Col. Charles H. Thomson was born in Belchertown, Hampshire 

 Co., Mass., Aug. 21, 1830. 



His paternal ancestors came from London, England, and settled in 

 the eastern part of Long Island, and soon afterwards removed and 

 settled in Connecticut. 



His maternal ancestors emigrated from Wales, near Chester, Eng- 

 land, and settled in Hartford Co., Conn., in 1660. 



His grandfathers both were residents of Tolland, Conn. His mater- 

 nal grandfather was an oflacer in the war of 1812, whose father was a 

 soldier in the Revolutionary war. 



His father, Dr. Horatio Thomson, was a/native of Tolland ; married 

 Cordelia Chapman, of the same place. He was a practicing physician 

 for some thirty-four years ; first for some two years in Tolland, and 

 the remainder of the time in Belchertown, to which place he moved 

 soon after his marriage. His wife died about the year 1834, and Dr. 

 Thomson subsequently married Lucy M., daughter of Hon. Mark 

 Doolittle, of Belchertown, Mass., a lady of rare excellence, and who 

 trained her stepsons, Charles and George F., M.D., in all that makes 

 true manhood. 



Dr. Thomson died in the fall of 1860, at the age of fifty-seven, 

 and was succeeded in practice by his youngest son, George F. Thom- 

 son, M.D., who holds a representative place in the medical fraternity 

 of that county. 



Charles H. was eldest son, and spent his minority at school. He 

 received his preliminary education at the Belchertown Classical School 

 and New Salem Academy, and at the age of sixteen entered Hamilton 

 College, N. Y. At the expiration of his freshman year he went to 

 Williams College, from which institution he was graduated Aug. 21, 

 1850. 



In September, 1850, he came to Corning, and became a law student 

 with Hon. George T. Spencer, and was admitted to the bar in March, 

 1853, and at once entered upon a partnership with Judge Spencer, 

 and has continued in Corning in the practice of his profession until 

 the present time, being a member of the law-firms of Spencer & Thom- 

 son, Thomson & Mills, Spencer, Thomson & Mills. During the past 

 five years he has occupied an ofl&ce alone. 



In the year 1850 he also opened an insurance and real-estate ofiice, 

 which he'has continued until the writing of this sketch, and is, with 

 one exception, the oldest insurance agent in Western New York. The 

 firm-names in the insurance business have been Thomson & 

 Dyer, Thomson & Farrington, Bigelow & Thomson, and Cole & 

 Thomson. 



Mr. Thomson has been prominently identified with politics, and 

 has been interested in important national questions. He was formerly 

 a member of the Whig party, and is now a Republican. While a 

 member of the Whig party he held the ofiice of justice of the peace 



for one term, and was for one year one of the trustees of the village 

 of Corning. 



In April, 1861, he was appointed postmaster at Corning by Presi- 

 ident Lincoln, which ofiice he held until Aug. 22, 1872.^ For many 

 years he was chairman of the Republican County Committee, and as 

 a member of the Republican State Committee had the entire super- 

 intendence of the soldiers' vote in 1864. He has been a member of 

 the State and National Committees of the Unioh League of Ameriea 

 since its organization, in 1863, until the present time, and was an al- 

 ternate delegate to the Cincinnati Republican Convention of 1876. 



For about twenty years he has been connected with the New York 

 State Militia and National Guard of New York, and has held every 

 grade of office from lieutenant to and. including colpnel, by which 

 latter title he is familiarly known. He was for several years vice- 

 president of the New York State Military Association. 



Since the organization of the fire department in 1851, Col. Thomson 

 has been a member, and since the same was chartered has been a 

 trustee and president thereof. In connection with Robert Olcott (now 

 deceased), in May, 1857, he organized the Alliance Hook-and-Ladder 

 Company, of which he has been foreman and is now president. 



Interested in the literature to be read by the youug people of Corn- 

 ing, which performs a great part in fixing their tastes for reading and 

 usefulness as members of society in after-years. Col. Thomson soon 

 after his settlement had begun the collection of books for a library, 

 and in the year 1873 may be said to have founded the present library 

 of Corning, which will remain a monument of merit to his memory. 

 Col. Thomson is a member of all the Musonic bodies recognized in 

 the county. He is a P. M. and life-member of Painted Post Lodge, 

 No. 117, F. and A. M., and is a P. D. D. G. M. of the Grand Lodge 

 of the State of New York; was one of the original members, and 

 has been treasurer, and is a life-member of Corning Chapter, No. 190, 

 R. A. M. He was one of the original members, and is a life-member, has 

 been treasurer, and is now T. I. M. of Corning Council, No. 53, R. and 

 S. M. In 1871 he was one of an official deputation to England from 

 the Grand Council of R. and S. M., of the State of New York, to estab- 

 lish councils in that country. He is a Sir Knight of St. Omer's Com- 

 mandery. No. 19, K. T., of Elmira; a Past Sovereign of Kadosh 

 Conclave, at Hornellsville ; and a permanent member of the Grand 

 Council of the State of New York of Knights of R. and C. He was 

 the founder and is a life-member of all the bodies of the A. and A. S. 

 Rite in Corning; has been Commander-in-Chief of the Corning Con- 

 sistory since the time of its organization, and received the thirty- 

 third degree, June 19, 1869. 



In the year 1855, Sept. 26, he married Adelaide, daughter of Hon. 

 Thomas A. Johnson, of Corning. Their children are Thomas H., 

 Adelaide L., and Cordelia C. 



