Letters, notes, testimonials relating to Professor John Thomson

The collection is composed of:

• 1833-1841 - mixed documents connected with Professor John Thomson
• 1836-1847 - series of letters between Thomas Chalmers and the Rev. Dr. Muirhead
• 1838 - testimonials in favour of John Thomson and in relation to the Reid Professorship
• 1840 - series of letters from William Chambers (Music publisher) to John Thomson

Also in the collection is a MS document of unknown date and origin.

The Scottish composer John Thomson was the first Reid Professor of Music Theory at Edinburgh University. He was born on 28 October 1805. Thomson was well acquainted with Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy having first met him in Edinburgh in 1829. He renewed his contact with the composer later in Berlin and elsewhere on the continent, also making the acquaintance of Schumann.

Professor John Thomson died in Edinburgh on 6 May 1841.

Open to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance of visit.

Material acquired by donation. Accession no: E2014.12

Catalogued by Graeme D. Eddie 21 March 2014

At Coll-1136, Special Collections, Edinburgh University Library, there is letter dated 1838 from Mendelssohn-Bartholdy to J. Thomson (E2008.17).