Biography
Thomas was born in 1780 at his family's farm (Throsk) in St. Ninians Parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland to William and Lillias (Gibson) Nielson. He was baptized on October 1st, 1780 in the St. Ninians Parish.
At the age of 16 years, Thomas left the family farm and set out for London where he undertook an apprenticeship at a bookseller's establishment. In 1798, he came to Edinburgh where he opened a second-hand book store on West Bow. He saw a gap in the market for second-hand books. Additionally, he travelled to nearby markets and fairs to promote his sales and business. He soon began printing low-cost editions of non-copyrighted works. One of his first was a monthly Christian allegory written by John Bunyan entitled, "The Pilgrim's Progress."
Thomas married Margaret Sibbald Black, a woman 16 years his junior, on March 15th, 1814 in Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland.
When Thomas founded the shop that bears his name, his surname was Nielson. He found a good number of his customers had difficulty remembering the correct spelling of his name (and thereby his business), driving him to change his name (and the business' name) to Nelson.
Thomas and Margaret had nine children, all born with the surname Nelson:
Ann (b. 1815, Edinburgh)
William (b. 1816, Edinburgh)
John (b. 1820, Edinburgh)
Thomas (b. 1822, Edinburgh)
Ann (b. 1824, Edinburgh)
James (b. 1826, Edinburgh)
Margaret (b. 1829, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1832, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1834, Edinburgh)
Thomas and Margaret's first child, Ann, was called home to The Lord at the young age of only 2 years when she died from "water on the head" on March 29th, 1817 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was laid to rest in Saint Cuthbert's Churchyard in Edinburgh.
By 1822, Thomas had moved his shop to a larger space on West Bow as well as opened a second shop.
During the period from 1829 to 1840, there were a number of changes and advances to Thomas' business. in 1829, Thomas engaged a gentleman, James McDonald, to promote his business interests in Southern Scotland and Northern England.
Thomas and Margaret's daughter Janet was called home to The Lord at only one year old when she passed away on May 4th, 1833 in Edinburgh, Scotland from "Dropsy".
His son William joined him in business in 1835 and Thomas changed the name of his business to "Nelson and Son." The business name changed again in 1839 to "Nelson and Sons" when his son Thomas joined the firm.
In 1841, Thomas, Margaret, and six of their children were living in the afternoon shade of Edinburgh Castle at 398 Castle Hill in Brown's Close. Thomas was listed as a Bookseller. Their son, William, was not listed in the home.
As a result of this exploration through the efforts of Mr. McDonald, Thomas opened an office in London in 1844. In 1846, the home office needed to expand and that facility moved into a custom-built facility in Edinburgh's Hope Park.
On census day in 1851 (March 30th), Thomas, Margaret, their son Thomas, and daughters Ann and Janet were listed as visitors in the home of their son John in the Manse of the Free Church of Newport, Forgan Parish, Maryton, Fife where he (John) was a minister.
In 1852, Thomas retired from the day-to-day life of the business he started and grew, leaving it to his two sons to manage and continue growing. It has remained a vibrant and significant publishing company doing business worldwide.
In the early 1850's, Thomas contracted the architect Thomas Davies to design and build his home approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Edinburgh Castle, near modern day Prestonfield Golf Club. The home became known as Abden House and is now home to The Confucius Institute on the grounds of The University of Edinburgh.
Thomas went to be with The Lord on the morning of March 23rd, 1861 when he passed away in his home from complications of colon cancer. His son, William, was with him. Thomas was laid to rest in a place of prominence near the West Gate of Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Research Notes
I before E, except in Nelson:
*Thomas was born with the surname Nielson according to his Christening record. This is backed up by his father's Christening record and marriage record to Thomas' mother, both of which bear the name Nielson.
*There is no shortage of websites which indicate his birth name was Neilson (EI) as opposed to Nielson (IE), however, the ONLY record which I have found that bears that spelling is his marriage record to Margaret.
* I have found no documentation, but it is clear he changed his name to Nelson (No I) after he married Margaret and before they welcomed their first child, Ann, in 1815. Ann's birth record, along with all the other children's birth records have his name as Nelson, therefore, they were all born with the surname "Nelson."
Clan MacNeil - Although the surname "Nelson" is among the septs of Clan MacNeil, Thomas' birth name, Nielson does not show up on many lists of Clan MacNeil septs. It is a matter of discussion whether or not to associate him with Clan MacNeil.
No Precise Date of Birth - The only record (to date) for Thomas' birth is his Christening Record. It provides the date he was Christened, but does not include his actual date of birth.
Sources – You can find links to the sources of all of this at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nielson-999
Thomas was born in 1780 at his family's farm (Throsk) in St. Ninians Parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland to William and Lillias (Gibson) Nielson. He was baptized on October 1st, 1780 in the St. Ninians Parish.
