough, Ontario thirteen years after her husband died. She was buried at 115 St Andrew's Road (near Brimley and Lawrence Ave East, Toronto) in St Andrew's Presbyterian church’s small cemetery called Bendale.

Her will dated 24 Jul 1844:

In the name of God, Amen, I, Mary Thomson, widow of the late David Thomson, Senior, of the Township of Scarborough in the Home district and Province of Canada, being mindful of the uncertainty of human life and in full possession of all my faculties do on Wednesday, the twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord, Eighteen Hundred and Forty-Four, make, publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner following —

First I give and bequeath to each of my sons, James Thomson, Andrew Thomson, Richard Thomson, Archibald Thomson, David Thomson, William Thomson, and John Thomson, the sum of Twenty Two pounds Lawful Currency of the aforesaid Province —

Secondly, I give and bequeath to each of my daughters, Isabella Thomson, wife of Peter Little, Jennet Thomson, wife of Andrew Johnston, Mary Thomson, wife of John Walton, the sum of Twenty-Two pounds Lawful Currency of the aforesaid Province —

Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my Grandson, David Thomson, the eldest son of my eldest son, James Thomson, the sum of Twenty-pounds Lawful Currency of the aforesaid Province, likewise the clock on the south side of the house and one cow at present grazing at Richard Thomson’s, likewise two sheep to be selected from my flock of sheep by my Executors, and his Grandfather’s desk and chest —

Fourthly, I give and bequeath to my Grand-daughters VIZ., Mary Little, and Mary Thomson, daughters of my son, James Thomson, the sum of Five pounds each Lawful money of the aforesaid Province —

Fifthly, I further give and bequeath to my daughter, Jennet Thomson, wife of Andrew Johnston, my daughter Helen’s Feather Bed, Bedstead and Curtains, along with four pairs of Blankets, two Pillows and one Quilt made out of a cloak and shawl —

Sixthly, I furthermore give and bequeath to my daughter, Isabella Thomson, wife of Peter Little, a single feather bed, an old feather bed and two pillows along with three pairs of blankets And two chairs —

Seventhly, furthermore I give and bequeath to my daughter, Mary Thomson, wife of John Walton, a feather bed and Bolster along with three blankets —

Eighthly, furthermore I give and bequeath to my son, James Thomson, Helen’s clock and his Father’s Family Bible, a bedstead and two chairs and red table.

Ninthly, I give and bequeath to my son, Andrew Thomson the large kitchen table, two chairs And two sheep —

Tenthly, I give and bequeath to my son, Richard Thomson, a feather bed, one blanket and sugar kettle —

Eleventhly, I give and bequeath to my son, Archibald Thomson, the corner cupboard, two blankets and one chair —

Twelfthly, I give and bequeath to my son, David Thomson, one red painted table upstairs, one pair of blankets and two chairs —

Thirteenthly, I give and bequeath to my son, William Thomson, my large chair, two blankets, Helen’s sofa and all belonging to it —

Fourteenthly, I give and bequeath to my son, John Thomson, the large press in the corner of the house, two blankets and two feather pillows —

Fifteenthly, I furthermore give and bequeath to my son, David Thomson, the bedstead in the kitchen along with the curtains —

Sixteenthly, I furthermore give and bequeath to my grand-daughter, Mary Thomson, daughter of my son, James Thomson, one sheep, one quilt and one blanket —

Seventeenthly, all the rest and residue of my Personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever of what nature kind and quality so ever the same may be after the payment of my debts, Legacies and Funeral expenses. I will and direct to be divided equally among my sons and daughters —

Lastly, I nominate, Constitute and appoint the Reverend James George, Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Canada, in the Township of Scarborough, in the Home District and Province of Canada, George Scott and Robert Hamilton, of the Township District and Province aforesaid, Yeomen, Executors of this my last Will and Testament, Signed, Sealed, Published and delivered by the said Testatrix as and for her last and in the presense of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto:

John Muir her William Elliot Mary X Thomson Mark

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY7S-JRP : accessed 8 November 2015), Mary Glendining, 28 Jan 1768; citing , reference 2:1633PXK; FHL microfilm 1,067,971.
2. ↑ "Scotland, Marriages, 1561-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTGQ-LQJ : accessed 8 November 2015), David Thomson and Mary Glendinning, 30 Nov 1787; citing Westerkirk,Dumfries,Scotland, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,067,972.

• Langholm Parish Record of birth and baptism "1768 Feb 1 Mary Daugtr Lawfull to James Glendining in Meikleholm & Isobel Beattie his Spouse. Born 28 last" Note surname spelling varies in written records, but is consistently Glendinning in gravestones, so is the preferred spelling
• Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com/memorial/13888055/mary-thomson), memorial page for Mary Glendinning Thomson (28 Jan 1768–8 Nov 1847), Find A Grave: Memorial #13888055, citing Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Scarborough, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by Sandi Sullivan (contributor 46834811) .

Source S-1525611297

Repository: #R-1829493010

Title: Public Member Trees

Author: Ancestry.com

Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.Original data -

Some would prefer a spelling of Glendinning. A current genealogist living in Westerkirk, Scotland has a good website - www.glendinning.name