Father: ***** Thompson
Mother: *****

Spouse: Ellen Harrison
  d: 8/Apr/1690 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
  m: 25/Feb/1650(1651) - New Haven Col.

Child-1: Mary - bp: 24/Apr/1652 - New Haven Col.
                        m: Samuel Lines - 5/Nov/1674 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
                        m: John Hitchcock
          2: Hannah - bp: 17/Sep/1654 - New Haven Col.
                            d: 26/Oct/1718 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT - bur: Grove Str. Cem.
                           m: Abraham Bradley - 25/Dec/1673 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
          3: Elizabeth - b: 3/Jun/1657 - New Haven Col.
                              d: 3/Nov/1718 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
                             m: Benjamin Bradley - 29/Oct/1677 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
          4: Lydia - b: 13/Mar/1663(1664) - New Haven Twp., Conn. Col.
          5: Sarah - b: 25/Mar/1667 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT - d: 1669

Biographical Details:

It is likely that John Thompson was the youngest of the three brothers, William, Anthony, and John, that founded the New Haven Branch of the Thompson family.  It is probable that he was born in England about 1620 and accompanied his two older brothers when they immigrated to North America.  Within this context, some researchers have contended that he signed the original "Colony Constitution" in June of 1639.  However, this does not appear to be the case since his name does not appear in modern published lists of the fifty-four free planters who assented to the Fundamental Agreement of the Colony of New Haven.  Neither does it seem that he received property in the first division of the land in 1640.  The most probable explanation for this is that he was not yet of legal age, i.e., twenty-one years old, in 1639 and 1640.  Accordingly, it has been reported that he took the oath of fidelity to the colony on March 7, 1647 (1648 N. S.).  Savage identifies John, the brother of Anthony, as marrying Ellen Harrison on February 25, 1650 (1651 N. S.).^1,2  However, his identity is further confused since Savage also identifies Ann Vicaris as his wife having been married to her by Govenor Endicott at Boston on August 4, 1656.  It is evident that this cannot have been the case since the apparent chronology implies that this second marriage would have been bigamous, which was not an acceptable practice in Puritan society.   In addition, later probate records indicate that John and Ellen Harrison Thompson had only daughters and that she was his true wife.  Within this context, the most plausible explanation is that Ann Vicaris was the wife of John Thompson, son of Anthony Thompson and, hence, the nephew of John.

It has been stated by some researchers that John Thompson, brother of Anthony and William, lived at East Haven; however, this was likely a different John Thompson, who was although probably a cousin to William, Anthony, and John Thompson of New Haven.³  Of course, it is possible that both of them lived at East Haven, but exact details still remain unclear.  Accordingly, Atwater, in his History of the Colony of New Haven, mentions John Thompson as receiving a "small lot" before the second division of land.⁴  Although it cannot be said for certain that this John was the brother of Anthony and William, it seems very likely.  Moreover, this presumption is further supported by the location stated as "between George Street and the West Creek", which would seem to be quite close to the location shown on Atwater's map for the property of his brother, Anthony.  In addition, in 1647 John was specifically named as "brother" in Anthony Thompson's will.⁵  Subsequently, in 1655 John Thompson bought and sold a house and lot "at the corner of Water and State Streets".  Again, this property was apparently located in close proximity to those mentioned previously.  Furthermore, since the "other John" died about this time, it seems very likely that this John was the brother of Anthony and William.  Within this context, Atwater's history records that at a general court (i.e., town meeting) held on February 11, 1655 (1656 N. S.),  John Thompson was assigned a place in the seventh seat behind his older brother, William, who sat in the fifth seat.  In addition, John Thompson, Jr., was assigned a place in the eighth seat.  It would seem that many researchers have assumed that these two individuals were father and son.  However, probate records unequivocally indicate that the father of John, Jr., had died previously, therefore, this cannot have been the case.  Moreover, "Goody Thompson" was assigned to the seventh seat in the women's section.  In all probability, this was Ellen Harrison Thompson, although it is possible that it could have been Dorothy Thompson prior to her remarriage to Thomas Harrison.  Again, on February 20, 1661 (1662 N. S.) William and John Thompson were assigned places in the center of the meetinghouse, specifically, in the fifth and sixth seats, respectively.  Likewise, Sister Thompson, again, sat in the seventh of the women's seats.  Clearly, the Thompson family were respected members of the New Haven community.

