It’s time to take a new look at five pieces of the Thompson family puzzle – namely the five Lawrence Thompsons whose lifetimes overlapped.
In estimated birth order, we have:
- Lawrence, born c1710; died about November 1790, Sumner County, Tennessee; married (1) Gertrude (MNU), by 1735, possibly Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (2) Sarah Finney, c1742, Pennsylvania
- Lawrence, born c1738, possibly in Pennsylvania; died after 1810, probably Washington County, Kentucky
- Lawrence, born November 1752, Orange County, North Carolina; married Keziah Hart, c1780, Kentucky
- Lawrence, born c1755, Dunmore County, Virginia [per his Revolutionary War application]; died after 1840, Clay County, Indiana; married Eleanor Thompson, 8 April 1779, Rowan County, North Carolina (2) Martha McKee/McNee
- Lawrence, born c1765, Orange County, North Carolina; died c1830, Fleming County, Kentucky; married Mary Jones, c1789
Can any of these men be definitively placed with parents?
Thankfully, yes, we can reduce the number of puzzle pieces in play as Lawrence #5 was the son of Closs Thompson and Jane Jones.
Before proceeding any further, a few comments need to be made regarding Closs Thompson (c1724-between 1796-10 June 1802, when Jane paid taxes in Campbell county, Kentucky). Author Buchanan in Thomas Thompson & Ann Finney states there was a close relationship between Closs and John and Priscilla (MNU) Thompson who married and hints that they might be brothers. Of that theory, I have no opinion at the moment.
However, as to a blood connection between Thomas Thompson (who married Ann Finney) and Closs Thompson, researchers today have the benefit of Y-DNA tests and a set of results was located for Closs and Thomas:
From these limited 37-marker results, I’d say that, with four differences in markers, Closs and Thomas Thompson were NOT closely related. My feeling has been that they were two families with the same (common) surname who happened to meet while living in North Carolina, liked each other and became friends.
Closs Thompson first appears in Augusta County, Virginia in 1751. By 1753, Closs and Lawrence Thompson [the man born c1710? or another?} were on the delinquent tax rolls in Virginia with the note that they had “gone to Carolina.”
Closs remained in Rowan County, North Carolina for almost 20 years. He then moved into Wilkes County, North Carolina. By 1787, he, or his son Closs Jr. [more likely] was “of Franklin County, Georgia.” Late in 1787, the Closs Thompson family made the decision to move to Kentucky and the 1788 tax list shows Closs, Closs and “Laurence” Thompson as tithables in Fayette County, Kentucky.
In any case, Closs’s son, Lawrence, although living at the same time as the other 4 Lawrences, is out of the Thomas and Lawrence Thompson mix. He is too young to be the father of my husband’s Ephraim and the family followed a different migratory path after they headed to Kentucky by 1788.
Likewise, Lawrence #4 is also too young to the be father of Ephraim Thompson and he firmly appears to the be the of John and Priscilla Thompson. This family also intermingled with the Thompsons in North Carolina (and possibly with Closs Thompson in Augusta County, Virginia, but this family also followed a different migratory path after leaving North Carolina, ending up in Clay County, Indiana.
The family of Lawrence #3 is fairly well documented, thanks to a will left by a collateral family member. Also, this Lawrence #3 is probably just a little too young to be Ephraim’s father.
That leaves us with Lawrence #1 and Lawrence #2, who are now widely thought to be father and son because of an Orange County, North Carolina land deed from 1769 in which Lawrence Sr. sold land to Lawrence Jr.
I am pleased to say that Jane Buchanan and I are in agreement that Lawrence Jr. is the most likely candidate to be the father of “my” Ephraim Thompson.
Therefore, “my” Ephraim Thompson isn’t a direct descendant of Thomas Thompson and Ann Finney. However, because his grandfather married Sarah Finney, he shares Finney ancestry with Thomas’s branch of the family.
I have to state upfront here that author Jane Buchanan emailed me back when I first posted my theories on the Thompson clan four years ago. That was before I managed to find a copy of her book for sale online.
She mentioned that I had a couple of children in the wrong families. However, much to my chagrin, I can’t seem to find that old email correspondence. I do save emails, but I am also notorious for cleaning out “old stuff” and permanently deleting my Trash. I do have some old messages saved, predating my Buchanan correspondence, but unfortunately, my emails to her seem to have somehow gotten deleted. The misplaced children were any of the Lawrences, though, so if you are descended from this large family and see anyone in the wrong family group. please contact me.
It has been some time since I last visited my direct Thompson ancestry. I have a brick wall with my gg grandfather John Thompson whom I have discussed with you previously. HIs first son was born 1800 +/- a year. He bought his farm in 1809 in what was then Franklin County which included Cove Spring, later renamed McCall’s Spring when McCall finally acquired most of the land from John’s heirs. Michael being the only son who did not sell his inheritance. I have started digging into this line again aa FTDNA just updated my terminal haplogroup. I have done the Y-700 analysis. As I was reading through this entry of your blog, you state that “Y-DNA tests and a set of results was located for Closs and Thomas”. I assume that of course these are not actual test results for these individuals as they are too long gone to obtain their actual DNA. So, I assume that this STR result is form their descendants. This type of STR comparison for 37 STR’s over more than 5 generations is unreliable to establish relationship. Even at a 100 STR comparison, the results would not be conclusive for that many generations. Mutations in STR’s are too frequent. However, SNPs mutate very, very slowly. An M-700 SNP analysis and terminal haplogroup would be definitive. I am wondering if you could tell me where you got this DNA information and who the individuals might be. I would be willing to pay for their T-700 analysis to find how it might compare to mine. My terminal haplogroup is identified as being extremely rare. In over ten tears there are only four or five others with this terminal haplogroup, and our most recent common ancestor was about 1500 years ago. Thomas would have the same Y DNA as his brothers, so if you have found a direct descendant of Thomas (and Closs too), I would like to offer him/them the opportunity for the Y-700 analysis. It is not cheap and that is why most do not pursue it. Yet at my age (78) and this brick wall I will spend the money for this. Hope to hear from you soon. Best regards, Bob Thompson