Spouse: *****
Child-1: William
2: Anthony
3: John
Biographical Details:
It would seem evident that the modern surname "Thompson" is derived from a medieval patronymic of the proper name "Thomas", which is of ancient Latin and Greek origin.1 (Clearly, "Thom", "Tom", "Tommy", etc., are obvious English diminutives of the classical name.) Concomitantly, "Thomas" is said to mean "twin". However, the literal Greek word for twin is "didymos", which is obviously, not cognate with the proper name. This can be explained if "thoma" is recognized as a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word "toma", which, indeed, does mean "twin". Of course, Aramaic was the vernacular of first century Palestine and, hence, the subsequent popularity of "Thomas" as a masculine proper name derives from the appearance in the Gospels of Jesus' disciple, Thomas, commonly called the "doubting apostle", cf., Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, and John 20:24-9. A closely related surname is "Thomson". In addition, there are a number of other surnames derived from different ethnicities, diminutives, corruptions, and variant spellings of the original patronymic. Among these related names are "Thomason", "Thoms", "MacThom", "Tomson", etc. In passing, it should be noted that "Thompson", with the intrusive "p", is more commonly found in England and Wales than "Thomson", spelled without "p". In contrast, "Thomson" is a fairly common surname in Scotland.2 Moreover, the origin of the surname "Thompson" as a patronymic implies that one should not assume that all persons bearing this name descend from a single particular ancestor. Indeed, this is the usual case for common English and American surnames.Source Notes and Citations:Accordingly, Thompson was a common family name in the early history of the New Haven Colony.3 In addition to the three brothers, Anthony, John, and William Thompson, who it has been reported by no less an authority than John Winthrop, landed at Boston in 1637 having traveled from Engand on the ship, Hector, Savage further identifies another John Thompson, thought possibly to be a relative, perhaps, first cousin of the three brothers. All four of these individuals settled in New Haven and, consequently, relationships have become quite confused among their many descendants.
Originally, the New Haven and Connecticut Colonies were separate. This arrangement prevailed until 1662 when the two colonies were consolidated under a single charter. Subsequently, the original four counties of Connecticut, viz., New London, Hartford, New Haven, and Fairfield, were formed in 1666. Within this context, many researchers have identified William, Anthony, and John Thompson (or Thomson) of New Haven as sons of Henry and Dorothy Honywood Thompson of Lenham, County Kent, England. This relationship is often represented as an unassailable, established fact, e.g., as in Hughes.4 Indeed, it is known that Henry Thompson of Lenham did have three sons named John, William, and Anthony; nevertheless, there is strong documentary evidence against their identification as original settlers of the New Haven Colony.5 Alternatively, some researchers indicate that the Thompson brothers may have originated in or near Coventry.6 In any case, the original home in England of the Thompson brothers must be regarded as unknown, although several others in their party had been merchants or clergymen in London, which might indicate that members of the immigrant company were from London or its close environs.7 Moreover, within the general social context of the time, many religious dissenters, i.e., Puritans, came from close proximity to London, in particular, the counties immediately to the northeast, e.g., Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk (East Anglia), etc. Therefore, it is likely that the three Thompson brothers originated in this general area. In passing, other authorities indicate that Anthony and John Thompson (but seemingly not William) arrived in the ship "St. John of London" under master Stephen Goodyear on January 26, 1640 (1641 N. S.). However, this is chronologically inconsistent with other known facts and, thus, must be considered erroneous.
1. Patrick Hanks (ed.), Oxford Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, periodically updated.
"English: patronymic from Thomas. Thompson is widely distributed throughout Britain, but is most common in northern England and northern Ireland."
"English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, and South Indian: from the medieval personal name, of Biblical origin, from Aramaic t'om'a, a byname meaning 'twin'. It was borne by one of the disciples of Christ, best known for his scepticism about Christ's resurrection (John 20:24-29). The th- spelling is organic, the initial letter of the name in the Greek New Testament being a theta. The English pronunciation as t rather than th- is the result of French influence from an early date. In Britain the surname is widely distributed throughout the country, but especially common in Wales and Cornwall. The Ukrainian form is Choma. It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India."
back to bio.2. 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. 571.
