Most of the Thompsons in the Wythe area in 1850 and before have clear ties to Andrew Thompson. One wonders whether all of the Thompsons after 1830 are descendants of Andrew. There are certainly plenty of Thompson children who appear only as tally marks in the earlier censuses; who are they?
This chapter first lists other Thompson families in the immediate area whom I suspect of being descendants of Andrew. Simply put, these are Thompsons that interest me; Thompsons I've puzzled over for years; Thompsons who seem like they ought to be related, but I can't prove it. I don't pretend that this list is complete.
Then, the discussion is expanded to other lines of Thompsons in the nearby area. There are two major Thompson lines in neighboring Tazewell county, and a few other Thompson families which are not good candidates for descendants of Andrew. These other lines seem not to mix with Andrew's descendants. This leads back to the original supposition that most of the Thompsons in the Wythe / Bland area of the 1800's descend from Andrew Thompson, Sr.
Harvey Thompson
I am quite interested in the Harvey who married Matilda Thompson, the daughter of John Thompson. As presented in Chapter 5, I suspect Harvey is the son of Francis and Phoebe. If Harvey is not the child of Francis and Phoebe, who does he belong to?
George Thompson
George Thompson (b. 1812) is a likely relative because one of his children is named Francis. He was discussed in Chapter 5 as a likely child of Francis and Phoebe, but this is far from conclusive. His age allows him to be a child of Joseph.
John Thompson and Elizabeth Sprinkle
John is interesting because his Sept. 1849 marriage [Wythe Marriage Registry] to the widow Elizabeth Sprinkle stands out. You'd think he would be easy to place, but I have tried to fit him into each of the families and haven't found the right one. Kegley [Kegley, Zion Church, pg. 84] suggests he is the son of Francis and Phoebe Thompson, but provides no reasoning for that conclusion. John and Elizabeth are found in the 1850 census closest to Josiah Thompson.
Their information, taken from [Douthat, Wythe Settlers, page 145]:
| 1566 | John Thompson | 21 M laborer |
| Elizabeth | 34 F | |
| Matilda Sprinkle | 8 F | |
| Stephen Sprinkle | 6 M |
Abner Thompson and Nancy appear in both the 1840 and the 1850 census. In the 1840 census, there is only one female child, age 5-10. In the 1850 census, only the parents are still at home. [Douthat, Wythe Settlers, pg 96, family 718] They are relatively distant from the other Thompsons in the county.
| 718 | Abner Thompson | 40 M farmer |
| Nancy | 35 F |
James Thompson and Abigail are listed in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 Wythe Censuses [Douthat, Wythe Settlers, pg 147, family 1597] [Wythe Census 1860, family 844] [Thompson, Letter 16 Oct 1994, cites Giles Census 1870]. James and Abigail live on Walker Creek in 1850, then move to the Kimberling area in 1860, then move to Staffordsville, Giles in 1870. James was born 1815/1820, and Abigail (Abby) in 1820/1827. The records for James and Abby seem to be quite different between their 1850 family and 1860/1870 family. The following table compares the family by child age in the three different census years.
| 1850 (Walker Creek) | 1860 (Kimberling) | 1870 (Staffordsville) | |||
| James Thompson | 35 M | James Thompson | 40 M | James Thompson | 51 M |
| Abby | 23 F | Abigale | 41 F | Abigale | 50 F |
| Adeline | 6 F | ||||
| Saphronia | 15 F | Saphronia | 25 F | ||
| Parrit | 4 M | ||||
| Issac | 13 M | ||||
| Ann | 23 F | ||||
| Robert | 2 M | ||||
| Wayman | 10 M | ||||
| Mary | 8 F | Mary | 19 F | ||
| Darthula | 6 F | Darthula | 15 F | ||
| Barb | 4 F | ||||
| Sallie | 14 F | ||||
| John | 1 M |
One day searching the death records of Wythe, I was emotionally touched to see the death record of a 6 month old child. Susan Thompson, born Wythe, aged 6 months, died 23 Mar 1855, at Walker Creek of fever. James Thompson, her father, reported the death. There are two James Thompsons living in the Walker Creek area in that decade: James, the son of Amos who married Sarah (Sally) Hearne, and James who married Abby. The age fits into either family. James and Sally purchase land on Walker Creek in 1857. James and Abby are in the 1850 census in the Walker Creek (68th) District, but have moved by 1860. Some additional shred of information is needed. Currently, I haven't added this lonely infant to either family.
