Francis Thomson

Francis Alexander Spalding Warden Thomson (15 May 1917 – 6 December 1987) was a Scottish Roman Catholic clergyman who served as the Bishop of Motherwell from 1964 to 1982.

Biography Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 15 May 1917 and was educated at George Watson's College. He received a Master of Arts from University of Edinburgh (1938) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge (1940). He received a licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Angelicum in Rome and was ordained to the priesthood on 15 June 1946 for the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. He served as a curate at St Patrick's, Kilsyth (1946–48); St James', St Andrews (1949–52) and St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh (1952–53). He was a staff member at St Andrew's College, Drygrange (1953–60) and was rector of St Mary's College, Blairs (1960–64). In 1961, he was named honorary canon of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Motherwell by the Holy See on 8 December 1964, and consecrated to the Episcopate on 24 February 1965. The principal consecrator was Archbishop James Donald Scanlan of Glasgow, and the principal co-consecrators were Bishop James Black of Paisley and Bishop Stephen McGill of Argyll and the Isles (later Bishop of Paisley). He attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.

He resigned on 14 December 1982 and assumed the title Bishop Emeritus of Motherwell. He retired to Biggar as parish priest and died on 6 December 1987, aged 70.