Adam Thom
Encyclopedia
Adam Thom was a teacher, journalist, lawyer, public servant, and recorder
.
, in the Tayside
region in Scotland
. His father was Andrew Thom, a merchant, and his mother Elizabeth Bisset.
He entered the King's College
in 1819 and obtained a Master of Arts
in 1824. He taught briefly at the Udny Academy, in Aberdeenshire
and also in a school of Woolwich
where he settled. He published a grammar of Latin
entitled The Complete Gradus in 1832.
He emigrated to Lower Canada
in 1832 and settled in Montreal
. He began articling in the law office of James Charles Grant. In January 1833, he became editor of the Settler, or British, Irish and Canadian Gazette until its closing on December 31, 1833. The Anti-Canadian opinions he expressed in his newspaper gave him the nickname of "Dr. Slop" in the Vindicator and Canadian Advertiser edited by patriot Edmund Bailey O' Callaghan. In November 1833, he was appointed secretary of the Beefsteak Club
, who gathered some of the richest merchants of Montreal.
He went back to teaching at the Montreal Academical Institution. He published a public letter addressed to Colonial Secretary Lord Stanley
in 1834. In January 1835, he became editor of the Montreal Herald. He strongly opposed the policy of governor Gosford, which he judged too conciliating toward the parliamentary majority. In February 1836, he published the Anti-Gallic Letters, a collection of texts addressed to Gosford, which he originally signed under the pseudonym of Camillus
in the Montreal Herald between September 1835 and January 1836.
He was admitted to the Bar of Lower Canada in 1837. On 25 August 1838, Lord Durham who replaced Gosford, appointed him assistant commissioner in the commission on municipal administration presided by Charles Buller
. He became the spokesman of Durham and the paper he wrote with fellow assistant commissioner William Kennedy
was included in the Report on the Affairs of British North America. In December, he embarked for England to help with the drafting of the final document.
He left England for Red River Colony
to fill the position of recorder offered to him by George Simpson
, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company
. He was asked to reform the administration of justice, and to codify the laws of the colony.
He arrived at Red River in the Spring 1839. In 1840, the King's College made him a doctor of laws. His career as a jurist for the Hudson's Bay Company was animated. He refused to use the French language, which he knew, even though the duties of his office required it. In 1845, he condemned to dead a Saulteaux
Indian by the name of Capineseweet, although according to the law, all capital cases had to be tried in Upper Canada.
He entered in conflict with the Métis
, which were mainly French-speaking and Catholic, when he recommended the governor Assiniboia
, Alexander Christie
, to repress the business of small independent fur traders on the company's territory. In consequence of the measures taken by the government, Pierre-Guillaume Sayer
was tried before the court on 17 May 1849 and was declared guilty of illicit possession of furs by the jury. He was however unconditionally released and permitted to keep the furs in spite of the verdict, because the Métis who attended the trial, Louis Riel Sr.
at their head, made it clear they were not going to let it happen.
The Métis submitted a petition to the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, George Simpson, in which they asked for the resignation of Thom. During a special meeting on 31 May 1849, the Council of Assiniboia
arrived to a compromise with Thom, who agreed to make use of the French language in the performance of his duties. He however continued to displease a good part of the population of River Red and in the autumn of 1850, Louis Riel Sr. again requested his resignation. On 10 April 1851, Simpson informed Thom that he was relieved of his duties as recorder. Many of his duties were assumed by John Black
, his former deputy. He however kept the title of clerk of the Court of Assiniboia and even continued to receive the same annual salary of £700.
He left Red River for Edinburgh in 1854. In 1865, he settled in London. He died in that city on 21 February 1890. His son, Adam Bisset Thom, inherited his fortune.
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
.
Biography
Adam Thom was born in BrechinBrechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
, in the Tayside
Tayside
Tayside Region was a local government region of Scotland from 15 May 1975 to 31 March 1996. It was created by the 1973 Act following recommendations made by the 1969 Wheatley Report which attempted to replace the mishmash of counties, cities, burghs and districts, with a uniform two-tier system...
region in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His father was Andrew Thom, a merchant, and his mother Elizabeth Bisset.
