Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - An haife shi a London, Ingila a 1810. Ya kammala koyon aiki tare da mai bugawa, sannan ya zo Upper Canada a 1833 tare da 'yan'uwansa biyu kuma suka zauna a gonaki a can. A 1837, ya tafi Toronto don neman aiki. Ya shiga cikin masu tsaron gari a lokacin Tawaye na Upper Canada
Ka yi haƙuri. Ya gudanar da jarida ga Charles Fothergill sannan ya zama abokin tarayya tare da masu sayar da littattafai William da Henry Rowsell, suna gudanar da aikin buga su. A shekara ta 1848, ya zama editan "Toronto Patriot", mallakar Edward George O'Brien. A cikin 1849, tare da Ogle Robert Gowan, ya karɓi aikin jaridar. Sun kuma buga "United Empire". Bayan haɗin gwiwa ya ƙare a 1853, tare da abokan tarayya, ya sayi "British Colonist". A cikin 1858, ya sayar da wannan jaridar kuma ya kafa nasa mai suna "Atlas"; daga baya a wannan shekarar, ya sake siyan "Colonist". Thompson ya kuma yi aiki a majalisar birnin Toronto daga 1849 zuwa 1854. Ya ci kwangilar aikin buga littattafai na gwamnati kuma ya ƙaura zuwa birnin Quebec a shekara ta 1859. Bayan an zarge shi da nuna bambanci ga 'yan Kanada na Faransa, sai ya koma Toronto a 1860. Ya yi aiki a matsayin manajan darakta na kungiyar inshorar gobara ta Beaver Mutual daga 1860 zuwa 1876, lokacin da aka tilasta masa rufewa saboda sabon abin da ake buƙata ga kamfanonin inshora don samar da babban ajiyar tsaro ga gwamnati. Da aka bar shi a cikin mawuyacin halin kuɗi yana da shekara 66, ya zama manajan reshe na ɗakin karatu na gari. A cikin 1884, ya buga "Tunawa da wani majagaba na Kanada: na shekaru hamsin da suka gabata, 1833-1883: tarihin rayuwa". Ya mutu a Toronto a shekara ta 1886.