Florence Frankland Thomson (née Wilson)

Born: 08 December 1885, Glasgow - Died: 2 July 1939, Glasgow

NOTE:

Because of the 'manners' of the time, women were often not given their own name in newspapers and periodicals. Mrs Thomson, for example, was often referred to as Mrs W. Thomson because she was married to a William Thomson. This is how she is shown in the British Chess Magazine reports on the British Ladies' Championships of 1935 and 1936. The 1937 and 1938 reports show her as Mrs F.F. Thomson.

Associated with Glasgow Ladies' Chess Club, which she joined in the twenties. She was champion of the club on several occasions, and also served as President. Only a few weeks before her death she was elected Vice-President for the second time.

Mrs Thomson was also champion of Polytechnic CC [Glasgow] on two occasions, and for some years she played top board in that club's Richardson Cup team. In 1938 she presented a trophy to the club.

Mrs Thomson won the Scottish Ladies' Championship in every year she competed: 1929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934 & 1937.

In the British Ladies' Championship, she came close to winning on several occasions: inm 1935 she shared 3rd and 4th places; in 1936 she shared 2nd and 3rd places with another Scottish lady, Miss A.M. Crum, and she was 2nd in both the 1937 and 1938 tournaments.

Along with Miss M.D. Gilchrist, she represented Scotland in the Women's World Championship at Stockholm 1937. Mrs Thomson was the first female insurance broker in Scotland.

Yarmouth 1935. Left to right: Reshevsky, Mrs Thomson, F.E.A. Kitto and Aird Thomson.

Mrs Thomson was the mother of Alexander Aird Thomson, who would also be associated with Polytechic CC in Glasgow. He had a distinguished playing career in his own right: Scottish Boys' Champion 1932 and 1933 (shared), Scottish Champion 1951, member of the Scottish team in the Olympiads of 1956, 1958 and 1964.

Sources:
Glasgow Herald chess column, 7 July 1939, p. 9.
BCM 1939, p 348/9.
CHESS, 14 June 1936, p 373; CHESS 14 January 1937, p 177.
Birth and death records.

Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland