Daly's Theatre. W.C.
1
8th. Nov. 1928.
Dear Sir
I have just returned to above, where I have received, among others, you very kind letter with all the very interesting information it contains. I only wish I had known all this on my various travels all over West Moreland & probably as a result collected more details. A friend of mine, Major Salmond,2 late Royal Scots, confirms everything. He is a kinsman, another cousin of sorts, being a brother of late Mrs. Branwek? Davies closely connected with descendants of Wm. Thompson's, by the marriage of his daughter, Lavinia ? Olivia ? Amelia ?
Major Salmond tells me that he has ??3 at Moresdale Hall,4 Gray Rigg & that as far as he knows a Mrs. Thompson still lives there. You can see the "Hall" from the railway line.
Dr. John Thompson, my late grandfather always told me that Wm. Thompson5 was my great-great-great uncle & the brother of his grandfather. Apparently he was quite clear on the facts. I have seen the same picture6 that used to hang in Dr. Johns' consulting room, in the British museum, also a bust7 by T.L. Busby, which is not good.
The details there are that he was born 1793 & died 1854. at Pewnydarran? House, Co. Glamorgan. Lord Mayor 1829 & Deputy Lieut City of London.
Dr. Johns, father,8 retired with the rank of Major, which is on his wife's tombstone as foll:- Sarah etc wife of Major Joseph Moorhouse Thompson. The British museum people sent me to every print dealers in the West End including Suckling & Breun? & these, with all the others I have tried, have failed to furnish me with a print. I therefore?, if you know the address of where you obtained a copy for 16/6. I should be most grateful to have it.
With very many thanks indeed for your kindness & the trouble you have taken to furnish me with these details so fully.
I am Sir
very sincerely yours
John. W. Thompson9
Notes
This is a letter in the possession of the descendants of John Moorhouse Thompson.
It is believed that the letter was sent to John Moorhouse Thompson.
1. Daly's Theatre was in Leicester Square, London. See here and here.
2. Major Newby is probably Percy Newby Salmond (1864-1942).
He appears to be the only officer named Salmond in the Royal Scots, in the World War One medal rolls.
His World War One service record is at the National Archives - reference: WO 339/11175.
In both the medal roll and his service record he is described as captain, but other records state he was a major.
His appointment as a Lieutenant is published in the London Gazette on 23 November 1883.
Although born in Wandsworth his family lived at Gawthorpe Hall in Bingley, Yorkshire.
Ancestry have a number of records concerning him and he appears in other issues of the London Gazette.
3. It's not clear what this word is. It looks like it might be "sung" but that doesn't make a lot of sense.
4. Moresdale House still exists and lies due south of Gray Rigg - just south of the Railway. You can see it on Google's aerial photos and many maps.
In the 1841 Census, a James Thompson is living at Moresdale House, who is probably the father of the Wm. Thompson mentioned later in the letter.
5. William Thompson (1792-1854) was Lord Mayor of London 1828-29 and an MP. There is a Wikipedia page about him here. The article referred to at the bottom of that page gives much more detail.
It is unlikely that William Thompson is the brother of Dr. John's grandfather as stated in the letter. Although he may be more distantly related.
6. The British museum have a list of other possible images of William Thompson here.
One of these is described as a print of
"Portrait of William Thompson, whole length, standing by an armchair, looking to the left, dressed in robes of the alderman of London, his left hand to hip, double pillar to the right, after a painting by Pickersgill, private plate Mezzotint"
You can see a copy of the print here.
Apparently the original portrait was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1840 - see here.
I suspect that the original painting is at Christ's Hospital but I can not find any details of it on their web site here.
7. You can see a copy of the bust - actually a print - here.
8. Dr John's father is Joseph Moorhouse Thompson (1799- 1849).
9. The writer of the letter, John. W. Thompson, is probably John Walton Thompson (1890 - 1964).
He is the grandson of Dr. John, the son of his daughter, Catharine Maud Mary Thompson who married Charles Thompson in 1888.