He entered the King's College
King's College, Aberdeen
King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and an integral part of the University of Aberdeen...
in 1819 and obtained a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1824. He taught briefly at the Udny Academy, in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
and also in a school of Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
where he settled. He published a grammar of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
entitled The Complete Gradus in 1832.
He emigrated to Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in 1832 and settled in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. He began articling in the law office of James Charles Grant. In January 1833, he became editor of the Settler, or British, Irish and Canadian Gazette until its closing on December 31, 1833. The Anti-Canadian opinions he expressed in his newspaper gave him the nickname of "Dr. Slop" in the Vindicator and Canadian Advertiser edited by patriot Edmund Bailey O' Callaghan. In November 1833, he was appointed secretary of the Beefsteak Club
Beefsteak Club
Beefsteak Club is the name, nickname and historically common misnomer applied by sources to several 18th and 19th century male dining clubs that celebrated the beefsteak as a symbol of patriotic and often Whig concepts of liberty and prosperity....
, who gathered some of the richest merchants of Montreal.
He went back to teaching at the Montreal Academical Institution. He published a public letter addressed to Colonial Secretary Lord Stanley
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
in 1834. In January 1835, he became editor of the Montreal Herald. He strongly opposed the policy of governor Gosford, which he judged too conciliating toward the parliamentary majority. In February 1836, he published the Anti-Gallic Letters, a collection of texts addressed to Gosford, which he originally signed under the pseudonym of Camillus
Camillus
In ancient Rome, a camillus was an acolyte in various rituals. If the camillus was a child of the cult's officiant , the child had to be free-born and under the age of puberty, and both parents had to be alive.Camillus was also a cognomen derived from the general term, most famously used by...
in the Montreal Herald between September 1835 and January 1836.
He was admitted to the Bar of Lower Canada in 1837. On 25 August 1838, Lord Durham who replaced Gosford, appointed him assistant commissioner in the commission on municipal administration presided by Charles Buller
Charles Buller
Charles Buller , was a British barrister, politician and reformer.-Background and education:Born in Calcutta, British India, Buller was the son of Charles Buller , a member of a well-known Cornish family, and Barbara Isabella Kirkpatrick, daughter of General William Kirkpatrick, considered an...
. He became the spokesman of Durham and the paper he wrote with fellow assistant commissioner William Kennedy
William Kennedy
William Kennedy may refer to:* William Kennedy , Canadian sailor and part of the search for Sir John Franklin* William Kennedy , British admiral...
was included in the Report on the Affairs of British North America. In December, he embarked for England to help with the drafting of the final document.
He left England for Red River Colony
Red River Colony
The Red River Colony was a colonization project set up by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1811 on of land granted to him by the Hudson's Bay Company under what is referred to as the Selkirk Concession. The colony along the Red River of the North was never very successful...
to fill the position of recorder offered to him by George Simpson
George Simpson (administrator)
Sir George Simpson was a Scots-Quebecer and employee of the Hudson's Bay Company . His title was Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land and administrator over the Northwest Territories and Columbia Department in British North America from 1821 to 1860.-Early years:George Simpson was born in Dingwall,...
, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. He was asked to reform the administration of justice, and to codify the laws of the colony.
He arrived at Red River in the Spring 1839. In 1840, the King's College made him a doctor of laws. His career as a jurist for the Hudson's Bay Company was animated. He refused to use the French language, which he knew, even though the duties of his office required it. In 1845, he condemned to dead a Saulteaux
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...
Indian by the name of Capineseweet, although according to the law, all capital cases had to be tried in Upper Canada.
He entered in conflict with the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
, which were mainly French-speaking and Catholic, when he recommended the governor Assiniboia
Assiniboia
Assiniboia refers to a number of different locations and administrative jurisdictions in Canada. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation.- District of Assiniboia:...
, Alexander Christie
Alexander Christie
Alexander Christie was a fur trader and was Governor of the Red River Settlement from 1833 to 1839 and from 1844 to 1846...
, to repress the business of small independent fur traders on the company's territory. In consequence of the measures taken by the government, Pierre-Guillaume Sayer
Guillaume Sayer
Pierre Guillaume Sayer was a Métis fur trader whose trial was a turning point in the ending of the Hudson's Bay Company's monopoly of the fur trade in North America....
was tried before the court on 17 May 1849 and was declared guilty of illicit possession of furs by the jury. He was however unconditionally released and permitted to keep the furs in spite of the verdict, because the Métis who attended the trial, Louis Riel Sr.
Louis Riel Sr.
Louis Riel Sr. was a farmer, miller, Métis leader, and the father of Louis Riel.Born in Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan, Riel was the eldest son of Jean-Baptiste Riel, dit L’Irlande, a voyageur, and Marguerite Boucher, a Franco-Ojibwa Métis. The Riel family moved back to Lower Canada while Louis...
at their head, made it clear they were not going to let it happen.
The Métis submitted a petition to the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, George Simpson, in which they asked for the resignation of Thom. During a special meeting on 31 May 1849, the Council of Assiniboia
Council of Assiniboia
The Council of Assiniboia was, from 1821 until 1870, the appointed administrative body of Rupert's Land.-History:This Council was created by the Hudson's Bay Company to govern the territory following its merger with the North West Company, and the death of Lord Selkirk...
arrived to a compromise with Thom, who agreed to make use of the French language in the performance of his duties. He however continued to displease a good part of the population of River Red and in the autumn of 1850, Louis Riel Sr. again requested his resignation. On 10 April 1851, Simpson informed Thom that he was relieved of his duties as recorder. Many of his duties were assumed by John Black
John Black (1817–79)
John Black was born and educated in Scotland and came to Canada in 1839Black's early life was not well documented. We do know that he worked for about seven years in a solicitor's office before being appointed clerk to the General Quarterly Court of Assiniboia. He had duties as deputy to the...
, his former deputy. He however kept the title of clerk of the Court of Assiniboia and even continued to receive the same annual salary of £700.
He left Red River for Edinburgh in 1854. In 1865, he settled in London. He died in that city on 21 February 1890. His son, Adam Bisset Thom, inherited his fortune.
Works
- The Complete Gradus; Comprising the Rules of Prosody, Succinctly Expressed and Rationally Explained, on a New Plan;..., London, 1832
- Letter to the Right Hon. E. G. Stanley, His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, Montréal, 1834
- Review of the Report made in 1828 by the Canada Committee of the House of Commons, Montréal, 1835
- On the Canada Committee of 1828, Montréal, 1835
- Remarks on the Petition of the Convention, and on the Petition of the Constitutionalists, Montréal, 1835 (online)
- Anti-Gallic letters; Addressed to His Excellency, the Earl of Gosford, Governor-in-Chief of the Canadas, Montréal, 1836 (online)
- Canadian Politics, Montréal, 1836
- Cubbeer Burr, or the Tree of Many Trunks, Montréal, 1841
- The Claims to the Oregon Territory Considered, London, 1844 (online)
- A Charge Delivered to the Grand Jury of Assiniboia, 20 February, 1845, London, 1848 (online)
- Chronology of Prophecy; Tracing the Various Courses of Divine Providence from the Flood to the End of Time;..., London, 1848
- A Few Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled "A few Words on the Hudson’s Bay Company"; in a letter to Alexander Christie..., London, 1848
- Barrow in Furnace; No. I; A letter to the subscribers to the Common Law Fund in Overend, Gurney & Co., Limited (No. II: A letter to the Hero of the Story), London, 1869
- Overend and Gurney Prosecution; In its Relation to the Public as Distinguished from the Defendants, London, 1869
- The Prosecutor’s Protest against Judicial Despotism and Forensic Monopoly: Addressed to the Lord Chief Justice of England, London, 1869
- Queen Alone, in Every Heart and On Every Tongue..., London, 1876
- Bane and Antidote Together..., A letter from an Octogenarian Advocate of Inspiration, London, 1884
- Emmanuel Alone, for his Own Sake through Time and Space Alike, London, 1885 (online)
- Emmanuel; Both the Germ and the Outcome of the Scriptural Alphabets, and the Metallic Image; With an Appendix of Individual Analogues; A Pentaglot Miniature, London, 1885