This report took a year to complete.
Maggie:
I heard you speak at a genealogical workshop in Colorado and you mentioned that you are the clan genealogist for the Thompson Clan. I hope that you can help me with my brick wall. I have traced my family tree back to Thomas W. Watkins who was born in about 1818 in Maryland and his wife, Susan B. Thompson. She was born in about 1825, according to the 1850 census in Daviess County, Kentucky. I would like to go back on my Thompson line but I’m at a brick wall as to who her parents are. Can you help?
Phyllis XXXX
The journey begins with this simple email but the path is neither simple nor quickly traveled. Looking at the 1850 census, I realized that there were no Thompson families in Owensboro that would be a match for Sarah and looking at the 1840 there is only one family where she fits. The 1830 census for Daviess County, four families have a daughter between 5 and 10 (Anthony, John M., Richard, and Philip Thompson). Since Kentucky marriage laws state that the couple must be married in the county where the woman is a resident, I contacted the Daviess County Courthouse to order up the marriage record and marriage bond for Thomas Watkins to Sarah Thompson after calling the Daviess County Library to see if they had a book or index for early Daviess County marriage records. They were kind enough to tell me that the couple was married in 1845. After receiving the marriage bond, there was one Thompson name on the record, Sally Thompson. This matches with the 1840 census. Sally Moseley married Philip Thompson on the 9th of December 1816 in Daviess County, Kentucky (this information is on Ancestry.com). Philip Thompson is one of the four families in the 1830 census. Thomas Watkins’ son, Philip T. Watkins was listed in the 1850 census but I had made the mistake of thinking this was Thomas’s father’s name.
I also received information that Susan B. Thompson Watkins was listed on Find A Grave with the birth date of 1822 and a death date of 26 of December 1852 and she was buried in Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery in Daviess County, Kentucky. In hunting for a Philip Thompson in Daviess County, I ran across the following information from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 – 2005. Since there is only one Philip Thompson in Daviess County, there is a good probability that this is Sarah’s father.
‘Name: Philip Thompson
Elected Office(s): Representative
State: Kentucky, Ohio
Country: USA
Biography: a Representative from Kentucky; born on Shawnee Run, near Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Ky., August 20, 1789; received a limited education; served as a lieutenant in the War of 1812; held several local offices; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Hartford, Ohio County, Ky.; moved to Owensboro, Daviess County, Ky.; member of the State house of representatives; elected to the Eighteenth Congress (March 4, 1823-March 3, 1825); resumed the practice of law in Owensburg (sic), Ky., where he died November 25, 1836; interment in the Moseley burying ground on Firth Street; reinterment in Rural Hill (later Elmwood) Cemetery in 1856.”
According to this record, he was born in Mercer County, Kentucky, so then I started hunting the Kentucky census records in Mercer County to find a possible match. I realize now that there are a large number of family trees on line that show Philip Thompson as the son of John Thompson and Susanna Burton but proving that is easier said then done. I suggest hunting for a will or probate records to prove this connection. . I would also suggest that you order up the marriage license for Sally Moseley and Philip Thompson and see if Philip’s father went bond for him to get married. Until this link has been proven it will not be possible to take the next step back in time.
The following was found in the History of Daviess County:
“Phil. Thompson, on of the first three lawyers resident in Daviess County, figures very largely in Chapter II of this book. The old portion of the Upper Ward brick school-house was built by him, in consideration of a certain number of land warrants signed over to him. He is principally remembered as one of the parties in the famous duel with Robert Triplett. He himself was afterward killed by Mr. Jefferies in November, 1836, on the left-hand side of Frederica street, between Main street and the river. There was a quarrel between them growing out of the burning of some property which the other owned. It is stated that the only living witness of that famous duel is Colonel Jesse L. McRocklin, now a resident of Blanco County, Texas. He started from Owensboro for that county during the great star-fall of Nov. 13, 1833, and has never returned to this place but once since then, and that was two or three years ago on a visit to a relative.”
Owensboro Public Library may have newspapers from that time frame that may supply more information. The next step is to check Mercer County, Kentucky wills, deeds and probate records for information and proven link to his father since Philip was born in Mercer County, Kentucky.
As I said in the workshop that you attended, you must prove the links between generations not just accept what is on the internet. Now that you are back on track and now where to search, I hope that you will continue your search. Good luck and let me know how your research progresses.
Best Regards,
Maggie Jones