David Couper Thomson
David Couper Thomson (1861–1954) was a Scottish newspaper publisher and the founder of the Dundee publishing company D.C. Thomson & Co., known for his long feud with Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was a British Conservative statesman and writer who served as Prime Minister in 1940–1945 and 1951–1955, led Britain through the Second World War and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.Open the full entry.
Contents9 sections
Key facts
1861Birth
David Couper Thomson was born in 1861 at 6 Reform Street, Dundee, the second son of William Thomson II.[1]
1884Becomes a Partner
In 1884 he was made a partner in the family business, with responsibility for publishing.[2]
1905D.C. Thomson
He built the publishing business into a major force in Scottish publishing; in 1905 it became D.C. Thomson, and he stayed involved in running it until his death. The company was known for strenuously resisting trade unions among its workforce.[3]
Early 1920sFeud with Churchill
He and his elder brother William owned the Conservative-leaning Dundee Courier, and he fell out with Winston Churchill, then MP for Dundee. With Lloyd George’s approval Churchill offered to sell him an honour; when rebuffed, Churchill attacked the papers’ coverage and threatened a rival paper, and Thomson replied that “Any fool of a politician can make a public personal attack on newspaper people.”[4]
November 1922Churchill Defeated
Just before polling day in 1922, Churchill called him “very double faced” at a rowdy meeting in Broughty Ferry.[4]
In the Dundee poll of November 15, 1922, with a turnout of about 80%, Churchill finished fourth and the seats went to Edwin Scrymgeour and Edmund Dene Morel; his defeat was announced on November 16.[5]
October 12, 1954Death
He died at his home in Broughty Ferry on October 12, 1954, in his 93rd year, and his nephew W. Harold Thomson became chairman.[1]
May 2008Letter Exhibited
The University of Dundee exhibition “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat,” opened in May 2008, displayed his letter to Churchill demanding that he “cut out all this threat nonsense and let us discuss matters man to man.”[6]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
DC ThomsonDC ThomsonDC Thomson is a family-owned media and publishing company headquartered in Dundee, Scotland, publishing titles such as The Courier, The Sunday Post and Beano and running digital businesses such as Findmypast.Open the full entry: Official website: https://www.dcthomson.co.uk/ (opens in a new window)[7]
Sources
- About Us - DC Thomson (opens in a new window)
- The Courier publishes 50,000th issue (opens in a new window)
- David Couper Thomson (1861–1954) (opens in a new window)
- FOREWORD (opens in a new window)
- Here’s why Winston Churchill lost his seat as Dundee MP – and what city really thought of him (opens in a new window)
- Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat (opens in a new window)
- DC Thomson – UK Media, Publishing & Digital Brands (opens in a new window)