Samuel Thompson (1733 - 1808)

Born 20 Jul 1733 in Bellingham, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Rhoda (Smith) Thompson — married 16 Jul 1761 in Smithfield, Rhode Island

Descendants

Died 9 Oct 1808 at age 75 in Richmond, Chittenden Co., Vermont, United States

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Biography

This gentleman's story has been much mixed up over the years. I have been trying to untangle the knots and will continue to do so. He married an unknown woman likely in the Uxbridge, Ma or Smithfield, Rhode Island previous to the birth of his first son, Samuel A. Thompson in September 1760. She died soon after the birth of this son for he married a second time 16 July 1761 in Smithfield, Rhode Island Rhoda Smith (born 20 April 1739 in Walpole, Ma). They moved from the Uxbridge/Smithfield Area to the Swanzy, N.H. area between 1771 and 1773. (births of children)

Colonel Henry Joseph Amy in his "Descendants of David and Amyes Colle Thomson gives them 16 children. The last five attributed by Amy and copied by many others over the years would have been born when Rhoda was between 57 and 64 years old. Some have speculated that Samuel had a 3rd wife. This is possible and I have been searching for some evidence to tie the younger children to this particular Samuel. There were several Samuel Thompson's in the vicinity at the same time. The original records have been examined and Rhoda's name was put in by a different hand at some later date. Once I found evidence of Samuel's move to Richmond, Vermont and purchase of land there and then his death notice in the paper I searched for guardianship records for the younger children as none would have been of age when he died in 1808. Then I searched for evidence of ""younger" siblings who might have been living with older siblings. Compelling evidence finally emerged in "Our Heritage" by Esther Christensen. Esther Christensen papers, Iowa Women's Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City pp 7-9. This tells the story of Rufus Thompson son of Samuel by his yet to be identified third wife.

There is definite interaction between the child Samuel born in 1760 with his younger 1/2 siblings. Sales of land between them. The same is true between the children of Samuel and Rhoda Smith, with the exception of the son Ebenezer. For the time being I have not tied Ebenezer to the family hoping I can find some definite evidence of interaction. Amy simply listed him, and stated nothing further known.

Samuel Thompson, son of Benjamin and Matha (sic) was born July 20, 1733 in Medfield, Massachuchusetts. ^[1]

Samuel married first an Unknown Spouse by whom he had a son Samuel A. Thompson born 18 September 1760. This line is confirmed by Y DNA matches. His first wife died previous to his marriage to Rhoda Smith on 16 July 1761.She died prior to 1795. They were the parents of ten or eleven children. He married a third unknown wife with whom he had 5 children between June 1796 and May 1803. She died about 1803 perhaps following the birth of her youngest child. He died 9 October 1808 in Richmond, Chittenden County, Vermont, where he had purchased land in September 1803 from his son Josiah. This sale was witnessed by his son Uriah. In 1806 Samuel purchased half of a grist mill in Richmond, Vermont. This sale was witnessed by his son Josiah. Four of his sons (Josiah, Timothy, Benoni and Jesse) were living in Richmond in 1808. (Vermont Centienel, Burlington, Vermont dated Oct 14, 1808). There is much confusion regarding this line for several reasons:

First: The History of Swanzy gives Samuels death as 1803. For years people have relied on this history. Since Samuel purchased land in Richmond, Vermont in 1803, he clearly left Swanzy and its records. The assumption in the history was that he died, but he only moved.

Second: Colonel Henry Amy wrote a book entitled: Descendants of David and Amyes (Colle) Thomson and their son John in 1962. He lists 16 children for Samuel and Rhoda. The last Five Children being born when Rhoda was between 57 and 64 years old. Martha was born when Rhoda was about 42 and was most likely her last child. Samuel had a third wife and fathered children until his 70th birthday.

Third: Betty Lou Morris (a descendant of son Benoni) has been researching this family for many years. She hired a professional genealogist from The New England Historical Association to look at the "original" records of Swanzy. They found that the births of these later children (1796-1803) were only recorded as children of Samuel. (There were several Samuel Thomson or Thompson's in the area at the same time),. Someone in a different hand at a later time had written in Rhoda as the mother.

Fourth: Amy attributes another son Ebenezer to this family with a birth of about 1780 and nothing further known. I have not found any evidence of this man or been able to connect him to Samuel and Rhoda and so until I am able to do that I am omitting him. One interesting thing about this family is that they all bought and sold land from each other or witnessed each other's transactions. This helps to confirm the relationships.

Samuel Thompson, son of Benjamin of Smithfield, Rhode Island, was born July 20, 1733.

Marriage of Samuel Thompson and Rhody (sic) Smith in Smithfield, Rhode Island on July 16, 1761. ^[2]

The children of Samuel's third wife lived with half siblings and moved to the Richmond, Chittenden, Vermont area. Current research is ongoing in an attempt to determine the name of Samuel's third wife.

Sources

1. ↑ Medfield - Births - Massachusetts Vital Records Project Online database of images and transcriptions courtesy of John Slaughter.
2. ↑ "Rhode Island Marriages, 1724-1916," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8KY-1ZW : 11 February 2018), Samuel Thompson and Rhody Smith, 16 Jul 1761; citing Smithfield Twp,Providence,Rhode Island, reference ; FHL microfilm 22,256.

• DAR Patriot Index https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A114531

Y DNA testing has confirmed a match between the children of the first wife who died previous to 1761 and the second wife Rhoda Smith's children. If anyone reading this is a descendant of the possible third family (David 1796; Jonathan 1796; Mary 1797; Rufus 1800 or Fanny 1803) and can provide DNA information or other primary source information, I would urge you to contact me. See also:

• http: wellswooster.com see article by Betty Lou Morris

Our Heritage by Esther Christensen. Esther Christensen Papers, Iowa Women's Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, pp. 7-9

The Descendants of David and Amyes (Colle) Thomson and their son John by Colonel Henry Joseph Amy, Eastchester, New York 1962

Vermont Centinel October 14, 1808. Burlington Vermont Newspaper, clipping attached

• Vital Records of Swanzey, N.H.
• Vital Records of Swanzey, NH