Probate records indicate that John Thompson died June 11, 1674.⁶  However, Savage stated, instead, that he died December 14th of this same year.  Similarly, Cutter states that he died December 11, 1674.  The precise reason for this discrepancy is unknown, however, it is likely the result of differing interpretations of probate records or errors in transcription.  His widow, Ellen survived until 1690.⁷

1. James Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England - Vols. 1-4, Little, Brown and Co., Boston, MA, 1860-1862: Vol. 4, pgs. 285-7.  (Reprint available from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD, 21202-3897)
      "JOHN, New Haven, br. of Anthony, m. 25 Feb. 1651, Ellen Harrison, had Mary, b. 24 Apr. 1652; Ann, 22 Sept. 1654; both bapt. (by rec. of ch.) 17 Sept. 1654; Elizabeth b. 3 June 1657; Lydia, 13 Mar. 1664, d. young; prob. Sarah, 1667, d. at two yrs. and he d. 14 Dec. 1674.  He was m. by Gov. Endicot, at Boston, 4 Aug. 1656, to Ann Vicaris; but wh. the bride was, may be hard to find.  How inconsist. the b. of Ann found from town rec. is with the rec. of bapt. will be observ. by some, wh. may desire to kn. wh. date to reject, and from Mr. White, wh. furnish to Geneal. Reg. IX. that very valu. list of baptisms, I am instruct. that the town rec. is usual. the true one, and the ch. rec. frequent. false, or wonderful, careless rather. Prob. this was kept by Rev. John Davenport, less precise in facts than in doctrine.  But the writer of that rec. little consider. to what vexations he would subject those who came in a future age to consult his ambiguous oracle.  Often by omiss. as well as commiss. the teacher is blameworthy; and the scrupulous Mr. White was misled to ascribe, p. 362, three ch. to this John Thompson, by w. Ellen, scil. Hannah, Lydia, and Ebenezer, bapt. 1645, 7 and 8, respectiv. not one of wh. was hers, as her m. was some yrs. later than their bapt.  These three belong to his br. Anthony, whose w. perhaps was the sis. Thompson ment. in the book by Mr. White mistaken for Ellen.  She long liv. a wid. dispos. of three ds. in m. scil. Mary, Nov. 1674, to Samuel Lines; Ann or Hannah, 25 Dec. 1673, to Abraham Bradley; and Elizabeth 29 Oct. 1677, to Benjamin Bradlee; and made her will Oct. 1689, giv. her prop. to them."
      "JOHN, New Haven, the mariner, so call. for distinct. propound. for freem. 1671, and was propr. 1685.  Mr. Judd thinks he was not relat. of the other Johns, but had a child, perhaps Mary, in Sept. 1667; Samuel, b. 12 May 1669; and Sarah, 16 Jan. 1672."
      "JOHN, New Haven, mariner, was a propr. 1685, as was also ano. JOHN, of the same call. jun. wh. may have been s. of the one of the preced. or of William."
      These three individuals were relatives of Anthony Thompson, specifically, his brother and, probably, his son and grandson or nephew.

