Papers of Michael Thompson

The archive comprises the personal papers of Michael Thompson, focusing on his work as a respected Yorkshire naturalist. It includes eleven nature diaries, 1962-2011 and five boxes of mammal recording data, 1952-2005, including correspondence and information on reptiles, otters, bats and birds. The bat records focus on the pipistrelle bats in the territories around Haxby, Wigginton and Wheldrake.

Michael Thompson was born in Haifa, Israel, in 1933. He spent his early life there, establishing a keen interest in the natural world, before attending Sidcot Quaker School. During his school years, he travelled extensively alongside his parents, including trips to back to Israel and Lebanon, during which he collected specimens. In the early 1960s, as an alternative to National Service, he worked as a medical officer at The Retreat in York, before joining a medical practice in York in 1962.
In 1964 he collaborated with Henry Stapleton to review the natural history of Overton and Skelton parishes (originally carried out by students at Bootham School). This led, in 1970, to the establishment of the Yorkshire Mammal Group. In 1977 he began a groundbreaking and internationally significant Pipistrelle bat ringing programme in the Vale of York, representing the first attempt at understanding and recording the lifecycle of the female Pipistrelle. In 1987, he was a wildlife advisor on the BBC Natural World film 'Bats Need Friends'.
He held a number of voluntary offices in the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, was a longstanding YWT Council member and Vice-President 1984-1986, as well as President of the Yorkshire Naturalists Union 1988-1989. Although his nature diaries predominantly record the wildlife around his home, he continued to travel internationally for the rest of his life, documenting trips across several continents.
After retiring from his work as a GP, in 1997 he moved to Slingsby, where he continued his interest in the natural environment as wildlife advisor to the local Internal Drainage Board. He wrote regular wildlife columns for the parish magazine and, in 2000, a commemorative history of the village. He died on 27th July 2011.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws.
24 hours’ notice is required to access photographic material.

Both parts of the archive were gifted to the Borthwick Institute by the Yorkshire Museum in 2017.

Michael Thompson was born in Haifa, Israel, in 1933. He spent his early life there, establishing a keen interest in the natural world, before attending Sidcot Quaker School. During his school years, he travelled extensively alongside his parents, including trips to back to Israel and Lebanon, during which he collected specimens. In the early 1960s, as an alternative to National Service, he worked as a medical officer at The Retreat in York, before joining a medical practice in York in 1962.
In 1964 he collaborated with Henry Stapleton to review the natural history of Overton and Skelton parishes (originally carried out by students at Bootham School). This led, in 1970, to the establishment of the Yorkshire Mammal Group. In 1977 he began a groundbreaking and internationally significant Pipistrelle bat ringing programme in the Vale of York, representing the first attempt at understanding and recording the lifecycle of the female Pipistrelle. In 1987, he was a wildlife advisor on the BBC Natural World film 'Bats Need Friends'.
He held a number of voluntary offices in the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, was a longstanding YWT Council member and Vice-President 1984-1986, as well as President of the Yorkshire Naturalists Union 1988-1989. Although his nature diaries predominantly record the wildlife around his home, he continued to travel internationally for the rest of his life, documenting trips across several continents.
After retiring from his work as a GP, in 1997 he moved to Slingsby, where he continued his interest in the natural environment as wildlife advisor to the local Internal Drainage Board. He wrote regular wildlife columns for the parish magazine and, in 2000, a commemorative history of the village. He died on 27th July 2011.

Created by L. Dean, 13.11.20

A reprographics service is available to researchers. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

The archive does not include any record of Michael Thompson's work as a GP in Yorkshire and focuses solely on his work as a naturalist and key member of several conservation organisations in Yorkshire. The archive was partly weeded by the creator before his death.

The archive was deposited with the Yorkshire Museum in two parts - the first, Michael Thompson's bat recordings, deposited by the creator prior to 2011 and the second, Michael Thompson's nature recording notebooks, mammal recordings and early correspondence deposited by Geoff Oxford after Thompson's death in 2011.

Further accruals are not expected.

Further information on Michael Thompson's involvement with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust can be found in that archive, and specifically in

Published

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