At the age of 16 years, Thomas left the family farm and set out for London where he undertook an apprenticeship at a bookseller's establishment. In 1798, he came to Edinburgh where he opened a second-hand book store on West Bow. He saw a gap in the market for second-hand books. Additionally, he travelled to nearby markets and fairs to promote his sales and business. He soon began printing low-cost editions of non-copyrighted works. One of his first was a monthly Christian allegory written by John Bunyan entitled, "The Pilgrim's Progress."
Thomas married Margaret Sibbald Black, a woman 16 years his junior, on March 15th, 1814 in Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland.
When Thomas founded the shop that bears his name, his surname was Nielson. He found a good number of his customers had difficulty remembering the correct spelling of his name (and thereby his business), driving him to change his name (and the business' name) to Nelson.
Thomas and Margaret had nine children, all born with the surname Nelson:
Ann (b. 1815, Edinburgh)
William (b. 1816, Edinburgh)
John (b. 1820, Edinburgh)
Thomas (b. 1822, Edinburgh)
Ann (b. 1824, Edinburgh)
James (b. 1826, Edinburgh)
Margaret (b. 1829, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1832, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1834, Edinburgh)
Thomas and Margaret's first child, Ann, was called home to The Lord at the young age of only 2 years when she died from "water on the head" on March 29th, 1817 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was laid to rest in Saint Cuthbert's Churchyard in Edinburgh.
By 1822, Thomas had moved his shop to a larger space on West Bow as well as opened a second shop.
During the period from 1829 to 1840, there were a number of changes and advances to Thomas' business. in 1829, Thomas engaged a gentleman, James McDonald, to promote his business interests in Southern Scotland and Northern England.
Thomas and Margaret's daughter Janet was called home to The Lord at only one year old when she passed away on May 4th, 1833 in Edinburgh, Scotland from "Dropsy".
His son William joined him in business in 1835 and Thomas changed the name of his business to "Nelson and Son." The business name changed again in 1839 to "Nelson and Sons" when his son Thomas joined the firm.
In 1841, Thomas, Margaret, and six of their children were living in the afternoon shade of Edinburgh Castle at 398 Castle Hill in Brown's Close. Thomas was listed as a Bookseller. Their son, William, was not listed in the home.
As a result of this exploration through the efforts of Mr. McDonald, Thomas opened an office in London in 1844. In 1846, the home office needed to expand and that facility moved into a custom-built facility in Edinburgh's Hope Park.
On census day in 1851 (March 30th), Thomas, Margaret, their son Thomas, and daughters Ann and Janet were listed as visitors in the home of their son John in the Manse of the Free Church of Newport, Forgan Parish, Maryton, Fife where he (John) was a minister.
In 1852, Thomas retired from the day-to-day life of the business he started and grew, leaving it to his two sons to manage and continue growing. It has remained a vibrant and significant publishing company doing business worldwide.
In the early 1850's, Thomas contracted the architect Thomas Davies to design and build his home approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Edinburgh Castle, near modern day Prestonfield Golf Club. The home became known as Abden House and is now home to The Confucius Institute on the grounds of The University of Edinburgh.
Thomas went to be with The Lord on the morning of March 23rd, 1861 when he passed away in his home from complications of colon cancer. His son, William, was with him. Thomas was laid to rest in a place of prominence near the West Gate of Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Research Notes
I before E, except in Nelson:
*Thomas was born with the surname Nielson according to his Christening record. This is backed up by his father's Christening record and marriage record to Thomas' mother, both of which bear the name Nielson.
*There is no shortage of websites which indicate his birth name was Neilson (EI) as opposed to Nielson (IE), however, the ONLY record which I have found that bears that spelling is his marriage record to Margaret.
* I have found no documentation, but it is clear he changed his name to Nelson (No I) after he married Margaret and before they welcomed their first child, Ann, in 1815. Ann's birth record, along with all the other children's birth records have his name as Nelson, therefore, they were all born with the surname "Nelson."
Clan MacNeil - Although the surname "Nelson" is among the septs of Clan MacNeil, Thomas' birth name, Nielson does not show up on many lists of Clan MacNeil septs. It is a matter of discussion whether or not to associate him with Clan MacNeil.
No Precise Date of Birth - The only record (to date) for Thomas' birth is his Christening Record. It provides the date he was Christened, but does not include his actual date of birth.
Sources – You can find links to the sources of all of this at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nielson-999
Biography
Thomas was born in 1780 at his family's farm (Throsk) in St. Ninians Parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland to William and Lillias (Gibson) Nielson. He was baptized on October 1st, 1780 in the St. Ninians Parish.