Hiram Thompson
Hiram Thompson and family are found in the 1850 Giles Census apparently near Mechanicsburg. [Thompson, Letter 17 Nov 1994]. There is a branch of Kimberling Creek just north of Mechanicsburg called Hiram Thompson Branch.
| Hiram Thompson | M 32 | (b. 1818) |
| Mary | F 34 | (b. 1816) |
| David | M 14 | (b. 1836) |
| Adam | M 12 | (b. 1838) |
| Jackson | M 8 | (b. 1842) |
| Harry W. | M 4 | (b. 1846) |
| William E. | M 2 | (b. 1848) |
| Sarah | F 1 | (b. 1849) |
Ballard P. Thompson and family are found in the 1850 Giles Census on the west side of Giles [Thompson, Letter 17 Nov 1994]. This is likely the same Ballard Thompson who is buried in the Hoge's Chapel Cemetery in Point Pleasant (see Chapter 2 for a diagram of the cemetery). The inscription on the headstone reads, "Co., F 45 Va. Inf. CSA". [Long, Letter 16 May 1994]
| Ballard P. Thompson | M 36 | (b. 1814) |
| Jane | F 27 | (b. 1823) |
| David | M 5 | (b. 1845) |
| Henry | M 1 | (b. 1849) |
William Thompson is found with his wife and children in the 1850 Giles Census on the west side of Giles. [Thompson, Letter 17 Nov 1994].
| William Thompson | M 55 | (b. 1795) |
| Nancy J. | F 38 | (b. 1812) |
| Lorenzo | M 14 | (b. 1836) |
| Francis | M 8 | (b. 1842) |
This is a list of descendants of Andrew Thompson who fought in the Civil War. Unless noted otherwise, the information comes from [Bland History, pp. 160, 264-276], which states that "twenty-seven" Thompsons served, and all were descendant from Andrew. Unfortunately, only 22 were listed, there. (I have not been able to personally verify the names, and I suspect some may be misspelled). Identification of some these men follows the table in footnote format. Even so, it is difficult to tell where all of these descendants of Andrew belong.
| Company F, 8th Regiment Cavalry Brigade - Bland County (called Bland Rangers) - Under Command of Colonel William Neel Harmon | Crockett Thompson1 |
| Company F, 45th Regiment - Ferber's Brigade - Bland County | Alex Thompson2
A. N. Thompson3 1st Cpl. J. Newton Thompson B. P. Thompson4 -- Wounded at White Sulphur, Aug 26, 1863 C. G.5 Thompson Daniel F. Thompson E. H. Thompson E. W. Thompson, Sr. 6 E. W. Thompson, Jr. 6 H. P. Thompson Jehiel Thompson7 J. M. N. Thompson L. E. Thompson8 Robert S. Thompson9 V. F. Thompson William H. Thompson10 Pvt. |
| Company F, 51st Bland County Tigers - Roll of Captain Samuel Newberry Company Volunteers - Garrel's Company - Whorton's Battalion | Jehiel Thompson Pvt7 |
| Company G. 36th Regiment - Infantry - Smith's Brigade - Bland County - Mustered into service at Rocky Gap, Virginia, and placed under the command of Captain Henry Casper Groseclose. | Dave H. Thompson11 - wounded in
service
Henry G. Thompson - 2nd Cpl. J. W. Thompson William W. Thompson Andrew G. Thompson12 Gratten Thompson [Source: Thompson, Letter 15 Oct 1994] |
| Company B. West Virginia 7th Cavalry (Union) - [Source: Thompson, 6 Aug 1994 Letter] | Fernandes13 Thompson |
| Company L. West Virginia 7th Cavalry (Union) - [Source: Thompson, 6 Aug 1994 Letter] | St. Clair14 Thompson |
2 There are at least two possible Alexanders: Alexander Thompson (1828), son of Francis and Phoebe Thompson. Alexander Thompson (1832), son of William and Mahaly Thompson. Both were residents of Wythe in 1850.
