Postby dognose » Mon Mar 29, 2010 2:20 pm
Obituary as taken from the 'Gentleman's Magazine' - 1849
Sir Edward Thomason.
May 29. At his residence in Jury Street, Warwick, in his 80th year, Sir Edward Thomason, Knt. late of Birmingham.
Sir Edward Thomason was born at Birmingham in the year 1770. His father was a manufacturer of buckles, an article then in great demand, and owned extensive premises in Colmore-row, St. Philip's Square. His son was at the age of sixteen articled for five years to the celebrated house of Boulton at Soho. Meanwhile the elder Thomason who was upwards of sixty retired from business, but retained his factory for the future use of his son. The latter began his manufactories in the year 1793, establishing the trade of gilt and plated buttons, of the finest quality : to which he added, first, gilt and gold jewellery ; then, a department for making medals, tokens, and coins of gold, silver, bronze, etc. to which he added works in bronze, and fine cut glass ; lastly, be launched forth into the manufacture of gold and silver plate, and plated works of the best workmanship, all of which trades occupied, including about twelve showrooms, an amount of from 60 to 70 rooms. This business he carried on, with increasing prosperity, for more than forty years, until the year 1835, when he disposed of it to Messrs. Whitgrave and Collis.
Mr. Thomason joined the Philosophical Society of Birmingham at its first formation in the year 1800 ; and from time to time he delivered there several lectures on mineralogy, one of which, chiefly on the diamond, is included in his " Memoirs."
This work was published in 1845 in two volumes under the title of " Sir Edward Thomason's Memoirs during Half a Century." It is a book of peculiar character, being profusely decorated with prints of his various inventions and works of art, and of the presents, jewels and decorations presented to him by foreign sovereigns, &c. and the letterpress consists in great measure of the letters be received from distinguished persons, all of whose autograph signatures are engraved in facsimile. Some account of the contents of this work, and of the inventions patented by the author in the early stages of his career, will be found in our Magazine for April 1846. This reference will spare us from entering more fully into his productions ; for, after all, they are now for the most part superseded or surpassed by more recent works in arts-manufacture. The most enduring were a great variety of medals, honorary, commemorative, and historical, concluding with a series of sixty on scripture history, from pictures by the old masters ; and perhaps his most memorable work of any was a copy in bronze, of the size of the original, of the fine antique vase at Warwick Castle. We are not aware that there was more than one cast of this; it remained for many years in Sir E. Thomason's showrooms, and is the same (we presume) which now stands on the steps leading to the east terrace of Windsor Castle. The Portland Vase he copied in silver.
The visits paid to Birmingham by distinguished foreigners after the peace seem to have excited Mr. Thomason's ambition for personal distinction beyond his legitimate fame as a manufacturer. The Duchess of Oldenburgh asked whether there was a Russian Consul in Birmingham. Mr. Thomason answered, No, but that he should be gratified by the appointment. Though it was not usual to appoint Consuls for inland towns, this favour was conferred upon him in May 1815, when he was made Russian Vice-Consul. In March 1816 he received the like appointment from Louis XVIII. from the Emperor of Austria, and from the Prince Regent of Portugal and the Brazils ; in April he was also appointed Vice-Consul for Sweden and Norway ; and in November Vice-Consul for Prussia. He was also made Vice-Consul for Spain.
In 1822 Mr. Thomason received a diamond brooch from the Emperor of Russia, in acknowledgment for his series of medals from the Elgin marbles ; the next year a gold medal of merit from the King of Prussia, for the same work ; in 1830 the King of Naples honoured him with the cross and decoration of the order of Francis I. of Merit; from Austria he received a medal of merit; from the King of Prussia a brilliant ring ; and from Charles XIV. of Sweden a gold snuff-box; in 1831 a brilliant ring from Frederick VI. King of Denmark ; in the same year from the King of the Netherlands the order of the Lion for civil merit; a silver gilt cup from the Emperor Nicholas ; a French clock and two candelabras from King Louis Philippe; the order of the Red Eagle of Prussia, fourth class ; in 1833, from Spain the cross of the order of Isabel the Catholic ; from Persia the order of the Lion and Sun ; from the Sultan Mahmoud II. a gold enamelled snuff-box, set with brilliants ; from Pope Gregory XIV. a pietra dura mosaic found in a villa near Rome ; from Queen Adelaide a medal of William IV. struck by her command ; from Ferdinand II. King of Naples the " Real Museo Borbonico " in 9 vols, folio, and the Constantian order of St. George; in 1834, from the King of Sardinia the order of St. Maurice and Lazarus; from General Jackson, President of the United States, his own portrait, painted by R. E. W. Earl ; in 1835, from the King of Portugal the cross of the order of Christ; from the King of the Belgians the cross of the order of the Leopard ; and in in 1836, from the Emperor Nicholas a splendid diamond ring, on his resignation of the appointment of Russian Vice-Consul. All these, and other presents which he received from private individuals, are represented in his book. He also received from Charles X. of France a series of 1037 medals, being the whole of those executed by the Royal mint of Paris ; and a series of 446 from the Emperor Nicholas; and from J. P. Boyer, President of Hayti 3,000lbs. weight of his best coffee.
In confirmation, as it were, of his other distinctions, Sir Edward Thomason received the honour of knighthood from King William IV. in 1832, and in 1838 the King of Hanover gave him the decoration of the Royal Guelphic order. His portrait (wearing all his orders) is prefixed to his Memoirs, engraved by C. Freeman.
He married Phillis-Bown, daughter of Samuel Glover, esq. of Abercarne, co. Monmouth. His son, Henry-Botfield, died on the 12th July, 1843, aged forty-one.
Trev.
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