The Thompson Family
I will be adding Thompson Family information here - it will be disorganized at first.
Houston J Thompson was the son of George W and Eliza Jane Thompson and was born August 26, 1847 in Tennessee. He married twice. His first wife was Rachael Ann ? who was born August 13, 1847 and died October 1874. She is buried at the Grisso Cemetery, Baxter County, AR, as is their infant who was born and died on the same day that Rachael Ann died. His second wife was Mary Ann 'Polly' Brown who was the daughter of Mathew and Hannah Okey Brown and was born January 26, 1856 in Brownsville, Ohio, and died .
1850 Census of Bennett's Bayou Township - Baxter County, AR
- Tompson, George W age 27 born TN / farmer
- Tompson, Eliza Jane age 25 born TN
- Tompson, James K age 5 born AR
- Tompson, Hughston J age 3 born AR
- Tompson, Sarah Jane 11/12 born MO
- Davidson, Joseph age 50 born ENG
- Tompson, Robert age 61 born TN
(This family enumerated #13.)
This information would suggest that George W Tompson b: c1823 TN and Eliza Jane Davidson b: c1825 TN were married c1844. I would also imagine that Robert Tompson was George W's father. They probably lived in the Vidette area close to Bakersfield, MO. There does not appear to be a Thompson family in 1840 suggesting that they came to Arkansas between 1840 and 1845. Neighbors in 1850 were Lewis Pump (TN); Nathaniel Booth (TN); Noah Baker (TN); Allen Maxwell (TN); G W Baker (NC); Jerramiah Bassett (SC); James Roberts (AR); John Cooper (TN); James M Ford (KY); and Joseph Smith (Ky). All of these families appear to be 'new' in 1850.
1860 census Bennett's Bayou, Baxter County, AR
- Thompson, G age 37 born TN / farmer
- Thompson, Eliza age 35
- Thompson, H J age 13 born AR
- Thompson, Sarah age 10 born AR
- Thompson, Ann age 6 born AR
- Thompson, Robert age 4 born AR
- Thompson, Franklin age 2 born AR
- Ruby, James age 15 born AR
- Johnson, Robert age 21 born AR
So, it would appear that son, James K Thompson might have died since the 1850 census and that the family has grown to include 3 more children. Neighbors are Nathan Grisso (KY); James Baker (TN); Jacob Wilson (KY); Alexander Miller (TN); Thomas Shrable (NC); P Bowling (TN); S McKelvy (GA); R F Rice (NC); Jeremiah Bassett (SC); Richard Brown (TN); John Brown (TN); John Pickrum (ITL); J W Fowler (KY).
1870 Bennett's Bayou, Baxter County, AR
- Thompson, E J age 45 born TN / housekeeping
- Thompson, Robert age 14 born AR
- Thomspon, George age 6 born IL (this family enumerated #14)
It seems that George W Thompson has died between 1860 and 1870 and that some of his grown children are no longer at home. I would imagine that Sarah and Ann might both have married by this time. Probably George and some of the boys served during the civil war and might have been killed.
1870 Big Springs Twp, Baxter Co, AR
- Wright, Thomas age 20 born MO / farmer
- Thompson, H J age 23 born AR / farmer
- Thompson, Rachael age 23 born AR
- Thompson, Elizabeth age 2 born AR
- Thompson, Margaret age 1 born AR
(This family enumerated in Bennett's Bayou postoffice area of Big Spring Twp; neighbors included James Maphey (TN); L A White (AL); William Minges (KY); J A Cockrum (KY); G W Britten (TN); Mary Withen; Mary Howard (TN); Joseph White (TN); L Scroggins (KY); R Hawkins (SC); W J Hawkins (MO); Thomas Mayjohn (TN); John Wells (MO); Walter Bean (KY).)
So, we see Huston living with his wife, Rachael Ann, and their first two children.
1880 Bennett's Bayou, Baxter Co, AR
- Thompson, Hugh age 34 born AR merchant father born ?/mother born TN
- Thompson, Mary (rel not listed) age 23 born OH house keeper father/mother born OH
- Thompson, Elizabeth (rel not listed) age 12 born AR attended school father born AR/mother born AR (written over - ?'NC')
- Thompson, Margret (rel not listed) age 10 born AR attended school father born AR/mother born AR (written over - ?'NC')
- Thompson, Minney (rel not listed) age 7 born AR father born AR/mother born AR (written over - ?'NC')
- Thompson, Frank (rel not listed) age 2 born AR father born AR/mother born OH
- Willis, Jeff age 18 born AR
(this family enumerated #1/1 on pg 23; 17th June 1880. Neighbors include Elijah Hall (TN; Elisha Hall (TN); Elbert King (AR); Wm Durham (TN); George W Willis (AR); Francis Harper (TN); Thomas Garner (TN); David Edmiaston (KY); Stephen Moon (AR); Thomas Kimbrough (TN); William Smith (TN); Wm H Wilson (SC); Izack Wilson (AL); Frederick Talburt (TN))
We can perhaps, surmise a few things from this information. With a marriage date of 1875 supplied from Pauline Hodges, it appears that Houston is on his second marriage. The ages of the oldest children and their places of birth would seem to indicate that his first marriage was c1867 and probably in Baxter County, Arkansas. After the birth of three children he was widowed in October 1874 when Rachael Ann died in childbirth.
We know from the headstone inscription at Fluty Cemetery that Houston and Mary had a son, Charley, born April 3, 1876, and he died April 21, 1878, just a few weeks after his second birthday and while his brother, Frank, was not quite one year old. Frank B Thompson was born July 27, 1878, according to his headstone inscription at Fluty Cemetery. The children Charley and Frank were born so much later than the three older children, that this 1875 year of marriage to Mary Ann 'Polly' Brown seems all the more likely. Also, the birthplace of the mother for the three oldest children differs from Frank's. I will have to check for a marriage bond.
With no 1890 census available, it makes it difficult to establish easily what other children Houston and Mary might have produced. However, Houston died January 17, 1890, near Vidette and I'm sure his estate or will might shed some light on his surviving children. I am sure that if he and Mary lost any other chldren before his death, they would be in marked graves at Fluty (there are no missing headstones in proximity to the other Thompson markers). Pauline Hodges lists children Forrest (m: Buella Foster), Murphey (m1: Ollie Bryant m2: Cecil Harber), and Nola (m1: Oscar Woods m2: Desmond Johnson) Thompson as other children of Houston and Mary. Also, it appears that his daughter, Minnie, married Charles Hughes. Charles was the son of Mary's sister, Katherine Brown Hughes.
'Polk business Directory' 1888
- Thompson, H J - Cottin Gin
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