The Morris Clan

John TOMSON

HUSBAND:
[F3824]. John TOMSON.
Born in 1616 in the northern part of Wales, and it is presumed that he was of Scottish descent; son of _?_ TOMSON [F7648]. It is said his father died soon after his birth, and his mother married again. [S13]. Even the name of his step-father is not known.

Ignatius Thompson's "Genealogy of John Thompson" says he came to America in "the third embarkation," a company under the patronage of Thomas Weston, a merchant of distinction in London. The company contained 60 or 70 men, some of them with families. Among them was John Tompson, then 6 years old. They landed at Plymouth early in MAY 162211,13. However, there seems to be some errors in Ignatius's account. [S5].

What is properly called the "third embarkation," the "Little James and Anne," actually arrived in AUG 1623 with 60 passengers.(S5).. There were other other arrivals, the "Sparrow" in MAY 1622, with seven passengers, was indeed sent by Thomas Weston. Still another arrival was the "Charity and Swan" in JUL 1622, also sent out by Thomas Weston, with sixty colonists bound for Wessagusset or Weymouth, which stopped at Plymouth with letters from Mr. Weston stating that he had quit the "Adventurers." John Thompson may have indeed arrived in MAY 1622 as Ingnatius Thompson said, but this was not termed the "third embarkation."(S5).

He was a carpenter, though his primary occupation was a farmer. Besides building his own houses, he built homes for others. In 1637 he and his friend Richard Church built the first framed meeting house in Plymouth. He then sued Thomas Willett, the town's agent, for not complying with the contract. As compensation for his labor, the town gave him a deed to a piece of land extending back from the market house to the herring brook, later called Spring Hill5. He was great friends with Richard Church, and after his death, with his brother, Captain Benjamin Church, the Indian fighter. [S5].

On 3 MAR 1645 he purchased a house and garden of Samuel Eddy near Spring Hill in Plymouth.

John Tompson married Mary COOKE [F3825] on 26 DEC 1645 [S5, S11,S13] (1643-S4) at Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

He purchased his first farm in Sandwich, in that part called Nobscusset, where he lived for a few years. He soon came to the conclusion that he could better his fortune by moving further into the interior.

He selected a place 13 miles west of the village of Plymouth on the outskirts of Bridgewater, Middleborough, and what later became Halifax. He purchased land of William Wetispaquin, sachem of the Neponsets, the purchase having been approved by the Court11. The deed is recorded in Book 4, page 41, in the Registry of Deeds for Plymouth County. His homestead, including other purchases other than the above deed, contained more than six thousand acres. It was later divided into more than one hundred farmsteads. It commenced at the herring brook in the northern part of Halifax and extended nearly five miles south into Middleborough. He built a log house in Middleborough, about twenty rods west of the Plymouth line, where he lived until it was burned by the Indians. [S5].

Tradition says that he began clearing land with the intention of locating his house near where the saw mill of Ephriam B.Thompson later stood. After working for a while, he became thirsty and went into a valley near by to search for water. Upon finding a lively brook of pure water, he came to the conclusion that the spring could not be far away. He followed the brook up about one hundred rods and came to the fountain of pure, gushing water. A clearing was made here and a log house built5. Charles H. Thompson says, "The importance of locating near a spring of never failing water, instead of attempting to dig wells, at that time, is apparent when we consider that shovels and spades in those times were made of wood instead of iron; wooden shovels were used by the third and fourth generations from John Thomson. When Ebenezer, a grandson of his, had a wooden shovel pointed or shod with iron, it was considered a very great improvement and was borrowed by the neighbors far and near. The ancient practice of building dwelling houses near springs and running water accounts for the very crooked roads in many localities of the old colony. [S5]."

He served as representative from Barnstable in 1671 and 167212. He was a sergeant of the military company in 167312. He became a representative for Middleboro about 1674 and served for the next eight years9. He became a Lieutenant of the military company in 167512, and was in that year a commander of a garrison in King Philips War. [S12].

He died 16 JUN 1696 at Middleboro, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, in his 80th year. He was buried in the first burying ground in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. His tombstone reads: "In Memory of LIEUT. JOHN THOMPSON, who died June 16, ye 1696, in ye 80th year of his age. This is a debt to nature due, Which I have paid, And so must you. [S13]."

