FIRST GENERATION

1. John THOMPSON^{(1) (2)(3) (4)} was born on 17 Aug 1722 in Letterkenny, Conwal, Donegal, IRE.⁽⁵⁾ He died in May 1777 in Newville, Cumberland Co., PA.⁽⁶⁾
John was an early settler in Cumberland County with his first property along the Green Spring, south of the Conodoguinet Creek, in Newton Township. It is not yet known exactly when and how he arrived in this area, but he probably did so sometime prior to 1745 when he married Jane Laughlin. He was following his brother, William, who had explored the area earlier with Robert Mickey and Andrew McElwaine.

Most of what we know today about John Thompson comes from family bibles and notes taken in the 1920s by Josiah Thompson, as he interviewed John's great grandsons, Hugh Marion and William Hope Thompson.

We have a copy of John Thompson's will (written in 1777 in Cumberland County, PA) which shows five sons; John, Mathew, Alexander, William and Hugh. Only John and Mathew were age 21 or more when the will was written. The other three were all minors. He also names six daughters; Ann, Elizabeth, Susanna (also his wife's name), Margery, Leacy, and Margaret. Ann and Elizabeth were more than 18 years of age at the time but the rest were minors. Josiah V. Thompson's notes show an additional daughter, Jane, who was already married when John died and her son, Matthew Bratton, is shown in the will. John died a few months after the will was written. There is what appears to be a probate note on the bottom of the will, made by the county recorder. His executor is shown as his "...brother in law, Alexander Laughlin..." which indicates that his wife Susanna had at least one brother, Alexander.

John was a soldier in the French and Indian War and served as an officer (an "Ensign") associated with regiments raised in 1748 in Cumberland County commanded by Colonel Benjamin Chambers with Lt. Col. Robert Dunning second-in-command.

The Thompson home was near the Green Spring, about three miles west of Newville, and not too far from the Green Spring itself. In Josiah V. Thompson's notes (made in 1922 from interviews with Hugh Marion Thompson and Wm. H. Thompson) we find that .."He owned 523 acres in Newton Twp which was as Marion stated this afternoon 4 miles from Newville, 7 miles from Shippensburg, and 17 miles from Carlisle, PA. On the farm he built his home of limestone in three sections the highest in the form of a square towards Newville, PA and with portholes in the ends for defense. This home was in excellent repair when visited about 1898 by his great-grandson T. A. L. Thompson of Steubenville, Ohio."

The Cumberland County Deed Book "H" shows three deeds which reference the transfer of ownership of one of John Thompson's properties through the latter part of the eighteenth century. Hardcopies of the deeds themselves are in my "Thompson" file.

The deeds show several items of interest:

In 1766 Hugh Laughlin made an application for land and warrant for this property, but then sold it to John Thompson on 29 April 1769. The selling price was 5 shillings. Since the price was so low, I wonder if Hugh and John weren't relatives of some kind. Perhaps he is a brother of Jane or Susanna; perhaps he is the father of one of them.

Since the description of the property includes "...to a post thence by other land of the same John Thompson..." we can conclude that John Thompson already owned land adjoining this parcel and did so prior to 1766.

In September, 1773, John transfers this parcel to his son Matthew.

Then, in March of 1784, Matthew sells the property to Alexander Sharp. The price is now 317 pounds, reflecting the real market value. It is of some importance to note that this deed references specifically Matthew "...and Catherine his wife...." The name "Catherine" raises a question and, if interested, the reader should see the notes under Matthew Thompson.

The description of the property is as follows:

"Beginning at a post standing on a stream of water known by the name of the Dry Spring Thence (including the head of said spring) by land of Alexander Scroggs the three several courses and distances next following (to wit) south 51 degrees and 30 minutes west 26 perches to a white oak south 36 degrees east 81 perches to an Hickory and south one degree and thirty minutes east 126 perches to an white oak thence by land formerly the claim of David Kilgore now of Joseph Parks south from 40 east 140 perches to a white oak grub and north 42 degrees east 93 perches to a post thence by land claimed by James laughlin north one degree west 69 perches to a post thence by other land of the said John Thompson ...(unreadable)...the same tract north 57 degrees 30 minutes west 268 perches and a quarter of a perch to the place of beginning containing 200 acres and 107 perches and the usual allowance of six acres allowed for roads and highways (it being part of a tract of 364 acres and 114 perches for which a certain Hugh Laughlin obtained an order of survey bearing date at Philadelphia 22 August 1766."

Bridgen's "Atlas of Cumberland County, 1855" shows a property on the Green Spring owned by Rev. Alexander Sharp and it is virtually certain that this is the property described in the previous paragraph, originally owned by John and transferred to Matthew.