"The name Thompson is an ancient one in England, Scotland and Ireland. In England the name was Tomson; in Ireland it was Thompson; and in the south of Scotland Thomson. The American ancestor of the family was born in the north of Wales near the border of Scotland and is considered a Scotch-man, although the signature to his will has the English spelling Tomson. The letter 'p' was not introduced into the name by any of his descendants until a century and a half later. The fourth generation in America added an 'h,' making it Thomson, although many adhered to the original form. In the fifth generation Thompson began to be used and is now the almost universal form and will be used in this records as though that had been the original form."
As with many other common English surnames, seventeenth century spelling was not standardized and could be quite variable in civil records. Therefore, the author's assertions as to origin and evolution of the surname, although not without some factual basis, makes claims that are much too definitive. Moreover, his geography is clearly inaccurate since Wales and Scotland do not now and never have shared a common boundary.
back to bio.3. "Less than four centuries ago the area which is now New Haven was the home of a small tribe of Native Americans, the Quinnipiack, who built their villages around the harbor. They harvested seafood, hunted with bow and arrow for food and furs and grew maize, the staple of their diet.
On April 24, 1638, a company of five-hundred English Puritans led by the Reverend John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton, a wealthy London merchant, sailed into the harbor. They soon discovered that the Quinnipiacks and other local tribes were much distressed by raiding bands of Pequots and Mohawks from surrounding areas. It was for this reason that Momauguin, the sachem of the Quinnipiacks, and other tribe members agreed to sell the tribe's land to the Puritans. In return, the settlers pledged to protect the natives and to allow them the use of the lands on the east side of the harbor.
New Haven's founders not only hoped to create a Christian utopia, they also saw in New Haven's spacious harbor an opportunity to establish a commercial empire that would control Long Island Sound and possibly the coastline as far south as Delaware Bay.
By 1640 a complete government had been established and the settlement, originally called Quinnipiac, was renamed Newhaven. The town plan was based on a grid of nine squares. In accordance with old English custom, the central square, now the Green, was designated a public common. By 1641 New Haven had grown into a community of approximately 800.
Over the next few years, however, the flow of newcomers began to weaken and trade with the outside world shifted more and more to Boston. In an attempt to establish direct trade with England, the settlers managed to assemble enough produce to fill a vessel which would become known as the 'Great Shippe.' However, after setting sail in January, 1646, the ship and its crew were never heard from again. This disaster ended the dream of creating an economic empire and over the years New Haven became overshadowed by New Amsterdam and Boston.
In 1649, King Charles I of England was accused of treason and beheaded. His son, Charles II, became king eleven years later and sought vengeance against the men who had signed his father's death warrant. Two of them, Colonel Edward Whalley and his son-in-law Colonel William Goffe fled to America and, in 1661, they were hidden by John Davenport in a cave on the top of New Haven's West Rock. They were later joined by a third regicide, John Dixwell. Three of New Haven's streets are named after the regicides and their story has become an integral part of New Haven's history.
In 1664, the forces of King Charles' brother, the Duke of York, seized New Amsterdam. Rather than face the possibility of rule by the Catholic duke, New Haven surrendered its hope of remaining independent and united with the Connecticut Colony. By 1701, New Haven had grown to be the village center of a mainly agricultural township and became co-capital of Connecticut, along with Hartford. It was not until 1873 that New Haven lost its status as co-capital.
In 1700, a small Puritan college known as the Collegiate School was founded in Old Saybrook. Eighteen years later it moved to New Haven, and, after receiving a large benefaction from Elihu Yale, was renamed Yale College. It would eventually become a world renowned university and a major economic factor in the city." (City of New Haven, "Native Americans and the Puritan Settlement", www.cityofnewhaven.com/history/, 2003.)
back to bio.4. Sarah E. Hughes, History of East Haven, The Tuttle, Morehouse and Taylor Press, New Haven, CT, 1908: pg. 28.
"The three Thompson brothers, Anthony, John and William, came from Lenham, county of Kent, England, in 1637. Rev. P. E. Atwater, while searching out the Atwater genealogy in England, came across the baptism of Anthony Thompson, August 30, 1612, in Lenham, in Kent. This discovery led him, through his own connection and descent from the Thompson family, to prepare a paper on the birthplace of Anthony Thompson, one of the planters of New Haven, which was read before the New Haven Colony Historical Society October 6, 1887, and which stated that the house of his birth was still standing."
back to bio.5. Gary Boyd Roberts and Judith McGhan (index), Genealogies of Connecticut families: from the New England historical and genealogical register, Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, MD, 1983.
