Henry Thomson (New Zealand politician)

Henry Thomson JP
Portrait of Henry Thomson
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Christchurch North
In office 1881 – 1884
Preceded by	new electorate
Succeeded by	Julius Vogel
10th Mayor of Christchurch
In office 1878–1879
Preceded by	James Gapes
Succeeded by	Charles Thomas Ick
Personal details
Born	1828 Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Died	13 September 1903 Christchurch, New Zealand

Henry Thomson JP (1828 – 13 September 1903) was a 19th-century Mayor of Christchurch and Member of Parliament for the Christchurch North electorate in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Thomson was born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, in 1828. He was the fifth son of William Thomson, a shipbuilder. He received his education at Wigtown, Galloway, Scotland. At age 18, he started work for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

In 1852, he left after six years to emigrate to Victoria, Australia. Thomson was clerk-in-charge of the office of the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay railway during its construction. He was afterwards superintendent of the wharf and railway station at Sandridge (now called Port Melbourne).

In 1856, Thomson came to Wellington, and a year later moved to Nelson. On 28 April 1859, he married Mary Ann Thomson (née Coates), daughter of Giles Coates, at Christ Church in Nelson. After two years in Nelson, he had a short experience on the Otago gold fields, and in 1865 settled in Christchurch, where he was employed by the jewellers Coates and Co., the company of his father in law. He later became a partner in the firm. On the death of Giles Coates, he became the sole proprietor until 1891, when he retired from business. In 1868, Thomson was manager of the Canterbury section of the New Zealand railways, which then extended from Lyttelton to Selwyn as the Canterbury Great South Railway.