3 Albert Newton Thompson (1840), son of Joshua Bruce Thompson. [Bland History, pg 165] Bland History records that a "brother in the service was captured at the same time (in the battle of Piedmont, August, 1863) [and] was held prisoner until the close of the war." Jessee Thompson (1845) is the only brother alive at the time. Is he the J. Newton Thompson listed below A.N. Thompson?
4 Ballard P. Thompson, parents unknown. Buried in Hoge's Chapel Cemetery [Thompson, Letter 16 Oct 1994] See details, this chapter.
5 C. Gordon Thompson (1841), son of Josiah M. Thompson [Thompson, Letter 16 Oct 1994]
6 E. W. Thompson, Sr. is probably Epharim W. Thompson, son of Bryant Thompson. E. W. Thompson, Jr. is probably Ephariam W. Thompson, son of James Fleming. Myrl Thompson's research indicates that during the Civil War if two men in the same company had the same name the older of the two would be referred to as Sr., and the younger as Jr. This seems to be the only logical conclusion, here. [Thompson, Letter 5 Jan 1995]
7 There are two Johile Thompsons listed in [Wythe Census 1860]. Johile Thompson (1841) is living with a man name Corvin as a laborer, and Johile Thompson (1843) is living with Newberry Harmon as a laborer [Thompson, Letter 13 Nov 1994].
8 Possibly Levi E. Thompson (1845), son of Harvey and Matilda Thompson.
9 Robert S. Thompson (1843), son of Josiah M. Thompson.
10 William Hearne Thompson (1836), son of James and Sarah Thompson. Died in the battle of Cloyd's Mountain, 9 May 1964.
11 Possibly David Fleming Thompson (1841), son of James and Sarah Thompson. Although the middle names are not a match, David Fleming is the only David known to me of this era. He was 20 and single in 1861. His older brother William also fought, though in a different regiment. David Fleming Thompson married Catherine Young (Munsey) Waggoner, the widow of Franklin P. Waggoner, who died as a prisoner of war in 1864. David and Catherine were married 26 Jul 1866, slightly more than a year after the war ended.
12 Andrew G. Thompson (1827), son of Amos and Mary Thompson. [Thompson, Letter 15 Oct 1994] [Bland History, p 160].
13 Fernandes Thompson, son of Francis (Frank) and Malvina Thompson. [Thompson, Letter 15 Oct 1994]
14 St. Clair Thompson, son of Francis (Frank) and Malvina Thompson. [Thompson, Letter 15 Oct 1994]
Nearby Thompson Lines
While Andrew Thompson and his descendants seem to be the only Thompson line in Wythe County between 1830 and 1850, one does not have to travel far to find other Thompsons. There are two distinct lines in neighboring Tazewell County, and some other unlikely Thompson families from other times that don't seem to be connected to any of the lines.
At first, I researched these other lines hoping to find some master connection. But the more I looked, the more distinct the lines proved to be. Aside from a few marriages between the families in the late 1800's, there is no connection I can find between the lines. If there is a connection, I think it will be found back across the ocean in Ireland.
It is important to consider these other lines. It helps us see that Andrew's line is unique. Every Thompson in every public record of Wythe and Bland belongs to some Thompson line -- either Andrew's, or one of these, or there could be other lines to add. So essentially, this is my list of Thompsons who are not descendants of Andrew. If you embark on research on Andrew's line, you will need to be a little familiar with these lines, too. If you are looking for your Thompson roots, and your family is not mentioned in this book, you will want to check out these other lines.