The location of the "Dry Run" referred to in the description of the property was not known for sure until October, 2000, when I received input from Fred Shriners who lives near Newville. According to him, "...if you have a good Pennsylvania map, find Middle Spring. The run starts just a little to the south east of there and follows Mud Level Road into Oakville. From there, it flows across several fields and joins the Green Spring near the "Sharp Farm where Davis lives". This is what you have told me was the original Thompson land. There is an odd thing about this stream. It usually only runs in the spring. As summer comes on, it stops running. By the middle of summer, the farmers along it can plow it and plant a late crop. It must be spring fed and is especially full after a winter with heavy snowfall. During those times, water is often across at several places on Mud Level Road.We used to travel that way a lot when going to Lucille's home which is just northwest of Middle Spring. We never thought it had a name. Many people in this area call these Spring streams a savannah. I believe this is just a local term but it seems to be widely used around here. So, this was the only name I had heard for it. Sorry it took me so long to find it for you. I guess ,from the people I asked,not too many others knew it had a name."

From Cumberland County land records, Patent Book AA, Vol 6, p283 references a plot of land owned by Alexander Scroggs following his death. This entry, dated 1 July 1800, also notes that "..the land mentioned above was originally warranted to Matthew Thompson in 1745 and was adjacent to the land of John Thompson." This suggests that John may have had a brother, or some other relative, named Matthew (although we have no other record of that) since his son Matthew wasn't born until 1754. There is no Matthew Thompson in the Cumberland County Tax Records of 1753-1770.

In December, 1809, when Susanna Thompson's estate is being settled between three of the sons (Alexander, William, and Hugh) it is clearly shown (Vol 1, Book T, p334 Cumberland County Deeds) that at one of John's pieces of land was at the intersection of Green Spring and "Nickey's Run" (this is most likely "Mickey's Run").

He was married to Jane LAUGHLIN (daughter of James LAUGHLIN) prob 1745 in Cumberland Co., PA. ⁽⁷⁾ Jane LAUGHLIN ⁽⁷⁾ was born in 1720.⁽⁸⁾ She died in 1754.⁽⁹⁾ John THOMPSON and Jane LAUGHLIN had the following children:

+2 i. Jane THOMPSON.
3 ii. John THOMPSON⁽¹⁰⁾ was born in 1746 in Cumberland Co., PA.⁽⁷⁾ I don't know what happened to this John, John Thompson and Jane Laughlin's eldest son. John senior eventually deeded his land to his second son, Matthew, which action one would normally expect to occur with the eldest son. Perhaps John Jr. died or somehow left the family.

Josiah Thompson believes this John is John Thompson who married Mary (Surname unknown) and turned up in Guernsey County, OH. However, I thus far am unable to find where, or if, he explains why he believes this to be true. I have entered John and Mary, his wife, and their descendants separately and have not yet connected him to this family.

The 1790 census of the area shows one John Thompson and it pretty much has to be this one, since (a) I can account for all the other Thompsons in that census (thus there isn't any unknown family Thompson) and (b) his father, also John, died in 1777 and wouldn't be in the 1790 census. There are no other males in the household, but there are three females.


4 iii. Ann THOMPSON⁽¹¹⁾ was born about 1750 in Cumberland Co., PA.⁽⁷⁾
+5 iv. Elizabeth THOMPSON.
+6 v. Matthew THOMPSON.

He was married to Susanna LAUGHLIN (daughter of Alexander LAUGHLIN) in 1755 in Cumberland Co., PA.^{(7) (12)} Susanna LAUGHLIN was born about 1733 in Cumberland Co., PA.⁽¹³⁾ The IGI data shows a Susanna Laughlin born to Alexander Laughlin (no mother indicated) in Mifflin Township in Cumberland, PA. No other Susanna Laughlins shown. She died on 29 Dec 1802 in Cumberland Co., PA.⁽²⁾ Susanna is reported to be a younger cousin of Jane, John's first wife. John married Susanna after Jane's death. No other details are known.

One source, Cheralynn Wilson in her submission to the LDS IGI v3.05, shows Susanna's father to be a "James" Laughlin, rather than Alexander.

In December, 1809, when Susanna Thompson's estate is being settled between three of the sons (Alexander, William, and Hugh) it is clearly shown (Vol 1, Book T, p334 Cumberland County Deeds) that at one of John's pieces of land was at the intersection of Green Spring and "Nickey's Run" (this is most likely "Mickey's Run").



John THOMPSON and Susanna LAUGHLIN had the following children:

+7 i. Susanna THOMPSON.
+8 ii. William THOMPSON.
+9 iii. Alexander THOMPSON.
+10 iv. Margery THOMPSON.
+11 v. Leacy THOMPSON.
12 vi. Margaret THOMPSON was born in 1767.⁽¹⁴⁾
+13 vii. Hugh THOMPSON.