Trevelyan Thomson

(Walter) Trevelyan Thomson (30 April 1875 – 8 February 1928) was a British Liberal Member of Parliament, iron and steel merchant and soldier.

Trevelyan Thomson (he rarely used his first name of Walter) was born in , the son of an iron founder and merchant. He was educated in the Quaker tradition at The Friends’ School, Ackworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Bootham School in York. He joined his father in business as iron and steel merchants in Albert Road, Middlesbrough. In 1907 he married Hilda Mary Tolley, the daughter of a minister of religion from London. They had one son and a daughter.

Thomson was a birthright Friend claiming Quaker connections back to the days of George Fox. In 1914 he seemed a model Quaker citizen but the Middlesbrough Society of Friends took a strong anti-war stand in 1914 on the basis of the traditional Quaker belief that no war can be defended and Thomson dissented from this position, tendering his resignation from the Society. Thomson was too old to join up at the start of the war but he helped the military by encouraging recruiting. While individuals joining the armed forces might be tolerated by the Quakers, a member of the religion actively encouraging others to enlist while still publicly holding a position in the Society was too much and the Quakers disowned him. Although his membership was later restored, he rejected his re-instatement and resigned from the Society of Friends. By 1917 the army had relaxed its age rules for volunteers so Thomson enlisted in the Royal Engineers. He served overseas reaching the rank of Sergeant but there was to be no reconciliation with the Society of Friends after the War ended.

Thomson had become an established and respected Middlesbrough businessman and like so many other Victorian and Edwardian successes, he wished to serve his community and his ambition through politics. He was an elected member of Middlesbrough County Borough Council in 1904 and served until his death in 1928. He was also a Justice of Peace.

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