"The New Haven family of Thompson was founded by three brothers, William, Anthony, and John. An attempt has been made to connect them with the Thompson family of Lenham, co. Kent, England. This Lenham myth has been set forth as a certainty in the History of Goshen (by A. G. Hibbard, 1897), in the Marks-Platt Ancestry (by E. J. Lines, 1902, pp. 46-50), and in several other accounts, and so far as known has never been refuted. Henry Thompson of Royton in Lenham married Dorothy Honywood, and died 20 Oct. 1648, leaving, with other issue, sons John, William, and Anthony. The coincidence of names would seem promising, and it is not strange that somebody hastily conjectured their identity with the emigrants, but investigation overthrows the theory. According to William Berry's Pedigrees of the Families in the County of Kent (published in 1830, pp. 15-17), Anthony Thompson of Lenham was baptized 30 Aug. 1612, and died in England 13 Feb. 1682, leaving as heiress an only daughter. Moreover, John Thompson of Lenham was born in 1604, too early for John of New Haven, who was probably the youngest of the emigrant brothers. The Lenham brothers had three cousins, sons of Thomas Thompson of Pethem, co. Kent, likewise named John, William, and Anthony; but this John was a knight, and died in 1645 without issue. Furthermore, the evidence of chronology tends to show that the emigrants could not descend from Henry of Lenham or Thomas of Pethem in the following generation. At all events, the accepted pedigree must be abandoned."
"1. William(1) Thompson died unmarried in New Haven 24 Apr. 1683. In his will of 6 Oct. 1682 he calls himself 'far stricken in years,' and mentions his nephews Benjamin Broadly and brother Abraham Broadly; nephew John Thompson, son of brother Anthony; cousin John Thompson, nephew John abovesaid; cousin Mary Lynes, Anna Broadlye, and Elizabeth Broadlye, daughters of sister Ellen Thompson; Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Benjamin Broadlye; and cousins Bridgett Bowers, Anna Stanton, and Lydia Cruttenden (New Haven Probate Records, vol. 1, p. 192)."
"2. Anthony(1) Thompson died Sept. 1648. In his will of 23 Mar. 1647 he mentions his eldest son; second son, Anthony; daughter Bridget which he had by former wife; other daughters; wife; and brothers William and John (New Haven Probate Records, vol. 1, p. 33). He married first ____?____; and secondly Katharine _____, who married for her second husband, 14 July 1652, Nicholas Camp of Milford. The Proprietor's records contain several references to payment of portions to Anthony's children, by 'Kattern Camp,' the children mentioned being John, Hannah, Liddia, Ebenezer, Anthony and Bridget (Proprietors' Records, vol. 2, pp. 91, 98, 114, 229).Children by first wife:"3. John(1) Thompson, called 'Senior' to distinguish him from his nephew the 'Mariner,' married, 25 Feb. 1650, Ellen Harrison, probably a sister of the Thomas Harrison who married the widow of John Thompson of East Haven. He died 14 Dec. 1674, and on 9 June 1675 'Ellen ye relict' presented the 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' (County Court Records, vol. 1, p. 86). His widow died 8 Apr. 1690, and in her will of Oct. 1689 she mentions her daughters Mary, Hannah, and Elizabeth, her sons-in-law Abrahamm and Benjamin Bradlye, and her grandchild Sarah daughter of her daughter Elizabeth (New Haven Probate Records, vol. 2, p. 41)." (Virginia Thomson, "Welcome to the Thomson Family", homepages.rootsweb.com/~bianco/Resources/riddle.html, 2003.)
I. John(2),
II. Anthony, b. Dec. 1634; d. at Milford 29 Dec. 1654. In his will of 26 Dec. 1654 he names his brother John Thompson; his eldest sister, his father's daughter by his own mother; and his sisters, daughters of his father by his mother-in-law, goodwife Camp (New Haven Probate Records, vol. 1, p. 55).
