Thomson of Fleet, Roy Herbert (1894–1976)

Canadian-born British newspaper proprietor.

He left school at 14 and was successively clerk, salesman, farmer, and book- keeper. In 1929 he established a small, successful local radio station. Subsequently he took over a weekly newspaper in payment of a bad debt, and within ten years owned a chain of provincial Canadian newspapers and three radio stations. By 1953 he was a millionaire. Thomson then turned his attention to Britain, acquired control of the Scotsman group of newspapers, and secured the independent television licence for Scottish television. In 1959 he took over Kemsley Newspapers Ltd, and in 1967 acquired The Times and its subsidiaries. His world-wide organization grew until it owned over 140 newspapers and 150 magazines, as well as book-publishing companies and printing firms. He became aBritish citizen 1963, and was created a baron the following year

He was born in Toronto, Canada, and educated at Jarvis Collegiate, Toronto.