As I begin this deep dive in to the Thompson family, it isn’t going to be an easy project. After perusing the Buchanan book, I’m finding it’s not a simple book to navigate with chapters, sections and numbers, but no quick method of identifying which line is being discussed. With multiple Lawrences who have confounded researchers for years, that makes checking data and sources in the footnotes a bit tedious. Good thing there is an index to help out.

A quick overview of my husband’s line:

Ephraim Thompson & Sarah Curry
James Holland & Annie Thompson plus Samuel Scott & Sarah Thompson
James Holland & Eramanthus Scott (first cousins)
John Henry Stufflebean & Mary Elizabeth Hollen (spelling change)
Earl Marcus Stufflebean & Pearl Lillian Brasher
Edward Earl Stufflebean & Ruby Jewel Sturgell
My hubby

Ephraim Thompson married Sarah Curry on 18 October 1798, Mercer County, Kentucky. Sally was born c1780 and survived her husband, as estate papers dated February 1849 indicate a payment made to the “widow.” However, Sally isn’t found in the 1850 census and probably died before that date.

They were the parents of nine children:

1. Annie, born c1799, Kentucky; died before 1830; married James Madison Holland, 27 November 1818, Howard County, Missouri
2. Sarah, born c1800, Kentucky; died after 1850; married Samuel W. Scott, 26 February 1821, Howard County, Missouri
3. Elmore, born c1805, Kentucky; died before 13 September 1840, Howard County, Missouri; married Martha Smith, 25 February 1830, Boone County, Missouri
4. Elias, born 6 October 1809, Kentucky; died 23 April 1877, Howard County, Missouri; married Permelia Smith, c1834
5. Hannah, born c1810, Kentucky; died after 28 August 1870; married William Alexander, 10 January 1833, Boone County, Missouri
6. Son, born 1811-1815, Kentucky; died after 1830; no further record.
7. Rebecca, born c1813, Kentucky; died 2 December 1877, Boone County, Missouri; married James Copeland, 31 October 1831, Howard County, Missouri
8. Ervin, born c1818, Howard County, Missouri; died 4 May 1884, Harrison county, Iowa; married Mahala Mussett, c1839
9. Daughter, born 1821-1825, Howard County, Missouri; died after 1840. This could be either Malinda Thompson who married Carroll Polk, 12 February 1841 or Mary Jane, who married Asa Thompson Prewitt, 9 February 1841, both in Howard County, Missouri. If either, I tend to think it was Mary Jane, as Malinda’s age varied, but she appears to have been born before 1820. Mary Jane died by 1846, but was of marriageable age by 1841 if born 1821-1825.

I was curious as to what I would find about Ephraim in the Buchanan book. Surprisingly, there was very little about him. His marriage to Sarah Curry is mentioned, but then, curiously, Buchanan states that it isn’t likely that the younger children belong to Ephraim and Sally, Since both were enumerated in the 26045 age bracket, I’m not sure why that conclusion was drawn.

The paragraph does include the info that Ephraim was made a Justice of Washington County in 1810 and resigned in 1817. Further, on 11 October 1817, he and Sarah sold their 110 acres of land and “no doubt moved west.” Yes, they did move west, almost directly so, just about 500 miles to Howard County, Missouri.

Before moving back in time in the next post, let’s close with the fact that the author of Thomas Thompson & Ann Finney and I agree that Ephraim was the son of Lawrence Thompson. Which one of the five needs to be sorted out.