Theophilus Augustus Thompson (1855 - abt. 1881)

Born 21 Apr 1855 in Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America

Died about 8 Oct 1881 at about age 26 in Frederick, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Theophilus Thompson is Notable.

Theophilus Thompson is the earliest documented African-American chess expert recognized in the United States of America.^[1]

Theophilus Thompson was born into slavery in 1855.

Notes

His Find a Grave memorial^[2] contains an image of an obituary for him that shows him dying of consumption on 8 Oct 1881 at the age of 26. His biography on the U.S. Chess Center^[3] also reports his death from tuberculosis on 8 Oct 1881.

His Wikipedia aticle suggests that he became a waterman in Maryland and lived at least until the 1940 census. However, this appears to be based upon little more than a common name and roughly the same birth year. An entry in the chess online magazine The Chess Drum^[4] discusses this theory, concluding that “The Theophilus Thompson in Anne Arundel [Maryland] was, in fact, a different person!”, based upon the same obituary on the Find A Grave memorial. See also, on the same site, The Mystery of Theophilus Thompson Solved!!^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophilus_Thompson
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #113606041
3. ↑ Biography of Theophilus Thompson on the website of the U. S. Chess Center, Theophilus Thompson - Trailblazing Chessplayer and Problemist: https://chessctr.org/discover/theophilus-thompson/
4. ↑ on Theophilus Thompson on the website The Chess Drum: Black History Month 2022-Day 6:Theophilus Thompson, by Daaim Shabazz, dated February 6, 2022 https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2022/02/06/black-history-month-2022-day-6-theophilus-thompson/
5. ↑ https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2020/04/19/the-mystery-of-theophilus-thompson-solved/

• 1870 Census: "1870 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1870; Census Place: Frederick Ward 6, Frederick, Maryland; Roll: M593_586; Page: 125A
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7163 #23480504
  Theophilus Thompson (14), Domestic Servant, in Frederick Ward 6, Frederick, Maryland. Born in Maryland.
  FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN3X-MLN