III. Bridget, m. Rev. John Bowers of Derby, who d. 14 June 1687; d. 19 May 1720.
Children by second wife:
IV. Hannah, bapt. 8 June 1645; m. ________Stanton.
V. Lydia, bapt. 24 July 1647; m. (1) 20 Sept. 1665, Isaac Cruttenden of Guilford; m. (2) Dea. John Meigs; d. Dec. 1729.
VI. Ebenezer (posthumous), b. 15 Oct. 1648."
back to bio.6. "He (Anthony Thompson) was of New Haven, CT in 1639. According to Savage he had brothers John and William. He also says that Anthony probably came over with Gov. Eaton, bringing with him his wife and two children, John and Anthony. Their daughter Bridget was born in CT. Cutter, in his History of NY, p. 575, states that Anthony and his brothers William and John, embarked at London on the ship 'Hector' in company with Theophilus Eaton, Rev. Mr. Davenport, and others from Coventry. They arrived in Boston on 26 June 1637. He gives their reason for emigrating because they were Dissenters from the Church of England, and left home to enjoy quietly here the principles of their faith, as well as to avoid the constant persecutions, taxes, and exactions which were so frequent during the reign of Charles I.
The Davenport Colony, as it was known, finally settled in Quinnipiac [New Haven], where Anthony signed the constitution on 4 June 1639. All three Thompson brothers secured land, John being located in East Haven.
By his second wife, Catherine, he had three more children, the last, Ebenezer, thought to be a posthumous child.
According to 'Banning & Allied Families', Kate Banning, 1928, the Thompson origins stem from: Thompson of Kent [spelled 'Thomson'] Thomas Thomson of Sandwich Co., Kent, Merchant had a son, Thomas, who married a Mansfield. Arms were granted to him in 1600. His children were: Henry, Anne, and Thomas. Of these three, both Henry and Thomas had sons named John, Anthony, and William. Which of these is Anthony of New Haven, CT may never be known."
As noted previously, the origin of the Thompson brothers in Kent has been found to be improbable. (Keith Thompson, "Thompson ka.ged", www.gencircles.com/users/katman01/1/data/7014, 2003.)
back to bio.7. William Howard Powers, Powers-Banks Ancestry, Traced in all Lines to the Remotest Date Obtainable, privately published by John Leslie Powers, Ames, IA, 1921.
"Hannah Thompson is said in the New England Historical and Genealogical Records to have been the daughter of George, but this is probably a misprint, as her father is everywhere else called John Thompson. There were several John Thompsons in New Haven. It is said by Savage that Hannah's father was the brother of Anthony. Anthony was a person of consequence in the colony. His autograph is attached to the 'Fundamental Agreement' in June, 1639, and he was frequently in public service. His will, dated 7 November, 1648, mentions brothers William and John. As his eldest son was under eighteen Anthony was probably not an old man. The Thompsons undoubtedly came with Davenport to Boston, 26 July, 1637, and more than likely like him came from London. Davenport was witness, along with the ruling elder, Robert Newman, to Anthony's will. Anthony's brother John was married, it is said, 25 October, 1650, by Mr. Goodyear, to Ellen, daughter of Richard Harrison. According to the Connecticut Colonial Records he was propounded at Hartford for freeman 12 May, 1670. He died 14 December, 1674, if the reference is to our John; near that time at least; for his will was presented by his widow Ellen in June, 1675. The attempt to find a copy of his will has not been successful. His widow Ellen's will, October, 1689, left her property to her daughters. Their children were: Mary, baptized 24 April, 1652, married 5 November, 1674, Samuel Lewis (Lines); Ann (or Hannah), born 22 September, 1654, married 25 December, 1673, Abraham Bradley; Elizabeth, born 3 April, 1657, married 24 October, 1677, Benjamin Bradley, brother of Abraham; Lydia, born 13 March, 1663(4); Sarah, born 1667, died 1669."
As others, this author asserts that Anthony Thompson signed the Fundamental Agreement of the Colony of New Haven, however, as noted elsewhere this does not seem to be factual. In addition, some of the names and dates appear incorrect, probably due to difficulty in reading the original hand written records.
back to bio.
Additional Citations:
8. 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)9. Elizabeth M. Leach Rixford, Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service, pub. by The Tuttle Co., Rutland, VT, 1934: pgs. 302-4.
10. George Fraser Black, The Surnames of Scotland; Their Origin, Meaning, and History, pub. by The New York Public Library, New York, NY, 1946.
11. John Simpson (chief ed.), Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, continuously updated. (Available electronically at dictionary.oed.com)