Welcome to our THOMSON Family!

Our Thomson saga in Colonial America begins with Samuel Thomson of Virginia, believed to have emigrated here from Scotland, in 1717,
although no records have been found to verify this.
Our Thomson Family has always spelled their name without a "p", although it has been found mis-spelled "Thompson" in records prepared by others.

Recently, other Thomson descendant lines have been found, such as Roger Thom(p)son (born 1790), son of Asa and Dianna (Quarles) Thomson, which had added the "p" to their name. Chances are, that in the early 1800's, the possibility exists that they did not "know" how to spell their name, and it was spelled for them by someone else, and the "Thompson" name was carried on.

This page has been viewed times since September 9, 2000.
This page was last updated on March 11, 2002

There has been much discussion among the Thomson descendants, as to the true ancestory of Samuel Thomson, as many records are missing, (or have yet to be found!) that would aid in positive identification.
The ancestory of Samuel Thomson has been based upon
"The History of Fayette County, Kentucky"
by Robert Peter M.D., edited by William H. Perrin in 1882, page 863.
If someone has other documentation to verify these facts, please contact me!

Samuel Thomson is said to have descended from Samuel Thomson, born 1613 in Avondale, Scotland, and was himself born in 1691 at "Blair Manor" near Ayrshire, Scotland.
Samuel (1691) is said to have emigrated by way of Wales, to the Virginia Colony in 1717,
on account of persecution of his Anabaptist religious beliefs.
Samuel is believed to have been married three times (of which details are sketchy at best),
resulting in at least eleven known children.
Our direct line is from son Capt. William Thomson who married Ann Rodes
(also known as Anna and Rhodes)
and fought for Virginia in the Revolutionary War.
This family line has become to be known as the "Rodes/Thomson" family line in genealogy circles.

The Thomson's of early America were pioneering people, seldom to blaze the first new trails, but soon followed. After living in colonial Virginia for nearly 70 years, the families began to spread out.
Our direct Thomson line moved west into the wilderness, and were early settlers of Fayette Co. Kentucky, and Howard and Saline Counties in Missouri, and have scattered to the four winds from there.

It is believed that the Thomson family moved to Kentucky around 1789/1790, and settled in Fayette County.

The wife of Asa Thomson, Dianna (Ann) Quarles Thomson, daughter of Roger and Mary (Goodloe) Quarles, is thought to be a descendant of King Henry I of England, although I have not verified this information!
I have included the information in my GEDCOM as an aid in research.
I welcome any documentation to prove or disprove this theory!!!

At least two descendants of Asa and Diana (Quarles) Thomson became famous during the 20 th Century,
Terrence Stephen "Steve" McQueen, and Virgil Garnett Thomson. (More info. coming soon!)

The younger generations of the Thomson family started moving on to the Missouri wilderness in 1819, where they settled for a while at Fort Hempstead in Howard County, until John William Thomson was accidentally killed.
The widow, Nancy (Ann) Ellis Thomson returned with the children to Fayette County about one year later,
where she married Horace Coleman.

John and Nancy's son, Pike Montgomery Thomson returned to Missouri in 1839. He apparently went back and forth between Missouri and Kentucky for a few years. In 1843 he returned to Missouri with his new bride, Elizabeth E. Goodwin Thomson,sailing up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, landed and eventually settled in Saline County, Missouri. The exact year of permanent settlement seems questionable, from 1843 - 1849.
I have found a public land patent purchase document from Dec. 1, 1851.
They eventually purchased a farm from W.B.Shackelford, which he increased to over 1700 acres over the years before his death in 1902. The original family farmhouse still stands today in the year 2000, and remained in the family until at least 1957.

The Thomson saga continues! If you have information to add, please contact me!

Notes on individuals will be found with personal data in the Family Tree Database.
Much more information, such as wills can be found at Welcome to the Thomson Family
hosted by cousin Virginia Thomson Baldwin.

Photos
Photos of descendants of Lloyd Goodwin Thomson by cousin Allison.

Thomson "Brickwalls" ~ Coming Soon!
To list your "Brickwall", let me know!

Please sign our Thomson Guestbook!


Special Thanks to my mother, Beverly, Aunts, Jo Anne and Mary Lou, for many of the photos, and to my Thomson cousins, Virginia, Allison, and Dorie, for all their help in adding to and correcting my Thomson genealogy records!