First published in The Thompson Tabloid in 1987
From Original Research of Dodie E. Browning.
(Also published online in 1998 as part of “Of The King’s Children” website)
Copyright 1987. All rights reserved
Once an error is published, it is very difficult to “set the record straight.” Some of the errors that will be (hopefully) set straight in this article delayed my own research for several years. Judge Lyman Chalkley provided researchers with some of the most valuable and comprehensive records available for the State of Virginia. As with most printed sources, his work did contain errors. In Chronicles of the Scotch Irish Settlement in Virginia, Vol. II,; pg. 246-247, Chalkley gives an annotated abstract of the following court record:
“Thompson vs. Thompson—O.S. 349; N.S. 126-Bill, by John Thompson Jr. In 1805 orator was living in Louisa and went to Washington County to visit his mother and while there, he proposed to purchase land from Elijah Carpenter. His uncle, Jno. Thompson was living in Louisa and they together bought the land, and they both moved there. Uncle John conveyed all his property to Wilson Quarles of Caroline (ed. note by D.B.: Was this Caroline County Va or was it North or South “Caroline”?) and sold his portion of the land to George Byars. Deed, 2d October 1807, by Elijah Carpenter and wife Elizabeth to John Thompson, and JR and SR of Washington County, 400 acres in Washington County, corner Andrew Smothers. Recorded in Washington District Court, 2d October 1807. Letter by John Thompson C.L. (Clerk of Louisa?) Dated Louisa County, 30th April, 1805, addressed to John Thompson, Washonton (sic) County: “Dear Nephew—Your aunt went to see her sister Pleasants, but when she got there she was dead 2 days. Brother Robert is married and also Richard Jones. John’s father is going to Rockingham on Dan River.” Deposition by Patton Thompson of Washington County, February 1820, in the cause of Thompson vs. Cloyd, viz.: James Thompson vs. Gordon Cloyd and Henry Thompson. Patton is brother of James and Henry Thompson. John Cloyd was father-in-law of Henry Thompson. Bond by John Cloyd to James dated 1778. Henry sold his farm to Gordon Cloyd and moved to Tennessee. Gordon Cloyd was son of Joseph Cloyd.”
Analysis of Dodie E. Browning, based on documented research:
Some of Chalkley’s notations were erroneous. Neither of the John Thompsons from Louisa County was a brother to Henry Thompson of Tennessee, nor was Patton Thompson who was allegedly alive in Washington County Virginia in 1820 the brother of this James and Henry Thompson. James and Henry’s brother, Patton had died in what is present day Logan County WV, sometime between December 1810 and August 1814. John Thompson, the brother of the aforementioned men, died in Montgomery (present day Pulaski Co.) in 1805. He lived at Springfield Plantation all of his life. He could not possibly have been the same John Thompson who wrote the above letter, as John Thompson, son of William and Mary (Patton) Thompson could not read nor write. He signed his name with an X.
Patton Thompson mentioned above may have been James Patton Thompson, the s/o James and Catherine (Shelby) Thompson, however this “Patton” Thompson supposedly died ca 1814, so if that is true, he couldn’t have been in court in 1820. Neither of the John Thompsons from Louisa were sons of John Thompson and Rebecca (Farley) Thompson, because their children were not old enough to be involved in land transactions in 1805.
John Thompson married Rebecca Farley in Montgomery (part that is present day Pulaski) County, VA on 24 Sep 1786. His will was written 22 Feb 1805, signed with an X and recorded May 1805. His executors were Daniel Howe and Gordon Cloyd. Witnesses were Thomas Cloyd, Wm. Hickman and David Cloyd. John mentioned that he wanted to be buried in the graveyard where his father was buried (Springfield Plantation, present day Pulaski Co.) He mentioned his wife Rebecca, and his eldest son Thomas. He mentioned his other children, but not by name. (Montgomery Co. Will Bk. 1, pg. 257)
Patton Thompson, (my ancestor) sold his share of the Springfield estate to Joseph Cloyd on 1 Mar 1803. Patton and Judy appeared in Tazewell County records for a few years, along with Henry Farley, Judy’s father. By 1810 they were living in Cabell County (part that is present day Logan County, West Virginia.) Patton died sometime between Dec 1810 and August 1814 and Juda Thompson was shown on the Cabell County tax list as Head of Household in 1815.
