Charles Edward Poulett Thomson, Baron Sydenham (1799-1841), was an English merchant turned politician. As governor general of British North America, he attempted to implement the recommendations of the Durham Report.

Charles Thomson (the father did not add his mother's family name, Poulett, to his own until 1820) was born on Sept. 13, 1799, the youngest child of a prosperous merchant with extensive Russian trade connections. He was privately educated, never attending a public school or university, and at 16 went to Russia in the employ of his father's firm. After extensive travels, during which he became fluent in several languages, he made several unsuccessful attempts to obtain a diplomatic post and after further experiences in Russia returned to England in 1824. In 1826, much against his family's wishes, Poulett Thomson was elected member of Parliament for Dover and in 1832 for both Dover and Manchester; although he had not sought the second seat, he chose...