Thomas Thomson (died 1572) was a Scottish apothecary in Edinburgh who served the court of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

Career

Thomson was active in the 1540s and supplied medicines to

Regent Arran In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

, his daughter Barbara, Lady Gordon, and Cardinal Beaton. He was the apothecary to Regent Arran, who paid him an annual fee. The Italian physician

Girolamo Cardano Gerolamo Cardano (; also Girolamo or Geronimo; ; ; 24 September 1501– 21 September 1576) was an Italian polymath whose interests and proficiencies ranged through those of mathematician, physician, biologist, physicist, chemist, astrologer, a ...

, who came to Scotland in 1552, described a pearl head dress worn by Thomson's daughter, comprising 73 Scottish pearls, "I saw on a girl's head, the daughter of Thomas Thomson in Edinburgh, about seventy three Scottish pearls, of equal and remarkable size". When

Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven (c. 1520 – 13 June 1566) played an important part in the political intrigues of 16th century Scotland. He succeeded to the lordship in December 1552. The Ruthven lordship encompassed the offices of Provost and ...

was unwell for three months in 1565 he was treated by the queen's French doctor, the physician David Preston, and Thomas Thomson. Thomas Thomson died in 1572. At his death the "drugs, unguents, plasters, spices, and other medicaments" in his shop and cellar were worth £300 Scots. Robert Henryson complained in 1575 that he was still owed money, and the price of a chest of gray sugar and a barrel of olive oil from Thomson's estate.

Marriage and family

Thomas Thomson married Margaret Barton, a granddaughter of the treasurer

Robert Barton Robert Childers Barton (14 March 1881 – 10 August 1975) was an Anglo-Irish politician, Irish nationalist and farmer who participated in the negotiations leading up to the signature of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. His father was Charles William Bar ...

. In 1552 they bought the lands of East and West

Duddingston Duddingston is an affluent, historic village in the east of Edinburgh, Scotland, next to Holyrood Park.It is a conservation area, not to be confused with the rest of Duddingston, which stretches down towards Portobello. Duddingston Village bo ...

from her brother Robert Barton. In January 1572 Thomson granted the lands of Duddingston to his son Alexander. Their children included: * Alexander Thomson of Duddingston, advocate, (died 1603), who married Margaret Preston in 1594, a daughter of Samuel Preston of

Craigmillar Craigmillar (from Gaelic ''Creag a' Mhaol Àird'', "rock of the bare summit") is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about south east of the city centre, with Duddingston to the north and Newcraighall to the east. History Despite the relati ...

, and widow of Walter Cant. * Alexander Thomson, apothecary. In 1590 he had a shop or booth in a tenement at the top of Niddry's Wynd in Edinburgh.''Calendar of Laing Charters'' (Edinburgh, 1899), p. 297 no. 1203. * Adam Thomson, apothecary * Janet Thomson, who married Adam Dickson, an apothecary who trained with her father * Patrick Thomson

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Thomas Court of Mary, Queen of Scots Scottish apothecaries 16th-century Scottish pharmacists 1572 deaths