Thompson

01. Anthony Thompson was born August 30, 1612 in Lenham, Kent, England.  In 1637, He arrived in America with brothers John and William, his wife, sons John and Anthony and Governor Eaton.  He settled in New Haven, CT in 1639 and died in 1648.  His descendants remained in Connecticut for several generations.  

02. John Thompson son of Anthony, called "Mariner," has usually been assigned a wife Ellen or Hellena (cf. History of Goshen, and Genealogal History of Connecticut, 1911, p. 1000). This is an error, and the only wife of John who appears on record was Anne Vicars, or Vicaris. On 25 Feb. 1657, John Tompson entered an action against the estate of John Roberts, part of which was then in the hands of Mr. Wakeman, on the ground that there had been a treaty of marriage betwixt the said John Roberts and Ann Vicars (now wife to the said John Tompson), and that her former betrothed had by word of mouth left his estate to Ann (Hoadley, Records of the Juristiction of New Haven, vol. 2, p. 198). It should be noted that John Wakeman's wife, Elizabeth Hopkins, had a first cousin Ann, daughter of Walter Vicaris (see the will of William Hopkins of Bewdley, Worchestershire, given in the Wakeman Genealogy, p. 30). John Thompson died 2 June 1707, and the inventory of "Mr. John Thompson, Marriner, late deed," was presented 28 Oct. 1707 (New Haven Probate Records, vol. 3, p. 116). In the absence of any distribution of the estate, it is difficult to place his daughters with certainty. Most of his land had been deede in the later years of his life to his sons John, Joseph, Samuel, and William (New Haven Deeds, vols. 2 and 3). There is no difficulty in identifying the first three, but there seems to have been considerable misapprehension as to the identity of William. This problem is considered below under William Thompson (no. 9). There is no proof that Ann Vicars was mother of all the children, but no other wife has been found.  (Source: Families of Ancient New Haven, by Donald Jacobus 1931)

03. William Thompson, son of John was born 17 Jan 1674. That "John the mariner" had a son William is proved by two deeds to the latter, and by mention of him in the will of William Thompson (no. 1) in 1682; but there has been considerable doubt as to his identity, as there were two Williams who could be elgible. One, called William, Sr., was a man of some importance, is called "joiner" and "surveyor" in deeds, and frequently had "Mr." prefixed to his name; he married in 1682 Joanna Daniel, widow of John Glover, and died in 1741. The other, called William, Jr., married before 1708 Martha ____, and died in 1717. The obvious theory is that William, "Sr.," was one of the oldest sons of John, and that William, "Jr.," was son of William "Sr.," but this hypothesis, which is generally accepted, proves untenable.  The chronology of William, Sr's, recorded family leaves no room for the birth of a son William. Moreover, William Sr., deeded no land to William, Jr., nor did he mention him or his heirs in his will, wherein he made careful provision for his sons. Nor do the heirs of William, Jr., appear in deeds in which all the heirs of William, Sr., appear; but there is positive evidence to prove that William, Jr., was son of John the mariner. First: William, son of John Thompson, was born 17 Jan. 1674, which is much to late for the birth of William, Sr.; secondly : John the mariner deeded to his son William along with other land one-third part of his whole division and tract of land (1702), which property was afterwards (1707) deeded away by William Thompson, husbandman (New Haven Deeds, vol. 3, pp. 21,34), showing that John's son William was a farmer, whereas William Sr., always appears as joiner or surveyor; thirdly : the other land deeded by John the mariner to his son William (New Haven Deeds, vol. 3, pp. 21,22) is to be found mentioned in the inventory of William, Jr. (New Haven Probate Records, vol.6, p. 1) ; and finally Caleb Thompson, who is known to be a son of William Jr., deeded land that was laid out to his father William Thompson, deceased, and other land that was laid out to his grandfather John Thompson, deceased (New Haven Deeds, vol. 8, p. 331). The only question that could remain is whether, as sometimes happened, John could have had two sons named William, but the evidence is against it, for in John's deed to William he is referred to as his "son William." Also the will of William Thompson (no. 1), wherein he mentioned his "cousin William, son of nephew John," would have distinguished between them if there had been two sons named William. William, Jr., who died 13 Mar 1717, married Martha _____ who died after 1755. His estate was not settled until 1730 (New Haven Probate Records, vol. 6, p.1 ).  Source: Families of Ancient New Haven, Vol. VII, page 1757

Surnames that married into my Thompson family

HICKOK

TURNER

VICARS