William and Stephen Thompson

I feel fairly certain that Samuel F. Thompson was descended from William Thompson and Stephen Thompson. I found Stephen's Revolutionary War pension file on Footnote.com. Amazing to see a letter with Stephen's signature written to then President Andrew Jackson! I discovered that Stephen's brother, Samuel, had moved on to Texas and became an Alcalde there. There is a memorial to the Thompson family in Chapel Hill Cemetery in San Augustine County.

Stephen was collecting a pension, but it was stopped. Four men in Marion County stated that he wasn't old enough to collect a pension. In hindsight, this seems to be a great injustice. His younger brother Samuel had served in the Revolution and collected a pension. His brother Burwell collected his pension and his mother was even able to collect a pension for his deceased father, George. George was killed at the Battle of Kings' Mountain. Stephen says in his letter to President Jackson, "through envy and malice...[my] pension is now stopped by men who neither have love of country nor love of truth who want my little home and know I would have to sell it if my pension was stopped."

Stephen mentions many names of men who can vouch for his character and honesty. I am still researching all of them and hope to get a better picture of his migration. I know that he was born in North Carolina. He moved with his family into Spartanburg, South Carolina. He was in Kentucky from 1800 until at least 1812, when he appears on the Franklin County tax lists. In the early Kentucky records, five of the brothers can be found in Warren County, Kentucky: William, Burwell, Stephen, Samuel and Balaam. I haven't found him anywhere in 1820 yet, but by 1830, he's in Marion County. I think he died before 1840, but I'm still researching that as well. The last correspondence in his pension file was dated 1837.

I found William Thompson in Franklin County in 1840 with his wife and 2 young sons. He was living very near William Roark, Campbell Henley and William Henley. This means he didn't move into Marion County until after 1840 and he died before 1850. We know that William Roark was the father of Rutha Roark who married William Henley. Campbell Henley married Malinda Thompson, the daughter of Burwell Thompson. I'll be posting more information on the orphans later.

I'm still trying to sort all this out and also trying to locate whatever proof I can find. It has been a long journey, but hopefully one that will have a conclusion someday.