At the age of 16 years, Thomas left the family farm and set out for London where he undertook an apprenticeship at a bookseller's establishment. In 1798, he came to Edinburgh where he opened a second-hand book store on West Bow. He saw a gap in the market for second-hand books. Additionally, he travelled to nearby markets and fairs to promote his sales and business. He soon began printing low-cost editions of non-copyrighted works. One of his first was a monthly Christian allegory written by John Bunyan entitled, "The Pilgrim's Progress."
Thomas married Margaret Sibbald Black, a woman 16 years his junior, on March 15th, 1814 in Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland.
When Thomas founded the shop that bears his name, his surname was Nielson. He found a good number of his customers had difficulty remembering the correct spelling of his name (and thereby his business), driving him to change his name (and the business' name) to Nelson.
Thomas and Margaret had nine children, all born with the surname Nelson:
Ann (b. 1815, Edinburgh)
William (b. 1816, Edinburgh)
John (b. 1820, Edinburgh)
Thomas (b. 1822, Edinburgh)
Ann (b. 1824, Edinburgh)
James (b. 1826, Edinburgh)
Margaret (b. 1829, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1832, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1834, Edinburgh)
Thomas and Margaret's first child, Ann, was called home to The Lord at the young age of only 2 years when she died from "water on the head" on March 29th, 1817 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was laid to rest in Saint Cuthbert's Churchyard in Edinburgh.
By 1822, Thomas had moved his shop to a larger space on West Bow as well as opened a second shop.
During the period from 1829 to 1840, there were a number of changes and advances to Thomas' business. in 1829, Thomas engaged a gentleman, James McDonald, to promote his business interests in Southern Scotland and Northern England.
Thomas and Margaret's daughter Janet was called home to The Lord at only one year old when she passed away on May 4th, 1833 in Edinburgh, Scotland from "Dropsy".
His son William joined him in business in 1835 and Thomas changed the name of his business to "Nelson and Son." The business name changed again in 1839 to "Nelson and Sons" when his son Thomas joined the firm.
In 1841, Thomas, Margaret, and six of their children were living in the afternoon shade of Edinburgh Castle at 398 Castle Hill in Brown's Close. Thomas was listed as a Bookseller. Their son, William, was not listed in the home.
As a result of this exploration through the efforts of Mr. McDonald, Thomas opened an office in London in 1844. In 1846, the home office needed to expand and that facility moved into a custom-built facility in Edinburgh's Hope Park.
On census day in 1851 (March 30th), Thomas, Margaret, their son Thomas, and daughters Ann and Janet were listed as visitors in the home of their son John in the Manse of the Free Church of Newport, Forgan Parish, Maryton, Fife where he (John) was a minister.
In 1852, Thomas retired from the day-to-day life of the business he started and grew, leaving it to his two sons to manage and continue growing. It has remained a vibrant and significant publishing company doing business worldwide.
In the early 1850's, Thomas contracted the architect Thomas Davies to design and build his home approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Edinburgh Castle, near modern day Prestonfield Golf Club. The home became known as Abden House and is now home to The Confucius Institute on the grounds of The University of Edinburgh.
Thomas went to be with The Lord on the morning of March 23rd, 1861 when he passed away in his home from complications of colon cancer. His son, William, was with him. Thomas was laid to rest in a place of prominence near the West Gate of Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Research Notes
I before E, except in Nelson:
*Thomas was born with the surname Nielson according to his Christening record. This is backed up by his father's Christening record and marriage record to Thomas' mother, both of which bear the name Nielson.
*There is no shortage of websites which indicate his birth name was Neilson (EI) as opposed to Nielson (IE), however, the ONLY record which I have found that bears that spelling is his marriage record to Margaret.
* I have found no documentation, but it is clear he changed his name to Nelson (No I) after he married Margaret and before they welcomed their first child, Ann, in 1815. Ann's birth record, along with all the other children's birth records have his name as Nelson, therefore, they were all born with the surname "Nelson."
Clan MacNeil - Although the surname "Nelson" is among the septs of Clan MacNeil, Thomas' birth name, Nielson does not show up on many lists of Clan MacNeil septs. It is a matter of discussion whether or not to associate him with Clan MacNeil.
No Precise Date of Birth - The only record (to date) for Thomas' birth is his Christening Record. It provides the date he was Christened, but does not include his actual date of birth.
Sources – You can find links to the sources of all of this at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nielson-999
Thomas was born in 1780 at his family's farm (Throsk) in St. Ninians Parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland to William and Lillias (Gibson) Nielson. He was baptized on October 1st, 1780 in the St. Ninians Parish.
