Samuel Thompson (1735 - 1798)

Born 22 Mar 1735 in New Meadows, Brunswick, Cumberland Co., Maine District, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Abiel (Purington) Thompson — married 1 Dec 1757 in Georgetown, Lincoln County, Maine District, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 16 May 1798 at age 63 in Topsham, Lincoln, Maine, United States

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Biography

Samuel Thompson is Notable.

Brigadier General Samuel Thompson served with Cumberland County Militia, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Samuel Thompson is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A114526.

Samuel Thompson is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-304369
Rank: Brigadier General

Brunswick, Maine tavern owner Samuel Thompson had been elected to the Brunswick Board of selectmen in 1768, 1770, and 1771. He was elected commander of the Brunswick militia in 1774 and headed the local enforcement committee for the Continental Association created by the First Continental Congress to boycott all goods from Great Britain. The Continental Association attempted to enforce the boycott on 2 March 1775 against a shipload of sail, rope, and rigging for loyalist shipbuilder Captain Samuel Coulson of Portland by demanding the delivery ship leave port. Coulson requested delay while the English sloop completed needed repairs after its trans-Atlantic voyage. HMS Canceaux was dispatched from Boston while the repairs were in progress; and, following its arrival on March 29, Coulson proceeded to offload his British goods under the protection of the British warship. The battles of Lexington and Concord took place 90 miles (150 km) to the south while Canceaux lay at anchor in Casco Bay. When news of the battle reached Brunswick on April 21, the Brunswick militia laid plans to capture Canceaux.^[1]

Fifty Brunswick militiamen wearing a sprig of spruce in their hats as a uniform arrived in Portland secretly aboard small boats carrying a spruce tree with the lower branches cleared away as a battle ensign. Canceaux was prepared to prevent the small boats from boarding; but Thompson's militia captured the warship's captain, Lieutenant Henry Mowat, on 9 May 1775 while he was ashore arranging church services for his crew. The first lieutenant aboard Canceaux discharged two cannon salutes (gunpowder charges without shot) toward Portland and threatened to shell Portland unless the captain was released. Six hundred militiamen from surrounding communities gathered as Portland residents negotiated to prevent their community from becoming a battleground. Mowat was allowed to return to his ship, but his demand to arrest Thompson was refused, and the assembled militia forced Canceaux to leave port on May 15.^[2]

Disappointed militiamen vented their frustration by looting the homes of Coulson and loyalist Sheriff Tyng before returning to their inland communities. News of Thompson's attempt encouraged Machias, Maine militiamen to capture the British armed schooner Margaretta a month later in the battle of Machias. Mowat brought Canceaux back to Portland in October to set fires which left Portland's population homeless as winter approached. The Massachusetts House of Representatives promoted Samuel Thompson to Brigadier of the Cumberland County, Maine militia on 8 February 1776 in recognition of his initiative following the battles of Lexington and Concord; and the spruce trees his men carried provided inspiration for adoption of the Pine Tree Flag as the Massachusetts naval ensign in April 1776.

Thompson, Samuel, Brunswick. Official record of a ballot by the House of Representatives, dated Jan. 30, 1776; said Thompson chosen Brigadier for Cumberland Co.; appointment concurred in by Council Feb. 8, 1776; reported commissioned Feb. 8, 1776; also, return of men raised in Cumberland Co., agreeable to resolve of April 20, 1778, made by said Thompson, Brigadier, dated Brunswick, July 1, 1778. ^[3]

Spouse: Abial Purington.

Burial: old cemetery at Ferry Point, Topsham, ME (remains later moved to same grave as son Humphrey, in Village burying ground. ^[4]

FALMOUTH, July 14, 1779. Agreeably to your orders of the 26th of June last, I have detached out of my brigade 600 men, formed them into a regiment and appointed proper officers to command, viz: Col. Jona. Mitchell, Lt. Col. Nathan Jordan, Jacob Jordan first, and Nathaniel Larrabee second major. On the 6th inst. received orders from Genl Lovell to cause said troops to repair to Falmouth to be received by Major Hill who informed me he should be there the 8th, and on the 9th they would arrive at Falmouth and the greater part have been waiting ever since, except those who living near by had leave to return home for want of provisions.`` SAM THOMPSON, Brig.

Major Nathl Larrabee:-- "Sir: I have orders to rase a Regement out of my Brigade to go to penobscot in order to Dislodge the Enemy there, I do therefore appoint you Second major of Said Regement and expect you will hold yourself In Readyness to march at the shortest notice. SAMUEL THOMPSON Brigdr."

General Samuel Thompson then lived in Brunswick, and was the brigadier-general in command of the Cumberland county militia. He was a resolute, energetic and sincere patriot of the revolution, who for his early devotion to the cause of our independence, and his faithful public services, should be revered by the county of which he was then a citizen.

Samuel Thompson, late of Topsham. Ezekiel Thompson, of a place called Little River, and James Purinton, of Topsham, Admr's, 19 June, 1 79S. [IX, 6.] Benjamin Ham, of Bath, and James Purinton, of a place called Little river, sureties. Samuel, a minor son, chose John Merrill, of Topsham, to be his guardian, 27 May, 1800. [IX, 250].^[5] Inventory of real estate by Joseph Kilgore, Aaron Dwinel and Acter Patten, Jr., all of Topsham, 19 Dec, 1803, $17,833.73 and division of the same 25 Ap., 1806, among James Thompson ; Mary, widow of Humphrey Thompson, and heirs of Humphrey Thompson, deceased ; Aaron Thompson ; Samuel Thompson ; Samuel Thompson Mallet; John Wilson and Rachel, his wife ; William Wise and Thankful, his wife. [XII, 95 to 104.] Lincoln Probates page 337. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Goold, William The Burning of Falmouth 19 February 1873
2. ↑ Leamon, James S. Revolution Downeast: The War for American Independence in Maine (1995) University of Massachusetts Press pp.62-67
3. ↑ House of Representatives, dated Jan. 30, 1776
4. ↑ Topsham, Maine Reference Number: 2138)
5. ↑ Probate...
6. ↑ https://ia802604.us.archive.org/23/items/probaterecordsof00main/probaterecordsof00main.pdf

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed May 2020), "Record of Thompson, Samuel", Ancestor # A114526.
• "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BJ-J9YT-V?cc=1803978 : 28 November 2018), > image 1 of 1; multiple sources, Maine.
• Thompson's War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompson%27s_War

• "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BJ-J9B3-K?cc=1803978 : 28 November 2018), > image 1 of 1; multiple sources, Maine.

See Also: "American Insurgents, American Patriots, Revolution of the People." by T H Breen, 2010. Hill and Wang, New York. Call E209 B76.