SOME EARLY RECORDS FROM CABELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA (LATER BECAME WV)
1810 Tax List: 30 Mar 1810 Patton Thompson 1 tithe – 1 horse (no slaves)
15 May 1810 William Thompson 1 tithe – 7 horses (no slaves)
(Patton and William were the only 2 Thompsons old enough to taxed in 1810. This William was too old to be the s/o Patton & Judy (Farley) Thompson).
1815 Tax List:
22 Apr 1815 John Thompson-1 tithe, 2 horses, 6 cattle (no slaves)
William Thompson-1 tithe, 2 horses, 6 cattle (no slaves)
Juda Thompson- no tithe, 1 horse, 4 cattle (no slaves)
(Patton Thompson had died and Judy was the head of household, This John and William were too old to be the sons of Patton and Judy. It appears that this John and William were from Ohio). (Juda/Judy Thompson later married Robert “Robin” Hensley (also my ancestor.)
According to Clyde Runyon’s transcription of Floyd County KY marriages, On 26 December 1817, Robert married Judy (Farley) Thompson, (Floyd County KY marriage records, file 262. Some sources show that it was 27 December 1816.) Judy was the widow of Patton Thompson. She had been a widow since at least 1814. Judy remained a widow for at least two years before she married Robert Hensley.
The 1820 Census of Cabell County (W) VA shows Robert Hensley and his wife, (Judy) as both being between ages 26-45. They had one white male, age 10-16. This would have to be William Patton Thompson, who was born 1799. They had three white males under age ten. This would account for George and Steve Hensley, Robert’s sons, and John Thompson (who has not been proven beyond doubt to be Judy and Patton Thompson’s son.) There is a white female, age 16-26 in the household. This would account for Mary “Polly” Judy’s youngest daughter by Patton Thompson. Polly’s sister Sarah “Sally” had already married Richard Evans, 27 June 1820 in Floyd County KY. There was one free black male, between the age of 26 & 45 on the 1820 census in Robert’s household.
The 1824 Personal Property Tax List of Logan County shows both John Thompson and William Thompson each with one Tithable, and Robert Hensley with one Tithable, (himself) one horse and one black, over age 16. We have no record of him ever buying nor selling slaves. The “black” person might very well have been an Indian, since they were enumerated as “black” in most records in those days.
Robert is also on the 1827 Personal Property Tax List for Logan County, where he is shown with one white Tithable (himself), one black over age 16 and 3 horses.
By the time the 1830 census was taken, Judy had apparently died, (Sometime between 1820 and 1830) because she is not on the census in 1830. Robert had moved once again, because he is shown on the 1830 Cabell County census with two white males between the ages of 10-15 (George and Steve Hensley).
Cabell County Deeds:
Bk. 1, pg. 124- 13 Dec 1810 – Patton Thompson witnessed a deed.
Bk. 1, pg. 155- 18 Nov 1811 – Indenture (deed) Archibald Bennett and Patsy, his wife of Cleremont County Ohio, sold 500 acres near the Forks of the Big Sandy (River) to William Thompson. The land had been conveyed by the will of John P. Duvall on 8 Jan 1803. Tract was marked (surveyed?) by John Hanks on 26 Oct 1789. Wit. By George Thompson, Micajah Frashier (sic) and Richard Thompson. Clerk: Timothy Rarsin (Rasnic?)
Bk. 1, pg. 300 – 5 Oct 1813 – Indenture from David Stephenson and wife Martha to James Cowner, 150 acres Tease Valley, site of James Thompson cabin, deeded by Ruben Slaughter. This land was near the Ohio border.
Bk. 1, pg. 456 – 26 Nov 1814 – Judge John Thompson mentioned (appears that he was a Judge in Gallia County, Ohio, which is across the river from WV and KY). The land was in dispute, had formerly belonged to John P. Duvall.
Bk. II, pg. 95, – 5 Mar 1816 – Indenture; Wm. Thompson to trustee Samuel Smiley, to John Thompson; livestock sold for $150.00 due in 20 days.
