Residence.

Details of Site Location: Lot 24, Concession 1 Scarborough, north of Lawrence Avenue between Brimley and McCowan.

Boundary History: The Thomson acreage was a Farm Lot of 200 acres through which Highland Creek ran. The log cabin was near the creek.

Current Use of Property: Thomson Memorial Park, with a large section reserved for Scarborough General Hospital.

Historical Description: Stonemason David Thomson came from Dumfriesshire, Scotland, first to Niagara and then to York. With his wife and children he arrived in Scarborough in 1796 to take up land beside Highland Creek, three miles north of Scarborough Bluffs. The land was high, the soil rich and well drained, and the Lot accessible by means of an ancient Indian trail. He cleared some of his land and built a cabin out of his own timber, mainly pine, although he had oak trees as well. Having brought four children with him, his wife, Mary, gave birth to their fifth child at the cabin in August 1796. By 1800, a sixth child had arrived. Mary Thomson, with her brood to look after, also ran the farm including doing all of the outside chores, as David generated funds for the family by working in York at his trade. Among the projects he helped to construct were the Parliament Buildings. When Mary died in 1847, she left behind her over 100 descendants. David had donated the land for a Presbyterian Church, St. Andrews, and both he and Mary are buried there.

Relative Importance: David, Mary, and their six children were the first to settle in Scarborough, although James Elliott had come with David and his belongings and married David’s sister. Two of David’s brothers, Andrew and Archibald, also joined them as early settlers. But it is David and Mary who are regarded as the founders of Scarborough.

Planning Implications: Thomson Memorial Park, on David’s land, adequately com-memorates them. To this must be added the displays and information available at the Scarborough Historical Musem.

Reference Sources: Miles’ Atlas (1878); Robert R. Bonis, A History of Scarborough (1968).

Acknowledgements: Maps Project