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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1983-06-29, Page 43Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 29, 1983—Page 19 Lucknow businessman is descendant of Lucknow'sfirst merchant By Don Thompson It was 125 years ago in 1858 that Malcolm Campbell, a native of Inverness, Scot- land became Lucknow's first merchant. He came to Luck - now just prior to the naming of the village and was also its first Reeve and Postmaster. It was in February of 1881, 102 years ago, that the name Thompson first made its appearance as a member of the Lucknow business com- munity. The writer of this article, Donald Campbell Thompson of Lucknow is the fifth gen- eration Campbell and the fourth generation Thompson to be actively associated with Lucknow's business com- munity being the great great grandson of Lucknow's first storekeeper, Malcolm Camp- bell. Adam Thompson, great grandfather of the writer, left his homeland of Ireland in November of 1870 and with two brothers, William and Robert, settled in Goderich. All three men were black- smiths and carriagemakers by trade learned from their family in County Down, Northern Ireland, near Bel- fast. Adam Thompson was 21 -years -old when he left his homeland and most of his large family, to come to ..anada and new opportunit- ies. Brother Robert Thompson stayed in Goderich, while Adam and his other brother, William settled in Dungan- non where they practiced their trade. Adam Thompson married Ellen Reid, also a native of Ireland, and in 1881 they settled in Lucknow, where he commenced his blacksmith - carriagemaker trade in a building located on the vacant lot between the present Finlay Decorators Retail Store and the Finlay residence. A short time later Adam purchased the unused Wes- leyan Methodist Church, loc- ated on the present site of Mrs. John Crowston's home on the corner of Willloughby and Outram Streets. Mr. Thompson moved the church building to the site on Campbell Street, east of his blacksmith shop and on the present site of Finlay De- corators new retail store. He used the church building to enlarge his business to in- clude a livery stable with the Lucknow-Dungannon-Goder- ich stage coach making the Thompson livery stable its Lucknow depot. In recent years, Robert Finlay used the old church building as a warehouse for his business until replacing it with a modern new building which has now been convert- ed into his main retailing, warehousing outlet. Adam Thompson died in 1898 at the' age of 49. His wife Ellen died in 1927. Both are buried in Maitland Cem- etery, Goderich. Robert H. Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Thompson, took over his MALCOLM CAMPBELL father's livery business upon his death. Robert was 18 years old at the time. He later married the former Isabella Campbell, grand- daughter of Lucknow's first merchant, Reeve and Post- master, Malcolm Campbell, connecting the Thompson - Campbell families as refer- red to at the beginning of the article. Robert "Bob" Thompson sold the livery business a few years later to John Blake and was employed by William Taylor in a grocery store, by Treleaven's Flour Mill and by A. R. Finlayson in the grocery trade. The training he received at the Finlayson store was partly responsible Happy Birthday Lucknow McDonagh Insurance Broker Lucknow 528-3423 B. A. McDonagh Real Estate Lucknow & Teeswater )528-2031 HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCKNOW FROM MANAGEMENT & STAFF Willits Tire Lucknow 528-2103 for the success he enjoyed in his own grocery store busi- ness which he opened in September of 1922 in the building now housing the Becker Milk Co. outlet. Mr. Thompson sold the business in June of 1952 to Oliver and Lenore Glenn of Lucknow. Failing health had prevented Bob from working in those last years when the business was operated by his sons, Bud, Bob Jr. and Willard Thompson following the second world war. Robert Thompson died in 1953 and his wife Isabella in 1970. Both are buried in Greenhill Cemetery. Campbell Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Thompson, was working in his father's grocery store in 1928 when he was offered a job at the weekly newspaper, The Lucknow Sentinel, which was then operated by A. D. MacKenzie. When Mr. Mac- Kenzie took ill three years later, Campbell took over the management of the business for Mr. and Mrs. MacKen- zie. Mr. MacKenzie died a few months later and Cam continued to manage and edit the paper for Mrs. MacKenzie until purchasing it from her in 1941. During the years, Camp- bell Thompson was assisted in the business by his wife, the former Margaret Thorn of St. Helens. Campbell died suddenly in 1964 and is buried in Greenhill Cemet- ery. He was associated with the Lucknow Sentinel for 36 years. His wife Margaret continues to reside in Luck - now. The fourth generation of the Thompsons to be in business on Lucknow's main street is the writer, Donald Campbell Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. Campbell Thompson. Don entered into business with his father thirty years ago, in 1953 and worked for him in the pub- lishing of The Lucknow Sent- inel. In 1959, a father -son partnership was formed. Campbell Thompson con- structed a new building in 1957 to house the commun- ity's newspaper. At that time The Sentinel moved from its location, where the present Bruce County Health Unit office is now situated, to the site of the present Lottery Shoppe, across the street. Following the death of his father in 1964, Don purchas- ed his mother's interest in the business and she contin- ued to work at the newspaper until it was sold in August of 1977 to Signal Star Publish- ing Company of Goderich. Don Thompson remained in business in Lucknow fol- lowing the sale of the news- paper acting as a distributor in several area counties for Loto Canada, a national lot- tery; Cash for Life, a provin- cial charitable lottery and presently Pot of Gold, anoth- er provincial charitable lot- tery. He has been assisted in the business over the years, both in the newspaper and the lottery business, by his wife, the former Beverley Ashton of Lucknow. A mixture of Scottish blood was added to the Irish Thompsons when Isabella Campbell married Robert Thompson in 1905. Isabella, or "Belle" as she was known, was a grand- daughter of Malcolm Camp- bell, Lucknow's very first merchant. Malcolm Campbell had come to Canada from Scot- land in 1846. He was born in Scotland in 1819. He was married to the former Marg- uerite Armstrong and after two years of teaching in Canada, and several years in Turn to page 21• Happy 125[h Birthday LUCKNOW WE SPECIALIZE IN TRUCKS 111 Bluewater Truck Centre Goderich, Ontario Direct Parts 524-7389 CARLYLE BANNLSTER Phones Bus. 524-7379 Res. 524-6210 AIRPORT ROAD Congratulations Lucknow on your 125th Birthday from the staff of Lucknow Farm Supply Lucknow r PURINA CHOWS 528-2331