Descendants of William Thompson of Tazewell
William Thompson was born in 1722 in County Down, Ireland, the son of William and Sarah (Evans) Thompson from Scotland. He emigrated along with his first wife, Jane Buchanan (b. 1732) to the Virginia area and settled in Tazewell county. He later married Lydia Graham (b. 1743). There were twelve children, the first three probably from the first marriage:
| (Col.) John Thompson | b. 27 Feb 1863 | md. (1) Levicie Bowen
md. (2) Mary Walker |
| (Major) Archibald Thompson | b. 10 Jul 1764 | md. Rebecca Peery |
| Jane Thompson | ||
| Nancy Thompson | b. 4 Apr 1773 | md. William T. Ward |
| Andrew Thompson | b. 1776/1781 | md. Rebecca McCorkle |
| (Lawyer) James Thompson | b. ca. 1760 | (1) Jean Doak (unmarried)
(2) Sally Justice (unmarried) |
| Rachel Thompson | b. 2 Oct 1779 | md. James Robert Doak |
| Annis Thompson | b. ca. 1782 | md. John Mitchell |
| Lydia Thompson | b. 1796 | md. John Doak |
| William (Roane Bille) Thompson | b. 10 Apr 1785 | md. Louisa Gillespie |
| Alexander Thompson | b. ca. 1793 | md. Sarah Reader |
| Mary (Polly) Thompson |
That Andrew is not to be confused with our Andrew. That Andrew moved with his family to Union County Kentucky in 1811. His children were Poluxna Thompson, Sarafina Thompson, Mariah Thompson, Malvina Thompson, Andrew James McCorkle Thompson (b. 14 Feb 1816 in Union County, Kentucky), Rebecca Thompson, and Andrew Randolph Thompson.
William Thompson and his descendants have been extensively researched by Judy B. Anderson [Anderson, Virginia Connections]. Her book details over 8,000 descendants of William, and the allied Ward families. I have reviewed the book at length, and spoken to the author personally, but can find no connection to our Andrew and his descendants.
The only exception I know to this is the 24 Dec 1889 marriage of Thomas Benton Thompson (b. 16 May 1866, Tazewell) to Melissa Adeline Thompson (b. 4 Oct 1868, Bland). Thomas Benton was the son of James Benton and Floanna (Crabtree) Thompson. James Benton (b. 7 Sep 1837) was the son of George Washington and Mary "Polly" Shannon (Buchanan) Thompson. George W. (b. 7 Sep 1837) was the son of (Lawyer) James Thompson and Sally Justice. Melissa Adeline Thompson is found in the listing of descendants of Andrew in Appendix B of this book. (As you can see, I have an interest in both the William Thompson and Andrew Thompson line, since I am a great-grandchild of Thomas Benton and Melissa Adeline (Thompson) Thompson.)
The Thompsons who appear in the 1810 and 1820 Wythe censuses, but do not fit into Andrew's family, are possibly descendants of William.
Anderson cites a paperback about the Thompson Family (published by the Genealogical Research Institute in Arlington, Virginia) which states "that the Thompson name was common in Dumfriesshire and Roxburgshire, Scotland, and was then carried by the Scotch Presbyterians into Ireland, and that many of their descendants brought the name to America." She then cites Andrews who says that the Thompsons probably emigrated to Ireland in the early 1600's, remained for about 100 years, then migrated to America because of religious differences. This scenario fits our Andrew's situation as well, both in timing and apparent religious background. Hopefully research of other Thompsons will help extend Andrew's line back across the ocean.
Descendants of James Thompson of Agusta County
James Thompson was born ca. 1750 in Augusta, Virginia, the son of William Thompson Jr. (b. ca. 1720, Ireland) and Mary Patton (b. 1722), who was the daughter of Colonel James Patton. James married Catherine Shelby (b. 26 Feb 1755). Their son, Captain James Patton Thompson (b. 1782) acquired a great deal of prime land in Burkes Garden of Tazewell, some by inheritance, some by legal decree [Pendleton, History of Tazewell, pg 507-509.] Major Archibald Thompson, son of the other William (discussed in the previous section) purchased a large tract of land from James Patton Thompson in Burkes Garden.
James Patton Thompson married Margaret Workman (b. ca. 1788). Their children were Patton James Thompson (b. 9 May 1809, Washington, Virginia) and Catherine Shelby Thompson (b. 1811). Most of the descendants of James Patton & Margaret Thompson lived in Tazewell, presumably many in Burkes Garden. [Thompson, Desc. of William Thompson]
A comparison of this line with the descendants of Andrew Thompson shows no connection, no marriages. Nor are there any connections nor marriages to the William Thompson line that I can find. I find it fascinating that these lines are so separate, yet so close. In the eastern Tazewell district about 1850, there are descendants of Andrew at Clear Fork, descendants of William Thompson in Burkes Garden, some 20 miles away, and descendants of James Patton Thompson also in Burkes Garden, yet no marriages I have found so far. Perhaps this is just coincidence. Yet these same families married others from greater distances. There is more to understand, here.
