Bervie and Beyond, Thom Family History<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
By Colin W. Thom<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Book Review by James Robinson\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cIf you didn\u2019t write it down and tell somebody about it, <\/i>it didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0<\/p>\n
Guy Cosmolmagno S.J. Curator of Meteorites at the Vatican Observatory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The author, Colin Thom, obviously subscribes to this dictum, as it has taken thirty five years, on and off, to write his family history.\u00a0 It was only on retirement that he finished the task, an obvious example to all of us who undertake the writing of family genealogy.<\/p>\n
Family historians have inevitably referenced \u201cThom\u2019s Directory<\/i>\u201d in their research.\u00a0 This book is the family history of Alex Thom, the man who founded the Directory.\u00a0 Colin is the three times great\u2014grandson of Walter Thom (father of Alex) and he has traced the family descent through different lines throughout the world.<\/p>\n
This study starts with Alexander Thom (born 1715) from Bervie (hence the title) and his wife Margaret (n\u00e9e Dorward).\u00a0 They came from Kincardinshire, now Aberdeenshire, in Scotland.\u00a0 Alexander and Margaret married when they were 17 and 14 respectively and had two children.\u00a0 All the Thoms referenced in this book descend from the second child, who was also called Alex, born in 1742.\u00a0 This Alexander was a merchant who supplemented his income by resorting to smuggling.\u00a0 His conflicts with the law are detailed from the 1770s.\u00a0 Alex married Christian (n\u00e9e Henderson) and he eventually became a weaver in the linen industry. \u00a0Their son Walter saw little future in this activity and consequently moved to Aberdeen, where Walter set up as a bookseller.\u00a0 He also acquired a reputation as a writer on historical and statistical matters.\u00a0 In 1800, Walter Thom married Margaret Turner before moving to Edinburgh, to concentrate fully on writing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 1813, Robert Peel, Chief Secretary of Ireland, invited Walter to move to Dublin to edit \u201cFaulkner\u2019s Dublin Journal<\/i>\u201d, a government-subsidised evening newspaper.\u00a0 This was published each Monday, Wednesday and Friday and sold at 5 pence per copy, and was produced from 15 Parliament St., Dublin.\u00a0 Walter accepted the offer and lived above the premises.\u00a0 In 1819, Peel handed proprietorship of the newspaper over to Walter.\u00a0 However, the publication went into decline and sales decreased due to a change of government policy, which conflicted with the views of the Lord Lieutenant, the Marquis of Wellesley, who favoured Catholic Emancipation.\u00a0 The recently introduced \u201cEvening Mail<\/i>\u201d also attracted Protestant readers from the \u201cDublin Journal<\/i>\u201d.\u00a0 Walter Thom struggled in this business environment and in about 1820, his son Alex gave up his studies in Edinburgh High School and moved to Dublin to assist his father.\u00a0 Stress took its toll and Walter died, aged 54, in 1824.\u00a0 Alex Thom subsequently took over the newspaper on his father\u2019s death.\u00a0 In the following year, 1825, Alex closed down the \u201cDublin Journal<\/i>\u201d and relocated his printing plant to 13 Mecklenburgh St. (now Waterford St.), where he restarted in business as a general printer with his foreman, a Mr. Johnson.\u00a0 Some three years later, Alex moved to 21 North Earl St., Dublin, where he set up as a printer, publisher and bookseller.\u00a0 With business slow, Alex had a brainwave!\u00a0 He applied to Sir Robert Peel, now in London, for recognition of his and his late father\u2019s losses, sustained in supporting government policy.\u00a0 Through Peel\u2019s influence, the London Stationery Office gave Alex Thom the entire contract for the Post Office printing in Ireland.\u00a0 The business prospered and Alex received the printing contract for all future Royal Commissions in Ireland.\u00a0 These included \u201cGriffith\u2019s Primary Valuation of Ireland<\/i>\u201d, another publication familiar to all genealogists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The firm of Alex Thom and Co. was now expanding at such a rate that it relocated to larger premises at 87-88 Middle Abbey St., Dublin, later the headquarters of \u201cIndependent Newspapers<\/i>\u201d.