<font size=3>Alexander Holroyd (3 February) also says</font>
<br><font size=3>I thought Thompson was the senior wrangler at Cambridge?
That wouldn't square too well with the assertion that he was "not
a mathematician".</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3>Roy Dyckhoff says:</font><a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senior_Wrangler_(University_of_Cambridge)></a>
<br><font size=3 color=blue><u>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senior_Wrangler_(University_of_Cambridge)</u></font><font size=3>
lists the Senior Wranglers from 1748-1909; I don't see Thompson's name.
I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this list; see </font><a href=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Senior_Wrangler_(University_of_Cambridge)><font size=3 color=blue><u>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Senior_Wrangler_(University_of_Cambridge)</u></font></a><font size=3>
for discussions thereon. However, many distinguished mathematicians did
the Tripos but were not Senior Wranglers. <br>
<br>
I have no information or strong opinion on whether or not Thompson was
a mathematician (e.g. in the sense of having a mathematics degree) or was
aware of group-theoretic tools. His name does not appear in </font><a href="http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Indexes/T.html"><font size=3 color=blue><u>http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Indexes/T.html</u></font></a><font size=3>.
I am aware of many tools that I choose not to use, or that I use only for
discovery rather than for public presentation.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
The title page says (in all caps.):</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">A Note</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">on</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Grandsire Triples,</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Showing that the construction of a peal
of</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Grandsire Triples by means of plain
leads</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">and common bob leads only is impossible.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">By</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">W. H. Thompson, M.A.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Sometime of the Bengal Civil Service,
and formerly scholar</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Cambridge:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Macmillan and Bowes</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">1886</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">[All Rights reserved]</font>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">I've done some research and found Thompson's
Christian names here</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">University Library Bulletin - Volume
3 - Page 347</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">THOMPSON (WILLIAM HENRY) A note on Grandsire</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Triples 8vo. Cambridge, 1886.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">which distinguishes him from William
Hepworth Thompson, Master of Trinity.College, Cambridge.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">With a full name I found this:</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical
List of All Known Students, Graduates and Holders of Office at the University
of Cambridge, from the Earliest Times to 1900, Volume 2</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">John Venn</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Cambridge University Press, 15 Sep 2011
</font>
<br><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MWSiYp0-AGEC&lpg=PA168&dq=Thompson%2C%20%22william%20henry%22%201886%20cambridge%20university&pg=PA168#v=onepage&q=Thompson,%20%22william%20henry%22%201886%20cambridge%20university&f=false"><font size=2 color=blue face="sans-serif">https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MWSiYp0-AGEC&lpg=PA168&dq=Thompson%2C%20%22william%20henry%22%201886%20cambridge%20university&pg=PA168#v=onepage&q=Thompson,%20%22william%20henry%22%201886%20cambridge%20university&f=false</font></a>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">gives the following information:</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">THOMPSON, WILLIAM HENRY. Adm. pens.
at ST JOHN'S,</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">July 8, 1858. S. of Frederick Elijah
(and Mary Ann). B. </font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">[Sept 26] 1840 in St Marylebone, London.
Bapt. Oct 17,</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">1841. Schools, King's College, London
and Rugby. Did not</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">reside. Adm. pens. at Caius, May 25
1859. Matric. Lent,</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">1860; B.A. (<i>23rd Wrangler</i>) 1863;
M.A. 1869. Joined the</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">I.C.S., 1863; Assistant Magistrate and
Collector at Dacca;</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Called to the Bar, Jan 26, 1872; practiced
in the Punjab.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Author, <i>On Grandsire Triples; Diagram
of a System of Peals of</i></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><i>Union Triples</i>. Lived latterly
at Brighton, where he died</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">July 10, 1934. Brother of John E. (1850)
and Springall</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">(1840). (Venn, II. 344; Law Lists; C.S.
Lists; Inns of Court;</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Foster, Men at the Bar; The Times, July
12 1934.)</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">and then:</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Biographical History of Gonville and
Caius College 1349-1897</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">CUP Archive</font>
<br><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pNs8AAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA344&dq=Thompson%2C%20%22william%20henry%22%20sept%2026%201840&pg=PA344#v=onepage&q=Thompson,%20%22william%20henry%22%20sept%2026%201840&f=false"><font size=2 face="sans-serif">https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pNs8AAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA344&dq=Thompson%2C%20%22william%20henry%22%20sept%2026%201840&pg=PA344#v=onepage&q=Thompson,%20%22william%20henry%22%20sept%2026%201840&f=false</font></a>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">gives</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Thompson, William, Henry: son of late
Frederick Elijah Thompson, of London.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Born in the parish of Marylebone, Sep.
26, 1840. At King's College School,</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">and at Rugby. Admitted pensioner, May
25 1859.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> B.A. 1863 (23rd wrangler): M.A.
1869. Scholar, L Day 1860 ro L Day</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">1866. Entered the Indian Civil Service,
1863. Assistant Magistrate and</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Collector at Dacca. Retired 1868. Called
to the bar, Inner Temple, 1872:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">practised for some time as a barrister
in the Punjaub. Author: On Grandsire</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Triples, 1886. Diagram of a system of
peals of Union Triples, 1893. Address, 1898, Sillwood St. Brighton.</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">I hope this is of interest.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Andrew Johnson</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
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