Possible Clues:

• 'Meditated, mulled (5)'
• This might be thought to have given employment to a thousand
• Contemplated taking doctor around practice
• America off the coast of Barcelona, say, was deep in thought
• Was deep in thought
• Closer
• Meditated (on)
• Thought there was a thousand employed here
• Pondered how many were employed
• The thousand was formerly thought to be like this