\u00a0 The firm became the industry leader in the printing trade in Ireland, despite the economic depression which affected the Dublin printing industry from 1839 \u2013 1842. In 1844, Alex Thom\u2019s eldest daughter, Margaret, married Frederick Pilkington of Newbury Hall, Carbury, Co. Kildare.\u00a0 He was a government bookbinder whose premises adjoined Thom\u2019s.\u00a0 The two firms merged and Frederick assumed a management role in the new company.\u00a0 In 1844, Alex Thom launched what was to become the highly successful \u201cThom\u2019s Directory<\/i>\u201d.\u00a0 The firm was appointed the Queen\u2019s Printer in Ireland in 1876.\u00a0 Three years later in 1879, after six decades in the printing industry, Alex Thom transferred ownership of the company to Frederick Pilkington.\u00a0 This was also the year in which Alex died, aged 78 years.<\/p>\n
Alex Thom had first married Maria (n\u00e9e Dillon) in 1824 and they had nine children.\u00a0 Maria died in 1867, aged 70, and her death certificate noted that she had been insane for twenty years.\u00a0 Subsequently, Alex married his housekeeper, Sarah Mackay, a widow.\u00a0 Sadly, he became somewhat estranged from his family on his remarriage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThom\u2019s Irish Almanack and Official Directory<\/i>\u201d, to give it its full title, is considered his greatest achievement and is still current.\u00a0 It was first published in 1844 with Alex Thom as editor and printer and it contained 650 pages \u2013 7.5 inches by 4.75 inches in size.\u00a0 It was hailed as the most \u2018complete and valuable work of reference…that has yet appeared in Ireland\u2019.\u00a0 The 160th<\/sup> and final edition to be published in book form occurred in 2012.\u00a0 It contains a staggering 528,000 business and residential entries on 13,066 streets in Dublin city and county and Bray township.\u00a0 From this year on, it is only available online and on CD Rom.\u00a0 Thom\u2019s Directory\u2019s place in Irish society was surely secured by the mention of it on five occasions in James Joyce\u2019s \u201cUlysses<\/i>\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBervie and Beyond<\/i>\u201d references those Thom Family descendants throughout the world, principally in Australia and Argentina as well as Britain and Ireland, and individual kin are indexed for easy identification.\u00a0 While primarily of interest to family members, the reference to historical persons, places and events will find a resonance with all readers.<\/p>\n Of particular interest is the reference to \u201cPedestrianism\u201d.\u00a0 The extraordinary walking feats of Robert Barclay Allardice, who was known as \u2018Captain Barclay\u2019, were published by Walter Thom in 1813.\u00a0 A probable acquaintance of Walter, the heroic exploits of this athlete is well documented.\u00a0 They include a feat accomplished in 1809, when Captain Barclay walked a mile in every hour, for 42 consecutive days and nights!\u00a0 Over ten thousand people attended the event.\u00a0 Substantial prize money was won in these events and betting on the outcome was common.\u00a0 Barclay didn\u2019t wear any form of athletic strip and his dress for competition consisted of \u201ca top hat, cravat, warm, woollen suit, lambs wool socks and thick-soled shoes\u201d<\/i>!\u00a0<\/p>\n Another fascinating reference in the book is that of Bessie Thom, a probable kinswoman of the author, who was burned at the stake with two others for witchcraft in 1596.\u00a0 This unfortunate woman was one of 23 who lost their lives for the crime of witchcraft over a two-year period.\u00a0 The exact type and cost of materials used in this grizzly event are documented.\u00a0 It is of interest to note that the last burning-at-the-stake of a woman in Great Britain occurred as late as 1789, when a Catherine Murphy suffered this fate at Newgate Prison, London.\u00a0 Her conviction of being a counterfeiter was equated with that of treason. \u00a0The only recorded mass-trial for witchcraft in Ireland took place in Islandmagee, Co. Antrim in 1711, when eight Presbyterian women were tried and convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to one year in prison.\u00a0 During this time, they were pilloried in public stocks and, presumably, pelted with rotten fruit and stones on market days.\u00a0 Ireland repealed this 1563 witchcraft law in 1821, 110 years after the Islandmagee trial.\u00a0 It is claimed that 200,000 people were burned for witchcraft in Europe in the 16th<\/sup> and 17th<\/sup> Centuries.<\/p>\n The vicissitudes of the Thom family are well-described throughout the generations.