At the age of 16 years, Thomas left the family farm and set out for London where he undertook an apprenticeship at a bookseller's establishment. In 1798, he came to Edinburgh where he opened a second-hand book store on West Bow. He saw a gap in the market for second-hand books. Additionally, he travelled to nearby markets and fairs to promote his sales and business. He soon began printing low-cost editions of non-copyrighted works. One of his first was a monthly Christian allegory written by John Bunyan entitled, "The Pilgrim's Progress."
Thomas married Margaret Sibbald Black, a woman 16 years his junior, on March 15th, 1814 in Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland.
When Thomas founded the shop that bears his name, his surname was Nielson. He found a good number of his customers had difficulty remembering the correct spelling of his name (and thereby his business), driving him to change his name (and the business' name) to Nelson.
Thomas and Margaret had nine children, all born with the surname Nelson:
Ann (b. 1815, Edinburgh)
William (b. 1816, Edinburgh)
John (b. 1820, Edinburgh)
Thomas (b. 1822, Edinburgh)
Ann (b. 1824, Edinburgh)
James (b. 1826, Edinburgh)
Margaret (b. 1829, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1832, Edinburgh)
Janet (b. 1834, Edinburgh)
Thomas and Margaret's first child, Ann, was called home to The Lord at the young age of only 2 years when she died from "water on the head" on March 29th, 1817 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was laid to rest in Saint Cuthbert's Churchyard in Edinburgh.
By 1822, Thomas had moved his shop to a larger space on West Bow as well as opened a second shop.
During the period from 1829 to 1840, there were a number of changes and advances to Thomas' business. in 1829, Thomas engaged a gentleman, James McDonald, to promote his business interests in Southern Scotland and Northern England.
Thomas and Margaret's daughter Janet was called home to The Lord at only one year old when she passed away on May 4th, 1833 in Edinburgh, Scotland from "Dropsy".
His son William joined him in business in 1835 and Thomas changed the name of his business to "Nelson and Son." The business name changed again in 1839 to "Nelson and Sons" when his son Thomas joined the firm.
In 1841, Thomas, Margaret, and six of their children were living in the afternoon shade of Edinburgh Castle at 398 Castle Hill in Brown's Close. Thomas was listed as a Bookseller. Their son, William, was not listed in the home.
As a result of this exploration through the efforts of Mr. McDonald, Thomas opened an office in London in 1844. In 1846, the home office needed to expand and that facility moved into a custom-built facility in Edinburgh's Hope Park.
On census day in 1851 (March 30th), Thomas, Margaret, their son Thomas, and daughters Ann and Janet were listed as visitors in the home of their son John in the Manse of the Free Church of Newport, Forgan Parish, Maryton, Fife where he (John) was a minister.
In 1852, Thomas retired from the day-to-day life of the business he started and grew, leaving it to his two sons to manage and continue growing. It has remained a vibrant and significant publishing company doing business worldwide.
In the early 1850's, Thomas contracted the architect Thomas Davies to design and build his home approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Edinburgh Castle, near modern day Prestonfield Golf Club. The home became known as Abden House and is now home to The Confucius Institute on the grounds of The University of Edinburgh.
Thomas went to be with The Lord on the morning of March 23rd, 1861 when he passed away in his home from complications of colon cancer. His son, William, was with him. Thomas was laid to rest in a place of prominence near the West Gate of Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Research Notes
I before E, except in Nelson:
*Thomas was born with the surname Nielson according to his Christening record. This is backed up by his father's Christening record and marriage record to Thomas' mother, both of which bear the name Nielson.
*There is no shortage of websites which indicate his birth name was Neilson (EI) as opposed to Nielson (IE), however, the ONLY record which I have found that bears that spelling is his marriage record to Margaret.
* I have found no documentation, but it is clear he changed his name to Nelson (No I) after he married Margaret and before they welcomed their first child, Ann, in 1815. Ann's birth record, along with all the other children's birth records have his name as Nelson, therefore, they were all born with the surname "Nelson."
Clan MacNeil - Although the surname "Nelson" is among the septs of Clan MacNeil, Thomas' birth name, Nielson does not show up on many lists of Clan MacNeil septs. It is a matter of discussion whether or not to associate him with Clan MacNeil.
No Precise Date of Birth - The only record (to date) for Thomas' birth is his Christening Record. It provides the date he was Christened, but does not include his actual date of birth.
Sources – You can find links to the sources of all of this at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nielson-999
Inscription
THOMAS NELSON, publisher,
Born at Throsk, near Stirling,
Died at Edinburgh 23 Mar 1861 aged 81;
MARGARET BLACK, his wife,
Born Kinghorn, Fife,
Died Edinburgh 12 Dec 1877 aged 80.
Gravesite Details
Group of 6 Nelson tablets
