Deceased Brethren


George Thomson (1855-1920) was Worshipful Master of Ashlar Lodge, No.3 in 1898, District Deputy Grand Master in 1898 and Ashlar Lodge Secretary in 1900-1901. He represented Nanaimo in the B.C. Legislature between 1886 and 1890.

Here is some basic information about him from Ashlar Lodge, No.3 records:

R.W.B.George Thomson, circa 1915
R.W.B.George Thomson, circa 1915

This article about George Thomson appeared in Gosnell’s, A History of British Columbia, published in 1906:

“GEORGE THOMSON

George Thomson has been prominently identified with the commercial interests of Nanaimo, Wellington and Ladysmith for the last thirty years, the entire period of his adult life, and he has attained a deservedly high position in the business circles of the province. He has worked his was to the top through the liberal expenditure of his own energy and intelligence, and has himself to thank for the success which has rewarded his efforts. He is accordingly esteemed among his fellow men and business associates, and is recognized as one of the most substantial and enterprising men of the town of Ladysmith, which has been his place of residence for several years.

Mr. Thomson is a native of the famous old town of Ayr, Scotland, where he was born February 11, 1855, being a son of David and Catherine (Smith) Thomson, the former of whom is deceased and the latter still living in Scotland.

After a period of education in the public schools of Ayr he served his time in the grocery business, and learned all its details and fitted himself thoroughly for his extensive business career. In 1873, being then a young man of eighteen, he came to Nanaimo and entered the service of Harvey and Dunsmuir. He spent ten years in the employ of that firm, and was manager of their business at Wellington for some time. He then went into the general merchandise business in Nanaimo on his own account, but soon sold out. He then became manager of the business of A.R. Johnson and Company at Nanaimo, and continued in that responsible capacity for six years. Since then he has been prominently identified with the official affairs of his district. He was appointed assistant to Government Agent Marshal Bray at Nanaimo, and after noine years in that capacity he received the appointment of government agent at Ladysmith, the duties of which post he has since efficiently discharged, He also holds the offices of assessor and collector, stipendiary magistrate, gold commissioner, registrar of births, deaths and marriages. He has also taken considerable interest in general politics, and from 1886 to 1890 he represented the Nanaimo-Albernie [sic] district in the provincial parliament.”

(Source: Nanaimo Community Archives collection)

We found this short newspaper article mentioning George Thomson in the Nanaimo Community Archives. No citation was given to the original source but it appears to have been in the Nanaimo Free Press in 1958.

“George Thomson Was In Militia In Early Times

Nanaimo’s first militia unit was disbanded in 1873, just 75 years ago this year. At the time one of Nanaimo’s prominent citizens, George Thomson, was acting senior sergeant. Since that time there have several bodies of militia situated in Nanaimo in addition to forces that took part in the Boer War and the two world wars. Mr. Thomson was sent to the British Columbia Legislature in 1886 as a Nanaimo member. His descendants still reside in the city.”

We will add more information about R.W.B. George Thomson as we discover it through additional research.

Would you like to leave a comment or question about anything on this page?