b. There are at least four or five other individuals listed in Savage's Genealogical Dictionary that have been commonly been confused with John Thompson, Sr., or Captain John Thompson by various family researchers.  These are John, Sr., and John, the farmer, both of East Haven, and:
      "JOHN, Stratford, had very good est. and good num. to div. among, as by his will of 17 July 1678, pro. next mo. we find w. Mirable ment. beside s. John, b. Sept. 1641; and Ambrose, 1 Jan. 1652; ds. Sarah, 1642, wh. m. 10 Dec. 1662, John Hurd; Abigail, 2 May 1646, wh. m. 1670, Jonathan Curtis; Esther, Jan. 1650, wh. m. 22 Mar. 1677, Samuel Galpin, and d. next yr. soon aft. f.; and Mary, the youngest, 20 July 1655, wh. m. Matthew Mitchell, and d. 18 Jan. 1711."
     "JOHN, Stratford, s. of John of the same, call. jun. was propound. for freem. 1671, d. 1681, had no w. or ch. and by his will helps us to certainty in the field where doubt was most diffus. the affin. of memb. of so common a name.  Thus to his mo. to John, s. of br. Ambrose, to childr. of John Hurd, wh. m. his sis. Sarah, to childr. of Jonathan Curtis and sis. Abigail, to a cousin, ch. of Matthew Mitchell, wh. was, we kn. the first of sev. we find gifts, and the silence as to Esther, would almost serve to show, without the rec. that she was d."
      "JOHN, Fairfield, eldest, s. of John of Stratford, was a man of so great consequence, as in 1663, to have the Gen Ct. of Conn. interpose to attempt adjustm. of his diffic. with the ch. there, is in the freemen's list of 1669."
      The Stratford-Fairfield Thompson family was probably unrelated to the New Haven Thompson family.  However, it is plausible that these two other individuals, father and son, were cousins of the Thompson brothers, William, Anthony, and John.
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2. Clarence Almon Torrey, "New England Marriages Prior to 1700", manuscript.  (Republished by Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD, 21202-3897, 1985 & 1992: pgs. 91 & 737.)
      "John Thompson (-1674) & Ellen/Helena Harrison (-1690); 25 Feb 1650, 1651?; New Haven/Milford?"
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3. William Richard Cutter, Genealogical and Family History of Western New York - Vols. 1-3, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1912: Vol. 2, pg. 575.
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4. Edward E. Atwater, History of the Colony of New Haven to its absorption into Connecticut, privately published, New Haven, CT, 1881: pgs. 149, 152-3, 545-8 & 550-2.
      "Besides the home-lots assigned to proprietors, thirty-two 'small lots' had been freely given to as many householders, before the second division of out-lands was made.  The records furnish a list of these householders having no right of commonage, in the order in which they were drawn by lot for the choice of the out-lands allowed them in the second division.  Seven of them dwelt on 'the bank-side,' that is, on East Water Street and east of the four proprietors whose land extended from Union Street to Chestnut Street; the other twenty-five had their homes between George Street and the West Creek.  The seven on the bank-side were William Russell, Francis Brown, Thomas Morris, Nathaniel Merriman, Robert Pigg, Thomas Beamont, and William Gibbons.
      The whole catalogue reads thus, viz., -
1. Stephen Metcalf.
2. Adam Nicolls.
3. Nathaniel Merriman.
4. John Thompson.
5. Brother Kimberly's brother. ..."
      "Daniel Paul, whose lot was at the corner of Water and State Streets, soon disappeared from the plantation; and his lot came into the possession of William Westerhouse, a Dutch merchant.  July 3, 1655, John Thompson 'bought, at an outcry, the house and lot, and lands which belong to it, which was Mr. Westerhouse's, for £40.05, which was thus sold by order of the court.' About a month afterward the purchaser sold to John Hodson 'the house he bought of the court, which was Mr. Westerhouse's, and the land which belongs to it, and Mr. Hodson is to pay the court for it, £40.05.'"  (Anonymous, "History of New Haven Colony", www.quinnipiac.edu/other/ABL/etext/colony/colony.html, 2004.)
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5. On March 23, 1647, John was named as brother in the will of Anthony Thompson Sr. of New Haven.  (Probate Bk. 1, New Haven Co., CT,  pg. 33.)
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6. New Haven probate records show that an inventory of Thompson, John, Sr., deceased June 11, 1674, was taken by John Winston and John Harriman, and amounted to £233.  Likewise, on June 9, 1675, "Ellin ye relict", i.e., the widow, presented an inventory of his estate, which was distributed to herself, to Samuel Lines in right of Mary his wife, to Abraham Bradlye in right of Hanna his wife, to Elizabeth, and to "the younger daughter", who can be identified as Lydia since Sarah apparently died as a child about 1669.  (Probate Bk. 1, New Haven Co., CT,  pg. 86.)  (Evelyn Beran; database - sanford-shulsen; worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com, 2004.)
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7. In the will of Ellen Thompson made in October of 1689, daughters Mary, Hannah and Elizabeth, sons-in-law Abraham and Benjamin Bradlye, grandchild Sarah, daughter of her daughter Elizabeth are all mentioned.  (Probate Bk. 2, New Haven Co., CT,  pg. 41.)
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Additional Citations:

8. Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven - Vols. 1-9, Printed by Clarence D. Smith, Rome, NY, 1923 & 1929: Vol. 2, pgs. 407-9 & Vol. 7, pg. 1749-51;  also appeared as "New Haven Genealogical Magazine", Vols. I-VIII, 1922-1932.  (Reprint available from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD, 21202-3897)

9. New England Genealogical and Historical Register, Vol. 66, pgs. 179 & 199-200, 1912.

10. New England Genealogical and Historical Register, Vol. 81, pgs. 132-3, 1912, 1927.

11. K. Blake Tyner, "Founders of the New Haven Colony", www.bbtyner.com/NEWHAVEN.HTM, 2004.

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