Thomas Nelson FRSE (1822–1892) was a Scottish businessman who joined the family publishing firm of Thomas Nelson in 1839 at which point it was renamed Thomas Nelson & Sons. In 1850 he invented an improved rotary printing press.
He was born on 25 December, Christmas Day, 1822, son of Thomas Nelson then a bookseller, and his wife, Margaret Black. He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh.
Thomas joined his father's company on his 17th birthday in 1839. In 1844 the firm moved to larger premises in Hope Park in Edinburgh's South Side. The company began specialising in school text books. Thomas Junior moved to London in 1844 to open a new major branch there. He returned to Edinburgh in 1846. [1]
From 1855 he lived with his father in the newly commissioned Abden House in Edinburgh's South Side, inheriting the house on his father's death in 1861. [2]
In 1866 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposer was Alexander Keith Johnston. [3]
In 1869 Thomas commissioned John Lessels to build St Leonards, a very large baronial mansion close to his premises, built in the grounds of Abden House. The building now forms part of Edinburgh University's Pollock Halls of Residence.
He fell into ill-health in 1890 and died on 20 October 1892 leaving a fortune of over £1 million. [1]
In 1868 he married Jessie Kemp (1846-1919) daughter of James Kemp of Manchester.
Their son Thomas Arthur Nelson was a Captain in the Lothians and Border Horse in the First World War and was killed at Arras in April 1917.
The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on its west by the Dean Gallery. A 20th-century extension lies detached from the main cemetery to the north of Ravelston Terrace. The main cemetery is accessible through the main gate on its east side, through a "grace and favour" access door from the grounds of Dean Gallery and from Ravelston Terrace. The modern extension is only accessible at the junction of Dean Path and Queensferry Road.
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