THOMSON, Edward, M. E. bishop, born in Portsea, part of Portsmouth, England, 12 October, 1810; died in Wheeling, West Virginia, 21 March, 1870. When he was seven years old his parents emigrated to the United States and settled in Wooster, Ohio. His father was a druggist, and this directed Edward's attention to the study of medicine, which he pursued at the University of Pennsylvania. He united with the Methodist church, 29 April, 1832, the next year was licensed to exhort, and in the following July was recommended for admission into the annual conference. He was received in September and united with his former pastor upon the Norwalk circuit. From the first his great abilities were apparent. In 1836 he was stationed at Detroit, where Lewis Cass, governor of the state, though a Presbyterian, was among his hearers. While there he married a daughter of Mordecai Bartley, member of congress, and afterward governor of the state. In 1837 he became principal of a seminary at Norwalk, where his success was so great that in 1843 he was offered the chancellorship of Michigan university, and the presidency of Transylvania college. In 1844 He was elected editor of the "Ladies' Repository " by the general conference, lie was re-elected to this post in 1848, but was immediately called to the presidency of Ohio university, where he remained until 1860, when he was elected editor of the "Christian Advocate." Here he remained for four years, successful in spite of much opposition. In 1864 he was elected bishop, which office he filled until his death. He attained high rank as a lecturer and editor, and wrote much for periodicals and papers. He was a profound student, very absent-minded, and preferred the seclusion of a college to the episcopal office" but, notwithstanding this, he was among the most eminent of those that have filled it. Indiana Asbury (now De Pauw) university gave him the degree of D.D. in 1846, and Wesleyan that of LL. D. in 1855. Bishop Thomson published " Educational Essays" (new ed., Cincinnati, 1856); "Moral and Religious Essays" (1856); "Biographical and Incidental Sketches" (1856); "Letters from Europe" (1856); and "Letters from India, China, and Turkey" (2 vols., 1870).