WIFE:
[3825]. Mary COOKE.
Born between MAR 1624 and 22 MAY 1627 (16265,6,8) at Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; daughter of Francis COOKE [F7650] and Hester MAHIEU [F7651]. Some sources say she was born at Leyden, Holland as were all her siblings. She was born after 1623, however, when her mother came to Plymouth Colony.

She married John TOMSON6,7,8 [F3824] on (26 DEC 1645-S5,S11,S13)(1643-S4) at Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. She died 21 MAR 1714-1715 at Middleboro, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, in her 88th year; and is buried at the first burial ground there in Middleboro, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

CHILDREN of John TOMSON [F3824] and Mary COOKE [F3825]:

1. Adam TOMSON. Born in 1646, before 26 SEP. He died in 1648.
2. John TOMSON. Born NOV 1647 (in 1648-S3). He died 11 FEB 1648.
3. [F1912]. John TOMSON. Born 24 NOV 1649 at Plymouth, Massachusetts. He married Mary TINKHAM [F1913]. He died 25 NOV 1725 at Middleboro, Massachusetts.
4. Mary TOMSON. Born in 1650. She married in JUN 1672 to Thomas TABER, son of Philip TABER, as his second wife. He had married (1) Ester Cooke, daughter of John COOKE. Mary died in 1723 (on 3 MAY 17343).
5. Esther TOMSON. Born 28 JUL 1652 at Barnstable, Massachusetts. She married in 1675 to William REED, who was born 16 OCT 1634, son of (Deacon) William READ and Avis. Esther and William both died in 1706 (she died between 26 OCT 1705 and 12 SEP 1706-S3).
6. Elizabeth TOMSON. Born 28 JAN 1654 at Barnstable, Massachusetts. She married William SWIFT. She died after JUN 1700 (after 12 MAY 1701 and before 1756-S3).
7. Sarah TOMSON. Born 4 (7-S4) APR 1657 at Barnstable, Massachusetts. She never married. She died 2 DEC 1730.
8. Lydia TOMSON. Born 5 OCT 1659 at Barnstable, Massachusetts. She married 14 DEC 1693 to James SOULE, son of John SOULE. She died 14 MAR 1741 at Middleboro, Massachusetts.
9. Jacob TOMSON. Born 24 APR 1662 at Barnstable, Massachusetts. He married 28 DEC 1692 (1693-S3) to Abigail WADSWORTH. He died 1 SEP 1726 at Middleboro, Massachusetts.
10. Thomas TOMSON. Born 19 OCT 1664 at Barnstable, Massachusetts. He married 13 DEC 1715 at Middleboro, Massahcusetts to Mary MORTON. He died 16 OCT 1742 at Halifax.
11. Peter TOMSON. Born 1667 (before 1679-S3), at Barnstable, Massachusetts. He married (1) about 1699 to Sarah THOMSON. He married possible (2) to Rebecca STURTEVANT. He married possibly (3) to Sarah WOOD. He died before 29 APR 1731.
12. Mercy TOMSON. Born in 1671. She did not marry. She died 19 APR 1756 at Halifax.

SOURCES:

[S 1]. Family Records. [S 2]. The Ancestors of Mildred May (Vance) Webb. by Paul J. Weckle, Box 176, Coleridge, NE 68727. 1987. {G31}. [S 3]. Families of the Pilgrims. Compiled by Hubert Kinney Shaw. 1958. Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants:Boston, MA. [S 4]. Mayflower Descendants and Their Marriages For Two Generations After the Landing. 1922. Bureau of Military and Civic Achievement:Washington D.C. [S 5]. A Genealogy of Descendants of John Thomson of Plymouth, Mass. Charles Hutchinson Thompson. 1890. Lansing:Darius D. Thorp, Printer & Binder. [S 6]. Record of Deaths, Middleboro, Mass. Deacon Alfred Wood. 1947. General Society of Mayflower Descendants:Boston, Mass. pg. 194. [S 7]. Plymouth Colony Marriages to 1650. Robert S. Wakefield. 1980. Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Rhode Island. [S 8]. The Mayflower Descendant. 1901. Vol. 3:95-105. [S 9]. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England. James Savage. 1862. Vol. 4:283-290. [S 10]. Mayflower Index. William Alexander McAuslan. 1932. The General Society lf Mayflower Descendants. [S 11]. Middlesex County records (find the exact reference). Page 1785. [S 12]. source? (find the exact reference). page 993. [S 13]. State of Maine (find the exact reference). page 1678-1679.