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Charles Thomson was born in 1729 in Ireland to Scots-Irish parents. After his mother died, his father brought him and his siblings to America in 1739, although his father died as the ship came within sight of land. He was cared for by a blacksmith, educated at school by Rev. Francis Allison, and became a tutor in Latin.
In 1758, Thomson served as secretary to Teedyuscung, the king of the Delawares, and lived with, wrote a report on, and was adopted by the Delaware tribe, being named “The-man-who-speaks-the-truth,” before returning to Philadelphia. He was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, and was appointed by the synod of New York and Philadelphia to a committee for evangelizing the Indians in 1768.
Thomson was a leading patriot in Philadelphia. John Adams described him as “the Sam. Adams of Phyladelphia—the Life of the Cause of Liberty, they say.” He served as the secretary of the Continental Congress for its whole existence (1774-1789). As such his name appeared on the Declaration of Independence. He helped to design the Great Seal of the USA, adding its Latin phrases Novus ordo seclorum and Annuit cœptis, writing that “The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: The Eye over it & the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause.”
Later in life, Thomson produced the first published translation of the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament into English, as well as a translation and harmony of the four gospels, showing their consistency. He died on August 16, 1824.
You can begin to read more about Charles Thomson at these links:
