Today’s post is the family sketch of Thomas Thompson and Ann Finney, of Pennsylvania and Orange County, North Carolina.

This is the last of my cleaned up research separating out and identifying the five Lawrence Thompsons who lived in the 1700s.

Thomas Thompson was born  c1715, possibly in Pennsylvania or perhaps in Europe and he died before February 1796, Orange County, North Carolina, where he left a will naming wife Ann, but only his two children still living nearby – Abraham and Samuel. Thomas married Ann Finney, c1738, probably Pennsylvania.

The children’s names highlighted in blue signifies documentary proof by preponderance of evidence.

The names of the other children most likely came from Jane Buchanan’s 1980s book about Thomas and Ann (Finney) Thompson, a copy of which still remains far from my grasp in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

I also question whether Ann Finney Thompson might have died by 1789 and he remarried. Besides the marriage of Thomas and Eliza Cox in September 1789, there is also a marriage for a Thomas Thompson and Anne Thompson on 20 January 1789.John Rice was the bondsman for this marriage, but the witness, S(amuel) Benton, was also the witness in the marriage of Thomas Thompson and Eliza Cox.

Either Thomas Jr. married twice in 1789, with Anne dying very soon, or another Thomas Thompson married Anne Thompson.

Besides Thomas Sr. and Thomas Jr. in Orange County, there were two Thomas Thompsons living next door in Rowan County, who might also be the groom, with the bride’s residence in Orange County.

In 1800, Samuel Benton, aged 26-44, is living in Hillsborough, Orange, North Carolina, as is Thomas Thompson, aged 26-44.

Thomas’s will isn’t any help because if he married Anne Thompson, both of his wives had the same given name.

NOTE: It is also possible that neither Thomas Sr. nor his son Thomas Jr. were the men who married Anne Thompson and Eliza Cox. There were quite a few Thompsons in Orange County, North Carolina by 1800.

Children of Thomas and Ann Finney (Birth order uncertain):

1. Joseph, born c1740; married Sarah (MNU).
2. Thomas, born c1744, Pennsylvania; died after 13 July 1819, Bedford County, Tennessee; married (1) Ann Logue (2) ?Eliza Cox, 28 September 1789, Orange County, North Carolina. Samuel Thompson was bondsman for Thomas and Eliza, so it is likely that Thomas was his brother. Witness was S(amuel) Benton.
3. Rebekah, born c1746, married James Tinnen, c1768
4. Samuel, born 23 June 1750, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; died 24 October 1837, Orange County, North Carolina; married Elizabeth Debow, c1785.
5. Lawrence, born c1755, Orange County, North Carolina; died after 1810, probably Washington County, Kentucky; married (1) Margaret Logue (2) Ann (MNU), before 1796 when they sold land in Mercer County, Kentucky. This Lawrence Thompson, identified as son of Thomas Thompson, was bondsman for Lawrence Thompson, son of John Thompson, when he married Eleanor Thompson, 1779, Rowan County, North Carolina.
6. John, born c1758; no further information.
7. Abraham, born c1760, died before December 1805, Smith County, Tennessee; married Sarah Debow.
8. Ellen, born c1762; married Benjamin Debow, 14 June 1783, Orange County, North Carolina. Abraham Thompson was bondsman.

For now, this is the family of Thomas Thompson and Ann Finney. Whenever I get back to the Family History Library and get my hands on the Buchanan book, which is said to be well sourced, I will update this family sketch.