On the Genealogy Trail

*an updated post

I have long known that the Thomsons were quite the characters (and I married into the family so I should know!)

But seriously many years ago my husband’s grandfather shared some genealogical information he had received from another family member. He was quite proud to say that the Thomsons were related to Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress. And they were wealthy barons from Scotland. And their direct line came from a Revolutionary War soldier who was commended for bravery by General George Washington himself.

Being the genealogy buff I am, I was intrigued, and maybe even a little skeptical. Families often spread stories that are bent in flattering ways and passed down generation to generation.

The story is that our Thomsons could be related to Charles Thomson, or maybe not (so far not a proven connection in the least), who not only was a patriot and a well educated man who married into a wealthy family, but also translated from the original Greek the first American printed Bible. He was friends with Ben Franklin (who I am connected to through by marriage but not blood related to). Charles Thomson wrote down his memoirs. Before he died Charles burned his diaries, proclaiming that there they contained information that would not be flattering to our country’s founding fathers and he wanted to preserve the legacy that Americans held dear. Oh, my. We will never know the nitty gritty it seems. What stories he probably could have told!

I sought to find out more about our proven Thomson line: William Thomson born in 1711 in Ireland. Family lore said that he served at Valley Forge and was commended. A true patriot like Charles Thomson, perhaps. That’s what my husband’s grandfather believed. The truth, however, is a little different, but in my opinion more interesting. He did serve at Valley Forge. He enlisted in January 1778 (yes that terrible winter we’ve all heard about) and he was 67 years old at the time! William’s oldest son, Hugh, also served in a different PA regiment. William was an Adjutant Officer, which means he was the assistant to the commander of his unit. You can find his name here spelled with a p.

This painting depicts Baron von Steuben drilling the troops at Valley Forge in the winter of 1778.

William did receive something from General Washington, but it was not what Grandpa had thought. In May of 1778 William Thompson (Thomson) received a court martial. Here is the note attached to his file: Charged with failing to report when summoned by Major Francis Nichols. Thompson was acquitted; however was convicted of using “ill language.” Washington understood the reasons for Thompson using the language and remitted the conviction.

So instead of a commendation, he received a pardon.

We all got a good laugh over that. Not sure how old Major Nichols was but can’t you see a 67-year-old man giving that young fellow a piece of his mind?

William Thomson lived to the ripe old age of 89 (dying July 4, 1800) and was buried at Piney Creek Cemetery next to a Presbyterian church of the same name. There is more to the family story that I’d like to explore. It’s said that he sold his farm with the intent of moving to Kentucky with his wife and his son and his son’s family. But the American money he accepted for his farm turned out to be worthless. And his wife died. So they abandoned those plans and William moved to Taneytown, MD, and rented a farm there. It’s there he died. Several other Thomsons are buried in this small cemetery (all spelled this way and not with a “p” or without the “h” as previous genealogists have claimed.)

Family lore can provide clues, but you always need to follow up with research.