Able K. Thompson I (1757 - 1840)

Born 2 Feb 1757 in Mansfield, Burlington, New Jersey

Ancestors

Husband of Jemima (Kemp) Thompson — married 28 Sep 1778 (to 15 Nov 1816) in Springfield, Burlington, New Jersey, United States

Husband of Tamar (Gray) Thompson — married about 1822 in Union Township, Erie, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Jul 1840 at age 83 in Union City, Erie, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Abel and Tamar Thompson

Abel K. Thompson, son of Henry Thompson and Mary Shinn, was born on the 2 Feb 1757 in Mansfield, Burlington, New Jersey.^[1]

Abel married Jemima Kemp on the 28 Sep 1778 in Springfield, Burlington, New Jersey.^[2][3][4]

Children of Abel and Jemima:

1. Job Thompson 1779-1852
2. Mary Thompson Kiel 1781-1815
3. Infant Thompson 1783-1783
4. Abel Kemp Thompson 1785-1861
5. Joel Thompson 1788-
6. Caleb Thompson 1790-1863
7. Sarah Thompson Boylan 1792-1862
8. Charles Kemp Thompson 1796-1873
9. Joel Thompson 1800-

Abel married 2nd, Tamar Gray about 1822.

Children of Abel and Tamar:

1. Robert Gray Thompson 1822-1899
2. Infant Thompson 1824-

Abel passed away on the 3 Jul 1840 in Union City, Erie, Pennsylvania at the age of 83.^[1]

Abel K. Thompson Family History

In the year 1785 Able and Jemima moved from Great Egg harbor NJ to Fayette Co. Pennsylvania. The Journey was made on horseback. In the year 1801 Abel Thompson and his family came to the wilderness of Western Pennsylvania to what was later to become Oil City. There he bought 40 acres of land from another early settler William Miles and set up a blacksmith shop about a half a mile from the site of the mill that Miles was building.

Able's wife Jemima and his 5 sons and his 2 daughters came with him to western Pennsylvania. He and all his 5 sons were skillful artisans and became useful and prominent citizens of the small growing community. Son Joel and his father were blacksmiths and stone cutters. From the boulders they found in the woods they fashioned grinders for Miles mill. Also most of the tombstones in Erie county were made by them out of the native stone. Most of the settlers bought and used farming and household utensils made by Joel and Abel. They created hoes, hay and manure forks, harrow pins, plow irons, shovels and tongs that were used at every fireplace.

Son Job, who loved to work in the woods, cleared a farm in several places and built a shop at the mouth of Carol's Run and put in a turning lathe that was operated by water power. In his shop he made wooden bowls, flax and wool spinning wheels and many other household items. Job's son Samuel S was a first class wheelwright and was known far and wide for his skills at wheel making. Samuel S. is buried in the Thompson Cemetery in Union City, Pa.

Abel Jr, another son left the area where his father settled and moved further south in Pennsylvania. It is from his line that Harl Thompson and descendants came.

Abel's son Caleb became a farmer as well as a carpenter and joiner. Many of the older homes in Union City were built by Caleb.

The fifth son was Charles K. He was a skilled shoemaker which kept him plenty busy in Erie County. He also dearly loved to hunt deer and was ready with hunting stories for anyone who would listen. About 1835 or 1836 Charles K. moved to the far west though no one knows for sure why or where he migrated.

In 1816 Jemima, Able's wife died and Able asked Caleb to come and live with him on the farm and help him tend to the business. He though both of them could continue to carry on their trades and still find time together to work the farm. Abel worked hard in the years following Jemima's death but his grief over her loss was obvious.

About 1821 or 1822 an old man from New York State by the name of Jeduthan Gray, came to the Oil Creek area and bought the Miles farm. Jeduthan was an elder in the Baptist church and a very influential man. There were many others who followed him into this part of Pennsylvania and together they built a prosperous settlement and a flourishing Baptist Church. Jeduthan brought with him his sister, Tamar Ames. Tamar had married very young but had been widowed with 5 small children. Almost at first sight Abel fell in love with Tamar and she accepted his proposal of marriage merging the two families.

Abel and Tamar moved into the homestead and Caleb tactfully moved out to build his family a new home. Abel Thompson, Jemima Kemp Thompson his first wife, Tamar his second wife and his sons Job, Joel and Caleb all died in Union Mills and are buried in the family cemetery on land purchased originally from settler William Miles.

Research Notes

Website with Thompson data (to be checked out and compared: http://www.rootsweb.com/~paerie/famhist/Thompson.htm

NOTE: Possible related Thompson wife Jane Unknown Thompson born 1788 PA. Her grandson David Thompson is buried in same cemetery as Able K. Thompson.

^[1]

Sources

• "United States Census, 1790," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKJ-TCG : accessed 11 April 2015), Abel Thompson, Washington, Fayette, Pennsylvania; citing p. 56, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 8; FHL microfilm 568,148.

• "United States Census, 1810," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2K-BKX : accessed 11 April 2015), Able Thompson Fest, Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania; citing p. 127a, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 48; FHL microfilm 193,674.

• "United States Census, 1820," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLH-9R9 : accessed 11 April 2015), Abel Thompson, Union, Erie, Pennsylvania; citing p. 35, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 102; FHL microfilm 181,407.

• "United States Census, 1840," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYK-6M7 : accessed 11 April 2015), Able Thompson, Union, Erie, Pennsylvania; citing p. 51, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 459; FHL microfilm 20,545.

• Irvine, Leigh H. 1915. History of Humboldt County, California: with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present. Los Angeles: Historic Record Co. 1012-1013.

• American Ancestry; Giving the Name and Descent in the Male Line of Americans Whose Ancestors Settled in the U.S. Previous to the Declaration of Independence, 1776. Vol. XII. Albany, New York: Joel Munsell's Sons, 1899.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43568368/abel-k-thompson : accessed 20 November 2021), memorial page for Abel K. Thompson (2 Mar 1757–3 Jul 1840), Find a Grave Memorial ID 43568368, citing Thompson Pioneer Cemetery, Union City, Erie County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Cheryl C. Rigdon (contributor 47179336)
2. ↑ Nelson, William. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey; Marriage Records, 1665-1800. Vol. XXII. Paterson, New Jersey: Press Print. and Pub., 1900. 394.
3. ↑ "New Jersey, Marriages, 1678-1985," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZKF-35D : accessed 11 April 2015), Abel Thomson Or Thompson and Jemima Kemp, 28 Sep 1778; citing 888,708
4. ↑ "New Jersey, Marriage Records," 1683-1802,Ancestry.com, Publisher, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com,[1]

Acknowledgements

• This person was created through the import of Watkins.ged on 04 April 2011. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.