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Thompson

Revolutionary War Soldier Rodes Thomson

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Revolutionary War soldier Rodes Thomson (sometimes found as Thompson) was reportedly the second child and first son of William Thomson and his wife, Ann Rodes.

Rodes was (reportedly) born on 14 October 1754, probably in Louisa County, Virginia and died on 26 September 1845 in Scott County, Kentucky. He married (1) Sarah Vivion, 13 October 1778, Orange County, Virginia and (2) Mildred (MNU) Leathers. It is not known whether Sarah is the mother of all of his children.

Rodes Thomson wrote his will on 29 August 1844, adding a codicil on 1 November 1844. The will was proved during the October 1845 court term.

His children likely married in Scott County, Kentucky, where marriages before 1837 have been lost.

Children:

    1. Jane, born c1779, Virginia; died 1850-1860, probably Fayette County, Kentucky; married Roger Quarles. He was born c1772, Virginia; died 1850-1860, probably Fayette County, Kentucky.
    2. Nancy, born c1785, Virginia; died after 1860, probably Greenup County, Kentucky; married Thomas Johnson Garrett. By 1870, Nancy’s daughter Sally Cox and husband Dr. Jesse Cox had moved to Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. It is not know if Nancy died in Kentucky or accompanied them and died in Ohio.
    3. Sarah (Sally), reportedly born 18 May 1785, Virginia; died 25 July 1854, Logan County, Kentucky; married Joseph Herndon. He was born 14 January 1784, Orange County, Virginia; died 25 April 1859, Logan County, Kentucky.
    4. Charles, born 14 November 1787, Virginia; died 10 April 1852, Scott County, Kentucky; married Sarah Payne, c1813. She was born 16 November 1793; died 5 December 1862.
    5. Elizabeth (Betsy), born 18 January 1790; died 9 October 1832, Scott County, Kentucky; married John Herndon. He was born 28 January 1780; died 8 June 1849, Scott County, Kentucky. Dates found on their gravestone on FAG
    6. William Z(achariah?): He might be the man born c1793; died 2 January 1848 on the steamer Alexander Scott, coming from New Orleans, but Rodes’ brother, Clifton, also had a son of similar age named W.Z. Thomson. One William Z. Thomson married Sarah Quarles.

There is no place in this family for my Annie who married James Madison Holland to be placed. In the late 18th century, Ann could be used interchangeably with Nancy and Rodes’ daughter, Nancy, is well accounted for. I can scratch Rodes Thomson off the daddy list.

Hollon, James Hollon, Thompson

Annie Thompson, Who’s Your Daddy?

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This will be one of those open-ended posts with possibly no definitive answer because I will be writing as I research and it will take some time to try to sort through the Thomson and/or Tompson/Thompson family because the name is common.

Who is Annie Thompson? Well, I actually know very little about her. She married James Madison Holland on 27 November 1818 in Howard County, Missouri. The clerk recorded her name as “Anny.” Unfortunately, there is no extant census for Missouri in 1820 and several Thompson men died intestate between 1820 and 1840, which doesn’t help matters.

However, I suspect that Annie might be related to the Thomsons who left Louisa County, Virginia for Kentucky before 1800 and settled in Fayette and Scott Counties, Kentucky before some of them went on to Howard and Saline Counties, Missouri before 1820.

This relationship is only a theory, but it seems logical because the Holland family, although form Maryland, passed through Fayette County, Kentucky before settling in Scott County. James Holland also left Scott County  for Howard County, Missouri before 1820.

In addition, James Madison Holland’s father, Ephraim, died in Scott County, Kentucky and one of the appraisers of his estate was Rodes Thomson. Rodes Thompson was a Revolutionary war soldier, born 1754 in Louisa County, Virginia, part of the family mentioned above.

Lastly, Ephraim Holland’s neighbors in Scott County in 1810 were two John Suggetts and a William Suggett. David Thomson, son of William and Ann (Rodes) Thomson, married Elizabeth Suggett, daughter of John Suggett, c1801.

Thankfully, the Thomsons were fairly well-to-do and some wills can be found. We will see where this goes.

William Thomson, born c1727 and died between 24 April – 10 August 1778, Louisa County, Virginia, was the father of the Thomsons who headed west to Kentucky.

He left a will dated 24 April 1778 and proved on 10 August 1778. I have only been able to find an abstract of it, as follows:

I William Thomson of the Co. of Louisa, Parish of Trinity; I give to dau. Anne Thomson; to son Rodes Thomson, land on Goldmine Creek; to dau. Mary Wigglesworth; to son William Thomson half the land back of the New Design fence; to son Clifton Thomson the other half of the land back of the New Design fence; to son Asa Thomson land on Biggerses Mill Pond; to son John Thomson 300 pounds current money; to dau. Eunice Thomson; to dau. Elizabeth Thomson; to dau. Lydda Thomson; to son David Thomson the remainder of my land containing the Plantation where I live; dau. Sarah Thomson; my loving wife Anne Thomson.

Executors: Anne Thomson, Rodes Thomson and William Thomson
Witnesses: Robert Wasley, David Thomson and John Ederington.

William appears to have died somewhat suddenly from illness or injury, as his youngest daughter, Sarah, had been born less than three weeks before he wrote his will.

William married Ann Rodes, who was reportedly born 26 December 1734, Virginia, and died 29 July 1802, Scott County, Kentucky.

I have found the following birth dates online – UNSOURCED – but it appears accurate and birth dates may well have been taken from a family Bible.

Children:

1.  Ann, born  12 November 1752; married (1) Philip Webber, 4 February 1778, Louisa County, Virginia (2) Mr. Waller, before her mother’s 1802 will
2.  Rodes, born 14 October 1754; died 26 September 1845, Scott County, Kentucky; married (1) Sarah Vivion, 13 Oct 1778, Orange County, Virginia; (2) widow Mildred Leathers, probably in Kentucky
3.  Mary A., born c10 February 1756; married James Wigglesworth, before 24 April 1778.
4.  William, born c1 March 1758; died 1818, Louisa County, Virginia; married Frances Quarles,  20 December 1781, Goochland County, Virginia
5.  Clifton, born 5 October 1761; died before September 1833, Fayette County, Kentucky, when his will was proved; married (1) Mary Ragland, 22 February 1788, Goochland County, Virginia (2) Elizabeth Ford, 14 November 1819, Bourbon County, Kentucky
6.  Asa, born 25 January 1764, Goochland Co., VA ; died 1842, Fayette County, Kentucky; married Dianna Quarles, c1788, Virginia
7.  John born c6 June 1766;
8.  Eunice, born c18 Mar 1768; died Scott County, Kentucky; married Rodes Smith, 10 September 1787, Louisa County, Virginia
9.  Elizabeth, born 26 October 1770; married (1) Walter Rodes, 22 August 1789, Louisa County, Virginia (2) Gabriel Slaughter, c1811, as his third wife. He was the 7th governor of Kentucky.
10.  Lydia/Lydda, born 10 March 1773; married (?William) Ferguson, before 1802 when she was named as Lydia Ferguson in her mother’s will
11.  David, born 21 August 1775; died 20 October 1861, Pettis County, Missouri; married c1801, Elizabeth Suggett
12. Sarah, born 5 April 1778; died as an infant and reportedly before her father’s will was proved in August 1778