Samuel Thompson of Wythe
A deed from 1803 shows a Samuel Thompson, deceased, of Wythe. His wife is Martha, and his heirs are Jane (Thompson) Henderson, Elenor Thompson, David Thompson, Moses Thompson, and Martha (Thompson) Fleming. I have searched all of the Thompson lines without a connection. I am quite sure this Samuel is not a descendant of William Thompson, nor of James Thompson, nor does he fit anywhere in Andrew's line.
With the five children in a deed dated 1805, Samuel's birth would be in 1775 or earlier. This is too early to be some unknown grandchild of Andrew. There are no unknown children of Andrew. Andrew's probate specifically deals with deceased heirs by subdividing the inheritance among living grandchildren, as is shown by the amounts given to the children of Mary (Thompson) Helvey. If this Samuel was a child of Andrew Sr., then his children would have also been listed. Samuel does not appear in the 1810 or 1820 Wythe County censuses.
It appears this is another Thompson line of the time and area.
John Edward Hoge Thompson of Bland
John Edward Hoge Thompson was born ca. 1870 in Bland. He went by "Ed". He had two sisters, Nev and Sally. His son Ira Kelly Thompson (b. 1890) married Eliza Agness King (b. 1897).
Ed's grandson, Ira Woodrow Thompson, said their family tradition is that their line of Thompsons is different than those others of the area, who would be the descendants of Andrew. I find this fascinating for two reasons. First, Ira lives on Walker Creek, less than a mile from where Myrl Thompson thinks Andrew's first land purchase was made, and less than three miles Southeast of probable sites of other land purchases by Andrew. Second, the name of John Edward Hoge Thompson resembles so closely the name of John Hoge Thompson (a known descendant of Andrew) that it appears more than coincidental.
Yet, I cannot find any connection between this line and any of the other Thompson lines mentioned. It is possible they are a different line. John Edward Hoge Thompson would have been a near contemporary of John Hoge Thompson; perhaps he went by Ed to avoid confusion. The name of Hoge does not prove a connection. The name Hoge seems common to many families at the time. A prominent doctor of the Point Pleasant area was named William Edward Hoge [Bland History, p. 175]. It is said most of the children in the area were delivered by him. Perhaps the prevalence of the name is partly due to respect and friendship for Doctor Hoge.
Another long-shot possibility -- Edward H. Thompson, son of Albert N. Thompson is approximately the right age to be John Edward Hoge Thompson. Edward H. Thompson would have been born between 1872 and 1878. But, Albert N. Thompson had no children named Nev or Sally. So this connection does not fit, either.
Park Bogle sent a note on Thu, 1 Oct 1998 and adds the following notes about John Edward Hoge Thompson: "His mother was Elizabeth (Betsy) Melvin before her marriage to a Thompson. I don't know nor can I find out what Thompson she married. There is no marriage record in Bland, Giles or Wythe County for her. Betsy Thompson is buried in the Temple Hill Cemetery at Bland, VA. Her tombstone reads, "April 8, 1832 - March 21, 1916" She had a daughter named Matilda Elizabeth Melvin who married Thomas Hamilton, son of Lockhard Hamilton. Betsy died a little while before her daughter, about 1920."
Conclusions
The more I study these other lines, the more convinced
I am of the singularity of Andrew and his descendants in Wythe between
1830 and 1850. For whatever reason, be it location, some social status,
or custom, Andrew and the other Thompson lines kept their distance from
each other. Of the Thompsons in Wythe between 1830 and 1850, we have already
identified most of them as children and grandchildren of Andrew, using
other public records. It is likely that most of those yet unconnected will
also be identified as descendants of Andrew.
© Copyright Brian J. Cragun, 1994, 1997. All rights reserved.