\u00a0 Included is the estrangement of the Thom and Pilkington families, who didn\u2019t communicate with each other from the late 19th<\/sup> century until 2011 when the author re-established contact.\u00a0 This was probably due to the unequal distribution of family wealth, as outlined in Alex Thom\u2019s will.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Boer War in South Africa saw second cousins on opposite sides in this conflict.\u00a0 Alexander Thom, originally from Ireland, opposed the Commonwealth forces, and after peace was agreed, received his discharge papers from General Botha, who led the Boers.\u00a0 General Botha became famous for capturing Winston Churchill. Incredibly, Alexander was fighting against his second cousins, Albert and William Thom, from Australia.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The recall of a suicide in the family is sensitively told as the story of an only-surviving daughter who had eight brothers and led a miserable, lonely life.\u00a0 In 1909, she was bequeathed an annuity of only \u00a325 from her father\u2019s \u00a337,000 estate.\u00a0 This spinster daughter contested the will and succeeded in having the annuity increased to \u00a380, and later to \u00a3200, after her over-bearing mother\u2019s death.\u00a0 Occasionally, she went to Dublin and stayed with her brother\u2019s family from her home in Co. Meath.\u00a0 During one such visit, she committed suicide and was found with her throat cut and a razor by her side.\u00a0 She was forty years of age.\u00a0 Newspapers covering the subsequent inquest reported that she left a note, lamenting her dire financial position and expressed concern about her not being successful in her suicide attempt.\u00a0 The scandal was enormous.\u00a0 This unfortunate woman died in poverty in the midst of plenty.\u00a0 As her niece put it, \u201c…the only girl amongst all these boys.\u00a0 One would think she would have been adored\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n This book is crammed with photographs, family trees and indentures.\u00a0 The author diplomatically urges family members, who are now in their twilight years, to write their family stories.\u00a0 He thoughtfully provides blank pages at the end of the book for this purpose \u2013 just as was done in family bibles in days of old.<\/p>\n This reviewer has a confession to make.\u00a0 He helped the author, who is Australian, in his research for the book.\u00a0 However, this doesn\u2019t jaundice his eye as to the merits of this charming work, which is an ideal template to anyone considering writing their family history.\u00a0 The greater Thom family owe a debt of gratitude to Colin for this labour of love.\u00a0 I must also refer again to Alex Thom, whose widow, Sarah, made a bequest of Alex Thom\u2019s private library to the National Library of Ireland in Kildare St., Dublin.\u00a0 This collection consists of 3,900 volumes and is known as the \u201cAlexander<\/i> Thom Collection<\/i>\u201d.\u00a0 Access to it is permitted, but restricted.\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, it is fitting to recall the man who founded what became a national institution.\u00a0 A pen picture of Alex Thom at work, and published in 1936, well after his demise, noted that:<\/p>\n \u201cHe took a personal interest, even in the most minute piece of activity in the factory.\u00a0 Every day he inspected the work; and each worker waited, not in fear (but) for the judgements of that low-sized, stout man who stood beside them \u2013 his be-tassled velvet smoking cap half-hiding his curly white head and his small hairy hands giving that necessary touch of approval to some form of work.\u00a0 So he went on his daily round, whistling happily as he went, amongst those old gentleman compositors of his, who came to work dressed in tall hats, frock coats and carrying umbrellas.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Charles Dickens, methinks, couldn\u2019t have described him better.\u00a0<\/p>\n Every Thom should read this book – and I urge every Dick and Harry to do likewise!<\/p>\n James Robinson is a family historian who published his family history, \u201cThe Robinsons of North Kildare \u2013 300 Years of Family History,\u201d in 1997.\u00a0 Since then, he has written and lectured extensively on this topic and is a regular contributor to the Irish Family History Society journal.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ISBN Hardcover 978-1-4797-8123-2<\/p>\n Softcover 978-1-4797-8122-5<\/p>\n Ebook 978-1-4797-8124-9<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To order copies of this book, contact:<\/p>\n Xlibris Corporation<\/p>\n 1-800-618-969<\/p>\n